Understanding HTTP Methods in Node.js

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) defines a set of request methods that indicate the desired action to be performed for a given resource. These methods are often referred to as "verbs" and form a major part of the architecture of the Web.

In Node.js, the HTTP module supports several HTTP request methods, two of which were mentioned in the quiz: GET and POST.

The GET Method

The GET method retrieves data from a particular resource. In terms of a web application, when a user opens a page, the client (typically a web browser) sends a GET request to the server to fetch the requested page. Here's a sample GET request snippet in Node.js:

var http = require("http");

http.createServer(function (req, res) {
    res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/html'});
    res.end('GET request');
}).listen(8080);

The POST Method

The POST method submits data to be processed to a particular resource. This could, for example, take the form of updating a database with information from a form on a web page. Here's a sample POST request snippet in Node.js:

var http = require("http");
var querystring = require('querystring');

http.createServer(function (req, res) {
    var postData = '';
    req.on('data', function(chunk) {
        postData += chunk;
    }).on('end', function() {
        var postDataObject = querystring.parse(postData);
        // Process POST data
    });
    res.end('POST request received.');
}).listen(8080);

Other HTTP Methods

Aside from GET and POST, there are several other HTTP methods supported by the HTTP module in Node.js. These include:

• PUT: Update a current resource with new data.
• DELETE: Remove a specified resource.
• HEAD: Identical to GET but serves only the header of the response.
• OPTIONS: Describes the communication options for the target resource.

By understanding the different HTTP methods supported by Node.js, developers can build robust and efficient applications that adhere to the HTTP protocol's conventions. Unmapped methods mentioned in the quiz, such as SEND and REMOVE, are not part of the HTTP protocol, hence they are not supported in Node.js HTTP module.