[pixeloution]

And how is that relevant? I've heard the argument "Your backend developers can work on the front end too" -- but its a tired argument. Any developer who can't already do both has no place working for a company producing web-based software.

[OliverSteenbuck]

For example, you don't have to write validating logic for inputs twice.

That somebody can do both things should, in my opinion not mean that he has do both things.

[prodigal_erik]

There's a huge army of teams who aren't competent to do both, judging by the number of sites that fail completely if the client isn't trusting and running javascript. Node.js seems like a good solution for unobtrusive enhancement, making reliable semantic resources that may still optimize out many server round trips with mobile code.

[barnaby]

In a perfect world you would be correct. But answer me this:

How many Java backend engineers know how to unit test javascript, how to make modular templates (e.g. writing their own tags, or nesting/tiling their JSP's), how to systematically minify their code in production and use CDN's ... or even how to use any design patterns in Javascript?

[VMG]

You can use the same code at the front end and at the back end.

[whiterabbit]

Ideally, would you write your web application using one language, or ten?

And that is how it's relevant. Any developer who can't grasp this concept has no place working for a company producing web-based software.

[sofuture]

I would choose to write it in however many languages fit the various pieces best. To choose otherwise would be ill-advised.

[whiterabbit]

By "however many languages fit the various pieces best," did you mean the most or the fewest?

[sofuture]

I mean I wouldn't make technical decisions dogmatically.

[whiterabbit]

I think everyone here will back you up on that, but don't infer that zinxq is advocating choice by technical dogma. I read their post as simply asking for an explanation for node.js's accelerating popularity; of course there are many factors, but its ability to reduce lexical context switching is obviously a major component. To argue otherwise would be ill-advised.