#1: Introduction to Node.js :: NodeCasts: Free Node.js Screencasts

Episode 1: Getting Started with Node.js

Published Aug 1, 2026 · 6:40 runtime · 12 comments

So what is Node.js, and when should you choose it? This first episode covers the fundamental concepts that power the platform.

In this episode

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Show Notes

This episode uses Node.js v0.8.4 — check the downloads and documentation.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is a software platform built for creating fast, scalable network applications. It is event driven and relies on non-blocking I/O. Because of that non-blocking approach, a single process can handle a large number of requests.

Blocking vs. non-blocking I/O

Reading a file in Ruby

Ruby sample code from the episode:

contents = File.read('myfile.txt')
puts contents

Reading a file in JavaScript

JavaScript sample code from the episode:

var fs = require('fs');
fs.readFile('myfile.txt', 'utf8', function(error, data) {
  console.log(data);
})
console.log("That's the contents of the file.")

Comments

Jeff Jones avatar
Jeff Jones, 13 years ago: Fascinating, enjoyed the waiter analogy!
rmyock avatar
rmyock, 13 years ago: Excellent intro to Node.js. Looking forward to the next one.
Alex Bezuska avatar
Alex Bezuska, 13 years ago: Thank you so much for starting this series, I am a visual learner and want to get started with Node.js, and eventually create some simple database driven apps with CouchDB. I also really liked the waiter analogy, I didn't understand asynchronous until I heard it, and now I get it! Thanks.
Benjamin Tan Wei Hao avatar
Benjamin Tan Wei Hao, 13 years ago: Great waiter analogy. Looking forward to the rest in the series.
Rafael Izidoro avatar
Rafael Izidoro, 13 years ago: Great dude!
Bob Kepford avatar
Bob Kepford, 13 years ago: Excellent explanation.
mksuthar avatar
mksuthar, 13 years ago: Thanks
Sam Joseph avatar
Sam Joseph, 12 years ago: any chance of variable speed in the video player? e.g. x2?
Dan Murphy avatar
Dan Murphy, 11 years ago: Awesome, thank you!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Node.js?
As covered in this episode, Node.js is a software platform for building fast, scalable network applications. It is event driven and uses non-blocking I/O.
Why does non-blocking I/O matter?
Since Node.js uses non-blocking I/O, a single process can serve many requests rather than pausing for each operation to complete.
What does "event driven" mean in practice?
Instead of blocking while an operation finishes, Node.js registers a callback that runs once the operation completes — the asynchronous file read in the JavaScript example is a simple demonstration of this.
How is the Ruby example different from the JavaScript example?
The Ruby example reads the file and then prints the contents on the next line, so the program waits for the read to finish. The JavaScript example passes a callback to fs.readFile and moves on to the next statement right away, logging the file contents only after the read completes.
Which version of Node.js is used in this episode?
The show notes list Node.js v0.8.4, with links to its downloads and documentation.
Where can I watch or download this episode?
The episode can be streamed in the player above and downloaded as WebM (12 MB) or MP4 (26 MB) via the download links.

Copyright © 2012 Brandon Tilley

Node.js is an official trademark of Joyent. This site is not formally related to or endorsed by the official Joyent Node.js open source or commercial project.

Home Node.js

Node.js shines when an application needs to juggle many simultaneous connections without spawning a thread for each one. By pairing an event loop with non-blocking I/O, it keeps a single process responsive while work happens in the background. The Ruby and JavaScript file-reading examples in this episode show that contrast in miniature, and the same pattern scales up to servers, APIs, and real-time tools.