The Path Module¶

Basic Methods¶

Task 1: Create a simple nodejs server.

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end('Hello there')
});

server.listen(9000);

Task 2: Refer to task 1; add the path module to your file. Hint: use the require statement.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end('Hello there')
});

server.listen(9000);

Task 3: Check the following code.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let file = './public/css/style.css';
    let portion = 'style.css';
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end(portion);
});

server.listen(9000);

You can see style.css in the browser.

Task 4: Refer to task 3; set the value of the portion to path.basename(file).

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let file = './public/css/style.css';
    let portion = path.basename(file);
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end(portion);
});

server.listen(9000);

You will also see style.css in the browser.

Task 5: Check the following code.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let file = './public/css/style.css';
    let portion = './public/css';
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end(portion);
});

server.listen(9000);

You can see ./public/css in the browser.

Task 6: Refer to task 5; set the value of the portion to path.dirname(file).

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let file = './public/css/style.css';
    let portion = path.dirname(file);
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end(portion);
});

server.listen(9000);

You will also see ./public/css in the browser.

Task 7: Check the following code.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let file = './public/css/style.css';
    let portion = 'css';
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end(portion);
});

server.listen(9000);

You can see .css in the browser.

Task 8: Refer to task 5; set the value of the portion to path.extname(file).

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let file = './public/css/style.css';
    let portion = path.extname(file);
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"})
    res.end(portion);
});

server.listen(9000);

You will also see .css in the browser.

Task 9: check the following code.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let file = './public/css/style.css';
    let pathObject = path.parse(file);
    console.log(pathObject);
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    res.end(`Hello, you provided me with the "${file}" path. The Path root is "${pathObject.root}". The path directory is "${pathObject.dir}". The path base is "${pathObject.base}". The path extension is "${pathObject.ext}". The path name is "${pathObject.name}"`);
});

server.listen(9000);

You will see the following in the browser:

Hello, you provided me with the "./public/css/style.css" path. The Path root is "". The path directory is "./public/css". The path base is "style.css". The path extension is ".css". The path name is "style"

Task 10: Check the following code.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let rootPath = "/";
    let dirPath = "public/js";
    let basePath = "myscript.js"; 
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    res.end(`${rootPath}${dirPath}/${basePath}`);
});

server.listen(9000);

You will see /public/js/myscript.js in the browser.

Task 11: Refer to task 10; send res.end(path.join(rootPath, dirPath, basePath)) as a response instead of the previous response.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let rootPath = "/";
    let dirPath = "public/js";
    let basePath = "myscript.js"; 
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    res.end(path.join(rootPath, dirPath, basePath));
});

server.listen(9000);

You will see /public/js/myscript.js in the browser.

__filename¶

Task 12: Create a simple javascript file, and log the __filename object. Run it with nodejs yourfile.js.

console.log(__filename);

You will get something similar to this: /absolute/dir/to/your/file.js

Task 13: Create another file, and log the __filename object in it.

console.log(__filename);

You will get something similar to this: /the/dir/to/anotherFile.js

__dirname¶

Task 14: Create a simple javascript file, and log the __dirname object. Run it with nodejs yourfile.js.

console.log(__dirname);

You will get something similar to this: the/absolute/dir

Task 15: Create another file, and log the __dirname object in it.

console.log(__dirname);

You will get something similar to this: /the/dir/to

Mini Projects¶

Project 1¶

Task 16: Create a simple nodejs server. And display the current directoy + "public" + the requested url by the user in the browser.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let result = path.join(__dirname, "public", req.url)
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    res.end(result);
});

server.listen(9000);

If the user hits http://localhost:9000/style.css, "/absolute/dir/public/style.js" will be displayed on the browser.

Project 2¶

Task 17: Create a simple nodejs server. And display the current directoy + the requested url by the user in the browser.

const http = require('http');
const path = require('path');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    let result = path.join(__dirname, req.url)
    res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    res.end(result);
});

server.listen(9000);

If the user hits http://localhost:9000/script.js, "/absolute/dir/script.js" will be displayed on the browser.