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Ask HN: Small apps ideas to learn Node.js?

Hey, so I've been reading a lot about Node.js and want to jump in with a quick (multi)weekend project to learn it. What apps would you suggest building to learn the basics and just have some fun?

pjscott 16y ago
How about a web chat program, with long polling? Fairly simple, and fun.
- cosbynator 16y ago
  I can second this as a good way of learning. The Node.js site links to a very readable long polling chat app here: http://github.com/ry/node_chat http://github.com/ry/node_chat. I learned the framework by modifying this into an IRC-style party game am now working on mobile clients for it.
gmaster1440 16y ago
A language, like mine ;) pmlang.heroku.com
mcantelon 16y ago
I'd suggest using Express.js node.js framework: it gets you up and running quickly. Trying to so something with websockets is fun as well and indicative of the (realtime) future of web apps.
- mbet10 16y ago
  Websockets are a lot of fun - maybe something like collaborative paint or some kind of multiuser game? On a side note, anyone know of projects using nodejs in production?
  - simonw 16y ago
    GitHub use it for their download server - try running wget against one of the URLs they provide for downloading a tarball, you'll see it redirect to nodeload.github.com, hang for a few seconds (while they generate the file) and then redirect you to the download location. http://github.com/blog/678-meet-nodeload-the-new-download-server http://github.com/blog/678-meet-nodeload-the-new-download-se... http://transloadit.com/ http://transloadit.com/ are the most interesting Node.js startup I've seen.
  - johnfn 16y ago
    I'm currently making a multiplayer shooter game for node knockout! It's not currently very impressive, but I hope it will be in about 21 hours :) I might submit to HN depending on how well it turns out.
    - DTrejo 16y ago
      Submit it either way :)
jarin 16y ago
I made a Tweet Wall in a day, with Socket.io (for websockets) and TwitterNode (for connecting to Twitter's real-time search API). It was a pretty good intro to the concepts.
cilantro 16y ago
How about a dead simple document sharing website that lets people read the same doc, on multiple computers, at the same time? (i.e. if you have a bunch of people on a call with computers up, the speaker can send around a reading link that lets him or her flip pages for everyone viewing.) I find myself wishing for this functionality pretty regularly lately. Broadcasting the pointer, real time comments & annotations seem cool too.
- DTrejo 16y ago
  Sounds fun. Super lightweight Skype screensharing.
- qw 16y ago
  You could try DimDim ( http://www.dimdim.com/ http://www.dimdim.com/ ). It's free for meetings with less than 20 participants.
ptarjan 16y ago
I did a twitter to facebook page poster (using the like button), but haven't really been maintaining it. Maybe one that was better? http://t2fb.paulisageek.com/ http://t2fb.paulisageek.com/
c00p3r 16y ago
The classic case of the solution in search for a problem? ^_^

Hey, so I've been reading a lot about Node.js and want to jump in with a quick (multi)weekend project to learn it. What apps would you suggest building to learn the basics and just have some fun?

pjscott 16y ago

How about a web chat program, with long polling? Fairly simple, and fun.

cosbynator 16y ago
I can second this as a good way of learning. The Node.js site links to a very readable long polling chat app here: http://github.com/ry/node_chat http://github.com/ry/node_chat. I learned the framework by modifying this into an IRC-style party game am now working on mobile clients for it.

gmaster1440 16y ago

A language, like mine ;) pmlang.heroku.com

mcantelon 16y ago

I'd suggest using Express.js node.js framework: it gets you up and running quickly. Trying to so something with websockets is fun as well and indicative of the (realtime) future of web apps.

mbet10 16y ago
Websockets are a lot of fun - maybe something like collaborative paint or some kind of multiuser game? On a side note, anyone know of projects using nodejs in production?
- simonw 16y ago
  GitHub use it for their download server - try running wget against one of the URLs they provide for downloading a tarball, you'll see it redirect to nodeload.github.com, hang for a few seconds (while they generate the file) and then redirect you to the download location. http://github.com/blog/678-meet-nodeload-the-new-download-server http://github.com/blog/678-meet-nodeload-the-new-download-se... http://transloadit.com/ http://transloadit.com/ are the most interesting Node.js startup I've seen.
- johnfn 16y ago
  I'm currently making a multiplayer shooter game for node knockout! It's not currently very impressive, but I hope it will be in about 21 hours :) I might submit to HN depending on how well it turns out.
  - DTrejo 16y ago
    Submit it either way :)

jarin 16y ago

I made a Tweet Wall in a day, with Socket.io (for websockets) and TwitterNode (for connecting to Twitter's real-time search API). It was a pretty good intro to the concepts.

cilantro 16y ago

How about a dead simple document sharing website that lets people read the same doc, on multiple computers, at the same time? (i.e. if you have a bunch of people on a call with computers up, the speaker can send around a reading link that lets him or her flip pages for everyone viewing.) I find myself wishing for this functionality pretty regularly lately. Broadcasting the pointer, real time comments & annotations seem cool too.

DTrejo 16y ago
Sounds fun. Super lightweight Skype screensharing.
qw 16y ago
You could try DimDim ( http://www.dimdim.com/ http://www.dimdim.com/ ). It's free for meetings with less than 20 participants.

ptarjan 16y ago

I did a twitter to facebook page poster (using the like button), but haven't really been maintaining it. Maybe one that was better? http://t2fb.paulisageek.com/ http://t2fb.paulisageek.com/

c00p3r 16y ago

The classic case of the solution in search for a problem? ^_^