Node.js-based Web Server supporting multiple path

Here's a basic example of a Node.js HTTP server that supports multiple paths. This server will respond differently based on the requested URL path.

const http = require('http');

// Create an HTTP server
const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  // Extract the URL path
  const url = req.url;

  // Set the response header content type
  res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');

  // Handle different paths
  if (url === '/') {
    res.writeHead(200);
    res.end('Welcome to the Home Page!');
  } else if (url === '/about') {
    res.writeHead(200);
    res.end('This is the About Page.');
  } else if (url === '/contact') {
    res.writeHead(200);
    res.end('This is the Contact Page.');
  } else {
    res.writeHead(404);
    res.end('404 Not Found');
  }
});

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

How This Works:

1. Importing the HTTP Module: The http module is used to create an HTTP server.
2. Creating the Server: The http.createServer() function creates a server object. The function passed to createServer() is executed every time the server gets a request. The req object contains information about the request, such as the URL, while the res object is used to send a response.
3. Routing: The server checks the req.url to determine the path requested by the client. It then sends different responses based on the path:
   • /: Responds with "Welcome to the Home Page!"
   • /about: Responds with "This is the About Page."
   • /contact: Responds with "This is the Contact Page."
   • Any other path results in a 404 Not Found response.
4. Starting the Server: The server listens on port 3000. When it starts, it logs a message to the console indicating the server's URL.

Running the Server:

1. Save the code to a file, for example, server.js.

2. Run the server using Node.js:

   node server.js
   

3. Open your browser and go to:
   • http://localhost:3000/ for the home page.
   • http://localhost:3000/about for the about page.
   • http://localhost:3000/contact for the contact page.
   • Any other path will show the 404 Not Found message.

This example demonstrates how to create a basic HTTP server in Node.js that handles multiple routes, providing a foundation for building more complex applications.