JavaScript is single threaded, but all IO operations like network and disk uses threads in Node.JS, So there are still racing conditions, like when accessing the file system. But all other operations are single threaded, like storing data in memory. In for example PHP, where the server spawns the threads everything becomes multi threaded. In node.js instead of using locks etc, you use callbacks, so when something is finished, a function is called ... It's just like event listeners in the browser.
Many people complain about Node.JS being single threaded, but it's actually a big relief, they probably haven't been dealing with issues like locks and racing conditions.
To get cpu bound parallelism in Node.JS you have to spawn child processes. There's a built in module in NodeJS called "cluster" that abstracts this a bit.
When talking to a child process you could just as well be talking to another machine over the network, the code will look the same, and scaling horizontally across many machines will be easier, compared to languages that solve concurrency by using threads instead of non blocking IO.
There's a learning curve though. It took me about six months to learn how to do async programming, manage messages between different processes and machines, and callbacks, I do remember the "callback hell", but now it has become a second nature, it's like brushing my teeth, but more fun.
I don't think half a year is that bad, you would need just as long time to get comfortable in any other language. And I consider JavaScript very newbie friendly, you don't need a CS degree to write JavaScript.
To get cpu bound parallelism in Node.JS you have to spawn child processes. There's a built in module in NodeJS called "cluster" that abstracts this a bit. When talking to a child process you could just as well be talking to another machine over the network, the code will look the same, and scaling horizontally across many machines will be easier, compared to languages that solve concurrency by using threads instead of non blocking IO.
There's a learning curve though. It took me about six months to learn how to do async programming, manage messages between different processes and machines, and callbacks, I do remember the "callback hell", but now it has become a second nature, it's like brushing my teeth, but more fun. I don't think half a year is that bad, you would need just as long time to get comfortable in any other language. And I consider JavaScript very newbie friendly, you don't need a CS degree to write JavaScript.