What’s new in Node.js 17? Some new features of Node.js 17 that you need to know about!

Node.js is one of the most widely used server-side frameworks today. It is an open-source and cross-platform backend JavaScript runtime framework. The initial version of Node.js was released on May 27, 2009, by Ryan Dahl (the creator). Version 14.17.6 of LTS (long-term assistance) is possibly the most recent.

Node.js is becoming increasingly popular across the globe, especially in Silicon Valley. It’s undoubtedly an excellent skill to have in your portfolio, and this will set you up in the right places for opportunities as a web developer. In addition to that, you can build different types of programs, such as social networking sites, real-time monitoring tools, multiplayer online games, real-time monitoring tools, real-time video and texting apps, and more. Additional promised APIs, JavaScript engine improvements, and OpenSSL 3.0 compatibility have all been included in this runtime release.

Below are some of the salient features of the new Node.js 17 version:

Scalable:

Scalability is one of the most difficult problems in software development, and Node.js handles it well. Many organizations nowadays demand scalable software, and Node.js can handle several requests simultaneously.

Single-threaded:

Because it employs a single-threaded layout with events repeating, Node.js is versatile. The event feature allows the node.js server to react non-blocking and extendable, unlike traditional servers that produce constrained threads to execute requests. Node.js uses single-threaded software that can handle significantly more requests than traditional servers like the Apache HTTP Server.

Program execution time:

Node.js uses the V8 JavaScript Runtime motor, which Google Chrome also utilizes. The Hub provides a foundation for such a JavaScript motor, which allows the runtime engine to operate faster.

Event-driven and asynchronous:

The APIs within the Node.js library appears to be fully asynchronous and event-driven (non-blocking). Node.JS servers never need to wait for data from APIs.

Compatibility:

Node.js can work with the majority of the operating systems available, including Windows, Unix, Mac OS X, Linux, and other mobile devices. If it is utilized with the appropriate package, it can generate a standalone executable.

New promise-based APIs:

As part of a comprehensive effort plan, Node.js strives to promiseify its key APIs. Promise-based APIs for the dns, fs, stream and timer modules have been added in the last several major Node.js versions.

The readline module, which is largely used for taking input from the command line, has been expanded to include this ongoing promisification effort in Node.js 17. The readline/promises module provides access to the new APIs.

In Node.js versions 16 and prior, callback functions were the only way to use the readline module. When importing via readline or promises, you can now use await as of Node.js 17.

Stack traces are now included in the Node.js version:

One of the first questions to ask is what version of Node.js was used to run the program when troubleshooting a reported problem.

When an unidentified exception leads the process to quit, Node.js 17 makes it easy to disclose this data by providing the version number after the stack trace.

When launching your Node.js scripts, use the “no-extra-info-on-fatal-exception” command-line switch to remove this data from the stack trace.

Version 9.5 has been upgraded:

The v8 JavaScript engine has been upgraded to v9.5 in Node.js 17. The modifications in this version largely seek to improve universality for dates and calendars and time zone output. It also supports the WebAssembly Exception Handling proposal, intended to save time compared to current JavaScript-based solutions.

Removals and Deprecations:

Node.js 17 includes a few deprecations and removals as befitting a significant version. The deprecation of trailing slash pattern mappings, which are not allowed by the import maps standard, is one of the most prominent.

OpenSSL 3.0 is supported:

Node.js 17 now supports the newly released OpenSSL 3.0 version. The objective is for the APIs in OpenSSL 3.0 to be backward compatible with previous OpenSSL versions. However, if users employ minor keys or older algorithms, the system may be influenced by shorter key lengths and method limits.

In Node.js 17, you’ll notice the error code ERR OSSL EVP UNSUPPORTED if your apps or dependencies use an algorithm or key length that isn’t allowed in OpenSSL 3.0. Use the OpenSSL-legacy-provider command-line parameter to enable the OpenSSL 3.0 legacy providers as a temporary workaround.

It utilizes JavaScript:

JavaScript is used by the Node.js library, which is another important component of Node.js from the engineer’s perspective. A larger percentage of engineers are already familiar with

Upgrading from Node.js 16 to Node.js 17

By navigating to the Node.js installation directory and choosing the relevant link for your operating system and platform, you may acquire Node.js 17 for your device. Utilizing a Node.js environment management platform like Volta, which allows you to download and toggle between multiple Node.js releases seamlessly, is an excellent way to keep track of Node.js changes on your computer.

Wrapping up

With this big upgrade, Node.js 16 has been promoted to LTS status. This long-term support version includes the core pack script, which connects the entity framework to the Node.js App Applications created during development. This indicates that users will be able to utilize npm and yarn without installing them and that certain features will be available permanently. Therefore, now is a great time to update Node.js 17, as Node.js 12 will be obsolete in 2022.