What is the diff between spawn and fork methods?

The spawn() and fork() methods in Node.js are both used to create new child processes, but they work in slightly different ways:

• The spawn() method launches a new process and returns a ChildProcess object, which allows you to communicate with the child process using standard input, output, and error streams. The spawn() method is generally used for running long-running processes, such as command-line utilities, and it is well-suited for streaming large amounts of data between the parent and child processes.
• The fork() method is similar to spawn(), but it is specifically designed to spawn new Node.js processes. It works by creating a new instance of the Node.js runtime, which allows you to execute a new instance of your application in a separate process. The fork() method is well-suited for scenarios where you want to run multiple instances of your application, or where you want to take advantage of multiple CPU cores.

Overall, the spawn() method is generally more flexible and powerful, while the fork() method is easier to use and better optimized for Node.js applications. Which method you choose will depend on your specific needs and requirements.