How do I access a node.js script through a web browser? - node.js

I'm trying to use lesscss server side. It requires node.js for that, I've installed it and looked at some tutorials but now I have no idea how to use it. After you create a server/tcp or whatever how to you get to it from your website?
I wanna be able to do like mywebsite.com/css and when I go there it'll output the css that node.js tells it to.

What about this solution:
http://arguments.callee.info/2010/04/20/running-apache-and-node-js-together/

Related

Electron like node integration in nodejs web server

I'm new to web servers in nodejs and i'd like to know if there is possible to have an electron like node integration in a web server (to be able to use nodejs in index.js script file linked to index.html)
Thx for all :)
It's not possible. Browsers control the way that client side JavaScript is executed, so it's just technically impossible to connect both runtimes in any way that works on client machine, you'd need a customized browser, which is what Electron basically is. And neither should you want to - if the runtimes were connected in that way, any user could execute arbitrary commands on your server.

Single executable for React App and Express API

I have a React App and a Express API. I want to package those two components into one single executable. Is there a way to do this? I don’t want a solution to my problem I want a hint into the right direction if this is possible.
I believe what you mean is not to keep the bundler running as well as the express server, unfortunately that's not possible if you're in developer mode (and) you're expecting realtime updates in your browser, but if you were in production, then it's not even the case that you need to run your bundler, cause your main.bundle.js is already built and ready.
I think this is what you are looking for. https://electronjs.org/
Electron or similar libraries help you to create an executable application which can be installed an run like a desktop application.
The only point you have to keep in mind is for accessing the database you will have to create a REST API and communicate via that.
Link for a simple tutorial.

Using nodejs in the browser?

Following my first question, I realized that the reason I couldn't get anything to work was that I was trying to use the require() method in the browser. In learning that this is not how Node works, I was confused. I understand now that Node is only a run-time environment that allows the use of JavaScript within the console. However, I'm still left with the question of how to achieve the functions of Node within the browser. (i.e. creating a button in the browser that creates a file using Node.) I've installed Browserify but I cannot find a good tutorial on how to use it. I'm very new to Computer Science so please forgive me for the redundant questions. Thanks a lot.
Things do change. Apparently it will be possible to use node.js in the browser soon. You might be interested in this: Run Node.js in the browser
Node as you made the point is server-side runtime environment for js and the browser is client-side. Node.js has many useful built-in functionalities and they are not accessible in browser.
I recommend you to take a look how backend and frontend differs and how do they communicate with themselves. Then I think you will understand how to achieve creating a file by clicking a button in the browser.
Sorry I don't know anything about browserify but it would be better to learn node in cli.

Basic use of server side API and passing server side variable to client side

I've just started my IT degree and I'm a beginner to the use of APIs (and forums like this) so I am truly sorry if my question is to vaguely explained or if it is just plain stupid :), on top of that I'm not a native English speaker :P. Okay, so I'm trying to use Google trends' api which I installed in my server with putty by using sudo npm install google-trends-api. (it can be found here https://www.npmjs.com/package/google-trends-api#installation) As I undestand it, this is a server side api so the scripts that I write with the methods provided for this api will not run on an explorer as normal js files do. There is an example that makes use of the API that I found on the page which is as follows
var googleTrends = requite('google-trends-api');
googleTrends.hotTrends('US')
.then(function(results){
console.log(results);
})
.catch(function(err){
console.log(err);
});
this outputs a list of 20 items on the console when I use it on node.
I would like to know if there is a way to assign those results to a variable and then use that variable in a normal javascript script inside a html file. I do not know anything about node.js and the like, and I would like to actually do some research instead of asking here but I was going to use a different approach to acquire such information but now I've had to change my plans and do not have enough time and given I consider this is a fairly easy problem to resolve (maybe?) I would really appreciate it if someone could walk me through the basics of each step. THanks :) and have a nice day.
Your question is quite broad. Node.js is Chrome's V8 engine bundled with some libraries to do I/O and networking. This enables us to JavaScript outside of the browser and to create backend services or servers in general (in your case). I hope that you are aware of this difference :)
The first thing that you have to do, is to have a look at express.js and to create a simple server. It will not be more than 20 lines of code. Then you have to enrich this with more stuff like a template engine (handlebars.js, jade etc). You have to enable the server to serve static files that will be finally your js, css and image files. Creating this simple server you will be able to serve simple html page in the first place. On top of that you should have the client side javascript that you have to write and now you can use the module above. Unfortunately, you are not able to use this module directly on a javascript file that you will write. To be able to use this module you have to transcompile this thing into javascript that browser understand*. Remember that browser does not understand the require statement and some old browsers possibly will have issues with the promises that this module is using. These are the things that should be compiled. You have to use a tool like browserify for this and the compiled file that this will extract it must be included in the scripts of your html page.
Maybe there are quite a lot of concepts that you are not aware of or you don't understand them but spend a bit of time to understand them.
P.S.: I' ve replied under the assumption that google-trends-api module does not use things that are specific to node.js like the file-system for example.

linux or windows terminal over the web

I'm planing to make a web app which will allow you to have a Linux Terminal on a web page so that you can execute any command an get the response as if you were in front of your linux terminal.
I planed to use NodeJS as it is server side JavaScript, asynchronous and fast.
Also I saw this wich does exactly what i'm trying to do, I peeked in the source code, but didn't found something useful, I also analysed it with google chrome developer tools on the network tab, but there is absolutely nothing even while executing some commands and getting responses. How is this possible ? what technology do you think they used ?
So I wanted to get your advice, your experience in order to start it the right way.
I firstly decided to use NodeJS, but if there is another programming language or Framework more appropriate for this kind of application please let me know.
If you want a real terminal in the browser using node.js on the backend, you might give tty.js a try.
Alternatively you can use the pty.js module manually which is used by tty.js. Along with that, you could also use xterm for doing the browser-side terminal emulation.

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