TypeError: cannot read property of undefined (ExpressJS/POST)

Question

I have looked at all similar questions and none are working for me. I have a node js app in which I cannot print the input text from a form, using body-parser.

My index.ejs:

         <form id="demo-2" method = "POST" action="/search">
<input type="search" name = "searcher" placeholder="Search">
                    </form>

Index.js:

var cool = require('cool-ascii-faces');
var express = require('express');

var app = express();
var pg = require('pg');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var env = require('node-env-file');

app.set('port', (process.env.PORT || 5000));
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/views/'));

// views is directory for all template files
app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

//app.use(express.bodyParser());


//DIFFERENT APPS - tells them what to do

app.post('/search', function(request, response) {
    //var username = req.body;

    console.log("posted something"+ request.body.searcher);
    response.end("something was posted: "+ request.body.searcher);
});

app.get('/search', function(request, response) {
     response.send("skylarr");

});

And despite using the input's name searcher I get error: TypeError: Cannot read property 'searcher' of undefined

What is wrong here?

Funky

you comment out body-parser middle ware. why? un comment that and then try. – Versicolor

That created an error regarding middleware and wouldn't let the app run. – Funky

Answer 1

body-parser is not the part of express. Install it separately using npm install body-parser --save and then use it as middleware. check the code after line where you commented express.bodyParser() middleware

var cool = require('cool-ascii-faces');
var express = require('express');

var app = express();
var pg = require('pg');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var env = require('node-env-file');

app.set('port', (process.env.PORT || 5000));
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/views/'));

// views is directory for all template files
app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');

//app.use(express.bodyParser());

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


//DIFFERENT APPS - tells them what to do

app.post('/search', function(request, response) {
    //var username = req.body;

    console.log("posted something"+ request.body.searcher);
    response.end("something was posted: "+ request.body.searcher);
});

app.get('/search', function(request, response) {
     response.send("skylarr");

});

Versicolor

@skyguy you told in above comment if you un comment bodyParser that create an error regarding middle ware. I want to tell that bodyParser is not the part of express. install and use it separately. – Versicolor

Doesn't work for me, still displaying the exact same error – Sensory

Answer 2

You are missing the body parser. You need to tell express to use the body parser as a middleware.

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

Add these two lines above the app.post().

Neat

Answer 3

There is no body property on a standard Node.JS HTTP request. That key is patched on by the bodyParser middleware.

You can either add the bodyParser middleware, or (if you don't want to parse the body for some reason) use query or URL parameters to pass searcher.

Nutation

Sorry I'm new to this. Can you give an example of those 2 options? – Funky

Answer 4

Instead of bodyparser you could use app.use(express.json()).

Hinkley