What is the parameter "next" used for in Express?

Suppose you have a simple block of code like this:

app.get('/', function(req, res){
    res.send('Hello World');
});

This function has two parameters, req and res, which represent the request and response objects respectively.

On the other hand, there are other functions with a third parameter called next. For example, lets have a look at the following code:

app.get('/users/:id?', function(req, res, next){ // Why do we need next?
    var id = req.params.id;
    if (id) {
        // do something
    } else {
        next(); // What is this doing?
    }
});

I can't understand what the point of next() is or why its being used. In that example, if id doesn't exist, what is next actually doing?

It passes control to the next matching route. In the example you give, for instance, you might look up the user in the database if an id was given, and assign it to req.user.

Below, you could have a route like:

app.get('/users', function(req, res) {
  // check for and maybe do something with req.user
});

Since /users/123 will match the route in your example first, that will first check and find user 123; then /users can do something with the result of that.

Route middleware is a more flexible and powerful tool, though, in my opinion, since it doesn't rely on a particular URI scheme or route ordering. I'd be inclined to model the example shown like this, assuming a Users model with an async findOne():

function loadUser(req, res, next) {
  if (req.params.userId) {
    Users.findOne({ id: req.params.userId }, function(err, user) {
      if (err) {
        next(new Error("Couldn't find user: " + err));
        return;
      }

      req.user = user;
      next();
    });
  } else {
    next();
  }
}

// ...

app.get('/user/:userId', loadUser, function(req, res) {
  // do something with req.user
});

app.get('/users/:userId?', loadUser, function(req, res) {
  // if req.user was set, it's because userId was specified (and we found the user).
});

// Pretend there's a "loadItem()" which operates similarly, but with itemId.
app.get('/item/:itemId/addTo/:userId', loadItem, loadUser, function(req, res) {
  req.user.items.append(req.item.name);
});

Being able to control flow like this is pretty handy. You might want to have certain pages only be available to users with an admin flag:

/**
 * Only allows the page to be accessed if the user is an admin.
 * Requires use of `loadUser` middleware.
 */
function requireAdmin(req, res, next) {
  if (!req.user || !req.user.admin) {
    next(new Error("Permission denied."));
    return;
  }

  next();
}

app.get('/top/secret', loadUser, requireAdmin, function(req, res) {
  res.send('blahblahblah');
});

Hope this gave you some inspiration!

I also had problem understanding next() , but this helped

var app = require("express")();

app.get("/", function(httpRequest, httpResponse, next){
    httpResponse.write("Hello");
    next(); //remove this and see what happens 
});

app.get("/", function(httpRequest, httpResponse, next){
    httpResponse.write(" World !!!");
    httpResponse.end();
});

app.listen(8080);

Before understanding next, you need to have a little idea of Request-Response cycle in node though not much in detail. It starts with you making an HTTP request for a particular resource and it ends when you send a response back to the user i.e. when you encounter something like res.send(‘Hello World’);

let’s have a look at a very simple example.

app.get('/hello', function (req, res, next) {
  res.send('USER')
})

Here we do not need next(), because resp.send will end the cycle and hand over the control back to the route middleware.

Now let’s take a look at another example.

app.get('/hello', function (req, res, next) {
  res.send("Hello World !!!!");
});

app.get('/hello', function (req, res, next) {
  res.send("Hello Planet !!!!");
});

Here we have 2 middleware functions for the same path. But you always gonna get the response from the first one. Because that is mounted first in the middleware stack and res.send will end the cycle.

But what if we always do not want the “Hello World !!!!” response back. For some conditions we may want the "Hello Planet !!!!" response. Let’s modify the above code and see what happens.

app.get('/hello', function (req, res, next) {
  if(some condition){
    next();
    return;
  }
  res.send("Hello World !!!!");  
});

app.get('/hello', function (req, res, next) {
  res.send("Hello Planet !!!!");
});

What’s the next doing here. And yes you might have gusses. It’s gonna skip the first middleware function if the condition is true and invoke the next middleware function and you will have the "Hello Planet !!!!" response.

So, next pass the control to the next function in the middleware stack.

What if the first middleware function does not send back any response but do execute a piece of logic and then you get the response back from second middleware function.

Something like below:-

app.get('/hello', function (req, res, next) {
  // Your piece of logic
  next();
});

app.get('/hello', function (req, res, next) {
  res.send("Hello !!!!");
});

In this case you need both the middleware functions to be invoked. So, the only way you reach the second middleware function is by calling next();

>What if you do not make a call to next. Do not expect the second middleware function to get invoked automatically. After invoking the first function your request will be left hanging. The second function will never get invoked and you will not get back the response.

Next is used to pass control to the next middleware function. If not the request will be left hanging or open.

I also want to add why express doesn't call the next middleware and gives us control over it. Since node is asynchronous, if express calls the next middleware without waiting for some asynchronous call to finish, the response might be incomplete or contains errors, so users have control over when the next middleware function should be called.