Node.js app.js not displaying HTML page but HTML code instead

Question

Im having problem with my app.js in node not displaying my html page but my html code instead. I don't really know what to do so some help would be greatly appreciated. I would like to be able to load html, javascript and css from my public folder. This is my app.js code:

var http = require("http"),
    url = require("url"),
    path = require("path"),
    fs = require("fs")

http.createServer(function(request, response) {

var uri = url.parse(request.url).pathname
    , filename = path.join(process.cwd(), uri);

path.exists(filename, function(exists) {
  if(!exists) {
    response.writeHead(404, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    response.write("404 Not Found\n");
    response.end();
    return;
}

if (fs.statSync(filename).isDirectory()) filename += 'public/index.html';

fs.readFile(filename, "binary", function(err, file) {
  if(err) {        
    response.writeHead(500, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    response.write(err + "\n");
    response.end();
    return;
  }

  response.writeHead(200);
  response.write(file, "binary");
  response.end();
  });
 });
}).listen(process.env.PORT, process.env.IP);

console.log("Static file server running./\CTRL + C to shutdown");

Try response.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/html'}); — spacebean
– spacebean, Commented Jan 16, 2014 at 11:48
Depending on what file it is you're trying to load you need to adjust the content type: text/html or text/css, for example. — Andy
– Andy, Commented Jan 16, 2014 at 11:48
thank you! I think its loading css and javascript too even tho I only added respnse.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/html"}); because I was able to link it to a css file? — user2539369
– user2539369, Commented Jan 16, 2014 at 12:02
oh wait no. How do I display all .css files? I was only able to use css if they were internal in the html page. Do i just add response.writehead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/css"}); in the app.js some random place? also the same for javascript? — user2539369
– user2539369, Commented Jan 16, 2014 at 13:51

spacebean · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-16 11:52:07Z

1

You are not specifying the content type, if you try:

fs.readFile(filename, "binary", function(err, file) {
if(err) {        
    response.writeHead(500, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
    response.write(err + "\n");
    response.end();
    return;
  }

  response.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/html'});
  response.write(file, "binary");
  response.end();
  });
 });
}).listen(process.env.PORT, process.env.IP);

That should work. If you want to display the error page in html, you will want to update that content type as well.

answered Jan 16, 2014 at 11:52

spacebean

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1 Comment

user2539369 Over a year ago

thanks! To display the error page in html would be awesome. I know how to write in html in the response.write(); but how do I direct it to a lets say 500.html error page?

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