Express.js Guide: The Comprehensive Book on Express.js (2014)

Appendix: Express.js 4 Cheatsheet

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Installation

· $ sudo npm install express: install the latest Express.js locally`

· $ sudo npm install express@4.2.0 --save: install Express.js v4.2.0 locally and save to package.json

· $ sudo npm install -g express-generator@4.0.0: install Express.js command-line generator v4.0.0

Generator

Usage: $ express [options] [dir]

Options:

· -h: print the usage information

· -V: print the express-generator version number

· -e: add ejs engine support, defaults to jade if omitted

· -H: add hogan.js engine support

· -c <library> add CSS support for <library> (less|stylus|compass), defaults to plain CSS if omitted</library>

· -f: generate into a non-empty directory

Basics

· var express = require('express'): include the module

· var app = express(): create an instance

· app.listen(portNumber, callback): start the Express.js server

· http.createServer(app).listen(portNumber, callback): start the Express.js server

· app.set(key, value): set a property value by the key

· app.get(key): get a property value by the key

HTTP Verbs and Routes

· app.get()

· app.post()

· app.put()

· app.del()

· app.all()

· app.param():

· app.use()

Request

· request.params: parameters middlware

· request.param: extract one parameter

· request.query: extract query string parameter

· request.route: return route string

· request.cookies: cookies, requires cookieParser

· request.signedCookies: signed cookies, requires cookie-parser

· request.body: payload, requires body-parser

Request Header Shortcuts

· request.get(headerKey): value for the header key

· request.accepts(type): checks if the type is accepted

· request.acceptsLanguage(language): checks language

· request.acceptsCharset(charset): checks charset

· `request.is(type): checks the type

· request.ip: IP address

· request.ips: IP addresses (with trust-proxy on)

· request.path: URL path

· request.host: host without port number

· request.fresh: checks freshness

· request.stale: checks staleness

· request.xhr: true for AJAX-y requests

· request.protocol: returns HTTP protocol

· request.secure: checks if protocol is https

· request.subdomains: array of subdomains

· request.originalUrl: original URL

Response

· response.redirect(status, url): redirect request

· response.send(status, data): send response

· response.json(status, data): send JSON and force proper headers

· response.sendfile(path, options, callback): send a file

· `response.render(templateName, locals, callback): render a template

· response.locals: pass data to template

Handlers Signatures

· function(request, response, next) {}: request handler signature

· function(error, request, response, next) {}: error handler signature

Stylus and Jade

1 app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, 'views'))

2 app.set('view engine', 'jade')

app.use(require('stylus').middleware(path.join(__dirname, 'public')))

Body

1 var bodyParser = require('body-parser')

2 app.use(bodyParser.json())

3 app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded())

Static

app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'public')))

Connect Middleware

$ sudo npm install <package_name> --save

· body-parser request payload

· compression gzip

· connect-timeout

· cookie-parser Cookies

· cookie-session Session via Cookies store

· csurf CSRF

· errorhandler error handler

· express-session session via in-memory or other store

· method-override HTTP method override

· morgan server logs

· response-time

· serve-favicon favicon

· serve-index

· serve-static static content

· vhost

Other Popular Middleware

· cookies and keygrip: analogous to cookieParser

· raw-body

· connect-multiparty, connect-busboy

· qs: analogous to query

· st, connect-static analogous to staticCache

· express-validator: validation

· less: LESS CSS

· passport: authentication library

· helmet: security headers

· connect-cors: CORS

· connect-redis