1.The Request Object
Getting the request url and request method: req.url & req.method
const server = http.createServer((req, res)=>{
console.log(req.url, req.method);
})
2. The Response Object
Sending response is a three step process:
- setting the response header
- writing the response
- sending the response
const server = http.createServer((req, res)=>{
//Setting response header
res.setHeader('Content-type', 'text/plain');
//Writing the response
res.write(`Hello, Rittwick!`);
//Sending the response
res.end();
})
In the above code we're just sending plain text. We can also send html.
const server = http.createServer((req, res)=>{
console.log(req.url, req.method);
//Setting response header to 'text/html'
res.setHeader('Content-type', 'text/html');
res.write('<h1>Hello! Rittwick</h1>');
res.end();
})
The browse automatically adds the other tags body, html and head. We can overwrite them.
const server = http.createServer((req, res)=>{
res.setHeader('Content-type', 'text/html');
res.write('<head><title>Hello page </title></head>');
res.write('<h1>Hello! Rittwick</h1>');
res.end();
})
3. Sending html files
const server = http.createServer((req, res)=>{
res.setHeader('Content-type', 'text/html');
fs.readFile('./views/index.html', (err, data) => {
if(err){
res.end();
}else{
res.write(data);
res.end();
}
})
})
Instead of doing the following in two lines, we can do it in one line res.end(data)
res.write(data)
res.end()
Instead the shortcut
res.end(data)
When we are sending the only one data, like the above then only this shortcut can be applied.
4. Basic Routing
const server = http.createServer((req, res)=>{
res.setHeader('Content-type', 'text/html');
let path = './views/';
switch(req.url){
case '/':
path += 'index.html';
break;
case '/about':
path += 'about.html';
break;
default:
path += '404.html';
break;
}
fs.readFile(path, (err, data) => {
res.end(data);
})
})
5. Status Codes
Setting status codes is very easy.
res.statusCode=<your_status_code> for example res.statusCode=200
In the following code block example, status code is set according to need.
const server = http.createServer((req, res)=>{
res.setHeader('Content-type', 'text/html');
let path = './views/';
switch(req.url){
case '/':
path += 'index.html';
res.statusCode = 200;
break;
case '/about':
path += 'about.html';
res.statusCode = 200;
break;
default:
path += '404.html';
res.statusCode = 404;
break;
}
fs.readFile(path, (err, data) => {
res.end(data);
})
})
Some more important points:
- 100 range - Informative codes for browser
- 200 range - Success codes
- 300 range - redirection codes
- 400 range - User side errors
- 500 range - Server errors
Example:
- 200 - OK
- 301 - Resource moved
- 404 - Page not found
- 500 - Internal server error
6. Redirects
Suppose my website has an established route '/about'. I wish someone who also visits to '/about-me' get redirected to '/about'. The below code does that:
- First set the statuscode to 301
res.statusCode=301; - Then do
res.setHeader('Location', '/about'); - Send the request
res.end()
case '/about':
path += 'about.html';
res.statusCode = 200;
break;
case '/about-me':
res.statusCode = 301;
res.setHeader('Location', '/about');
res.end();
break;
default:
path += '404.html';
res.statusCode = 404;
break;
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