What is Body-parser?

What is Body-Parser?

Body-parser is a middleware in Node.js that helps handle incoming request bodies in Express applications. It parses incoming JSON, URL-encoded, and raw data from the client, making it accessible via req.body.

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Why Do We Need Body-Parser?

By default, Express does not parse request bodies. If a client sends data in a POST or PUT request, it arrives as a stream, which is hard to handle manually. Body-parser makes it easy to extract and use this data.

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How to Use Body-Parser in Express?

1. Install Body-Parser

Run the following command:

npm install body-parser

2. Import and Use Body-Parser in Express

const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');

const app = express();

// Middleware to parse JSON data
app.use(bodyParser.json());

// Middleware to parse URL-encoded data (for form submissions)
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

app.post('/data', (req, res) => {
    console.log(req.body); // Access parsed data
    res.send('Data received!');
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on port 3000'));

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Types of Body-Parser Middleware

1. bodyParser.json() → Parses incoming JSON data.
2. bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }) → Parses form data (application/x-www-form-urlencoded).
3. bodyParser.raw() → Parses raw body buffer (e.g., application/octet-stream).
4. bodyParser.text() → Parses incoming text (text/plain).

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Is Body-Parser Still Needed?

Since Express 4.16.0, express.json() and express.urlencoded() are built-in, so you don’t need to install body-parser separately. Instead, just use:

app.use(express.json());
app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

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Conclusion

Body-parser is an essential middleware for handling incoming request data in Express. While it's still widely used, modern Express versions include its functionality by default. 🚀