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Node Js Http Server And Http Createserver Whats The Difference

When working with Node.js, understanding the key differences between http.createServer and http.Server can help you effectively manage your server-side operations. Let's delve into these concepts to clarify their roles and functionalities.

**http.createServer:**
The http.createServer method is a fundamental part of Node.js that allows you to create an HTTP server. When you call http.createServer(), you pass in a callback function that gets invoked every time a new request is received by the server. This callback function typically handles the request and sends a response back to the client.

Here's a basic example of using http.createServer() to create a simple HTTP server:

Javascript

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.statusCode = 200;
  res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
  res.end('Hello, World!n');
});

server.listen(3000, 'localhost', () => {
  console.log('Server running at http://localhost:3000/');
});

In this snippet, we create an HTTP server that listens on port 3000 and responds with a simple 'Hello, World!' message to any incoming requests.

**http.Server:**
On the other hand, http.Server is an instance of the HTTP server class in Node.js. When you call http.createServer(), it returns an http.Server object with methods and properties that allow you to control the server's behavior.

You can use http.Server to handle events like 'request' or 'close', enabling you to perform specific actions when these events occur. Additionally, http.Server provides additional features like server.keepAliveTimeout for keeping connections alive and server.setTimeout for setting request timeout values.

Here's an example of creating an http.Server instance using http.createServer():

Javascript

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.statusCode = 200;
  res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
  res.end('Hello, Server!n');
});

server.on('listening', () => {
  console.log('Server is listening on port 3000');
});

server.listen(3000);

In this code snippet, we create an http.Server instance using http.createServer() and handle the 'listening' event to log a message when the server starts listening on port 3000.

**In Summary:**
While both http.createServer and http.Server play crucial roles in creating HTTP servers in Node.js, they serve distinct purposes. http.createServer is used to create a new HTTP server, while http.Server represents an instance of the server class with additional methods and properties to manage server operations effectively.

By understanding the differences between these two concepts, you can enhance your Node.js server-side development skills and build robust applications that handle HTTP requests efficiently.

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