What is Node.js?

Short answer: Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript on the server side. It’s built on the V8 JavaScript engine developed by Google (the same one used in Chrome). With Node.js, you can build scalable and high-performance web applications, APIs, and even real-time services like chat apps. 📌

Example code

If you write a simple HTTP server in Node.js, you can serve a webpage without using a traditional web server like Apache: const http = require('http'); http.createServer((req, res) => { res.end('Hello from Node.js server!'); }).listen(3000);

Real-world example (ShopNest)

A ShopNest BFF in Node.js aggregates catalog and price APIs for the React storefront.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.