Central Washington University Node Structure on Java Programs Project

learn how to initialize a Node.js project, install third-party dependencies, and create interactive command-line applications. Node.js ships with a **standard library**. The standard library contains a number of modules that allow you to extend the functionality of Node.js, like `fs`, which you’ll use to read and write files. You’ll also learn how to add a large and robust ecosystem of third-party modules to applications to extend their functionality.

# Unit 09: Node.js and ES6+
## Overview
You’ve arrived at another important milestone in your journey. The JavaScript you wrote for your
first project was executed entirely on the client side, though it used third-party server-side APIs.
In this and later units, you’ll learn how to write your own server-side applications to handle
requests and ultimately to build your own APIs.
In a previous era, this would be the point when you’d begin learning a second programming
language, like PHP, to write server-side code. Luckily, Node.js—released in
2009—makes this unnecessary. Node.js is an implementation of the V8 JavaScript
engine without Chrome. It allows you to write server-side code using JavaScript. This means
that you no longer need a browser to run JavaScript. You can (and will) do so from the
command line!
In this unit, you’ll learn how to initialize a Node.js project, install third-party dependencies, and
create interactive command-line applications. Node.js ships with a **standard library**. The
standard library contains a number of modules that allow you to extend the functionality of
Node.js, like `fs`, which you’ll use to read and write files. You’ll also learn how to add a large
and robust ecosystem of third-party modules to applications to extend their functionality.
## Key Topics
The following topics will be covered in this unit:
* [Node.js](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Node.js)
* [process.argv](https://nodejs.org/docs/latest/api/process.html#process_process_argv)
* [fs](https://node.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api/fs/)
* Modularization
* [require()](https://nodejs.org/api/modules.html#modules_require_id)
* [module.exports](https://nodejs.org/api/modules.html#modules_module_exports)
* [npm](https://docs.npmjs.com/about-npm/)
* [package.json](https://docs.npmjs.com/creating-a-package-json-file)
* [npm init](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/init)
*
[node_modules](https://nodejs.org/api/modules.html#modules_loading_from_node_modules_fol
ders)
* [inquirer](https://www.npmjs.com/package/inquirer/v/0.2.3)
*
[ES6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECMAScript#6th_Edition_%E2%80%93_ECMAScript_2015)
* [let](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/let) and
[const](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/const)
* [Arrow functions](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Functions/Arrow_functions)
* [Template literals](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Template_literals)
* Array methods ([map()](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/map),
[filter()](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/filter),
[reduce()](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/reduce))
* [Spread](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Spread_syntax) and rest
* [Destructuring arrays and objects](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Destructuring_assignment)
* [Asynchronous JavaScript](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Learn/JavaScript/Asynchronous)
* [Callbacks](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Callback_function)
* [Promises](https://developer.mozilla.org/enUS/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Promise)
## Learning Objectives
You will be employer-ready if you are able to:
* Build interactive command-line applications that process user input.
* Explain modularization and how it relates to npm and the standard library.
* Initialize new Node.js projects with npm, and install and import dependencies.
* Explain the importance and usefulness of ES6+ concepts such as `let`, `const`, and arrow
functions.
* Handle asynchronicity with callbacks and Promises.
## Technical Interview Preparation
You will be employer-competitive if you are able to solve the following algorithms and
successfully complete the assessments.
### Algorithms
Practicing algorithm-based interview questions is one of the best ways to prepare for interviews.
* [01: Character Count](./03-Algorithms/01-character-count/README.md)
*[
Let’s Code Character Count!](https://2u-20.wistia.com/medias/6ka87l3z21)
* [02: Product of Largest Two](./03-Algorithms/02-product-of-largest-two/README.md)
* [03: Camel Case](./03-Algorithms/03-camel-case/README.md)
### Assessments
Assess your knowledge by answering technical interview questions and solving coding
challenges.
* [Unit 09 Assessment](https://forms.gle/VKfsdSySYgc4Hrih7)
## Homework
In the homework for this unit, you’ll create a command-line application that uses input from a
user to dynamically generate a quality readme for a GitHub project.
## Heads-Up
In this unit, you’ll begin to use Node.js. Be sure to have it installed on your computer.