Modules: http (server)

Creating a basic server in Node.js using the http module involves a few simple steps. We'll focus on handling GET and POST requests without performing any specific operations, just to demonstrate how to set up the server and handle these requests.

Step 1: Import the http Module First, you need to import the http module, which is a built-in module in Node.js for creating HTTP servers.

const http = require('http');

Step 2: Create the Server Next, you create the server using the http.createServer() method. This method takes a callback function as an argument, which is called whenever a request is received by the server. The callback function itself takes two arguments: a request object (req) and a response object (res).

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    // Handle the request here
});

Step 3: Handle GET Requests Inside the callback function, you can check the request method to determine if it's a GET request. If it is, you can send a response back to the client.

if (req.method === 'GET') {
    res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
    res.end('Hello, this is a GET request!\n');
}

Step 4: Handle POST Requests Similarly, you can check for POST requests and handle them accordingly. For simplicity, we'll just acknowledge the POST request without performing any operations on the data sent.

if (req.method === 'POST') {
    res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
    res.end('Hello, this is a POST request!\n');
}

Step 5: Start the Server Finally, you need to start the server by calling the listen() method on the server object. This method takes a port number as an argument and optionally a hostname.

const port = 3000;
server.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${port}/`);
});

Complete Example Here's the complete code for a basic server that handles GET and POST requests:

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    if (req.method === 'GET') {
        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
        res.end('Hello, this is a GET request!\n');
    } else if (req.method === 'POST') {
        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
        res.end('Hello, this is a POST request!\n');
    }
});

const port = 3000;
server.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${port}/`);
});

Explanation

• Importing the http Module: This is the first step where you make the http module available in your script.
• Creating the Server: You create a server that listens for incoming requests. The callback function is where you define how to handle these requests.
• Handling GET and POST Requests: Inside the callback, you check the request method. If it's a GET request, you send a simple response. If it's a POST request, you send a different response.
• Starting the Server: Finally, you start the server on a specific port. Once the server is running, it listens for incoming requests and handles them based on the logic you've defined.

This basic server setup is a starting point for building more complex applications in Node.js.