node.js TypeError: path must be absolute or specify root to res.sendFile [failed to parse JSON]

JavascriptJsonnode.jssocket.ioDependencies

Javascript Problem Overview

[add] So my next problem is that when i try adding a new dependence (npm install --save socket.io). The JSON file is also valid. I get this error: Failed to parse json

npm ERR! Unexpected string
npm ERR! File: /Users/John/package.json
npm ERR! Failed to parse package.json data.
npm ERR! package.json must be actual JSON, not just JavaScript.
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! This is not a bug in npm.
npm ERR! Tell the package author to fix their package.json file. JSON.parse

So I've been trying to figure out why this error has been returning. All of the files (HTML,JSON,JS) are inside the same folder on my desktop. I'm using node.js and socket.io

This is my JS file:

var app = require('express')();
var http = require('http').Server(app);

app.get('/', function(req, res){
  res.sendFile('index.html');
});

http.listen(3000,function(){
	console.log('listening on : 3000');
});

This is what is getting returned:

MacBook-Pro:~ John$ node /Users/John/Desktop/Chatapp/index.js 
listening on : 3000
TypeError: path must be absolute or specify root to res.sendFile
    at ServerResponse.sendFile (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/response.js:389:11)
    at /Users/John/Desktop/Chatapp/index.js:5:7
    at Layer.handle [as handle_request] (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/layer.js:76:5)
    at next (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/route.js:100:13)
    at Route.dispatch (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/route.js:81:3)
    at Layer.handle [as handle_request] (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/layer.js:76:5)
    at /Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:234:24
    at Function.proto.process_params (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:312:12)
    at /Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:228:12
    at Function.match_layer (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:295:3)
TypeError: path must be absolute or specify root to res.sendFile
    at ServerResponse.sendFile (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/response.js:389:11)
    at /Users/John/Desktop/Chatapp/index.js:5:7
    at Layer.handle [as handle_request] (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/layer.js:76:5)
    at next (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/route.js:100:13)
    at Route.dispatch (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/route.js:81:3)
    at Layer.handle [as handle_request] (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/layer.js:76:5)
    at /Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:234:24
    at Function.proto.process_params (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:312:12)
    at /Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:228:12
    at Function.match_layer (/Users/John/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:295:3)

Javascript Solutions

Solution 1 - Javascript

The error is pretty clear, you need to specify an absolute (instead of relative) path and/or set root in the config object for res.sendFile(). Examples:

// assuming index.html is in the same directory as this script

res.sendFile(__dirname + '/index.html');

or specify a root (which is used as the base path for the first argument to res.sendFile():

res.sendFile('index.html', { root: __dirname });

Specifying the root path is more useful when you're passing a user-generated file path which could potentially contain malformed/malicious parts like .. (e.g. ../../../../../../etc/passwd). Setting the root path prevents such malicious paths from being used to access files outside of that base path.

Solution 2 - Javascript

in .mjs files we for now don't have __dirname

hence

res.sendFile('index.html', { root: '.' })

Solution 3 - Javascript

Try adding root path.

app.get('/', function(req, res) {
	res.sendFile('index.html', { root: __dirname });
});

Solution 4 - Javascript

app.get('/api', (req, res, next) => {
    res.sendFile('./public/index.html', { root: __dirname });
});

The error is pretty clear, you need to specify an absolute (instead of relative) path and/or set root in the config object for res.sendFile()

Solution 5 - Javascript

If you trust the path, path.resolve is an option:

var path = require('path');

// All other routes should redirect to the index.html
  app.route('/*')
    .get(function(req, res) {
      res.sendFile(path.resolve(app.get('appPath') + '/index.html'));
    });

Solution 6 - Javascript

I used the code below and tried to show the sitemap.xml file

router.get('/sitemap.xml', function (req, res) {
    res.sendFile('sitemap.xml', { root: '.' });
});

Solution 7 - Javascript

The error is pretty straightforward. Most likely the reason is that your index.html file is not in the root directory.

Or if it is in the root directory then the relative referencing is not working.

So you need to tell the server exact location of your file. This could be done by using dirname method in NodeJs. Just replace your code with this one:

 app.get('/', function(req, res){
  res.sendFile(__dirname + '/index.html');
});

Make sure that your add the slash "/" symbol before your homepage. Otherwise your path will become: rootDirectoryindex.html

Whereas you want it to be: rootDirectory/index.html

Solution 8 - Javascript

In Typescript with relative path to the icon:

import path from 'path';

route.get('/favicon.ico', (_req, res) => res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname, '../static/myicon.png')));

Solution 9 - Javascript

I solve this by using path variable. The sample code will look like below.

var path = require("path");

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
    res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname + '/index.html'));
})

Solution 10 - Javascript

If you are working on Root Directory then you can use this approach

res.sendFile(__dirname + '/FOLDER_IN_ROOT_DIRECTORY/index.html');

but if you are using Routes which is inside a folder lets say /Routes/someRoute.js then you will need to do something like this

const path = require("path");
...
route.get("/some_route", (req, res) => {
   res.sendFile(path.resolve('FOLDER_IN_ROOT_DIRECTORY/index.html')
});

Solution 11 - Javascript

It will redirects to index.html on localhost:8080 call.

app.get('/',function(req,res){
    res.sendFile('index.html', { root: __dirname });
});

Solution 12 - Javascript

this configuration in app.js worked fine for me :

    //production mode
if (process.env.NODE_ENV === "production") {
  app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, "client/build")));
  app.get("*", (req, res) => {
    res.sendFile(path.join((__dirname + "/client/build/index.html")));

  });
}

//build mode
app.get("*", (req, res) => {
  res.sendFile(path.join(__dirname + "/client/public/index.html"));

});

Solution 13 - Javascript

Unfortunately in ES6, to get access to absolute path __dir_name you will have to enter the following code everywhere:

import { dirname } from 'path';
import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'

const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
const __dirname = dirname(__filename);

Or create a path.js with the functions you want to use:

import { join, dirname } from 'path';
import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'

const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
const __dirname = dirname(__filename);

export { __dirname, join };

And import before using: import { join, __dirname } from './path.js';

Solution 14 - Javascript

This can be resolved in another way:

app.get("/", function(req, res){

    res.send(`${process.env.PWD}/index.html`)

});

process.env.PWD will prepend the working directory when the process was started.

Solution 15 - Javascript

I did this and now my app is working properly,

res.sendFile('your drive://your_subfolders//file.html');

Solution 16 - Javascript

You might consider using double slashes on your directory e.g

app.get('/',(req,res)=>{
    res.sendFile('C:\\Users\\DOREEN\\Desktop\\Fitness Finder' + '/index.html')
})

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