Chapter 20. Node.js

“A student asked ‘The programmers of old used only simple machines and no programming languages, yet they made beautiful programs. Why do we use complicated machines and programming languages?’ Fu-Tzu replied ‘The builders of old used only sticks and clay, yet they made beautiful huts.’”

—Master Yuan-Ma, The Book of Programming

So far, you have learned the JavaScript language and used it within a single environment: the browser. This chapter and the next one will briefly introduce you to Node.js, a program that allows you to apply your JavaScript skills outside of the browser. With it, you can build anything from simple command-line tools to dynamic HTTP servers.

These chapters aim to teach you the important ideas ...

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