Zapp - A Minimalist Node.js Web Framework

Zapp is a lightweight web framework designed to simplify handling HTTP requests and responses. It provides a minimalistic API for defining routes, handling middleware, and managing request and response objects efficiently.

Features

• Lightweight and minimalistic
• Middleware support
• Simple request and response handling
• JSON and text responses
• Static file serving

Caution

• Middleware should only be used to modify the req or res object. Sending the response of the request back from middleware will cause the app to crash.
• The route handler should always return a response. Otherwise, the request will hang up and cause unintended consequences.
• Middleware are executed in order in which they are defined in code or usage.
• The library auto parses request body if it's content-type is application/json or application/x-www-form-urlencoded. For other's use middleware.

Installation

Since this is a custom-built framework, simply include the Zapp class in your project and use it in your server.js file.

import { Zapp } from "./modules/lib.js";
const app = new Zapp();

app.listen(3000, () => console.log("Server running on port 3000"));

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Usage

Defining Routes

Zapp supports GET and POST methods for handling HTTP requests.

Handling GET Requests

app.get("/hello", (req, res) => {
  res.text("Hello, World!");
});

Handling POST Requests

app.post("/data", (req, res) => {
  res.json({ received: req.body });
});

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Middleware

Middleware functions allow modifying the Request and Response objects before the request reaches the route handler.

app.use(async (req, res) => {
  console.log("Incoming request: ", req.method, req.url);
  req.user = { name: "John Doe" }; // Attach data to the request
});

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Request Object (req)

The Request object contains the following properties:

Property	Description
method	The HTTP method (e.g., get, post)
url	The requested URL pathname
headers	Request headers as an object
params	URL parameters (if any)
query	Parsed query parameters as an object
body	Parsed request body (JSON, form-data, or plain text)

Example:

app.use(async (req, res) => {
  console.log("Headers:", req.headers);
  console.log("Query Params:", req.query);
});

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Response Object (res)

The Response object provides methods to send responses back to the client:

Method	Description
res.json(data, statusCode=200)	Sends a JSON response
res.text(data, statusCode=200)	Sends a plain text response
res.serve(filePath)	Serves a static file

Example:

app.get("/info", (req, res) => {
  res.json({ message: "Zapp Framework", version: "1.0" });
});

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Serving Static Files

Zapp allows serving static files such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

app.get("/index.html", (req, res) => {
  res.serve("./html/index.html");
});

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Error Handling

If a requested route is not found, Zapp automatically returns a 404 Not Found response.

Handler not found

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Conclusion

Zapp is a minimalist framework that simplifies handling HTTP requests with a straightforward API. It allows efficient middleware processing and response handling, making it a great alternative for lightweight applications.

Start building with Zapp today and enjoy its simplicity! 🚀