Node.js Streams and Backpressure: Key Concepts for Efficient Data Handling

Node.js streams allow large data files to be processed in small chunks, typically 64 KB at a time, rather than loading entire files into memory at once. This approach significantly reduces memory usage and improves application performance, making it well-suited for file uploads, downloads, and video streaming. Node.js offers four stream types — Readable, Writable, Duplex, and Transform — each serving a distinct role in data flow. Backpressure is a flow-control mechanism that pauses data production when the consumer cannot keep pace, preventing memory overload. The built-in pipe() method handles backpressure automatically, while pipeline() is recommended for production environments due to its superior error handling and resource cleanup.