This document discusses Node.js and Meteor.js for real-time web development. Node.js uses JavaScript on the server and allows for asynchronous and scalable applications. Meteor.js builds on Node.js and aims to reduce boilerplate code by automatically handling tasks like data synchronization and latency compensation. The document demonstrates a simple chat application in Meteor.js requiring only 54 lines of code for the complete server and client implementation. It concludes that Node.js is well suited for real-time applications and I/O intensive tasks while alternatives exist like Ruby, Python, PHP, Java and Perl that also support asynchronous programming.

1. Node.js and meteor
Next generation web development for the realtime web
Martin Naumann - Software Engineer
Centralway Factory AG
Submission #386

2. AGENDA
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What is node.js?
Why do you want it?
Comparison
Quick: express.js
Even quicker: meteor.js
Meteor.js example
To node or not to node
Alternatives
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

3. What is node.js?
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Javascript on the server
event-driven architecture
asynchronous I/O
scalable
based on V8
modular
"Yeah. Nice buzzwords. What's the point?"
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

4. Why you want node.js?
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One instance can handle lots of clients
○ reduced memory footprint
○ get more performance from existing resources
○ Benchmark: up to 1.600.000 concurrent requests
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Use your frontend technology on the backend
○ you have Javascript in your application anyway
○ "Oh look, this looks familiar!"
○ You know your stuff: Callbacks, Closures, Asynchronity
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It's modular
○ easy to connect pieces of code
○ easy to write network code
○ rapidly build complex applications
Level Two
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

5. Comparison: "Elders of web dev" vs. node.js
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HTTP is the base of all web applications
HTTP was synchronous.
Most of the web languages still are.
HTTP evolved:
○ AJAX
○ Websockets
○ Push
real-time web
Need for asynchronous technologies
○ all of which are a bit weird in PHP, Java, ASP, etc.
○ node.js is asynchronous and has ever been.
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

6. Quick! To the web app - with express
var express = require("express");
var app = express.createServer();
app.get('/:msg', function(req, res) {
res.send(req.params.msg);
});
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

7. What boilerplate code is left?
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Setup the server
Route requests
Take care of HTTP
Data sychronisation
Persist data
Write an Interface (API)
Setup server-side and client-side code
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

8. Why not have...
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the code separated by conventions
the server automatically deliver it
automatic persistance
automatic synchronisation
automatically compensate latency
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

9. Quicker: meteor.js - A real-time app example
"So I heard you wanted to implement a chat app"
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Write a server and a client
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transmitting messages in nearly real-time
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with multiple chatrooms
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users can pick a nickname
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users can create rooms
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What do you think how many lines of code this requires?
54.
Server and client together.
7 are blank.
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

10. Meteor.js example: The server
var Rooms = new Meteor.Collection("rooms");
var Messages = new Meteor.Collection("messages");
Yup. That's it.
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

11. Meteor.js example: The client I / II
Template.main.currentRoom = function (){
return Session.get("room") || false;
};
Template.rooms.availableRooms = function (){
return Rooms.find({});
};
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

12. Meteor.js example: The client II / II
Template.room.events = {
"click #leave": function() {
if(!window.confirm("Leave this room", "Really leave?")) return;
Session.set("room", undefined);
},
"submit": function() {
Messages.insert({
"room": Session.get("room"),
"author": Session.get("name"),
"text": $("#msg").val()
});
$("#msg").val("");
}
};
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

13. To node or not to node - that shall be the question
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Where node does make sense
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real-time applications
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processing long-running or I/O intensive tasks
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Where it doesn't make sense
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static web pages
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small web applications for standard CRUD
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

14. Alternatives
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Ruby: EventMachine
Python: Twisted
PHP: Photon
Java: javaeventing
Perl: Mojo
JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann

15. Thanks for listening!
Questions?
Martin Naumann - www.geekonaut.de
Centralway Factory AG - www.centralway.com
martin.naumann@centralway.com
@AVGP - github.com/AVGP