What is the purpose of the net module in Node.js?

The net module in Node.js provides a way to create TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) servers and clients for building networked applications. It allows developers to establish TCP connections, communicate with remote peers over TCP/IP networks, and implement custom network protocols.

Some key functionalities provided by the net module include:

• Creating TCP Servers:

• • • The net.createServer() function creates a TCP server that listens for incoming connections on a specified port and IP address. Developers can define callback functions to handle connection events, data transmission, and error handling.

• Creating TCP Clients:

• • • The net.createConnection() function creates a TCP client that establishes a connection to a remote TCP server. Developers can send data to the server and handle events such as connection establishment, data reception, and connection termination.

• Socket Operations:

• • • The net module provides socket objects representing TCP connections. Developers can perform various socket operations such as reading from and writing to sockets, closing connections, and handling socket events (e.g., ‘connect’, ‘data’, ‘error’, ‘close’).

• Custom Protocols:

• • • Developers can implement custom network protocols on top of TCP using the net module. This allows for building application-layer protocols for specific use cases such as file transfer, messaging, remote procedure calls (RPC), or real-time communication.

• Error Handling and Events:

• • The net module emits events such as ‘error’, ‘close’, and ‘end’ to notify developers about connection-related events and errors. Developers can implement error handling logic to handle network errors gracefully.

The net module is commonly used in Node.js for building network servers and clients, implementing communication protocols, and developing networked applications such as web servers, chat applications, IoT devices, and multiplayer games.