Best Free Node.js Resources & Tutorials

There are plenty of professionals eager to learn Node.js but hesitate because of the perceived up-front costs. While there are no major costs to using Node.js, formal training can be fairly expensive. However, many free resources are available to help beginners get the hang of this exciting program. 

Read on to learn more about the different types of free resources and tutorials available to help you learn Node.js. 

What is Node.js?

Node.js is a commonly used JavaScript library and is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment. Node.js is among the most commonly utilized JavaScript libraries. It is far and away the most commonly used runtime environment in the professional sector, with Node.js being utilized by upwards of 98% of Fortune 500 companies. It allows users to create server-side architecture using JavaScript to build applications and webpages that constantly communicate information to server architecture without needing specific input from either the user or the server. This makes Node.js a vital programming language for any application that needs to be constantly connected to a server without needing to query that server at any given moment. For instance, it is part of the server architecture that allows users to stream video content on the internet without needing to download an entire video file. It is what allows online chat tools to function.

Node.js is also an integral tool in the continued development and refinement of the Internet of Things. More and more of our daily lives involve interacting with devices connected to the internet, ranging from our watches and phones to our cars and refrigerators. The various applications that these objects run to serve their niche functions tend to rely on Node.js to build the server environments and the asynchronous data processing events that allow multiple physical objects to be in meaningful conversation with one another over an internet connection. If you are using your voice to tell the virtual assistant on your desk to tell your thermostat to lower the temperature, Node.js infrastructure was likely vital in that exchange.

Read more about what Node.js is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Node.js?

Node.js is an incredibly versatile runtime environment that lets users construct virtually any program that seeks to use the functionalities of a webpage without needing to open up a web browser. This is vital for many web applications, such as almost all direct messaging programs and chatbot software. If you are designing an application and want to include a live chat feature, you will likely need to use Node.js. Node.js is also used for single-page web applications like Google Docs and Gmail. Even something as simple as including push notifications or scrolling news and weather updates in your application will require using Node.js.

Node.js is also a vital part of making the Internet of Things possible. Node.js is one of the key frameworks and runtime environments that allow sensors to detect changes and stimuli and relay that information to a device connected to the internet. This means that if you use the voice command on a digital assistant to tell your Bluetooth speaker system to lower its volume, you are using a program made possible thanks to Node.js. As this technology becomes more advanced and enters into sectors like the automotive and medical fields, skilled Node.js programmers will be able to construct complex, interconnected, potentially life-saving new technologies.

Free Training Resources

Students interested in learning the basic features of Node.js without enrolling in an immersive JavaScript course will want to consider their options for free online classes. These classes aren’t a substitute for professional skills training, but they are an ideal place for learning the basics of the library in preparation for more advanced skills training.

Noble Desktop offers students a few options for free Node.js instruction. On their official YouTube page, students can watch an Intro to Node.js seminar that will give them an overview of the library and its primary functions and applications. Students will learn how Node.js works and how developers can use Node.js to build web applications that operate outside a browser's scope. Once students have watched this video, if they are looking for more free online tutorials, they can explore the options available on the Web Development Playlist on their YouTube Channel or their Learn JavaScript resources page.

Interested users can also explore their options for free training seminars through training providers such as Udemy or CodeAcademy. These classes will vary in content and delivery style, but they will still provide an overview of the basic features of the Node.js library. Students may also wish to explore the resources on the office Node.js webpage for free and open-source resources that they can utilize to help them learn how to use the library.

Read about more free Node.js videos and online tutorials.

Web Development Skills

Since Node.js is a coding framework, many students will want to supplement their Node.js training with other web development training skills. Students can also take advantage of free resources that help them learn skills like JavaScript, HTML/CSS, coding fundamentals, and supplementary tools like Git. These free online tutorials give students a chance to prepare for their Node.js training or simply ensure that their skills aren’t getting rusty.

Noble Desktop offers several different free tutorials and resources on their learn hub page for skills like JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Git, and general web development skills.

Key Insights

• Node.js is a JavaScript framework that lets developers build software applications that run JavaScript code without accessing a web browser. A few examples of JavaScript applications include in-app chat features, streaming services, and digital assistants.
• Node.js is free, but training can be costly, so students may be interested in using free training resources to help them.
• Students may also want to take advantage of free training resources to build the necessary skills in web development and JavaScript required to learn Node.js
• Noble Desktop offers free training resources and professional training services in Node.js through both in-person and live online instruction.

Learn Node.js with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Since Node.js is a JavaScript library, it is rarely taught on its own. It is so ubiquitous in professional JavaScript development that it is often taught alongside JavaScript as an equally crucial professional skill. Therefore, those looking to learn how to use Node.js will likely do so within the context of a JavaScript class or bootcamp. In these classes, students will learn the basics of using JavaScript to code web applications. Then they will receive training in how to utilize Node.js to expand the scope and functionality of those web applications. Many of these classes, particularly those with a significant Node.js component, presume that students are familiar with basic coding skills, particularly HTML/CSS, so looking at course prerequisites is advised.

At Noble Desktop, students can learn Node.js in a wide array of different course settings. However, no matter what program you enroll in, you’ll stand to benefit from the chance to interface with expert instructors in their field in small, intimate classes that rarely exceed twenty students. Even online, students will be placed in private classrooms with live instructors who can answer their questions and provide feedback in real-time. You can also retake any course within one year, giving them an extra chance to hone their Node.js skills.

Noble offers JavaScript and Node.js instruction in its web development certificate curriculum. These courses provide hands-on training in JavaScript and Node.js by giving them projects to code that mirror the kind of real-world projects they can expect to work on in their professional lives. You can opt to enroll in the JavaScript Development Certificate program or the Full Stack Development Certificate program. In these classes, you will receive professional career instruction in web development skills, including JavaScript. Students in the JavaScript Development Certificate program will learn how to use the advanced features of JavaScript and Node.js to build complex web applications. Students enrolled in the Full Stack Development Certificate program will receive this training alongside introductory HTML/CSS training, React training, and backend development instruction.

These courses are career-focused training seminars, meaning they are designed to take students from novices in their field and graduate them as trained professionals ready to enter the workforce as Web Developers. These courses deliver hands-on training in the kinds of Node.js projects students will be hired to work upon and provide one-on-one professional mentorship as a part of their professional development. Students will conclude the course by working on a final web development sample portfolio. Upon completion, they will be awarded a career development certificate which signals to employers that they are prepared to start working as Node.js experts.