Learn Deno and go beyond Node.js (r) (r)

Apr 19, 2023
Learn all about Deno and go beyond Node.js

Share this on

Deno Deno, which is more well-known of the two newer runtimes, addresses some security issues present in Node.js and provides more comprehensive assistance for technology like TypeScript as well as WebAssembly.

What is Deno?

Some of Deno's main advantages comprise the following:

  • S security is the default - The user must explicitly give permission to the code to connect the file system, network or even the environmental.
  • Support built-in for TypeScript as well as WebAssembly -- Running TypeScript as well as WebAssembly programs with Deno is just as simple to run JavaScript programs. Runtimes compile the languages the same way as it did when using JavaScript.
  • Compliance with web standards Deno is a web-based application that conforms to the standards of Web 2.0. Deno aims to follow the same APIs and protocols that browsers use, which implies the code that is written for browsers can be easily translated to the runtime.

What is Deno Do?

Similar to any JavaScript runtime Deno enables developers to use JavaScript via the server. In turn, it is possible to use Deno for a vast variety of programming tasks.

Deno vs Node

Deno aims to be an improvement over Node.js, and it does so in a number of important areas. Deno enhances security through the ability to create more precise access configurations to different code modules. Deno also concentrates on web-standard API conformance, which permits developers to use the same code on both the browser and server sides.

In contrast, Deno is new: Version 1.0 was released in May 2020, so relatively few developers have had the chance to experiment with the tool. Learning a new tool lengthens development timelines. Additionally, it's unclear if Deno could bring benefits to many basic tasks.

But if you're building applications in a field where security is essential such as finance, Deno's security capabilities might make a switch worthwhile.

Deno vs Bun

Former Stripe engineer Jarred Sumner first released Bun in the month of July 2022, for beta testing. Bun is a more experimentative runtime than Deno as well as, like Deno was built to provide extensive backward compatibility with Node.js.

Bun has also been praised for its blazingly fast execution, surpassing Node.js and Deno. Key features enable these capabilities:

  • An improved engine In place of Google's V8 JavaScript and Web Assembly engine, Bun makes use of the quicker and more efficient JavaScriptCore as its underlying JavaScript engine.
  • Control of code Bun is written in Zig, a low-level language which provides more control than JavaScript over code execution.
  • Efficiency finely tuned -- The team behind Bun prioritized testing, profiling and optimising throughout development to assure code efficiency.

Bun is so new that there's not much assistance from the community to assist with the troubleshooting. Nevertheless, Bun can be fun to play with. Teams that specifically require more performance could discover Bun useful for their projects however, web development often prioritizes factors other than performance.

How to Start by Using Deno

Installing Deno

It is possible to install Deno on your computer by using a binary executable following these steps to install in the official document. If you are using macOS such as, you might install Deno with the procedure brew install deno.

Another method to get started with Deno is to set it up as an npm package, such as:

You should create a folder in your projects ( deno_example perhaps) and execute the command to start npm inside it. (You may accept all of the standard options offered in init since it generates the basic package.json file.)

Once you have started your application after initializing your application, you can run the command npm install deno-bin to install Deno's Deno binary package. You can now update the package.json file to make the application launchable using the command npm start. Include the bold line in the "scripts" object property within the standard package.json file:

"scripts": 
 "start": "deno run --allow-net app.ts",
 "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
 ,

This addition script allows Deno to run the app.ts module while having network privileges ( --allow-net). Keep in mind that, when working with Deno, you need be able to authorize access to the network or file system.

The next step is to build the app.ts module, that is responsible for listening to a port and responding to user requests.

Creating the App.ts Module

The process of creating a basic server with Deno is extremely simple. Create the app.ts file and paste in the following code:  import  serve  from "https://deno.land/[email protected]/http/server.ts"; serve((_req) => new Response("Hello from the server! "),  port: 8000 );

The code uses it's serve function that is part of the server.ts Deno library stored on the official Deno.land website. This code also provides a server function handler for new requests. The handler function replies to every request with "Hello from Server!"

The serve function can also take additional parameters like the port number you want to serve on. In this example, the code utilizes these parameters in order to connect to port 8000.

After that, restart the server by running "npm start". The server will be launched which listens to the localhost address 8000 and responds to requests with a welcome.

Deno server in action
Deno server in action

Summary

The runtimes vary from standard and reliable, to highly innovative. The best choice for your needs is dependent on the nature of your work and the way you would like your runtime to help you achieve your goals.

Node.js works well for most applications. It has a large network of users and an enormous community which can assist with a wide array of troubleshooting scenarios.

Deno provides more security as well as a superior developer experience. At the same time Deno is ideal for experienced teams so that its benefits outweigh the cost of time and effort of learning an unfamiliar runtime.

In the end, even though Bun can be too experimental in most professional work It's an original and enjoyable runtime that you can pick up for a personal venture or expand.

Overall, Deno offers balance between the benefits of Node.js and the experimental possibilities of Bun. While Node.js can be a good alternative for a majority of projects, Deno may be at the cutting edge of how web development could evolve in the future.

  • The My dashboard is easy to set up and manage in the My dashboard
  • 24/7 expert support
  • The most efficient Google Cloud Platform hardware and network that is powered by Kubernetes to ensure maximum capacity
  • A high-end Cloudflare integration that improves speed as well as security
  • The reach of the global audience is boosted by up to 35 data centers and around 275 POPs