What’s New in Node v16? (Highlights of Node.js 16 Features)

Quick Summary: For all those who were eagerly waiting for your loved framework update release- your wait comes to an end now! Node.js v16 is here for you, and the best part is- it will stay for long-term support LTS. Get a fresh start with your upcoming project with this Node.js new version available and be future-ready.

This post gives you an insight into the new Node.js 16 features added to the framework’s characteristics. Learn about the difference between the last update and how to upgrade your current Node.js version shift for your existing project.

Introduction

The latest major release Node v16.0.0 is out recently, and this version will soon be moved to the LTS status. The official Node documentation states that every Node.js release is active in the current status for 6 months. Next, if it is an odd number release (V9, V11, etc.), it becomes unsupported, and if it is an even number release (V14, V16, etc.), then it goes into the active LTS mode. The LTS status assures that the critical bugs are solved within 30 months.

The NodeJS 16 release date was 20th April, 2021. So by October 2021, the Nodejs v16 will be promoted to LTS release, and then the maintenance will continue till 2024.

In this blog post, I’m going to take you to a brief overview of the latest Node js release v16. We will go through the new features added and some of the earlier retained features from Node Js 15

New Node.js 16 Features

We are going to talk about the Node 16 release notes and the new Node.js 16 feature enhancements in the upgrade Node version. They are as follows:

V8 JavaScript Engine Version 9

Node.js 16 introduces version 9 of the V8 JavaScript Engine with Node Js 16. This version takes the place of V8 8.6 in Node.js 15. Initially, V8 has introduced a variety of new and unique features along with excellent performance enhancements between two consecutive releases.

The V8 JavaScript engine is, as you know, a runtime environment for implementing JavaScript code. Generally, developers are not required to worry about the working and functioning of their code running on Windows, Linux, or macOS because the V8 JavaScript engine allows JavaScript to run across several platforms. However, V8 needs the Node community to handle and monitor and optimize the V8 for various hardware combinations and operating systems written in C++.

Another excellent performance enhancement involves the super property. The JavaScript feature allows you to access the class’s parent that uses its inheritance. The super property of V8 v9 shipped changes allows users to execute orders rapidly. Currently, this optimization is available to all Node.js users.

With V8 version 9, you get significant and unique features for regular expressions. With this, you can now request a set comprising the start and endpoints of every matched capture group. You can enable this by using the flag /d in regular expressions. Later, you can use the indices array through the indices property of the result object.

Updated Platform support

Like most recent releases, this recent release upgrades the least supported levels for the tools and platforms required to build Node.js. For instance, here are some examples that update or amend to the minimum support,

• GCC version for Linux
• AIX platforms to 8.3
• Xcode version to 11

Another intriguing stuff involves the work being carried out to build on support for the latest Apple M1 architecture. This change is entirely new in v16. It is a publication of builds for all the processors of Apple Silicon. Ideally, it is believed that this will improve the performance feature on the new Mac hardware.

Consequently, Node.js will run fundamentally on the Apple M1 rather than using the Rosetta emulation layer. Developers are active in configuring or installing the M1 machines to test or create the binaries that run natively and collate for M1. Additionally, Node.js 16 is the first-ever version to offer native M1 support.

N-API Version 8

Node.js 16 is consistent in stepping ahead to make it easy to build, generate and support native modules referred to as add-ons. Node.js 16 brings along the NODE-API v8 supports

• Sealing objects like- napi_object_seal
• Freezing objects like- napi_object_freeze
• Type tagging objects such as- napi_type_tag_object/napi_check_object_type_tag

The add ons in every version of NODE-API are generated by the use cases introduced to the team by the real-world use.

The Promise APIs

A strategic step is taking place inside the project to affix promise-based APIs. One such intriguing addition to this release involves the addition of Promise-based time APIs. On a good note, now you can do the following.

Input:

Output:

It is amazing to witness this ongoing method of attaching promise-based APIs.

Basically, v16 advertises the timers’ promises API. This particular API offers JavaScript timer functions that initially give back native promises. Functions like setTimeout() generally accept a callback. However, this can turn out to be unmanageable when you use it with the latest asynchronous code.

In addition to it, when promises are combined with await/async, it makes the code even more readable. Awaiting for a timer is quite the same as a conventional sleep call in a synchronous language.

Additionally, Node.js introduced exclusive experimental support and assistance for the Web Crypto API. However, this particular W3C specification aims to provide web app access to an uncomplicated array of cryptographic functions. The API provides signature verification along with hash generating apart from encryption and decryption utilities.

Allowing Web Crypto support along with Node.js Enhances the interoperability among the JavaScript present in Web browser and server. Implementing Node expands several aspects of the W3C specification. Moreover, it comes along with its own array of variations of certain objects.

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Async Local Storage APIs

One of the main areas to focus on assisting the customers in identifying and managing the issues present in the production involves problem determination and observability.

Additionally, the concept of AsyncLocalStorage API turns out to be much easier, reliable, and rapid to turn stable as compared to the fundamental Async Hooks.

While the AsyncLocalStorage API stable is still not found for the 16 release, it is remarkable that the Node.js collaborators are working blood and sweat on this.
It is a major step to offer an inbuilt set of APIs used by several packages such as the OpenTelemetry to assist the tracing component of Observability in the applications of Node.js

Let us now delve into a few codes using the AsyncLocalStorage for seeing the advantages that it brings with it.

Input:

Output:

For a few executions, the output follows:

closure:shared:asLocal

Well, after this some of you might be having queries.

Query 1: If one can use variable capture via closures, why is AsyncLocalStorage needed?

Well, the answer is simple. While it is possible in this example to come up with the value for the flow, it is however not possible to get the same in more realistic cases. Exactly the same applies for passing the flow value via each Async call occurring in the flow. It is not only hard and difficult, but it can actually cause a huge impact on several heaps of code. In addition, it is impractical for modules such as the OpenTelemetry that slides instrumentation into the existing code.

Query 2: “If const asyncLocal1 = new AsyncLocalStorage();” builds a global similar to “let sharedFlowId = “”;” then where lies the difference?

First and foremost, the example itself indicates that both are different.

You will observe that the sharedflow ld(second column) doesn’t really match with the value gained by the closure (first column). The reason for this is simple. It is because the last flow-id that relies on the order of execution and is written to the shared variable.

On the other side, even though asyncLocal1 is a shared global, an object is returned by asyncLocal1.getStore() that is distinctive for every asynchronous flow. This is the magic delivered by AsyncLocalStorage API that enables us to get the right flow-id notwithstanding the number of concurrent Async flows that are running the very same code. You will note that the “asyncLocal1.getStore()[‘flowid’])” (third column) is always similar to the first column so that we can get with the right flowid for every asynchronous flow.

If you are still dicey, you can explore more with the example to get to a conclusion that AsyncLocalStorage delivers nothing but the best!

You might want to read: A Journey from CallBacks to Async-Await

Node 15 Feature Additions To Node.js 16 Features

The nature of these release processes denotes that the brand new features are introduced in the “present” release line around once every 2 weeks. This is a strong reason behind several recent additions that have been carried out and are available in the latest Node.js 15 releases. However, they are still new to the runtime.

As we have Node.js 16 available now, there are few latest released features present in Node v15, that will further be available with Node v16 as well. These involve,

• Stable Source Maps v3
• Experimental implementation of the standard web-crypto API
• Node-API version
• String encoding methods atob (buffer.atob(data)) and btoa (buffer.btoa(data)) for compatibility with the everlasting web platform APIs
• Support by stable AbortController
• Npm 7

Conclusion

We cannot be stuck with the old forever, we must change because it is the only constant evolving. Upgrade Node version and leverage the benefits of the Node.js 16 features. If you are eager to upgrade Node to the latest version, then hire Node.js developer from us to keep your node js application up-to-date with the latest Node 16 release. Share with us your feedback on experiencing the new release.