Preface

Since the first edition of Node.js in Action, Node has merged with io.js and has dramatically changed its governance model. Node’s package manager has been spun off into a successful new company, npm, and technologies such as Babel and Electron have transformed the development landscape.

And yet, not much has changed in Node’s core libraries. JavaScript itself has changed: most developers now use features from ES2015, so all of the original listings have been rewritten to take advantage of arrow functions, constants, and destructuring. Node’s libraries and built-in tools still look broadly similar to Node pre 4.x, though, so we’ve looked to the community for updates to this edition.

To reflect the realities a Node developer now faces, we’ve restructured the book. There is less focus on Express and Connect, and more focus on a broader range of technologies. Everything you need to be a full-stack developer is here, including front-end build systems, choosing a web framework, working with databases in Node, writing tests, and deploying web apps.

In addition to web development, we’ve included chapters on writing command-line applications and Electron desktop apps. This lets you take full advantage of your Node and JavaScript skills.