Explain how Node.
js and Express work together to handle HTTP
requests and how does Express enhance the capabilities of a basic
Node.js server?
Node.js and Express work together to handle HTTP requests by
leveraging Node.js's runtime environment for server-side JavaScript
execution and Express's framework capabilities for web application
development.
• Node.js as the foundation:
Node.js provides the underlying HTTP module, which allows you to
create a basic web server that listens for incoming requests and sends
responses. It handles the low-level network communication and the
core event loop that processes requests asynchronously.
• Express built on Node.js:
Express.js is a web framework built on top of Node.js's HTTP module. It
simplifies the process of creating robust and scalable web applications
by providing a higher-level abstraction and a set of tools for common
web development tasks.
• Request and Response Handling:
When an HTTP request arrives, Node.js's HTTP server receives
it. Express then takes over, providing methods
like app.get(), app.post(), etc., to define routes and handle different
HTTP methods. These methods receive req (request)
and res (response) objects, which are enhanced by Express with
helpful utilities for easier manipulation of request data and sending
responses.
• Middleware:
Express introduces the concept of middleware, which are functions
that can access and modify the request and response objects, execute
code, and potentially terminate the request-response cycle or pass
control to the next middleware function. This allows for modular and
organized handling of tasks like authentication, logging, and data
parsing before reaching the final route handler.
How Express enhances a basic Node.js server:
• Streamlined Routing:
Express provides a clean and intuitive way to define routes for different
URLs and HTTP methods, making it significantly easier to manage
application logic compared to manually handling URL parsing and
method checking in a basic Node.js server.
• Middleware System:
The middleware system in Express offers a powerful mechanism for
adding functionality to the request-response cycle in a modular
fashion, promoting code reusability and organization.
