The express module exposes a handful of built-in middleware functions that cover the most
common request-parsing and file-serving needs. Here's a quick reference.
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
express.json() | Parses incoming requests with a JSON body into req.body. |
express.raw() | Parses incoming request bodies into a Buffer. |
express.Router() | Creates a new, mountable router instance for modular routes. |
express.static() | Serves static files such as images, CSS, and JS from a folder. |
express.text() | Parses incoming request bodies into a plain string. |
express.urlencoded() | Parses incoming requests with URL-encoded form data. |
Quick usage recap
const express = require("express");
const app = express();
app.use(express.json()); // JSON bodies
app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: true })); // form bodies
app.use(express.static("public")); // static assets
const catalogRouter = express.Router(); // modular routes
app.use("/catalog", catalogRouter);
Reach for express.json() and express.urlencoded() for typical APIs, express.static()
for assets, express.Router() for organizing routes, and express.raw() / express.text()
for less common raw or plain-text payloads.