node.js app.get not being called - node.js

Question

total node.js noobie, started playing with demo codes from various tutorials and websites and I noticed something that I do not understand...
namely, if I have index.html in my /public folder, then
app.get("/", function (req, res) {
console.log("get /");
res.redirect("/test.html");
});
is simply never called. As soon as I rename index.html to index2.html then the method is called and I am redirected to /public/test.html
this is what I have:
var io = require('socket.io'),
express = require('express'),
MemoryStore = express.session.MemoryStore,
app = express.createServer(),
sessionStore = new MemoryStore();
app.configure(function () {
app.use(express.bodyParser());
app.use(express.cookieParser());
app.use(express.session({
store: sessionStore,
secret: 'secret',
key: 'express.sid'
}));
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public'));
});
and the rest is pretty much taken from this tutorial: http://www.danielbaulig.de/socket-ioexpress/
The same issue appears with any other file. If i have /public/test.html, then when I call
http://localhost:8201/test.html
this app.get is not called:
app.get("/test.html", app.authenticateUser, function (req, res) {
console.log("get /test.html");
res.redirect("/test2.html");
});
When I remove the test.html then I get forwarded to test2.html...
The reason I am trying to redirect is if the user is not logged in I do not want him to open index.html but rather want to forward him to login.html, which is not possible if index.html exists. The only "solution" is to do it client side which sucks, I don't want index.html to load in the clients browser just to forward him to login.html, the server should, in my oppinion, handle that.

Answer 1

Problem is your static file middleware app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public')) is "in front" of your router. When you write
app.configure(function () {
app.use(express.bodyParser());
app.use(express.cookieParser());
app.use(express.session({
store: sessionStore,
secret: 'secret',
key: 'express.sid'
}));
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public'));
});
this is equivalent to
app.configure(function () {
app.use(express.bodyParser());
app.use(express.cookieParser());
app.use(express.session({
store: sessionStore,
secret: 'secret',
key: 'express.sid'
}));
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public'));
app.use(app.router); //Express implicitly appends router middleware!
});
because Express implicitly appends router middleware at the end of stack if you don't add it somewhere explicitly. Now you clearly see that static file middleware is in front of router. If static file is found it is served by app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public')) and router app.use(app.router) is never called. If you want your request to always pass through router you should put it in front, for example
app.configure(function () {
app.use(express.bodyParser());
app.use(express.cookieParser());
app.use(express.session({
store: sessionStore,
secret: 'secret',
key: 'express.sid'
}));
app.use(app.router); //Now router comes first and will be executed before static middleware
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public'));
});

Answer 2

It's because express filters the request before it gets to your code. It finds the file and returns it to the browser.
Solution is either to send an event via socket.io telling the code in user's browser to redirect or move file into private space (outside public directory) and serve it via "fs" as CydGy suggested.

Answer 3

this very good tutorial (http://www.danielbaulig.de/socket-ioexpress/) deals on sockets.
And i thinks isn't useful for this case.
So, look this:
app.get("/test.html", app.authenticateUser, function (req, res) {
but where is the app.authenticateUser ?
it is surely he who blocks
So, replaces it by:
app.get("/test.html", function (req, res) {
or modify your app.authenticateUser.
(And use the module fs to read your file, and then, you can res.send(file);)
Don't forget to write .html in your url, else, you have to replace "/test.html" by "/test")
I hope it will help you.

Answer 4

It is because the below code is never called!
app.get("/", function (req, res) {
console.log("get /");
res.redirect("/test.html");
});
As app.use(app.router); is depreciated.All you got to do is write your code above this line
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public'));
Should be something like this
app.get("/", function (req, res) {
console.log("get /");
res.redirect("/test.html");
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public'));

Answer 5

app.get("/", function (req, res)...
Try this
app.get('/', function (req, res)...
Uri path must be ' single quoted.