Getting Started with Node.js: The First Step in JavaScript Backend Development

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment built on the V8 engine, enabling JavaScript to run on the server - side without a browser and facilitating full - stack development. Its core advantages lie in: no need to switch languages for full - stack development, non - blocking I/O for efficient handling of concurrent requests, light weight for rapid project development, and npm providing a rich ecosystem of packages. Installation is simple; after downloading the LTS version from the official website, you can verify the success by running `node -v` and `npm -v`. For the first program, create a `server.js` file, use the `http` module to write an HTTP server, and listen on a port to return "Hello World". Core capabilities include file operations with the `fs` module and npm package management (such as installing `figlet` to achieve artistic text). It is easy to get started with Node.js. It is recommended to start with practice, and later you can explore the Express framework or full - stack projects.