Building a Hyper Fast Web Server with Deno

Deno is a JavaScript and TypeScript runtime built on the V8 JavaScript engine and written in Rust. It is designed to be a secure environment for executing modern JavaScript and TypeScript code outside the web browser. Deno emphasizes security, supports top-level await, and treats TypeScript as a first-class citizen without needing a separate configuration.

Deno handles third-party modules by importing them directly via URLs, eliminating the need for a centralized package manager like npm. This approach allows developers to load modules directly from any location on the web, and Deno caches these modules locally for offline development and to speed up load times.

Deno is designed with security in mind. By default, Deno executes code in a secure sandbox, meaning scripts do not have access to the file system, network, or environment unless explicitly granted permissions. This approach minimizes the risk of malicious scripts causing harm to the user's system.

Deno and Node.js are both JavaScript runtimes built on the V8 engine, but Deno offers several differences aimed at addressing some of Node.js's limitations. Deno emphasizes security, does not use npm, and uses URLs for module imports. It also supports TypeScript natively. Deno is designed to be a more modern and secure alternative, potentially suitable for new projects that prioritize these features.

Rust plays a crucial role in Deno by providing the underlying system that enhances Deno's security and performance. Rust's memory safety guarantees and performance characteristics make Deno more secure and efficient compared to platforms not utilizing Rust. This integration allows Deno to execute operations at a low level with higher security and speed.

In Deno, modules are imported directly using URLs, which can point to any location on the web that hosts JavaScript or TypeScript code. To import a module, you use the standard ES module syntax but specify a URL instead of a local path or package name. Deno caches these modules after the first import to improve load times and allow offline development.

Deno provides several built-in libraries for handling HTTP requests, such as the 'std/http' module for basic HTTP server functionalities. For more advanced use cases, third-party frameworks like Oak are recommended. Oak provides a middleware framework similar to Express.js in Node, offering a robust set of features for building complex web applications.

Yes, Deno can execute TypeScript directly without the need for transpiling the code to JavaScript first. Deno treats TypeScript as a first-class citizen, providing built-in support for TypeScript execution, which simplifies development workflows by eliminating the need for additional tooling.