Ajax - POST request content doesn't get to the server - node.js

Question

The problem I'm having is, the content that I try to send in my post request to the server doesn't get sent, but the request works.
Here's the code for the client:
$("#searchBtn").click(function(e){
try{
var xhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhttp.open("POST", "/search/searchRequest", true);
console.log(($("#searchedSymptoms").val())) // gets posted in the console correctly
xhttp.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "text/plain"); // doesn't work without it either
xhttp.send($("#searchedSymptoms").val());
//xhttp.send(JSON.stringify($("#searchedSymptoms").val())); // doesn't work either
xhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {
if (this.readyState === 4 && this.status === 200) {
console.log(xhttp.responseText); // gets the correct response from server
}
else{
console.log(xhttp.responseText);
}
};
}
catch(err){
console.log(err);
}
});
And here's the server-side code:
var express = require("express");
var router = express.Router();
router.post("/searchRequest", function(req, res, next){
console.log("must get the client request:");
console.log(req.body);
//console.log(JSON.stringify(req.body)); // doesn't work either
});
In the server, what get's outputed to the console is this:
{}
Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong ?

Answer 1

You need to use a text body-parser, Express won't do it by default, here's an example, using pretty much the same server side code you are:
"use strict";
var express = require("express");
var router = express.Router();
var bodyParser = require("body-parser");
router.post("/searchRequest", function(req, res, next){
console.log("must get the client request:");
console.log("SearchRequest: " + req.body);
res.end('ok', 200);
});
var port = 8081;
var app = express();
app.use(bodyParser.text());
app.use(router);
app.listen(port);
console.log("Express listening on port " + port);
You can configure the way the text body parser operates exactly by using the guide here:
https://www.npmjs.com/package/body-parser#bodyparsertextoptions