Unable to send numbers using res.send() using express with node

Question

I am trying to get the "imdb rating" using express in node and I am struggling.

movies.json

[{
"id": "3962210",
"order": [4.361276149749756, 1988],
"fields": {
    "year": 2015,
    "title": "David and Goliath",
    "director": "Timothy A. Chey"
},
"doc": {
    "_id": "3962210",
    "_rev": "1-ac648e016b0def40382d5d1b9ec33661",
    "title": "David and Goliath",
    "year": 2015,
    "rating": "PG",
    "runtime": "92 min",
    "genre": ["Drama"],
    "director": "Timothy A. Chey",
    "writer": ["Timothy A. Chey"],
    "cast": ["Miles Sloman", "Jerry Sokolosky", "Makenna Guyler", "Paul Hughes"],
    "poster": "http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjA3OTQ4NDc4MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDYwMzA1MjE@._V1_SX300.jpg",
    "imdb": {
        "rating": 8.4,
        "votes": 138,
        "id": "tt3962210"
    }
}
}, {
"id": "251656",
"order": [3.489020824432373, 686],
"fields": {
    "year": 1999,
    "title": "David Cross: The Pride Is Back",
    "director": "Troy Miller"
},
"doc": {
    "_id": "251656",
    "_rev": "1-2d0762776874f94af8f2d76e5991b529",
    "title": "David Cross: The Pride Is Back",
    "year": 1999,
    "rating": null,
    "runtime": "55 min",
    "genre": ["Comedy"],
    "director": "Troy Miller",
    "writer": ["David Cross"],
    "cast": ["David Cross", "Molly Brenner", "Amiira Ruotola"],
    "poster": "http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BODcwMjMxOTU4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODE0MTc4MTE@._V1_SX300.jpg",
    "imdb": {
        "rating": 7.9,
        "votes": 380,
        "id": "tt0251656"
    }
}
}]

results

res.send(result.rows[0].doc.imdb); returns {"rating":8.4,"votes":138,"id":"tt3962210"}

but

res.send(result.rows[0].doc.imdb.rating); // does not return 8.4, just crash's node

and

res.send(result.rows[0].doc.title); // returns David and Goliath

res.send(result.rows[0].doc.cast[0]); // returns Miles Sloman

Where am I going wrong?

Answer 1

According to Express res.send([body]) docs:

The body parameter can be a Buffer object, a String, an object, or an Array

You can't send a number by itself.

Try either converting the number to a string

res.send(''+result.rows[0].doc.imdb.rating);

or send it as an object value

res.send({ result: result.rows[0].doc.imdb.rating});