Create HTTP Web Server in Node.js

In this tutorial, we shall learn to create HTTP Web Server in Node.js using http.createServer() method of HTTP Built-in Module.

Node.js provides built-in module, HTTP, which is stable and is compatible with NPM ecosystem.

Steps – Create HTTP Web Server

Following is a step by step tutorial, to Create HTTP Web Server in Node.js.

Step 1 : Include HTTP Module

Create a .js file with name httpWebServer.js and open in a text editor.

Include the Built-in Node.js module, HTTP, using require function as shown below.

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var http = require('http');

Step 2 : Create Server

Create a server using the method createServer() to listen at port numbered 9000.

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// include http module in the file
var http = require('http');

// create a server
http.createServer(function (req, res) {
	// code to feed or request and prepare response
}).listen(9000); //the server object listens on port 9000

Step 3 : Prepare response

We shall prepare a response with HTTP header and a message.

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// include http module in the file
var http = require('http');

// create a server
http.createServer(function (req, res) {
	// http header
	// 200 - is the OK message
	// to respond with html content, 'Content-Type' should be 'text/html'
	res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/html'}); 
	res.write('Node.js says hello!'); //write a response to the client
	res.end(); //end the response
}).listen(9000); //the server object listens on port 9000

Step 4 : Run the Web Server

Run the httpWebServer.js file (from previous step) to create and make the server listen at port 9000.

$ node httpWebServer.js

The server will be up and running.

Step 5 : Test the Web Server

Open a browser and hit the url, “http://127.0.0.1:9000/”, to trigger a request to our Web Server.

Create HTTP Web Server in Node.js

Voila! We have created a HTTP Web Server that listens on port numbered 9000 and responds with HTML formatted text message ”Node.js says hello!” for any request.

This may not be a full fledged Web Server that you expect for your projects, but this is for sure a stepping in our journey of building HTTP Web Server.

Conclusion

In this Node.js Tutorial – Create HTTP Web Server in Node.js, we have used http.createServer() method of HTTP Built-in Node.js module to create HTTP Web Server that responds to the requests made at a port.