a-server

DEPRECATED

 

Keep calm and move on.

This module is one of my earliest gigs and is mostly unjustified overhead.

 

 

a-server

A dead-simple HTTP server class. A wrapper to Node's native HTTP server, enables you to easly create and control an HTTP server.

Without a-server :-(

const http = require('http');
 
const server = http.createServer(function (req, res) {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
});
 
server.listen(8080, '127.0.0.1', function () {
    console.log('Listening at 127.0.0.1:8080');
});

With a-server :-)

require('a-server')().start((req, res) => {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
});

• A server with a dead simple API (.start(), .stop() etc).
• Zero configuration for basic usage.
• Yet, configurable.

Install

$ npm install a-server --save

Usage

const aServer = require('a-server');
const myServer = aServer(options);
 
myServer.start(function (req, res) {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
});

A Single Server

If all you need is only one server, you can:

const server = require('a-server')(options);
 
server.start((req, res) => {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
});

or even:

require('a-server')(options).start((req, res) => {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
});

Multiple Servers

You can create multiple servers:

const aServer = require('a-server');
 
const myServer1 = aServer({port:8181});
const myServer2 = aServer({port:8282});

---

Options

host <String>

Begin accepting connections on the specified hostname. If the hostname is null, the server will accept connections on any IPv6 address (::)
Default: process.env.IP (if exists) or '127.0.0.1'.

port <Number>

Begin accepting connections on the specified port.
Default: process.env.PORT (if exists) or 8080.

https <Object>

An HTTPS options object. Read more.
Default: false (HTTP server)

timeout <Number>

Sockets idle timeout limit in milliseconds (Node's default is 2 minutes)
Default: 5000

logs <Boolean>

Basic default logs when the server starts, when it stops and when a new app is being mounted.
Default: true

Global options vs. Own options

To setup a new a-server instance with its own individual options:

const aServer = require('a-server')();
const myServer = aServer({
    timeout: 10000
    logs: false,
});
 
myServer.start();

To change a-server's global defaults:

const aServer = require('a-server');
 
/* NOTE: This will be applied for ALL new a-server instances */
aServer.defaults.timeout = 10000;
aServer.defaults.logs    = false;

---

API Methods

• start
• stop
• restart
• remount
• kill

.start(app)

Start listening for client requests.
app is a request-handler, a function for handling the request and the response.
After the server has started the .onStart() hook function gets called (see hooks below).

example:

const server = require('a-server')(options);
 
function app (req, res) {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
}
 
server.start(app);

.stop([callback])

Stops the server from accepting new requests. callback (function) is an optional argument. It will get called after the .onStop() hook (see hooks below).

example:

const server = require('a-server')();
 
function app (req, res) {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
}
 
server.start(app);
 
// ...
 
server.stop(function () {
    console.log('Goodbye!');
});

.restart([newApp])

Stops the server and starts it again with an optional new app function (a new request-handler).
Calls .stop() and .start() methods (meaning: runs the onStop and onStart hooks. Read more about hooks.

example:

const aServer = require('a-server')();
 
function app_1 (req, res) {
    res.end('good morning!');
}
 
function app_2 (req, res) {
    res.end('good evening!');
}
 
aServer.start(app_1);
 
// ...
 
aServer.restart(app_2);

.remount(newApp)

Replaces the server's current request-handler with a new one.
Does NOT call .stop() and.start() methods.

example:

const aServer = require('a-server')();
 
function app_1 (req, res) {
    res.end('good morning!');
}
 
function app_2 (req, res) {
    res.end('good evening!');
}
 
aServer.start(app_1);
 
// ...
 
aServer.remount(app_2);

.kill()

Stops the server from accepting new requests and kill its props and handlers. Calls the native server.unref().
A killed server cannot be started again.

example:

const aServer = require('a-server')();
 
function app (req, res) {
    res.end('Hello beautiful world');
}
 
aServer.start(app);
 
// ...
 
aServer.kill();
 
// ...
 
aServer.start(app_1); // --> error

Hooks

NOTE: a-server is NOT an instance of EventEmitter.

a-server has two event-like hooks:

onStart

type: <Function>
default: None.
A callback function to run after the server starts.
Gets called with the server instance as its only argument.

onStop

type: <Function>
default: None.
A callback function to run after the server stops.
Gets called with the server instance as its only argument.

 

Simply put your callback functions in those placeholders:

const myServer = require('a-server')();
 
myServer.onStart = function (myServer) {
    // e.g. OPEN a databse connection
};
 
myServer.onStop = function (myServer) {
    // e.g. CLOSE a databse connection
};
 
myServer.start((req, res) => {
    res.end('hello');
});

P.S.

You have access to the underlying native HTTP server using the _server property:

    const aServer = require('a-server')();
 
    // the native HTTP server
    console.log(server._server);