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The Top Shelf

Ryan Dahl: Creator of Node & Deno talks Deno 2.0

Nov 12, 2024
Ryan Dahl, the brilliant mind behind Node.js and Deno, shares his journey in shaping server-side JavaScript. He discusses the innovative features of Deno 2.0 and its impact on modern web development. The conversation touches on the shift from languages like C to Rust, examining the advantages of Rust and the evolution of ECMAScript Modules. Dahl humorously recounts legal hurdles faced by developers and dives into the future of Deno with TypeScript and WASM. His insights provide a fascinating look at the landscape of JavaScript and its enduring significance.
01:30:32

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Ryan Dahl's journey from Node.js to Deno illustrates a shift in programming paradigms, emphasizing the advantages of Rust's features over C++.
  • The introduction of the JavaScript Registry (JSR) in Deno 2.0 tackles npm's limitations, allowing seamless publishing and better security for developers.

Deep dives

Origins of Node.js and Deno

The creation of Node.js was motivated by the desire to solve server programming effectively, leading Ryan Dahl to initially explore Go before pivoting to Rust. Dahl emphasized that his experience with Go's garbage collection made him cautious about incorporating it with V8 in Node.js. Ultimately, he moved towards creating Deno after recognizing the potential of Rust's unified build system and package manager, which offered significant advantages over C++. The transition illustrated a journey of rethinking programming paradigms and aims to establish a more robust foundation for JavaScript runtimes.

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