With Express / Connect I can set up an middleware function in either of the formats:
function(req, res, next) // first argument will be a request
Or
function(err, req, res, next) // first argument will be an error
Stepping back from Express, Connect, to basic JavaScript: I don't understand is how this is possible to have an optional first argument?
How can express know that my function will accept an err
object first? I thought to make this possible the structure would have to be like the following:
function(req, res, next, err)
Am I missing something basic here? Is it possible to query how many arguments a function is expecting?
Edit: thanks for the answers below. but the middleware function is passed to express, so the arguments
variable is not valid. although length
is correct... I think I have figured it out, would be good to have confirmation to whether this is the case. Example below:
var fn;
fn = function (one, two) {};
console.log(fn.length); // 2
fn = function (one, two, three) {};
console.log(fn.length); // 3
Middleware functions are functions that have access to the request object ( req ), the response object ( res ), and the next function in the application's request-response cycle. The next function is a function in the Express router which, when invoked, executes the middleware succeeding the current middleware.
In this is article we will see when to use next() and return next() in NodeJS. Features: next() : It will run or execute the code after all the middleware function is finished. return next() : By using return next it will jump out the callback immediately and the code below return next() will be unreachable.
Next simply allows the next route handler in line to handle the request. In this case, if the user id exists, it will likely use res. send to complete the request. If it doesn't exist, there is likely another handler that will issue an error and complete the request then.
The res. sendFile() function basically transfers the file at the given path and it sets the Content-Type response HTTP header field based on the filename extension.
I think I have figured it out, would be good to have confirmation to whether this is the case
var fn; fn = function (one, two) {}; console.log(fn.length); // 2 fn = function (one, two, three) {}; console.log(fn.length); // 3
Yes, that's correct. The length
property of a Function
instance is the number of formal parameters (declared arguments) it has. This is hidden away in Section 13.2 of the spec, steps 14 and 15.
So it's quite easy for the code calling the function to check fn.length
and pass it the optional first argument, or not, depending on that. This does mean, of course, that it's entirely possible to write a function that would handle the four-argument version, but fools the framework by using arguments
rather than formal parameters. So you wouldn't do that. :-)
(Apologies for misreading your question the first time.)
The first function has 3 arguments, the second one has 4 arguments, so Express/Connect looks at the number of arguments.
It's not possible to switch between arguments.
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