TypeError: cannot read property of undefined (ExpressJS/POST)

Question

I have looked at all similar questions and none are working for me. I have a node js app in which I cannot print the input text from a form, using body-parser.

My index.ejs:

         <form id="demo-2" method = "POST" action="/search">
<input type="search" name = "searcher" placeholder="Search">
                    </form>

Index.js:

var cool = require('cool-ascii-faces');
var express = require('express');

var app = express();
var pg = require('pg');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var env = require('node-env-file');

app.set('port', (process.env.PORT || 5000));
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/views/'));

// views is directory for all template files
app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

//app.use(express.bodyParser());


//DIFFERENT APPS - tells them what to do

app.post('/search', function(request, response) {
    //var username = req.body;

    console.log("posted something"+ request.body.searcher);
    response.end("something was posted: "+ request.body.searcher);
});

app.get('/search', function(request, response) {
     response.send("skylarr");

});

And despite using the input's name searcher I get error: TypeError: Cannot read property 'searcher' of undefined

What is wrong here?

Answer 1

body-parser is not the part of express. Install it separately using npm install body-parser --save and then use it as middleware. check the code after line where you commented express.bodyParser() middleware

var cool = require('cool-ascii-faces');
var express = require('express');

var app = express();
var pg = require('pg');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var env = require('node-env-file');

app.set('port', (process.env.PORT || 5000));
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/views/'));

// views is directory for all template files
app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

//app.use(express.bodyParser());

app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: false }));


//DIFFERENT APPS - tells them what to do

app.post('/search', function(request, response) {
    //var username = req.body;

    console.log("posted something"+ request.body.searcher);
    response.end("something was posted: "+ request.body.searcher);
});

app.get('/search', function(request, response) {
     response.send("skylarr");

});

Answer 2

You are missing the body parser. You need to tell express to use the body parser as a middleware.

app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
app.use(bodyParser.json());

Add these two lines above the app.post().