COMP 1842
Node.js server
Matt Prichard
Introduction
NoSQL recap
Npm recap from week 6
Node js server
Recap -NoSQL
https://www.sitepoint.com/sql-vs-nosql-differences/
https://www.sitepoint.com/sql-vs-nosql-choose/
Recap -Running Node locally
• For theses examples I am running the
files from my G Drive
• You can install Node and npm on your
own machines, but I can’t directly
support that.
• In the labs locate and open the Node.js
command prompt
Install check
Type node –v and press enter, this
will give the current version of node
that is installed, do the same with
npm –v
G Drive – new folder npmtest
Create test.js and save to the
new folder
Run node
Open the Node command prompt, navigate to where the file is (using cd npmtest or
“change directory to npmtest ”), and run node test.js to get the following output.
Navigating folders
cd folder_name/ change directory
cd ../ back up a directory
Can chain together
cd folder1/folder2/folder3/
cd ../../../
cd/ root directory
Node
Node.js can be used to build different types of applications such as
command line applications, web applications, real-time chat
application, REST API server etc.
However, it is mainly used to build network programs like web
servers, similar to PHP, Java, or ASP.NET.
Cont…
A common task for a web server can be to open a file on the server and return
the content to the client.
Here is how PHP or ASP handles a file request:
1. Sends the task to the computer's file system.
2. Waits while the file system opens and reads the file.
3. Returns the content to the client.
4. Ready to handle the next request.
Cont…
Here is how Node.js handles a file request:
1. Sends the task to the computer's file system.
2. Ready to handle the next request.
3. When the file system has opened and read the file, the server returns the content
to the client.
Node.js eliminates the waiting, and simply continues with the next request.
Node.js runs single-threaded, non-blocking, asynchronous programming, which is
very memory efficient.
https://medium.com/@monuchaudhary/single-threaded-non-blocking-asynchronous-and-concurrent-
nature-of-javascript-a0d5483bcf4c
What Can Node.js Do?
• Node.js can generate dynamic page content
• Node.js can collect form data
• Node.js can add, delete, modify data in your database
• Node.js files contain tasks that will be executed on certain events
• A typical event is someone trying to access a port on the server
• Node.js files must be initiated on the server before having any effect
• Node.js files have extension ".js"
An aside => Arrow functions
Arrow functions are one of the features introduced in the ES6 version of
JavaScript. It allows you to create functions in a cleaner way compared to
regular functions. For example:
Arrow function syntax
• myFunction is the name of the function
• arg1, arg2, ...argN are the function arguments
• statement(s) is the function body
If the body has single statement or expression, you can write arrow function as:
Further
reading
https://www.w3schools.com/Js/js_arrow_function.asp
https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/arrow-function-javascript-tutorial-how-to-declare-a-js-
function-with-the-new-es6-syntax/
Create new file
In the ‘npmtest’ folder create a new file > server.js
Node.js web server
• To access web pages of any web application, you need a web server. The
web server will handle all the http requests for the web application e.g
• IIS is a web server for ASP.NET web applications.
• Apache is a web server for PHP or Java web applications.
• Node.js provides capabilities to create your own web server which will handle
HTTP requests asynchronously. You can use IIS or Apache to run Node.js
web applications but it is recommended to use Node.js web server.
Create Node.js web server
Node.js has a built-in module called HTTP, which allows Node.js to transfer
data over the Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
To include the HTTP module, use the require( ) method:
var http = require('http’);
• The HTTP module can create an HTTP server that listens to server ports and
gives a response back to the client.
• Use the createServer() method to create an HTTP server:
Create Node.js web server 2
The function passed into the http.createServer() method, will be executed
when someone tries to access the computer on port 8000.
Run the server
> node server.js
Control C to stop the server
Add an HTTP Header
If the response from the HTTP server is supposed to be displayed as HTML,
you should include an HTTP header with the correct content type: Line 3 set
response header, Line 4 set response content.
Restart the server
Restart the server > node server.js
In your browser go to localhost:8000
Fuller example
Handle HTTP Requests
The http.createServer() method includes request and response
parameters which are supplied by Node.js.
The request object can be used to get information about the
current HTTP request e.g., url, request header, and data.
The response object can be used to send a response for a current
HTTP request.
Detail view
Using if and else if. We can use the ‘url’ property of the request
object to check the url of the current request lines 3 and 10
Detail view 2
Again, req.url is used to check the url of the current request and based on
that it sends the response. To send a response, first it sets the response
header using writeHead() method and then writes a string as a response body
using write() method. Finally, Node.js web server sends the response using
end() method.
Sending JSON response
Inserting lines 20-24 shows how to serve a JSON response from the
Node.js web server. this way we can create a simple web server that
serves different responses.
Lab task for this week (#5 of 6)
Implement the code from slide 17 onwards from this lecture on your G
Drive
Submit a screen shot of the server running in the command line on port
8000
Show the different responses in the browser via localhost:8000
Home, student, admin and data (the JSON response)
Write 200-300 words explaining your understanding of the code.
?
sources
https://www.tutorialsteacher.com/nodejs/create-nodejs-web-server
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/nodejs/nodejs_response_object.htm
https://nodejs.org/en/docs/guides/anatomy-of-an-http-transaction/
https://www.w3schools.com/nodejs/nodejs_http.asp
