Part 5: Building a Simple Web Server with Node.js

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In the previous articles, we explored Node.js fundamentals, setting up your environment, and how to work with Node.js modules. Now, we're going to put that knowledge into practice by building a simple web server. This practical application will consolidate your understanding and showcase the power of Node.js in handling web requests.

Step 1: Review of the HTTP Module

We briefly touched on the http module in our discussion about built-in modules. It's a core Node.js module used to create HTTP servers. Here's a quick recap:

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.statusCode = 200;
  res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
  res.end('Hello, World!\n');
});

const PORT = 3000;
server.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${PORT}/`);
});

Step 2: Expanding Our Server

Now, let’s enhance our server by handling different routes and serving static files.

Handling Routes

We can handle different routes by checking the URL in the request object. Let’s add a simple routing mechanism:

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  if (req.url === '/') {
    res.statusCode = 200;
    res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/html');
    res.end('<h1>Welcome to Our Home Page</h1>');
  } else if (req.url === '/about') {
    res.statusCode = 200;
    res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/html');
    res.end('<h1>About Us</h1>');
  } else {
    res.statusCode = 404;
    res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/html');
    res.end('<h1>Page Not Found</h1>');
  }
});

const PORT = 3000;
server.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${PORT}/`);
});

Serving Static Files

To serve static files like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can create a function to read file contents and send them in the response:

const http = require('http');
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  let filePath = path.join(__dirname, 'public', req.url === '/' ? 'index.html' : req.url);

  const ext = path.extname(filePath);
  let contentType = 'text/html';
  switch (ext) {
    case '.css':
      contentType = 'text/css';
      break;
    case '.js':
      contentType = 'text/javascript';
      break;
    case '.json':
      contentType = 'application/json';
      break;
    // Add more cases for other file types if needed
  }

  fs.readFile(filePath, (err, content) => {
    if (err) {
      if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
        // Page not found
        fs.readFile(path.join(__dirname, 'public', '404.html'), (err, content) => {
          res.writeHead(404, { 'Content-Type': 'text/html' });
          res.end(content, 'utf-8');
        });
      } else {
        // Some server error
        res.writeHead(500);
        res.end(`Server Error: ${err.code}`);
      }
    } else {
      // Success
      res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': contentType });
      res.end(content, 'utf-8');
    }
  });
});

const PORT = 3000;
server.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${PORT}/`);
});

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Conclusion

Building a web server with Node.js is straightforward thanks to its powerful core modules. By handling routes and serving static files, you've taken significant steps toward developing full-fledged web applications. In the next part of our series, we'll explore how to integrate external libraries and frameworks to further enhance your server's capabilities.

Stay tuned for more advanced Node.js development techniques!

Series Index

Part	Title	Link
1	Ditch Passwords: Add Facial Recognition to Your Website with FACEIO	Read
2	The Ultimate Git Command Cheatsheet	Read
3	Top 12 JavaScript Resources for Learning and Mastery	Read
4	Angular vs. React: A Comprehensive Comparison	Read
5	Top 10 JavaScript Best Practices for Writing Clean Code	Read
6	Top 20 JavaScript Tricks and Tips for Every Developer 🚀	Read
7	8 Exciting New JavaScript Concepts You Need to Know	Read
8	Top 7 Tips for Managing State in JavaScript Applications	Read
9	🔒 Essential Node.js Security Best Practices	Read
10	10 Best Practices for Optimizing Angular Performance	Read
11	Top 10 React Performance Optimization Techniques	Read
12	Top 15 JavaScript Projects to Boost Your Portfolio	Read
13	6 Repositories To Master Node.js	Read
14	Best 6 Repositories To Master Next.js	Read
15	Top 5 JavaScript Libraries for Building Interactive UI	Read
16	Top 3 JavaScript Concepts Every Developer Should Know	Read
17	20 Ways to Improve Node.js Performance at Scale	Read
18	Boost Your Node.js App Performance with Compression Middleware	Read
19	Understanding Dijkstra's Algorithm: A Step-by-Step Guide	Read
20	Understanding NPM and NVM: Essential Tools for Node.js Development	Read

Comments

[Liran Tal]

I appreciate the education here about Node.js basics but there are also quite some security issues with the above code. It's functional, sure, but also vulnerable, so worth calling out 😅

I'm doing a lot of work to educate developers on secure coding practices in Node.js (via nodejs-security.com/) so I am sensitive to these sort of tutorials.

[Youdiowei Eteimorde]

I really love it when the fundamentals are being taught before jumping into frameworks like express.

[Dipak Ahirav]

Thanks

[Saurabh Dwivedy]

True

[gauharnawab]

You explained with great explanation, Thankyou

[Dipak Ahirav]

Thank you so much @gauharnawab for your kind words and feedback! 🙏 I'm thrilled to hear that you found the post helpful. Your support means a lot to me. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel devDive with Dipak for more content. Don’t forget to share it with your friends and help spread the word. Your support helps me to continue creating valuable content. Thanks again! 😊

[AsadSaleh]

Nice to not jump immediately into frameworks

[ubeyidah]

try express.

[Shifa Ur Rehman]

There is a high chance if he can write a plain html http server he can do it with express too.

However this approach is much much better than using express (with some drawbacks yes). e.g. this is a module leas script. It means there is no package manager, no node_modules etc. its a plain script you can just node script.js to run with little overhead. Not to forget the immense control because of the barebones nature of this approach as well. The obvious con is performance and developer experience.

[Ahmid-RA]

Try being a new dev again.

[Dipak Ahirav]

Join this group for more updates : FullStackLearners

[Dipak Ahirav]

Next Part -> PART - 6