Semalt: Node.js And AngularJS (JavaScript Framework) In Web Scraping

Web scraping is the process of extracting information from the World Wide Web. A large number of software, tools, and techniques have been developed to scraps data from web pages. Similarly, different programming languages such as Ruby, JavaScript, Node.js, Python, PHP, and C++ are used to extract information from the net. JavaScript evolved beyond the client-side scripting language to a useful and comprehensive programming language. It is widely used to build web scrapers and server-side apps. Similarly, Node.js is used to develop both server-side and client-side applications and interactive screen scrapers. Both Node.js and JavaScript have their own distinctive characteristics. In the course of the article we are going to tell about their similarities and roles in web scraping.

An overview of JavaScript in web scraping:

This is the prototype-based language that is mainly used to build desktop applications and screen scrapers. It is easy-to-use and has a couple of useful codes to get benefited from. AngularJS is the JavaScript framework, which is maintained by none other than Google. You can easily add AngularJS to HTML pages and extract data from them. This JavaScript framework helps scrape information from dynamic sites and is compatible with the MVW (Model-View-Whatever) components and architecture. It is best known for creating data-driven applications.

AngularJS - A JavaScript framework:

It provides us with the smooth MVCA (Model View Control Architecture) that helps target dynamic sites and scrapes data from them. Also, we can build any type of screen scraper using this framework without any need for sophisticated codes. Developers can use this JavaScript framework to fix their web scraping software and build large-scale web applications. It allows us to separate the MVC elements and facilitates our work. Some of its most distinctive features and options are filters, automatic data bindings, and directives. It can be integrated with other UI programs and can manipulate DOM. Plus, it allows you to write custom HTML code and is suitable for developers and programmers, allowing them to create the dynamic content quickly.

NodeJS in web scraping:

Node.js is the open-source environment that helps develop networking and server-side apps. It provides us with an interactive library of JavaScript modules and can simplify the development of screen scrapers.

Features of Node.Js:

You can easily scale the Node.js applications in two ways: vertical scaling and horizontal scaling. Both of them help build a high-profile screen or data scrapers. Node.js supports unit testing and we can use it to test the HTML codes. Plus, it has different APIs, which help create DNS servers, HTTP servers, and TCP servers. Node.js uses JavaScript engine for executing different codes and makes it easy for you to scrape dynamic web content, ensuring its accuracy and quality.

Conclusion:

Both AngularJS and Node.js are open-source frameworks, which are used to develop the server-side apps and web scrapers. They are suitable for programmers and are quite similar in the way they work and architecture. You can store the scraped data in their interactive databases or download to your hard drive instantly. Plus, you can use them to build different JavaScript tools and extract content from an entire website.