Display basic HTML file in NodeJS and ExpressJS - node.js

Question

I am using NodeJS and ExpressJS to implement a RESTful API server for a simple backend. I am also using BackboneJS to render views in the front. Therefore, right now I have a single index.html file that I want to render when the client sends a /GET to the '/' route. This is what I have so far:
var express = require('express');
var app = express();
app.use(express.bodyParser());
var mongo = require('mongodb');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var Server = mongo.Server,
DB = mongo.Db,
BSON = mongo.BSONPure;
var server = new Server('localhost', 27017, {auto_reconnect: true});
db = new DB('mydb', server, {safe: true});
db.open(function(err, db) {
if(!err) {
console.log("Connected to 'mydb' database");
db.collection('items', {safe:true}, function(err, collection) {
if (err) {
console.log("Creating collection 'items'");
}
});
}
});
var port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.engine('.html');
var listItems = function(req, res){
db.collection('items', function(err, collection){
var items = collection.find();
console.log(items);
res.send(items);
});
}
var itemDetails = function(req, res){
}
var deleteItem = function(req, res){
}
var createItem = function(req, res){
}
var updateItem = function(req, res){
}
var routeHome = function(req, res){
// What can I do here to render a plain .html file?
}
app.all('*', function(req, res, next){
res.header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*");
res.header("Access-Control-Allow-Headers", "X-Requested-With");
res.header("Content-Type", "application/json");
next();
});
app.get('/', routeHome);
app.get('/items', listItems);
app.get('/items/:id', itemDetails);
app.del('/users/:id', deleteItem);
app.post('/users', createItem);
app.put('/users/:id', updateItem);
app.listen(port);
console.log("Server started up on port " + port);
As you can see I have everything set up except I cannot figure out how to send a regular .html file to the client. I do not need a rendering engine because Backbone is doing all that for me. I just want to get index.html to go to the client.

Answer 1

How about just using the express.static middleware? Since you're using Backbone, you might have the need for sending static JS files as well:
app.use(express.static(__dirname));
Place that somewhere before your other routes. It will try and find files requested in __dirname (the directory where your app.js file resides, but you can of course change the location where the middleware will try and find files), including index.html.

Answer 2

Step One, Remove app.engine(".html"),
Step Two:
var routeHome = function(req, res){
// Do What Ever
res.sendFile("index.html",function(err){ // Transfer The File With COntent Type Text/HTML
if(err){
res.end("Sorry, Error.");
}else{
res.end(); // Send The Response
}
})
}