Basics of Express JS and Introducing In Js

1. Express.js is a framework for Node.js that simplifies the development of web

applications and APIs.

2. It is highly flexible and minimalistic yet offers a comprehensive set of

features for building web and mobile applications on the Node.js platform.

3. Widely recognized as the most popular web framework for Node.js, Express.js has
earned its reputation as the de facto standard in the ecosystem.

4. Express.js acts as a layer atop Node.js, streamlining server and route

management, and facilitating the handling of requests and responses, all while
leveraging JavaScript.

5. Express.js provides a number of features that make it a popular choice for

building web applications and APIs, including:

Routing: Express.js provides a simple and organized way to handle different HTTP
requests and map them to specific actions.

Middleware: Express.js provides a way to add functionality to your application

before it reaches the request handler. This can be used for things like
authentication, logging, and error handling.

Templating: Express.js provides a way to render HTML templates using data from your
application.

Database Integration: Express.js provides a way to connect to and query databases.

Easy to Learn: Express.js is easy to learn and use, even if you are new to Node.js.

Scalable: Express.js is scalable and can be used to build applications of all

sizes.

Large Community: Express.js has a large and active community that provides support
and resources.

If you are looking for a framework to build web applications and APIs with Node.js,
Express.js is a great choice. It is easy to learn, use, and scale, and it provides
a robust set of features to help you build great applications.

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RESTFUL SERVICES

1. **Resource-Based**: RESTful services revolve around resources, identifiable

through URIs, representing any named information. Each URI uniquely identifies a
resource within the system.

2. **Uniform Interface**: RESTful services offer a consistent interface using

standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. These methods perform
actions on resources, ensuring predictability and interoperability across different
systems.

3. **Client-Server Architecture**: RESTful services adhere to a client-server

architecture, maintaining a clear separation between the client and server
entities. This architecture enhances scalability and facilitates independent
evolution of both clients and servers.

4. **Stateless**: In RESTful services, every client request to the server must

contain all necessary information (HTTP Method, Resource URI, Request Headers,
Request Body, Query Parameters) for the server to process it. This stateless nature
enhances scalability and simplifies implementation by eliminating the need for the
server to store client state between requests.

5. **Representation**: Resources within RESTful services are commonly represented

in formats such as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) or XML (eXtensible Markup
Language), enabling easy consumption and interpretation by clients.

6. **State Transfer**: RESTful services transfer state between client and server in
the form of resource representations. Through these representations, clients and
servers communicate and exchange data, maintaining the statelessness principle of
REST architecture.

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Route Parameters

1. **Express.js Route Parameters: Overview**

In Express.js, route parameters are placeholders within the URL pattern of a

route that match specific parts of the URL. They are defined by prefixing a colon
(:) followed by the parameter name in the route's path. Express.js then extracts
the values of these parameters from the URL and makes them accessible in the
`req.params` object. The names of route parameters must consist of "word
characters" ([A-Za-z0-9]).

2. **Example Route Parameter Usage**

```javascript
// Define a route with a parameter
app.get('/users/:userId', (req, res) => {
// Access the value of the route parameter
const userId = req.params.userId;
// Utilize the userId in your application logic
res.send(`User ID: ${userId}`);
});
```

In this example:
- The route `/users/:userId` defines a route parameter named `userId`.
- When a request is made to a URL like `/users/123`, Express.js extracts the
value `123` from the URL and stores it in `req.params.userId`.
- You can then access the value of the route parameter `userId` within the
route handler function `(req, res) => {...}` using `req.params.userId`.

3. **Common Uses of Route Parameters**

1. **Fetching Resources by ID**: Route parameters are often used to retrieve

specific resources based on their unique identifiers. For instance, in a blog
application, routes like `/posts/:postId` could be used to fetch a particular post
by its ID.

2. **Updating Resources**: Route parameters facilitate specifying which

resource to update when making updates. For example, a PUT request to
`/users/:userId` could be employed to update the user with the specified ID.
 3. **Deleting Resources**: Similarly, when deleting resources, route parameters
indicate which resource to delete. A DELETE request to `/products/:productId` could
be used to delete the product with the specified ID.

Route parameters in Express.js provide a flexible mechanism for creating dynamic

routes and handling requests based on specific identifiers.

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1. **Handling HTTP GET Request**

**Purpose:** GET requests are used to retrieve data from a server. They are
typically used for fetching resources such as HTML pages, images, stylesheets,
scripts, or any other type of data.

2. **GET Requests**

- **HTTP Method:** GET is one of the HTTP methods defined in the HTTP protocol.
It is considered safe and idempotent, meaning it should not change the state of the
server and can be repeated without causing different effects on the server.

- **Request Structure:** In a GET request, the client sends a request to the

server, specifying the resource it wants to retrieve. The request can include
additional parameters in the URL (query parameters) to provide more information to
the server about the requested resource. GET requests do not have a request body
since all the data is sent in the URL.

- **Response:** The server responds to a GET request with the requested

resource. The response typically includes a status code (e.g., 200 OK for a
successful request) and the requested data. The response may also include headers
providing additional information about the data being sent.

3. **In Express.js**

In Express.js, handling HTTP GET requests is quite straightforward. Express

provides a simple and intuitive way to define routes for handling various HTTP
methods, including GET requests.

```javascript
// Define routes to handle GET requests
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send('Hello World!');
});

app.get('/contact', (req, res) => {

res.send('Contact');
});

app.get('/about', (req, res) => {

res.send('About page');
});
```

These routes respond with different content when accessed with a GET request.
For example, accessing `/contact` will return "Contact", and accessing `/about`
will return "About page".
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1. **Handling HTTP PUT Request**

**Purpose:** PUT requests are utilized to update or replace an existing

resource on the server with the data provided in the request payload. They are
commonly employed when the client intends to modify the state of a resource on the
server.

2. **HTTP Method:** PUT is one of the HTTP methods defined in the HTTP protocol. It
is idempotent, meaning that making the same request multiple times should have the
same effect as making it once. Thus, if the same PUT request is issued multiple
times, the state of the resource on the server should remain unchanged after each
request.

3. **Request Structure:**

- In a PUT request, the client sends a request to the server, specifying the
resource it wants to update and providing the new data for that resource in the
request body.

- The request typically includes a content-type header to indicate the type of

data being sent in the request body. The URL specifies the location of the resource
to be updated.

4. **Response:**

- The server responds to a PUT request with a status code indicating the
outcome of the request. Common status codes include 200 OK for a successful update,
201 Created for a successful creation of a new resource, or 204 No Content for a
successful update with no response body.

- The response may include additional information about the updated resource or
any changes made to it.

5. **Example Code:**

```javascript
const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;

// Parse incoming request bodies in a middleware before your handlers

app.use(bodyParser.json());

// Route to handle POST requests

app.post('/submit', (req, res) => {
// Access the data sent in the request body
const formData = req.body;
// Process the data
const name = formData.name;
const email = formData.email;
const message = formData.message;
// For example, you can save it to a database, perform validation, etc.
// In this example, we're just logging the data
console.log('Received data:');
 console.log('Name:', name);
console.log('Email:', email);
console.log('Message:', message);
// Respond to the client
res.send('Data received successfully!');
});

// Start the server

app.listen(port, () => {
console.log(`Server is listening at http://localhost:${port}`);
});
```

This code snippet demonstrates how to handle POST requests in Express.js. It

uses the `body-parser` middleware to parse the incoming request bodies and defines
a route `/submit` to handle POST requests. Inside the route handler, it accesses
the data sent in the request body, processes it, and responds to the client with a
success message.

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1. **Middleware Functions: Overview**

Middleware functions are functions in Express.js that have access to the

request object (`req`), the response object (`res`), and the next middleware
function in the application’s request-response cycle. The next middleware function
is typically denoted by a variable named `next`.

2. **Tasks Performed by Middleware Functions**

Middleware functions can perform various tasks, including:

- Executing any code.

- Making changes to the request and response objects.
- Ending the request-response cycle.
- Calling the next middleware function in the stack.

If the current middleware function does not end the request-response cycle, it
must call `next()` to pass control to the next middleware function. Otherwise, the
request will be left hanging.

3. **Types of Express Middleware**

An Express application can utilize several types of middleware:

1. **Application-level Middleware**: Bound to the `app` object, these functions

are executed on every request to the server. They are defined using `app.use()` or
similar methods and are useful for tasks such as logging, parsing request bodies,
setting headers, etc.

2. **Router-level Middleware**: Similar to application-level middleware, but

bound to a specific router instance using `router.use()`. They are executed only
when a request matches the router's path, making them ideal for grouping route
handlers and applying middleware specific to a set of routes.

3. **Error-handling Middleware**: These functions have four parameters (`err`,

`req`, `res`, `next`) and handle errors occurring during request processing. Placed
at the end of the middleware stack, after all other middleware and route handlers,
they are invoked when `next(err)` is called with an error object.

4. **Built-in Middleware**: Provided by Express.js, these functions perform

common tasks like serving static files, parsing request bodies, etc. Examples
include `express.static()` for serving static files and `express.json()` for
parsing JSON bodies.

5. **Third-party Middleware**: Created by third-party libraries to extend

Express.js functionality, such as authentication, authorization, rate limiting,
etc. Added to an Express.js application using npm packages.

6. **Custom Middleware**: Developed by developers to perform specific tasks

required by their application, such as logging, authentication, authorization,
request validation, etc.

4. **Example Custom Middleware**

```javascript
// Middleware function to log requests
app.use((req, res, next) => {
const logData = `${new Date().toISOString()} - ${req.method} ${req.url}\n`;
// Append log data to the log file
fs.appendFile('logFile.txt', logData, (err) => {
if (err) {
console.error('Error writing to log file:', err);
}
});
// Call the next middleware function
next();
});
```

This middleware function logs incoming requests by appending request data to a

log file. It demonstrates how middleware can be used to perform custom tasks in an
Express.js application.

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