Node.js Streams: The Complete Guide

Streams are one of Node.js most powerful features and also one of the most misunderstood. At their core, streams solve a fundamental problem: how do you process data that is larger than your available memory? The four stream types are Readable, Writable, Duplex, and Transform. Understanding when to use each is key to writing efficient Node.js applications. The pipe method is your best friend for simple stream chaining, but for more complex scenarios, the pipeline utility from the stream module provides better error handling. Always handle stream errors — an unhandled error event will crash your process.