šŸš€ Upgrade Your Node.js App to Deno 2.0: Discover the Latest Features & Enhancements

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Deno 2.0 is the latest version of Deno, a secure runtime for JavaScript and TypeScript that was created by the original creator of Node.js, Ryan Dahl. Deno has been gaining popularity among developers due to its improved security features, modern development environment, and better performance compared to Node.js. In this tutorial, we will explore the new features and upgrades in Deno 2.0, and learn how to convert a Node.js app to Deno.

  1. Installing Deno 2.0:
    Before we start converting our Node.js app to Deno, we need to install Deno on our system. Deno can be installed using the following commands:
curl -fsSL https://deno.land/x/install/install.sh | sh

or

brew install deno

Once Deno is installed, we can check the version by running the following command:

deno --version
  1. Setting up a Deno project:
    Next, we need to create a new Deno project by running the following command:
deno init my-deno-project

This will create a new directory called ‘my-deno-project’ with a ‘mod.ts’ file, which is the entry point of our Deno project.

  1. Converting a Node.js app to Deno:
    Now, let’s convert a simple Node.js app to Deno. We will create a new file called ‘app.js’ with the following code:
// app.js
const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
  res.end('Hello, Deno!');
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server running at http://localhost:3000/');
});

To convert this Node.js app to Deno, we need to make the following changes:

  • Change the file extension from ‘.js’ to ‘.ts’ (e.g., ‘app.ts’).
  • Rewrite the code using Deno’s built-in web server API.

Here is the converted Deno app:

// app.ts
import { serve } from 'https://deno.land/std/http/server.ts';

const server = serve({ port: 3000 });

console.log('Server running at http://localhost:3000/');

for await (const req of server) {
  req.respond({ body: 'Hello, Deno!n' });
}
  1. Running the Deno app:
    To run the Deno app, we can use the following command:
deno run --allow-net app.ts

This command allows the app to access network resources, such as the web server. Once the app is running, we can open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000/ to see the message ‘Hello, Deno!’ displayed.

  1. Exploring the new features and upgrades in Deno 2.0:
    Deno 2.0 comes with several new features and upgrades, including:
  • Improved performance: Deno 2.0 includes various performance optimizations that make it faster and more efficient.
  • Web compatibility: Deno 2.0 has better compatibility with web APIs, making it easier to develop web applications.
  • Secure by default: Deno 2.0 continues to prioritize security by implementing features such as secure permissions and sandboxed execution.
  • Built-in testing framework: Deno 2.0 comes with a built-in testing framework that allows developers to write and run tests directly in the Deno runtime.
  • Updated standard library: Deno 2.0 includes an updated standard library with new modules and improvements to existing ones.

Overall, Deno 2.0 is a significant upgrade that brings several improvements and new features to the Deno runtime.

In conclusion, Deno 2.0 is a powerful and modern runtime for JavaScript and TypeScript development. Converting a Node.js app to Deno is a straightforward process that can be done by making a few changes to the code and running it in the Deno runtime. By taking advantage of the new features and upgrades in Deno 2.0, developers can build secure, performant, and scalable applications with ease.