Develop Reference

Node JS async/await controller issue

I am trying to use an asynchronous function in my Node API controller, but am receiving an error from my 'error-handler' middleware.
TypeError: fn is not a function
at eval (webpack:///./app/middleware/errorHandler.js?:16:21)
It does not like my 'findAll' function exported from my controller, why is this not a function? Am I exporting the function correctly? Am I using async/await correctly? Do I need a polyfill for this? I understood that async/await was supported from Node v8. I am currently running Node v11.10 and Express v4.16.4.
Here is my routes file:
// routes.js
const verifyToken = require('../../middleware/verifyToken.js');
const errorHandler = require('../../middleware/errorHandler.js');
module.exports = app => {
const controller = require('../../controllers/controller.js');
app.get(`/collection`, verifyToken, errorHandler(controller.findAll));
}
Here is my controller:
// controller.js
exports.findAll = async (req, res) => {
const collections = await collection.find().populate('other');
res.send(collections);
};
Here is my middleware:
// errorHandler.js
module.exports = fn => {
return (req, res, next) => {
Promise.resolve(fn(req, res, next)).catch(next);
};
};
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Im not sure but is errorHandler expecting fn to be the error? If so, why is it called passing (req, res next)?
I use following structure:
Router
// routes.js
const verifyToken = require('../../middleware/verifyToken.js');
const controller = require('../../controllers/controller.js');
var router = express.Router()
router.route('/collection').get(
verifyToken,
controller.findAll
)
module.exports = router
Controller
// controller.js
const asyncUtil = fn =>
function asyncUtilWrap(req, res, next, ...args) {
const fnReturn = fn(req, res, next, ...args)
return Promise.resolve(fnReturn).catch(next)
}
module.exports = {
findAll: asyncUtil(async (req, res, next) => {
const collections = await collection.find().populate('other'); // you can do try/catch here if you want to handle the error here
res.send(collections);
};
Then Error Handler usually goes at bottom of app.js (but you can place it at bottom of your router):
// app.js
app.use(function(err, req, res, next) {
res.status(err.status || 500)
res.send(err.message)
})

I believe this is how I would do it if I understand you correctly:
// routes.js
const verifyToken = require('../../middleware/verifyToken.js');
const controller = require('../../controllers/controller.js');
module.exports = app => {
app.get(`/collection`, verifyToken, controller.findAll);
}
// controller.js
exports.findAll = async (req, res, next) => {
try {
const collections = await collection.find().populate('other');
res.send(collections);
} catch(err) {
console.log(err); // up to you what to do with the error
next();
}
};

Express.js - wrap every middleware/route in "decorator"

I have Express.js instance and couple of routes which I want to wrap in some function. Example:
const wrapper = (route) => {
return (req, res, next) => {
let result = route(req, res, next);
// do some independent processing
}
};
app.get('/', wrapper((req, res, next) => {
// respond to request somehow
}));
While this works fine, I don't like the idea to explicitly call wrapper on every route or middleware which requires such processing.
Is there any way to be able to wrap every required route/middleware in certain wrapper (given that wrapper function can check that this route/middleware needs to be wrapped) implicitly (via Express.js extension, monkey-patching or some special middleware)?
UPDATE:
More solid example. Let's assume I want to make an async router functions. But I don't want to catch errors in each and every route function. So I wrap them up:
const wrapper = func => (req, res, next) => {
const promise = func(req, res, next);
if (promise.catch) {
promise.catch(err => next(err));
}
next();
};
app.get('/one', wrapper(async (req, res, next) => {
// respond to request somehow
}));
app.get('/two', wrapper(async (req, res, next) => {
// respond to request somehow
}));
app.get('/three', wrapper(async (req, res, next) => {
// respond to request somehow
}));
// and so on...
app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
// do something with intercepted error
});
This explicit wrapper around all routes is actually the thing I want to get rid of.

It turned out to be a bit of a PITA because, ultimately, Express doesn't propagate the return value of a route handler function.
This is what I came up with (a monkey-patch):
const Layer = require('express/lib/router/layer');
const handle_request = Layer.prototype.handle_request;
Layer.prototype.handle_request = function(req, res, next) {
if (! this.isWrapped && this.method) {
let handle = this.handle;
this.handle = function(req, res, next) { // this is basically your wrapper
let result = handle.apply(this, arguments);
// do some independent processing
return result;
};
this.isWrapped = true;
}
return handle_request.apply(this, arguments);
};
I would probably suggest using a similar approach as express-promise-router though, which implements a drop-in replacement for Express' Router. However, it's not implicit.

Why not just use next()?
You can add stuff on req like
app.get('/', (req, res, next) => {
req.somestupidfieldthatidontevenknowwhyinamedthisway = 42;
next();
});
app.get('/', (req, res, next) => {
//req.somestupidfieldthatidontevenknowwhyinamedthisway is now accessible as 42
var valueFromPreviousMiddleware = req.somestupidfieldthatidontevenknowwhyinamedthisway;
.....
});

You could wrap middleware and router as below
function wrapper(func) {
return function inner(req, res, next) {
const start = Date.now();
func(req, res, function () {
let elapsedMS = Date.now() - start
console.log('time elapsed for function ' + func.prototype.constructor.name + ' is ' + elapsedMS)
next.apply(this, arguments);
});
};
}
var originalAppUse = app.use;
app.use = function () {
lastArg = arguments.length - 1;
if (typeof arguments[lastArg] === 'function') {
arguments[lastArg] = wrapper(arguments[lastArg])
}
originalAppUse.apply(this, arguments)
}

how get the req, res objects in the callbacks

I like to get the req, res, next objects outside the middleware function.
sample middleware - sample.js:
var app = express();
....
.....
....
var updateUserInput = {
init:function(){
get_data_from_db(params, function(){
// want req, res here.
})
}
}
const processUserInput = function(req, res, next){
updateUserInput.init();
}
module.exports = processUserInput;

You should be able to pass those into the init function right away:
var updateUserInput = {
init:function(req,res,next){
get_data_from_db(params, function(){
// You will have req and res available here
// finish processing and call next()
})
}
}
const processUserInput = function(req, res, next){
updateUserInput.init(req,res,next);
}

Providing Custom Params In Express Middleware

I am having a problem with my Node.js app. In short I want to pass custom parameters into my middleware function other than just req, res, and next.
Middleware file:
var DB = require('./DB.js');
function requirePermissions(e) {
console.log('nope')
}
module.exports = requirePermissions;
Route:
router.post('/posts', requirePermissions('post_creation'), function(req, res) {
var o = req.body,
title = o.post.title,
content = o.post.content;
res.send('made it');
});
I have confirmed that using function requirePermissions(req, res, next) {} will work, but I do not understand how to include my own parameters.

Your function requirePermissions should return another function which will be the actual middleware:
function requirePermissions(e) {
if (e === 'post_creation') {
return function(req, res, next) {
// the actual middleware
}
} else if (e === 'something_else') {
return function(req, res, next) {
// do something else
}
}
}
You can also do it like that:
function requirePermissions(e) {
return function(req, res, next) {
if ('session' in req) {
if (e === 'post_creation') {
// do something
} else if (e === 'something_else') {
// do something else
}
}
}
}

You can just create an anonymous function for your middleware that lets you call your actual function with some additional arguments:
router.post('/posts', function(req, res, next) {
requirePermissions('post_creation', req, res, next);
}, function(req, res) {
var o = req.body,
title = o.post.title,
content = o.post.content;
res.send('made it');
});
Or, you can use .bind() to preprend arguments:
router.post('/posts', requirePermissions.bind('post_creation'), function(req, res) {
var o = req.body,
title = o.post.title,
content = o.post.content;
res.send('made it');
});
This will call your requirePermissions() functions with four arguments like this:
requirePermissions('post_creation', req, res, next)

Expressjs: How to share route middleware accross routes

I have defined multiple route middleware and want to share them across multiple routes/controllers.
Here is my setup:
app.js requires ./routes/index.js:
// load fs module
var fs = require('fs');
// import routing files
module.exports = function(app){
fs.readdirSync(__dirname).forEach(function(file) {
if (file == "index.js") return;
var name = file.substr(0, file.indexOf('.'));
require('./' + name)(app);
});
};
index.js loads all routes automaticly in the dir. A possible routes file can look like:
module.exports = function(app) {
app.get('/contacts', function(req, res, next) {
// routing stuff
});
};
Now I got route middleware:
function isAuthenticated(req, res, next) {
if (!req.session.authenticated) return next(new Error('user not authenticated'));
};
function loadUser(req, res, next) {
var query = User.findById(req.session.user_id);
query.populate('contacts');
query.exec(function(err, user) {
if (err) return next(err);
req.user = user;
next();
});
}
which I want to use like:
var User = require('../models/user');
module.exports = function(app) {
app.get('/contacts', isAuthenticated, loadUser, function(req, res, next) {
res.json(req.user.contacts);
});
};
I also would like to avoid requiring them accross all routing files.
A possible solution would also be:
// load fs module
var fs = require('fs');
var routeMiddleware = {
loadUser: function(req, res, next) { // logic },
isAuthenticated: function(req, res, next) { // logic },
};
// import routing files
module.exports = function(app){
fs.readdirSync(__dirname).forEach(function(file) {
if (file == "index.js") return;
var name = file.substr(0, file.indexOf('.'));
require('./' + name)(app, routeMiddleware);
});
};
but I think not the best...

Personally I would declare shared middleware in the app, not in the controllers, i.e.:
routes/home.js:
module.exports = function(req, res, next) { \\ Code }
app.js:
app.get('/', thisMiddleware, thatMiddleware, require('./routes/home'))
You can also make a stack (array, not an object):
theseMiddlewares = [thisMiddleware, thatMiddleware]
app.get('/', theseMiddlewares, require('./routes/home'))
And if these middlewares are used on all routes except a few, you can do the following:
theseMiddlewares = function(req, res, next) {
if (req.url.match(some_regex_for_urls_to_skip)) next()
else {
\\ do stuff...
next()
}
}
Now you can app.use(theseMiddlewares) that middleware, or if it needs to happen in a certain order relative to other middleware, you can use app.all('*', theseMiddlewares)