node.js, socket.io, __dirname routing issue

Question

I am a complete noob to node, so the solution to this might be obvious, and perhaps I am just not grasping some main concepts here. Trying to create a simple route to read a file with node.js and socket.io.

    var http = require("http");
var url = require('url'); // is used to to parse interpret and manipulate urls
var fs = require('fs'); // is used to handle files, you can read about it here.

var server = http.createServer(function(request, response){
    console.log('Connection');
    var path = url.parse(request.url).pathname; //.replace(/^\//,""); // socket.html
    console.log("path: " + path);
    switch(path){
        case '/':
            response.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/html'});
            response.write('hello world');
            break;
        case '/socket.html':
            console.log("case: " + path);
            console.log("__dirname: " + __dirname);
            console.log("full path: " + __dirname + path);

            fs.readFile(__dirname + path, function(error, data){
                if (error){
                    response.writeHead(404);
                    response.write("socket: opps this doesn't exist - 404");
                }
                else{
                    response.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/html"});
                    response.write(data, "utf8");
                }
            });
            break;
        default:
            response.writeHead(404);
            response.write("Default: opps this doesn't exist - 404");
            break;
    }
    response.end();
});

server.listen(8002);

When I console.log(__dirname and path) I am getting "C:\wamp\www\panel\test\try2/socket.html"

I am aware that I have a \ or a / problem, I guess my question here is, Since this is running on a node server should'nt __dirname be all "/" instead? the expected result I thought it would print would be "http://localhost:8002/socket.html"

Any help in guidance of explanation of what is going on here would help.

Derek · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-14 15:09:20Z

2

__dirname refers to the physical path of the directory containing the script you're executing on the machine. In your case you're running your server script from C:\wamp\www\panel\test

To get the HTTP path, you'll need to use request.url

answered Sep 14, 2015 at 15:09

Derek

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Drown · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-14 15:16:05Z

0

Since this is running on a node server should'nt __dirname be all "/" instead?

It's running on your local machine running Windows, so it uses Windows' \. The __dirname on a Unix based OS will return the path with forward slashes instead.

As @Derek pointed out, it returns the path to the current directory, not to the current URL.

answered Sep 14, 2015 at 15:16

Drown

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