node -v

To create a new project, run:

mkdir node-http-server && cd node-http-server
npm init -y

2. Create a Basic HTTP Server

Create a new file server.js and add the following code:

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
  res.end('Hello, Node.js HTTP Server!');
});

const PORT = 3000;
server.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${PORT}/`);
});

💡 Explanation:

• The http.createServer() method creates a server.
• The req object handles incoming requests.
• The res object is used to send responses.
• The server listens on port 3000.

Run the server:

node server.js

3. Handling Different Routes

Modify server.js to handle multiple routes:

const http = require('http');

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

  if (req.url === '/') {
    res.end('<h1>Welcome to the Home Page</h1>');
  } else if (req.url === '/about') {
    res.end('<h1>About Us</h1>');
  } else {
    res.writeHead(404);
    res.end('<h1>404 - Page Not Found</h1>');
  }
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server running at http://localhost:3000/');
});

4. Serving JSON Data (API Response)

Modify server.js to return JSON responses:

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });

  if (req.url === '/api') {
    const data = { message: 'Hello, API!', status: 200 };
    res.end(JSON.stringify(data));
  } else {
    res.writeHead(404);
    res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Not Found' }));
  }
});

5. Using Environment Variables (Best Practice)

Instead of hardcoding the port, use an environment variable:

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
server.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${PORT}/`);
});

Conclusion

A Node.js HTTP server is fundamental for handling web requests. This guide covered:
✅ Setting up a basic HTTP server
✅ Handling multiple routes
✅ Returning JSON responses
✅ Using best practices like environment variables

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