Request object properties in Node.js - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Request object properties

Incoming HTTP Request

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Node.js Server Receives Request

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Request Object Created

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Access Properties: method, url, headers, body

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Use Properties to Handle Request

When a client sends a request, Node.js creates a request object. We then read its properties like method, url, headers, and body to decide how to respond.

Execution Sample

Node.js

const http = require('http');
const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  console.log(req.method);
  console.log(req.url);
  res.end('Done');
});
server.listen(3000);

This code logs the HTTP method and URL of each incoming request.

Execution Table

Step	Action	req.method	req.url	Output
1	Request received: GET /home	GET	/home	Logs 'GET' and '/home'
2	Request received: POST /submit	POST	/submit	Logs 'POST' and '/submit'
3	Request received: PUT /api/data	PUT	/api/data	Logs 'PUT' and '/api/data'
4	No more requests	-	-	Server keeps running, waiting for requests

💡 Server runs continuously; stops only if manually closed.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3
req.method	undefined	GET	POST	PUT
req.url	undefined	/home	/submit	/api/data

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does req.method change with each request?

Because each incoming request can use a different HTTP method, as shown in execution_table rows 1-3.

Is req.url always the same?

No, req.url changes depending on the path requested by the client, as seen in execution_table rows 1-3.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is req.method at step 2?

A GET

B POST

C PUT

D DELETE

💡 Hint

Check the 'req.method' column at step 2 in the execution_table.

At which step does req.url equal '/api/data'?

A Step 3

B Step 2

C Step 1

D No step

💡 Hint

Look at the 'req.url' column in the execution_table.

If a new request with method 'DELETE' and url '/remove' arrives, what will req.method be after that request?

A GET

B POST

C DELETE

D PUT

💡 Hint

Refer to variable_tracker showing req.method changes per request.

Concept Snapshot

Request object properties in Node.js:
- req.method: HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.)
- req.url: Requested path
- req.headers: Request headers
- req.body: Data sent by client
Use these to understand and respond to client requests.

Full Transcript

When a client sends an HTTP request to a Node.js server, Node.js creates a request object. This object holds important details about the request. The main properties are req.method, which tells us the HTTP method like GET or POST, and req.url, which shows the path the client wants. By reading these properties, the server can decide how to respond. For example, if req.method is GET and req.url is '/home', the server might send the homepage. These properties change with each new request. The server keeps running, waiting for new requests, updating req.method and req.url each time.