Node.js: easy to learn, hard to master - perfect for AI
Exploring Node.js: its easy start, complex mastery, and the rising need for deeper knowledge in AI-driven dev.
Many years ago, I got incredibly excited about a new technology for writing any application: Node.js. What made it special then (and now)? I firmly believe that its scripting nature, its “tolerance” to mistakes, the easiness of reusing code, and the “good enough” performance make a combination of speed, flexibility, and ease of use that is hard to resist, like a Swiss Army knife for developers, offering a “good enough” tool for every job.
But there’s a catch– while easy to get started with, mastering Node.js is an entirely different beast. And with AI-assisted development re-shaping software engineering, this learning gap is growing exponentially.
Let’s unpack it.
JavaScript is a weakly typed programming language, meaning that most code you’d throw together would not error. This is why TypeScript was created: to bring back some structure when none existed. Most code that TypeScript fails to build would execute fine if run as JavaScript. The ecosystem around Node.js built on this and created the most significant registry of reusable code available: npm. Last but not least, the Google V8 team pioneered a fast JavaScript runtime that could be as fast as compiled languages like Java or C#.
All of this made Atwood’s Law possible:
Any application that can be written in JavaScript, will eventually be written in JavaScript. -James Atwood, - https://blog.codinghorror.com/all-programming-is-web-programming/
Today, the latest updates in AI-assisted development greatly speed up time to market by removing a lot of the “low-value” integration work that is currently needed, leaving time for developers to focus on higher-level tasks.
So, let’s take a look at learning curves as a whole, how this applies to Node.js, issues that arise from this, and how to solve them.
What’s a learning curve?
The learning curve idea, which Theodore Paul Wright came up with back in 1936, explains how practice helps us get better at tasks. In his paper, "Factors Affecting the Cost of Airplanes," he introduced a simple math model showing that the time it takes to assemble airplanes goes down with each new unit. This laid the groundwork for what we now know as the ‘learning curve theory’ for making things more efficient.
The idea of a learning curve applies to coding, too! Think about it – you can track how long a developer can finish a task or create a new feature. If you watch this over time, you'll see how they get faster and better with practice. This info is super helpful for figuring out how much time and people you'll need for future projects. Plus, it can point out areas where someone might need extra training or help. The learning curve idea helps managers understand how skill-building naturally works and sets realistic goals for their team.
Applying the learning curve concept to Node.js
Node.js is super easy to learn and is one of the preferred technologies taught in software development boot camps worldwide. Having one language for both frontend and backend development significantly reduces the concepts a new developer has to learn to develop features. With just a few days of experience, developers quickly become capable of shipping a complete Node.js application and getting better rapidly.
There is a catch: Node.js, like all others, is a complex and powerful runtime. As the saying goes, “With power comes great responsibility”...
Writing an application that performs brilliantly on the developer's laptop or the staging environment but crumbles against production traffic is relatively easy. However, it's the equivalent of “shooting yourself in the foot” in software development work. Node.js essentially allows all programming patterns to work fine but are not equal in performance and observability.
Node.js is a C++ binary capable of interpreting JavaScript. Discerning what would work well on Node.js requires knowledge of operating systems, networking, memory management, data structures, and all the “boring” topics usually skipped by boot camps and students who may lack exposure to these fundamental areas... However, these topics are essential for running Node.js in production (with some users/traffic). Sometimes, this problem can be overcome by overspending on infrastructure.
Given this massive gap, one could have assumed the market would have self-corrected, and plenty of resources to learn this knowledge would have popped up. Unfortunately, this did not happen because there is no market for it, as most of the learning market is for people trying to “break into tech.” This is okay because a career in tech transforms the lives of the people involved for the better! However, it leaves people wondering what works and what doesn’t in the long term.
The masters of JavaScript and Node.js development are usually framework maintainers, Node.js core collaborators, and anyone who has dug deep and understood how all the parts work together.
The path to becoming an expert in Node.js is to start contributing to Open Source and be exposed to all the problems others have… and fix them! Understanding V8 as a JIT compiler, keeping up with the constant changes in Node.js/V8, and developments like the new Maglev compiler that affects how we interpret microbenchmarks are crucial parts of this journey that need to be taken to develop a deep understanding. Then there is the problem of memory management, distinguishing between a memory leak and a garbage collection issue between the Scavenge and Mark&Sweep phases, and how to fix them. Last, one would need to learn about modern operating systems' networking and file system stacks and how they affect applications. All this knowledge is often overwhelming for someone who just wants to render web pages.
Node.js is a Catch-22
Node.js (and all the other compatible runtimes) are inevitable. Even if one company would prefer to avoid them due to the problems listed above, the easy learning curve allows developers with little experience to ship features in a matter of days after joining a company. Moreover, the nature of “small modules” in npm is perfect for AI-assisted development: most of the complexity is locked in tiny modules, and the AIs can just reason about their APIs and assemble them swiftly - reducing the “context” needed. (A catch-22 is a messed-up situation where you're stuck because the rules don't make sense. It's like needing something impossible to get because of the thing itself. The term comes from a book called "Catch-22," which means you're trapped in a no-win situation because of dumb rules.)
What to do if you have a Node.js problem you cannot solve
Thousands of developers ask me the same question yearly: I have an XYZ problem with Node.js, and I don’t know how to fix it. Some companies spend months trying to fix specific issues, and I have fixed them in hours. Most of them ask me to help them for free.
So, what should you do?
- Buy a product that handles these cases or provides enough visibility.
- Hire a consultant who can provide the necessary support.
- Sponsor Open Source maintainers and ask them to help you directly.
- Mature the knowledge internally by watching talks and reading blogs from the maintainers, even digging deep and looking at the source of your favorite runtime/module.
- Start contributing to OSS.
If you are in trouble, contact me. I’d be happy to see if there is a way my startup, Platformatic, can help you!
Thanks to Robin Ginn and Rafael Gonzaga for reviewing this article.