Node.js is an elegant server-side JavaScript development environment perfect for scalable, high-performance web applications. Node allows developers to access HTTP and general TCP/IP functionality using a minimalist server-side JavaScript interface. Node.js in Action is an example-driven tutorial that starts at square one and goes through all the features, techniques, and concepts needed to build production-quality Node applications. First it shows how to set up a Node development environment and the community-created extensions. Then it runs through some simple demonstration programs and introduces asynchronous programming, a requirement for real-time applications such as chat, online games, and live statistics. It also shows how to create serious web applications using Node's HTTP API and introduces community frameworks that make web development easier and faster.