How to deploy express.js server to Netlify - javascript

I am attempting to deploy a Vue.js, Node, Express, MongoDB (MEVN) stack application to Netlify. I successfully deployed the front end of the application to Netlify, and am now attempting to deploy the express server, based on the following serverless-http example: https://github.com/neverendingqs/netlify-express/blob/master/express/server.js
I configured my server to include the serverless-http package:
server.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const serverless = require('serverless-http');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const cors = require('cors');
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const config = require('./DB.js');
const postRoute = require('./routes');
mongoose.connect(config.DB, { useNewUrlParser: true, useUnifiedTopology: true }).then(
() => { console.log('Database is connected') },
err => { console.log('Can not connect to the database'+ err)}
);
app.use(cors());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended: true}));
app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use('/messages', postRoute);
app.use('/.netlify/functions/server', router); // path must route to lambda
app.use('/', (req, res) => res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname, '../public/index.html')));
module.exports = app;
module.exports.handler = serverless(app);
routes.js
const express = require('express');
const postRoutes = express.Router();
// Require Post model in our routes module
let Post = require('./post.model');
// Defined store route
postRoutes.route('/add').post(function (req, res) {
let post = new Post(req.body);
post.save()
.then(() => {
res.status(200).json({'business': 'business in added successfully'});
})
.catch(() => {
res.status(400).send("unable to save to database");
});
});
// Defined get data(index or listing) route
postRoutes.route('/').get(function (req, res) {
Post.find(function(err, posts){
if(err){
res.json(err);
}
else {
res.json(posts);
}
});
});
module.exports = postRoutes;
I then re-deployed my application to Netlify, but the server does not seem to run in Netlify. This server is in a folder in project root of my vue.js app. Should I instead run the server as a separate site in Netlify? If not, what should I do in order to get the server to run when deployed in Netlify?

It's been a while, but here goes.
Netlify hosting is for the Jamstack, as they say, i.e. only static files, no processing on the server. The idea is to make use of other mechanisms to get your data dynamically, such as APIs hosted elsewhere, which you query straight from the browser, or when you build your site.
Most likely you actually had to deploy your express.js app as a Netlify Function, instead. Check Netlify's blog post on running express apps on their functions.

I had a similar issue, just that my server wouldn't connect to the routes locally, the major difference between my code and yours was that I had to do
const router = express.Router()
and then switched app.use() with router.use()
Like I said, that's for when the localhost says "cannot GET /* a defined path */"
P.S. As a side note, you don't need explicit bodyParser in recent express, express.json() works fine instead.

Related

How to render images from backend to frontend in mern stack

Here, I'm trying to render images that are in backend/uploads/images.`
this is my backend server.js file
const express = require("express");
require("dotenv").config();
const cors = require("cors");
const { v4: uuidv4 } = require("uuid");
const app = express();
const postRoute = require("./routes/postRoute");
const userRoute = require("./routes/userRoute");
const DbConnection = require("./db/db");
DbConnection();
app.use(cors());
app.use(express.json());
app.use(express.static("uploads/images"));
app.get("/", (req, res) => {
res.send("Home server");
});
app.use("/api", postRoute);
app.use("/api/users", userRoute);
app.listen(process.env.PORT || 5000, () => {
console.log("Server started");
});
`
this is my ui where i want to pull the image as title("hello") and content("sadsaassa") is being pulled from mongodb.
this is how i tried to pull the image
<img
src={../../../../backend/uploads/images/${detailedArticle?.imageUrl}}
/>
Can anyone help me?
Since Nodejs and Reactjs are running in different server, you have to access images over http something like this..
http://localhost:5000/{image}.png
You can not access it from the local directory as you are saving the image using NodeJS.
If you are trying to access on local machine where your node server is also running then use
http://localhost:3000/server/public/upload/{image}
If you are trying to access the image from already deployed node application then use
http://abchost:3000/server/public/upload/{image}

How should I use proxy in a web app made with node.js and vanilla javascript?

I have a web app made in node.js and vanilla javascript. I wanna replace "http://localhost:4000/api/word" with "api/word" in the fetch api so that it works when the app's deployed on Heroku. I solved the issue by adding "proxy" : "http://localhost:4000" in package.json file when I used React for other apps but I don't know how to deal with the issue when I'm not using React.
server.js
const express = require("express");
const app = express();
const cors = require("cors");
const fs = require("fs");
const port = process.env.PORT || 4000;
app.use(express.json());
app.use(cors());
app.get("http://localhost:4000/api/word", function (req, res) {
fs.readFile("./wordlist.txt", (err, data) => {
if (err) throw err;
let wordList = data.toString().split("\n");
res.send(wordList);
});
});
main.js
function getWord() {
fetch("/api/word")
.then((res) => res.json())
.then((res) => {
...do something...
})
.catch((err) => console.log(err));
}
I tried the React way but it sends the get request to localhost:5500 which is the client side port.
Since your client and server are listening on different ports, I'm assuming your server isn't serving the client and that it has its own server. If the client doesn't need its own separate server, you can serve it from your express app by putting it in a directory and using express.static. Assuming you put the frontend code in a directory called public next to your server code, that would look like this:
app.use(express.json());
app.use(cors());
app.use(express.static(path.resolve(__dirname, 'public')));
If you do need to have a separate server for the client, there are modules just for this problem. http-proxy is a very popular one. I provided examples of how to use it here that could be easily adapted for any Node server, but there are many more in the docs.
Also just a sidenote, app.get("http://localhost:4000/api/word", function (req, res) should be app.get('/api/word' ...: your routes shouldn't define the scheme, host, and port.

Nuxt JS with WebSockets

I have a Nuxt App, with one service which needs to be delivered over WebSockets. The Nuxt App Server provides an api service using express.
I have an /api folder in which there are various *.js files, and these are routed to successfully. ie...
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
app.get('/whatever1',(req, res) => console.log('req.url',req.url))
works OK.
However the following, in the same file, will never be reached....
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const expressWs = require('express-ws')(app);
app.ws('/whatever2',(ws,req) => {
console.log('req.url',req.url);
})
Where am I going wrong ?
You're attempting to connect the client to an endpoint on the server where no such endpoint exists. In your client's output, you're receiving an error of:
VM1295:1 WebSocket connection to 'ws://localhost:3000/api/whatever2' failed: Connection closed before receiving a handshake response
because you haven't defined a route of /api/whatever2. Your code above routes to:
ws://localhost:3000/whatever2
instead of ws://localhost:3000/api/whatever2
EDIT:
Here's test code that worked for me:
const express = require('express');
var app = express();
const expressWS = require('express-ws')(app);
expressWS.getWss().on('connection', function (ws) {
console.log('connection open');
});
app.ws('/whatever', (ws, res) => {
console.log('socket', ws);
});
app.listen(3000, () => console.log('listening on 3000...'));

How to set React app and API on same port?

I've got a React app that via an API pulls data from a separate database.
When I run it locally, the app is one port and the API is on another port.
Since when I make AJAX calls in the app to the API, I need to include the URL where the API can connect.
It works if I hardcode the separate port (e.g., the app is on http://localhost:3000 and the API on http://localhost:3100, making the AJAX url call to the API http://localhost:3100/api/trusts).
However, since the app and API are on different ports, I can't make the AJAX url a relative path because it erroneously sends the AJAX call to http://localhost:3000/api/trusts and not http://localhost:3100/api/trusts.
How do I get them to run on the same port?
Thanks!
Here's my server.js:
var express = require('express');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var path = require('path');
var app = express();
var router = express.Router();
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var Schema = mongoose.Schema;
//set our port to either a predetermined port number if you have set it up, or 3001
var port = process.env.PORT || 5656;
//db config
var mongoDB = 'mongodb://XXX:XXX!#XXX.mlab.com:XXX/XXX';
mongoose.connect(mongoDB);
var db = mongoose.connection;
db.on('error', console.error.bind(console, 'MongoDB connection error:'));
//body parsing
app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
// allow cross-browser
app.use(function(req, res, next) {
res.setHeader('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
next();
});
// handling static assets
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'build')));
// api handling
var TrustsSchema = new Schema({
id: String,
name: String
});
var Trust = mongoose.model('Trust', TrustsSchema);
const trustRouter = express.Router();
trustRouter
.get('/', (req,res) => {
Trust.find(function(err, trusts) {
if (err) {
res.send(err);
}
res.json(trusts)
});
});
app.use('/api/trusts', trustRouter);
//now we can set the route path & initialize the API
router.get('/', function(req, res) {
res.json({ message: 'API Initialized!'});
});
app.get('/*', function (req, res) {
res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname, 'build', 'index.html'));
});
app.listen(port, function() {
console.log(`api running on port ${port}`);
});
Below is the AJAX call I'm trying to make that doesn't work because the relative path is appended to the app's port (i.e., http://localhost:3000/) and not the API's port (i.e., http://localhost:3100/):
axios.get("/api/trusts")
.then(res => {
this.setState({trusts: res.data});
})
.catch(console.error);
To tell the development server to proxy any unknown requests to your API server in development, add a proxy field to your package.json, for example:
"proxy": "http://localhost:4000",
This way, when you fetch('/api/todos') in development, the development server will recognize that it’s not a static asset, and will proxy your request to http://localhost:4000/api/todos as a fallback. The development server will only attempt to send requests without text/html in its Accept header to the proxy.
"Keep in mind that proxy only has effect in development (with npm start), and it is up to you to ensure that URLs like /api/todos point to the right thing in production."
Note: this feature is available with react-scripts#0.2.3 and higher.
More details here: https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md#proxying-api-requests-in-development

Why am I getting "name undefined" when trying to post using Express and Body Parser

I'm attempting to build a MEAN app and trying to test POSTing with POSTMAN. When I do, I keep getting the dreaded "TypeError: Cannot read property 'name' of undefined". If I type in a simple string, the POST goes through fine. But when I use "req.body.name" I get the error. I've looked in every place and I'm not seeing my mistake. I even followed the suggestions on this thread with no luck. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Here's the code I am currently working with in my server.js file:
const express = require('express');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var Bear = require('./models/bear')
var path = require('path');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var router = express.Router();
var app = express();
var staticAssets = __dirname + '/public';
app.use(express.static(staticAssets));
app.use('/api', router)
app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended: true}));
// Routes for my API
//===================================
// middleware to use for all requests
router.use(function(req,res,next){
// logging happens here
console.log('Something will happen.');
next(); // Head to the next router...don't stop here
});
// Test router to make sure everything is working (accessed at GET http://localhost:3000/api)
router.get('/', function(req, res){
res.json({message: 'hooray! welcome to our api!'})
})
//More routes will happen here with routes that end in "/bears"
router.route('/bears')
//Create a bear (accessed at POST http://localhost:3000/api/bears)
.post(function(req,res){
var bear = new Bear(); // Create a new instance of the bear model
console.log(req);
bear.name = req.body.name; // set the bears name (comes from the request)
//res.send(200, req.body);
bear.save(function(err){
if (err)
res.send(err);
res.json({message: 'Bear Created!!'});
});
});
//======================================
//var Products = require('./products.model.js');
var Product = require('./models/product.model');
var db = 'mongodb://localhost/27017';
mongoose.connect(db);
var server = app.listen(3000);
console.log("App is listening on port 3000");
Thanks.
Also, the url I'm trying to use inside of POSTMAN is http://localhost:3000/api/bears
Express processes requests Top-Down, meaning if you require a piece of functionality to be applied to all routes via middleware, than that middleware needs to be added to your app before any routes that require it. This is usually the case for middleware such as body-parser.
When using Router Middleware, you don't typically construct the router in the same file as the actual Express app that will use it as middleware. Instead, place it in a separate file and/or directory for organization purposes, this is considered a best practice.
Express Apps can be structured like so
/lib
/models
bear.js
product.js
/node_modules
/public
/css
/routes
api.js
package.json
server.js
The routes directory is where you would place any applicable Router Middleware files such as your api router. server.js is your main Express App and public is where your static assets are stored. lib is directory that contains any business logic files and models.
The actual Express app and Router files should look something like this
server.js
'use strict';
const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const path = require('path');
const apiRouter = require('./routes/api');
const app = express();
app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, public)));
app.use(/api, apiRouter);
app.listen(port, () => {
console.log(`Listening on port ${port});
});
module.exports = app;
routes/api.js
'use strict';
const router = require('express').Router();
const Bear = require('./lib/models/bear');
router.use((req, res, next) => {
// logging happens here
console.log('Something will happen.');
next(); // Head to the next router...don't stop here
});
router.get('/', (req, res) => {
return res.json({ message: 'hooray! welcome to our api!'})
});
router.route('/bears')
//Create a bear (accessed at POST http://localhost:3000/api/bears)
.post((req, res) => {
var bear = new Bear(); // Create a new instance of the bear model
console.log(req);
bear.name = req.body.name; // set the bears name (comes from the request)
//res.send(200, req.body);
bear.save((err) => {
if (err)
return res.send(err);
return res.json({message: 'Bear Created!!'});
});
});
module.exports = router;
To note, you could break up your API even further to increase the amount of decoupling. An example of this would be to move the /api/bear route to its own router middleware and into its own route file. Then simply add it to your routes/api.js router as a middleware like you would in server.js. If your app is going to have a decent sized API, then this would be the best approach because it would allow the most flexibility when it comes to applying middleware to only certain routes and would make maintaining the source much easier.

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