proper way to return json format using node or express

Question

My question is actually copied from Proper way to return JSON using node or Express. I need the response in this format.

Sample format for response API

{
"success":true,
"code":200,
"message":"Ok",
"data": []
}

I followed all the methods provided in the above question, but still i couldn't crack the right answer. since i have many apis, i need this response format for every api.

app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

app.use((req, res, next) => {
    res.header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*");
    res.header(
        "Access-Control-Allow-Headers",
        "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization"
    );
    if (req.method === "OPTIONS") {
        res.header("Access-Control-Allow-Methods", "POST,  DELETE, GET");
        return res.status(200).json({});
    }
    next();
});
app.use("/api", employeeRoutes);
app.use("/api", groupRoutes);

app.use((req, res, next) => {
    const error = new Error("Not found");
    error.status = 404;
    next(error);
});

the above snippet is of my app.js file. And my route code looks somethig like this.

exports.groups_Get_All = (req, res, next) => {
    Group.find()
        .exec()
        .then(docs => {
            const response =
                docs.map(doc => {
                    return {
                        gname: doc.gname,
                        employee: doc.employeeId,
                        _id: doc._id,
                        createdAt: doc.createdAt
                    };
                })
            res.send((response));
        })
        .catch(err => {
            console.log(err);
            res.status(500).json({
                error: err
            });
        });
};

Right now im getting response of just plain data in json format.

[
    {
        "gname": "wordpres",
        "employee": [
            "5c6568102773231f0ac75303"
        ],
        "_id": "5c66b6453f04442603151887",
        "createdAt": "2019-02-15T12:53:25.699Z"
    },
    {
        "gname": "wordpress",
        "employee": [
            "5c6568102773231f0ac75303"
        ],
        "_id": "5c66cbcf1850402958e1793f",
        "createdAt": "2019-02-15T14:25:19.488Z"
    }
]

Now my question is how to implement this sample format response to every api(global scope)?

it only stringify the data. it doesnt give in proper format. — darshan a n, Feb 18 '19 at 09:47

Supermacy · Accepted Answer · 2019-02-18T11:11:30.353

1

If you are using express, don't send the message from the controller. Make a middleware that's main purpose is to send the response to the client. This will give you a power of setting the format of consist response to the client.

For Example I have made the response middleware like this :-

module.exports = function(req, res, next) {
  const message = {};
  message.body = req.responseObject;
  message.success = true;
  message.status = req.responseStatus || 200;
  res.status(message.status).send(message);
  return next();
};

Above code will generate the format like this.

{
  "success": true,
  "status": 200,
  "body": {
    "name": "rahul"
  }
}

You can use request uplifter property of express. You can add responseObject and responseStatus from previous middleware.

Errors can be made in separate middleware likewise.

You can call by this in your routes:-

const responseSender = require('./../middleware/responseSender');
 /* your rest middleware. and put responseSender middleware to the last.*/
router.get('/',/* Your middlewares */, responseSender);

You can call it by:-

exports.groups_Get_All = (req, res, next) => {
    Group.find()
        .exec()
        .then(docs => {
            const response =
                docs.map(doc => {
                    return {
                        gname: doc.gname,
                        employee: doc.employeeId,
                        _id: doc._id,
                        createdAt: doc.createdAt
                    };
                })

            req.responseObject = response; // This will suffice
            return next()
        })
        .catch(next);
}

edited Feb 18 '19 at 11:11

answered Feb 18 '19 at 10:01

Supermacy

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how to call this middleware from every api? – darshan a n Feb 18 '19 at 10:09
1

please check the answer again. I have edited the answer. – Supermacy Feb 18 '19 at 10:15
after implementing your code snippet, i m getting { "success": true, "status": 200 } but not the data. I need to data to be displayed with this response. – darshan a n Feb 18 '19 at 10:32
1

You are sending the response two times. Send the response only once. **res.send()** should be called exactly once in your routes lifetime. – Supermacy Feb 18 '19 at 10:33
req.responseStatus = response; you mean req.responseObject ? Am i right? – darshan a n Feb 18 '19 at 10:47
message.status = req.responseStatus || 200; res.status(message.status).send(message); ---- if i give this , node ll take only 200 status code. – darshan a n Feb 18 '19 at 10:49
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](https://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/188589/discussion-between-supermacy-and-darshan-a-n). – Supermacy Feb 18 '19 at 10:50

proper way to return json format using node or express

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