Reusing code with npm community packages for Node.js

One of the key advantages of Node.js is its vast collection of open source community packages. The popular npmjs.com registry contains approximately one million packages, and each day, the community adds 400+ new packages; 3x more than the second most active community (Java™).

Download and integrate these packages to jump-start your applications, achieving faster time-to-implementation, and supporting your agile development practices. This development style discourages monolithic applications and encourages better encapsulation.

The Node.js framework is made freely available to z/OS® clients via IBM® SDK for Node.js – z/OS, which allows you to use the community npm packages on z/OS. Furthermore, the SDK includes the npm client so you can install packages right from the command line. View the Getting Started guide for more information.

Here are some popular packages that you should try on z/OS:

  • Express®* – fast and minimal web framework
  • ibm-cics-api* – call service-enabled IBM CICS® applications
  • ibm_db2* – interfaces with IBM Db2® and IBM Informix®
  • mvsutils* - interfaces with z/OS MVS C
  • nodejs-bpxwdyn* - perform dynamic allocation with Node.js on z/OS
  • racf* - validate user credentials against RACF
  • vsam.js* – read and modify VSAM data sets on z/OS
  • zcrypto* - provides interfaces to z/OS crypto facilities such as accessing RACF key rings and KDB (Key databases)
  • zosconnect-node* – discover and access z/OS Connect service-enabled IBM Z® resources
  • zos-node-accessor* – interact with z/OS easily (list, download, and upload datasets or files, submit JCL and track status, access SYSOUT dataset, and so on)
  • zrexx* - call z/OS REXX scripts from Node.js
  • Other popular packages – body-parser, glob, lodash, minimist, through2, underscore, uuid, yargs

*IBM-contributed

Explore more packages on the npmjs.org registry website, where you can find exclusive-to-z/OS packages tagged with z/OS. Assume that packages without a z/OS tag work across all platforms, including z/OS.