exporting/using express-session in another file - node.js

Question

What's the best/common way to use an express-session in other files? I have trouble integrating the session into my code. I was using auth tokens, but I would like to use sessions instead.
I defined session in my server.js:
const express = require('express');
var session = require('express-session');
var cookieParser = require('cookie-parser');
var app = express();
app.use(cookieParser('secret'));
app.use(session({
key: 'user_sid',
secret: 'secret',
resave: false,
saveUninitialized: false,
cookie: {
expires: 600000
}
}));
// stuff
module.exports = {app, session};
And it works fine! But When I try to use it in my userController.js:
var express = require('express');
var {session} = require('./../server');
module.exports.login = (req, res) => {
var body = _.pick(req.body, ['email', 'password']);
User.findByEmailAndPassword(body.email, body.password).then((user) => {
// console.log(req.session); // is undefined
res.render('dashboard.hbs');
}).catch((e) => {
res.status(400).send();
});
}
then req.session is undefined.
I know what I'm doing isn't right, obviously, but what's the right way to do it?
Thanks!

Answer 1

I think you don't have to export session at all, as you are telling your app to use it in server.js.
So the working fiddle should be looking like the following:
const express = require('express');
var session = require('express-session');
var cookieParser = require('cookie-parser');
var app = express();
app.use(cookieParser('secret'));
app.use(session({
key: 'user_sid',
secret: 'secret',
resave: false,
saveUninitialized: false,
cookie: {
expires: 600000
}
}));
// stuff
module.exports = app;
and your controller:
module.exports.login = (req, res) => {
var body = _.pick(req.body, ['email', 'password']);
User.findByEmailAndPassword(body.email, body.password).then((user) => {
// console.log(req.session); // is undefined
res.render('dashboard.hbs');
}).catch((e) => {
res.status(400).send();
});
}
I am considering that you are going to use this exported login function for a route, like
app.use('/login', require('yourCtrl.js').login);