Comment by Marco Alka on "Can Node.js be considered multi threaded?" | Hashnode

Marco Alka

Software Engineer, Technical Consultant & Mentor

Mar 7, 2017

Multi-Threaded, PERIOD. It's not something to vote on. Read the source, please. Node.JS is based on libuv, which provides a multi-threaded event loop. Just because a developer cannot spawn threads does not magically make it is single-threaded. MT has something to do with how asynchronous a program is and how well it works with multiple cores, but most of all about the technology used to do so. Node.JS clearly is asynchronous and uses thread implementations on various platforms.

Different example: There are many game engines, which use multiple threads, yet you never get to see them. Take Blueprint for Unreal Engine. No one would argue that UE is single-threaded, just because Blueprint developers cannot spawn threads...

By the way: You can explicitely spawn threads, even using Node.JS. Just make a C-style plugin. However, that does not make a lot of sense and most likely will disrupt all positive aspects of libuv.

Cliff Rowley

Thinker, Tinkererer, Dork.

Mar 7, 2017

As Jonathan Apodaca pointed out, the answer depends on whether the question is regarding the platform or its environment. The platform is clearly multi threaded, but the environment is not. Creating a plugin doesn't change that as you are extending the platform and exposing it to the environment.

Cliff Rowley true that, however the MT can be made use of indirectly by calling async methods. Also, no matter how hard you try, there are certain parts which you cannot make synchronous in a Node.JS environment. You cannot block on a socket listener. it's just not possible, JS would have to be single-threaded for that. I take that as an indicator, that even the environment should be considered rather multi-threaded (than single-threaded).

Now, you might argue, that this argument is not enough reason, but that's because the very nature of JS is on a completely different page from ST and MT. It is async with neither ST nor MT concepts. Since it is async and the options available are ST or MT, I rather go the MT route, which is technically correct from the platform perspective and explains what's happening in the environment a lot better than calling it "ST" imho.

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