Send Data from Span in EJS to Server Nodejs - node.js

Question

Using Nodejs, Express, EJS
I see a lot of 'Send Data from Server to Client' but not from Client to Server AND sending the data from a tag not from a form input.
I would like to send the content of a tag from my ejs page/client to my nodejs/server.
What I'm trying...
page.ejs
<div>
<form action="/brewery" method="GET">
<div class="form-group">
<input type="text" class="form-control"
placeholder="search brewery name"
name="search">
</div>
<input class="button" type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<% searchBreweryList.forEach(function(searchBrewery){ %>
<div>
<li>
Brewery Name: <span><%= searchBrewery.brewery.brewery_name %></span>
Brewery ID: <span name="brewID" id="shareBreweryID"><%= searchBrewery.brewery.brewery_id %></span>
</li>
</div>
<% }) %>
</ul>
</div>
Then on my server side...
server.js
app.get('/brewery', async (req, res) => {
var searchBreweryFound = req.query.search;
var isIndie = req.params.brewID
//console.log(isIndie)
//console.log(searchBreweryFound)
try {
request("https://api.com/v4/search/brewery?access_token=abc123&limit=1&q=" + searchBreweryFound, function (error, response, body)
{
if (error) throw new Error(error);
const searchBrewery = JSON.parse(body);
const searchBreweryList = searchBrewery.response.brewery.items.map(item => item );
res.render('brewery.ejs', {searchBreweryList});
//console.log(searchBreweryList);
});
} catch(e) {
console.log("Something went wrong", e)
}
});
So the above Get call is just an example where I'm trying to take the result in the client side span that looks like <span name="brewID">. Then I'm trying to give that ID number to the server in the var seen as var isIndie = req.params.brewID.
But this does not seem to be a method that allows me to pass content from a span in client to server.
What approach should I be taking? Thanks!

Answer 1

It's not clear what you mean by "sending data from client to server". Standard method of sending data from client to server is using XMLHttpRequest (XHR) inside *.js file(s), but based on your code you want to redirect browser window to URL with some parameters. When browser hit your endpoint, for example /brewery, server will render *.ejs file and respond to browser with HTML code.
Redirecting browser with EJS
Below code is based on code you posted.
<div>
<ul>
<% searchBreweryList.forEach(function(searchBrewery){ %>
<div>
<li>
Brewery Name: <span>
<%= searchBrewery.brewery.brewery_name %>
</span>
Brewery ID: <span name="brewID" id="shareBreweryID">
<%= searchBrewery.brewery.brewery_id %>
</span>
<!-- Here we create link using parameter of brewery (version with param) -->
Go to brewery
<!-- Version with query param -->
Go to brewery
</li>
</div>
<% }) %>
</ul>
</div>
After clicking Go to brewery browser will hit /brewery endpoint with param brewery_id. I also noticed that in posted example var isIndie = req.params.brewID may not work.
Bonus: req.query vs req.params
Both req.query and req.params are used to get some informations from endpoint URL. However req.query and req.params are not the same.
Using req.query
For endpoint: /brewery?id=5&q=test
const id = req.query.id // 5
const q = req.query.q // 'test'
Using req.params
To use req params you must place param name somewhere in url of express endpoint.
app.get('/brewery/:id', async (req, res) => {
var id = req.params.id
})
So to make your example with req.params working:
app.get('/brewery/:brewID', async (req, res) => {
var searchBreweryFound = req.query.search;
var isIndie = req.params.brewID
// Rest of your code
})