require sub modules in express app - node.js

Question

Why doesn't the following work ?
app.js
reports/
├── index.js
└── batch.js
in app.js :
app.use('/reports', require('./reports')
in index.js :
var express = require('express');
var batch = require('./batch');
var app = express.createServer();
...
app.use('/batch', batch);
module.exports = app;
in batch.js :
var express = require('express');
module.exports = function() {
var app = express.createServer();
console.log('I am here');
app.get('/', function(req, res) {
console.log('I am there');
});
return app;
};
calling GET /reports/batch prints I am here but doesn't print I am there
Can anyone pinpoint me to the problem ?
Thanks

Answer 1

try this:
in app.js :
var express = require('express'),
http = require('http'),
path = require('path');
var app = express.createServer();
require('./reports')(app);
in reports/index.js :
module.exports = function(app){
var batch = require('./batch')(app);
app.use('/batch', batch);
}
in batch.js :
module.exports = function(app) {
console.log('I am here');
app.get('/', function(req, res) {
console.log('I am there');
});
};
Note that you may need to modify the app.get routing as needed. but basically the idea here is instead of calling createServer all the time just keep passing it down the chain from one module to the next.
Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Here is my app.js. It passes db and app to the feature.js. Basically they share the same app variable.
in app.js
var express = require('express'),
http = require('http'),
path = require('path'),
mongoose = require('mongoose'),
db = mongoose.connect('mongodb://abc:123#xxxx.mongohq.com:90000/app123423523');
var app = express();
//here you set app properties
require('./routes/feature').with(app, db);
in feature.js
module.exports.with = function(app, db) {
//do work
}

Answer 3

It seems that I have forgotten javascript a little.
I was doing
app.use('/batch', batch);
batch is equal to
function() {
var app = express.createServer();
console.log('I am here');
app.get('/', function(req, res) {
console.log('I am there');
});
return app;
};
Instead I should have done
app.use('/batch', batch());
Which equals to what express.createServer() returns which is what app.use expects to get