Node.js Tutorial | Learn Backend Development with JavaScript

Welcome to Tpoint Tech's Node.js Tutorial, where we simplify backend development and walk you through building powerful web applications using JavaScript and Node.js. Whether you're new to backend development or just want to level up your skills, this Node.js tutorial for beginners is the perfect place to start.

🚀 Why Learn Node.js?

Node.js is a runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript on the server side. Traditionally, JavaScript was limited to frontend (browser-side) development. But with Node.js, you can now build complete web applications using just one language — JavaScript.

Benefits of Using Node.js:

• 🔄 Non-blocking I/O and asynchronous architecture
• ⚡ Extremely fast and lightweight
• 🛠 Huge ecosystem with npm (Node Package Manager)
• 💻 Perfect for building APIs, microservices, and real-time applications

📦 Getting Started: Setting Up Node.js

To follow this Node.js tutorial, you'll need Node.js installed on your computer.

✅ Install Node.js:

• Go to https://nodejs.org
• Download the LTS version (Long Term Support)
• Once installed, verify it in your terminal:

node -v
npm -v
        

This checks if both Node.js and npm were installed correctly.

🛠️ Create Your First Node.js App

Let’s dive into your first real Node.js app! Create a new project folder:

mkdir nodejs-tpoint
cd nodejs-tpoint
npm init -y
        

This sets up your package.json file, which keeps track of dependencies.

Now, create a file named app.js and add the following code:

// app.js
const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
  res.end('Hello from Tpoint Tech Node.js Tutorial!');
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server running at http://localhost:3000/');
});
        

Run your app:

node app.js
        

Visit http://localhost:3000 and you should see: Hello from Tpoint Tech Node.js Tutorial! 🎉

🧱 Understanding the Code

Here’s what’s happening:

• require('http') imports Node's built-in HTTP module
• http.createServer() sets up a basic web server
• res.writeHead(200) sends a 200 OK response
• res.end() sends the response body
• server.listen(3000) starts the server on port 3000

Congratulations! You've just built a basic server using Node.js.

📁 Creating Routes with Node.js

Let’s make the app a little more useful by adding simple routing:

// app.js
const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  if (req.url === '/') {
    res.write('Welcome to Tpoint Tech!');
  } else if (req.url === '/about') {
    res.write('This is a Node.js tutorial for beginners.');
  } else {
    res.write('Page not found!');
  }
  res.end();
});

server.listen(3000);
        

Now:

• Visiting / shows a welcome message
• Visiting /about shows a tutorial note
• Any other path returns a 404-style message

📦 Installing External Packages

Node.js has a vibrant ecosystem. Let’s use Express, a popular framework that simplifies server creation.

Install it with:

npm install express
        

Replace your app.js with:

// app.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Welcome to Tpoint Tech using Express!');
});

app.get('/about', (req, res) => {
  res.send('This is a Node.js tutorial for beginners.');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Express server running at http://localhost:3000');
});
        

Why use Express?

• Shorter and cleaner code
• Built-in routing
• Easy to add middleware and JSON handling

🧪 Creating a Simple API

Let’s take it up a notch and create a JSON API:

// app.js
app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => {
  const users = [
    { id: 1, name: 'Alice' },
    { id: 2, name: 'Bob' }
  ];
  res.json(users);
});
        

Now visit http://localhost:3000/api/users and you'll get JSON data. 🎯

🔄 Real-World Use Cases of Node.js

Node.js is everywhere! Here's where it's used:

• 🌐 Web servers & APIs
• 📲 Real-time apps like chats & games
• 🛍️ E-commerce backends
• 🔗 Microservices architecture
• ☁️ Serverless functions (with AWS Lambda, etc.)

🧠 Key Concepts to Learn Next

This Node.js tutorial gives you a foundation. Here's what to explore next:

• Working with files (File System module)
• Using environment variables (dotenv)
• Connecting Node.js to databases like MongoDB or MySQL
• Error handling and middleware
• Authentication using JWT or sessions

🧭 Final Thoughts

This Node.js tutorial for beginners, brought to you by Tpoint Tech, walked you through:

• What Node.js is and why it's awesome
• How to create a simple server
• Basic routing and API creation
• Using Express.js for faster development

Learning backend development with JavaScript unlocks full-stack capabilities — and Node.js is a powerful way to do that. 🎓

📢 Stay Connected

Want to keep learning? Follow Tpoint Tech for more practical tutorials on backend, frontend, and full-stack development.