Top NodeJS tools for developers

Node.js was created by Ryan Dahl in 2009 using the Google Chrome V8 JavaScript runtime environment.

With Node.js, it has become easier for application developers to create a fast, reliable, and scalable web application with much fewer lines of code. The best thing about Node.js is that it allows developers to create an application on both the client and server at the same time.

NodeJS is growing in popularity since its inception.

• 30 million websites use NodeJS
• Back in 2018, NodeJS hit 1 billion downloads
• Amazon, eBay, LinkedIn, Netflix, Reddit, PayPal, and Tumblr use NodeJS
• NodeJS reduces the loading time by 50–60%
• NodeJS reduces development costs by 58%

Top NodeJS tools to make you a better developer‍

Today we will introduce you to some of the popular and commonly used developer tools for Node.js.

1. Babel

Babel is used to generate backwards-compatible JavaScript lines of codes for older JavaScript engines. The best part is that it can run ECMAScript 2015+ (ES6+) code. In addition, Babel is an open-source JavaScript development tool that allows you to use multiple programming languages.

Let us have a look at some of the interesting and powerful features of Babel. The main features of Babel are listed below:

• Ability to transform the syntax. It also tries to use the least code as possible.
• Supports features like polyfill and source code transformations.
• Offers support map so that you can debug the code easily.
• Does not contain any built-in plugin. You can create your own plugin and then use it.

2. BlueBirdJS

BlueBird JS makes writing NodeJS applications even more accessible. It is a JavaScript Promise library with all the bells and whistles. With Bluebird, you may “promisify” other Node modules to use them asynchronously.

3. BroccoliJS

Broccoli is a JavaScript build management tool. It creates a distributable version of your application assets that you can run in a browser. BroccoliJS uses a modular plugin architecture to do configuration in JavaScript. It is a fast, reliable asset, supporting constant-time rebuilds and compact build definitions.

4. ChaiJS

Chai is a NodeJS assertion framework for TDD and BDD that you can use in conjunction with virtually any other type of testing tool. Chai will also help you verify the asynchronous test results. Moreover, you can use NodeJS or a web browser to run Chai, with its many plugins serving as an assertion tool.‍

5. ElectrodeJS

The best thing about ElectrodeJS is that both React and NodeJS programs run on it, making it a versatile platform. In addition, Electrode Explorer and Electrify are part of the best practices, standardized frameworks, and current technologies. These tools allow you to see your electrode’s module tree, documentation, and how the io + Webpack project bundles are brought together.‍ The user of any skill level can easily learn and perform coding practices.

6. ExpressJS

ExpressJS is an essential framework for NodeJS web apps because of its simplicity. Using NodeJS and ExpressJS, you may create server-side JavaScript applications.

7. Keystone

Keystone is one of the NodeJS development tools for those who want to learn and develop applications using NodeJS. It serves NodeJS database-driven web applications and APIs. The tool’s most impressive feature is its user-friendly design, making it easy to manage your website.‍

8. KoaJS

The minimalist and modern NodeJS developer tool, Koajs, is a server-side framework that runs on NodeJS. The backend framework is significantly lighter than any other NodeJS framework. It is used extensively to build APIs and apps that remain relevant for a long time.

It does not depend on middleware, unlike other similar frameworks. It has built-in plugin packages that provide support for operations like routing, compression, caching etc. It also has the ability to remove callbacks and reduces errors.

9. Meteor

MeteorJS is a JavaScript prototyping and cross-platform coding framework (Web, Android, iOS) built on NodeJS. It has MongoDB integration and can be used with any JavaScript-based UI widgets.

10. MochaJS

It is a popular NodeJS-based JS test framework widely used by NodeJS developers to run tests. This framework is excellent since you can run it simultaneously on NodeJS and browsers. MochaJS is an excellent choice for behaviour-driven and test-driven development. In addition, you can use it for unit and integration testing (BDD and TDD).‍

11. PassportJS

PassportJS is middleware, simple, and discreet authentication for NodeJS authentication. It offers over 300 options for authenticating your app, including the username and password model, logins, etc.‍

12. PM2

PM2 is a process manager used in NodeJS application development. It has comprehensive load balancing, application cluster, hot reload log management, container integration, and monitoring of critical metrics, among other features. This tool will help you eliminate most challenges connected with running NodeJS apps inside Docker containers.‍

It has the ability to monitor and reload the application without any downtime in case of a sudden crash. The finance software companies like Intuit, and the online payment gateway PayPal use PM2.

13. SinonJS

For testing JavaScript, you can use SinonJS, a stand-alone framework. Compatible with any testing framework, it’s compatible with stubs, spies, and mocks. In addition, it’s cross-browser compatible and runs on NodeJS on the server.‍

14. Socket.io

Socket.io is a framework for real-time, bi-directional communication based on event-driven interactions between two computers or devices. The huge plus of this NodeJS developer tool is that it performs well on any device or platform. It’s ideal for chat apps and is favored by large corporations like Microsoft and small startups like Zendesk and Trello.‍

15. Webpack

A module bundler known as Webpack takes modules and creates static assets to represent those modules. To deploy a dynamic application to your server, you need to bundle it into static files. Therefore, it helps you to minimize the initial loading time of your application significantly.

Webpack’s code-splitting ability allows you to break up your codebase into smaller parts. For example, if you want to use Webpack, you’ll have to use JavaScript natively. You can, however, use loaders to convert additional resources written in CSS, JSX, SAAS, etc., to JavaScript.

You can also enhance the web pack’s functionality by adding plugins and loaders with their configurations. The web bundle also includes an innovative method for analyzing any third-party library.‍

16. WebStorm IDE

The WebStorm IDE is a fantastic JavaScript IDE. It is lightweight and has everything required for developing client-side and server-side NodeJS apps. In addition, it’s a JS-specific tool; thus, it’s an excellent choice if you’re solely creating JavaScript/HTML/CSS. You can also debug, track, and conduct unit testing.‍