What is the difference between NodeJS and regular frontend javaScript?

what I will be covering in this article

• Which should you choose to focus on and why?
• Which am i going to focus on and why?

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What is NodeJS and how does it differ from regular javaScript?

Regular javaScript or javaScript that people normally refer to when they speak of it is javaScript that runs in the client’s web browser. We write some code and include it inside the html of the document (inside script tags) or we use script tags (normally) to download a separate javaScript file that will start executing as soon as its finished downloading.

NodeJS is javaScript that runs on the server instead of the client. It can be used to run a web-server or do many different tasks. Sometimes this is used instead of older Perl, Python, PHP, etc…

Should you focus on regular javaScript or NodeJS?

NodeJS and client side both have their usages but I believe that most people that are new to javaScript entirely or are wondering what modern javaScript is and how it differs will be working mostly and foremost with client side.

Which will I be focusing on in this series?

I will be focusing on regular client side javaScript for the most part, although I may very well point out where things between them differ as I go through this series and point out some NodeJS features as well. While I enjoy NodeJS I believe that most people will come into more contact with client side javaScript first and more frequently.

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