What sets apart the URLs recognized by Express.js from the regular ones we typically encounter?

What sets a URL recognizable to Express.js apart from the typical URLs we encounter?

For instance: If I send a GET request like this, Express.js will identify and parse this URL (http://localhost:3000/things/0) where id=0:

app.get('/things/:id', (req, res) => {
   // Do something
});

However, using a URL format more commonly seen such as this one (http://localhost:3000/things/?id=0) will not yield the same result for the mentioned GET request.

Answer №1

It seems that the concept of "normal URLs" is subjective, with different styles existing but none being inherently more normal than the others.

There are various methods to pass parameters in a URL.

#1 - Embedding parameters in the URL path

https://someserver/things/0
https://contacts.google.com/person/c3429579852656514228

This approach adheres to RESTful design principles, where the URLs feature a noun followed by an ID identifying the specific entity.

#2 - Using query parameters for variable URL components

For the same example URLs mentioned earlier:

https://someserver/things?id=0
https://contacts.google.com/person?id=c3429579852656514228

Both design approaches have their own merits depending on the context, and it's even possible to combine them (e.g., incorporating optional query parameters into RESTful API designs). Neither method can be considered the standard; they represent different URL design strategies.

Express supports both approaches. When dealing with restful parameters within the URL path, you can use the :id syntax and access the value using req.params.id:

app.get('/things/:id', (req, res) => {
   console.log(req.params.id);
   res.send(req.params.id);
});

For query parameters, you don't specify them in the Express route path. The framework automatically parses any query parameters and makes them available through req.query.

// Example: /things?id=789&sort=alpha
app.get('/things', (req, res) => {
   console.log(req.query.id);            // "789"
   console.log(req.query.sort);          // "alpha"
   res.send(req.query.id);
});

Any query parameter present in the URL will be included in the req.query object.

Usually, query parameters are treated as optional, so there's no need to include them in your route definition. If a specific query parameter is required, you must check its presence in the request and handle errors or trigger next() to proceed to other request handlers if it's missing.


Additionally, there's another style that often involves client-side code to construct pages and includes URL arguments in hash tags. However, we'll save that topic for another discussion.

Answer №2

(http://localhost:3000/things/?id=0) which resembles the more common URLs we encounter.

This framework operates based on a set of rules rather than what you and I may expect. When discussing best practices for designing a RESTFUL API, it is important to understand that path parameters (/:id) are used to pinpoint a specific resource or resources, while query parameters(?id) are utilized for sorting and filtering those resources. Therefore, in the case of /things/?id=0, query parameters should be used.

The approach mentioned above will not yield the desired results for the same GET request.

To retrieve query parameters, a different method such as the following can be employed:

app.get('/things', (req, res) => {
   let id = req.query.id;
// You can access the id here.
});

For further information on QUERY PARAMETERS: How to get GET (query string) variables in Express.js on Node.js?

Read more about URLS here: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Common_questions/What_is_a_URL

Similar questions

If you have not found the answer to your question or you are interested in this topic, then look at other similar questions below or use the search

How do you retrieve an element using its tag name?

Just delving into the world of API's here. Working on a project involving loading a DIV with a bunch of links that I need to repurpose. Managed to disable the default onclick function, now trying to figure out how to save the "innerHTML" attribute of ...

Ensure to release the connection once it has been utilized, using a connection pool in

I am pondering about the proper place to release a connection after using it. There are several options I have come across: pool.getConnection(function(err, conn){ //conn.release() // should be placed here (1)? conn.query(query, function(err, res ...

Insert Angular HTML tag into TypeScript

I am currently working on creating my own text editor, but I'm facing an issue. When I apply the bold style, all of the text becomes bold. How can I make it so that only the text I select becomes bold without affecting the rest of the text? Additional ...

Utilizing the .add() method in Firebase Cloud Firestore for working with nested

In the documentation for Firebase, it mentions updating nested objects. You can find out more about this here: https://firebase.google.com/docs/firestore/manage-data/add-data#update_fields_in_nested_objects Here is my data structure: let ref = db.collect ...

The looping functionality in Swiperjs is not working properly for sliders

Encountering some issues with the loop setting for swiper. The problem is that it stops sliding before entering a second loop, always halting at a certain point. I have never worked with swiper before, so I am unsure if this is the intended behavior or not ...

Send a Dictionary<String,List<String>> over to a JavaScript array

Welcome to my web service! [WebMethod] [ScriptMethod(ResponseFormat = ResponseFormat.Json)] public Dictionary<string,List<string>> GetCategorias() { var diccionario = new Dictionary<string, List<string>>(); var categoria = ...

In NodeJS, the for loop continues executing without pausing for the completion of async.parallel

Working with NodeJS(Express) and async plugin currently. for (var j = 0; j < totalTests; j++) { var caseDetailID, test, testID, testCode, testName, testTemplate, testType, testArray; /** * Utilizing async to ensure that cas ...

What could be causing the abundance of API calls from Yandex Metrica?

In my Nextjs SPA, there is an iframe widget that is rendered using React. Inside this widget's index.html file, I have inserted the Yandex Metrica script and set up a goal tag to track user clicks on the registration button. The goal tracking is wor ...

Guide on implementing Vuetify Component Slot Function

Can someone help me figure out how to implement the v-alert dismissible component with additional functionality when the close button is clicked? According to the documentation, there is a function called toggle in the close slot that allows you to "Toggle ...

Retrieve the $ionicConfigProvider within a Controller

In my controller file named ProfileController.js, I am trying to change the text of the back button. After doing some research, I found this code snippet: $ionicConfigProvider.backButton.text('Go Back').icon('ion-chevron-left'); How can ...

Using an Angular dynamic ng-model name within an accordion

Looking for a way to make the ng-model name dynamic in this specific situation. Whenever a department is selected, the form needs to be updated accordingly. Currently, it works with ng-model="department.name", but this is causing some unexpected issues du ...

Troubleshooting HTTP Response Body Encoding Problem in Node.js

When making HTTP requests with the native 'http' module, unicode characters are not displayed correctly in the response body. Instead of showing the actual value, question mark characters appear. Below is a snippet of the code that I am working w ...

Error occurred while retrieving JSON data due to utilizing null check operator on a null value

I'm having trouble understanding this code. builder: (context, snapshot) { if (snapshot.data != null && widget.stored!.b) { return new GridView.count( children: List.generate(snapshot.data!.length, (index) { r ...

ng serve issue persists even after resolving vulnerabilities

Can anyone assist me in resolving why I am unable to start my project after fixing 3 high vulnerabilities? I ran npm audit to identify the vulnerabilities and then used npm install --save-dev @angular/<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_em ...

Hold on for the useState object to contain a value

Created a custom hook that fetches the user's location and determines the nearest marker on a map based on that information. Initially, it returns the default value of useState. The response looks like this: { coordinates: { lat: '', lng: ...

Managing memory in UIWebView when rendering THREE.js scenes

I am currently working on a game using THREE.js that will be embedded into a UIWebView within an iOS8 app. After analyzing the application in Chrome's developer tools, I have confirmed that there are no memory leaks present. The memory usage reaches ...

What is the best way to combine two objects by summing up the numerical values of matching keys?

I am currently working with 2 objects and using the jQuery extend function. However, I am facing an issue where values from keys with the same name are being overridden. How can I combine or add these values together instead? var obj1 = { "orange": 2, ...

What is the best way to implement <li> in place of <div> to ensure the tool-tip code functions properly?

To see an example, please refer to this fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/66nLy/12/ I am looking to achieve a similar functionality on a webpage, but using <li> instead of <div>. Here is the HTML code snippet: <table class="base-table selection- ...

Is there a problem with the refresh method in Javascript not functioning properly in Edge browser?

As I embark on my current project, a challenge presents itself: I require the page to automatically refresh once the music has concluded. Surprisingly, this code performed flawlessly on Chrome and Firefox. setTimeout(location.reload.bind(location), 206000 ...

Guide on implementing OrbitControls to a camera imported from a glTF file

I am facing an issue with OrbitControls.js when trying to apply it to a loaded camera in a three.js scene. While the camera and model load successfully, the OrbitControls.js seem to work only with cameras created directly in the three.js using new THREE.Pe ...