theekshana-nirmal/simple-node-server

This project is a basic HTTP server created using Node.js's built-in http module. It is designed as a learning exercise to understand the fundamentals of server-side programming before moving on to frameworks like Express.js. The goal is to build a strong foundation in Node.js by starting with the basics.

Simple Node Server with Routing

A simple HTTP server built using Node.js's built-in http module. This project demonstrates basic routing and serves static HTML files. It is designed as a learning exercise to understand the fundamentals of server-side programming and routing before transitioning to more advanced frameworks like Express.js.

This screenshot illustrates the output when making a GET request to the /about path of the Node.js HTTP server using the Postman extension within VS Code. The server correctly responds with a basic HTML page, demonstrating the routing functionality for the /about endpoint.

✨ Features

• Basic HTTP server implementation.
• Serves static HTML files for different routes (/ and /about).
• Handles errors for unsupported routes and methods.
• Uses Node.js's built-in http module and fs/promises for file handling.
• Configures the server port using environment variables (.env file).
• Lightweight and beginner-friendly.

🎯 Purpose

This project was created to:

• Understand how to create a basic server using Node.js's http module.
• Learn how to implement basic routing for different URL paths.
• Explore serving static HTML files instead of plain text responses.
• Practice using environment variables for configuration (e.g., port numbers).
• Build a foundation for developing more complex web applications and APIs.

🚀 How to Run

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/theekshana-nirmal/simple-node-server.git

   cd simple-node-server

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Create a .env file: Create a file named .env in the root directory of the project and add the following line:

   PORT=3000

   (You can change 3000 to any port you prefer)

4. Create the public directory: Inside the project root, create a folder named public and add the following files:

   • index.html: The homepage content.
   • about.html: The content for the /about route.

5. Start the server:

   npm run dev

6. Access the server: Open your web browser and navigate to:

   • http://localhost:PORT/ for the homepage.
   • http://localhost:PORT/about for the about page.

   (Replace PORT with the value you set in your .env file, e.g., http://localhost:3000/)

📚 Learning Objectives

• Understand how to create a basic server using Node.js's http module.
• Learn how to implement routing to handle different URL paths.
• Explore serving static HTML files using fs/promises.
• Grasp the concept of ports and listening for incoming connections.
• Learn how to manage configuration like port numbers using environment variables (.env files).
• Build a foundational understanding for developing more complex web applications and APIs.

🌱 Future Plans

• Add support for more routes and dynamic content.
• Implement error pages for 404 and 500 errors.
• Handle different HTTP methods (e.g., POST, PUT, DELETE).
• Transition to using the Express.js framework for more robust features and easier development.
• Add middleware for logging and request parsing.
• Explore serving static assets like CSS and JavaScript files.