react-server

react-server

react-server is an Express middleware for serving universal (isomorphic) JavaScript applications built with React based on the Flux pattern.
react-server is closest in its implementation to reflux Read more on our dev blog.

Getting started

1. Install node.js. We recommend installing node v4.2.3 with n. See their installation instructions and usage for more details, or just close your eyes and jump:

    npm install -g n && n 4.2.3
   

2. Create a new npm project folder with some basic folders: mkdir example-react-server && cd example-react-server mkdir pages

3. Create a new npm project (follow the helpful npm prompts). npm init

4. Install react-server and its related dependencies

    npm install --save react-server express react
   

5. Create a page object: touch pages/HelloWorld.js

   And add the page class:

    "use strict";
   
    var React = require("react");
   
    // TODO: jsx support
    module.exports = class HelloWorldPage {
    	getElements() {
    		return React.createElement("div", null, "Hello, World!");
    	}
    }
   

6. Create the routes: touch routes.js

   And add a HelloWorld route:

    "use strict"
   
    let HelloWorldPage = require("./pages/HelloWorld");
   
    module.exports = {
    	// react-server middleware.  TODO: add a "writing react-server middleware" example.
    	middleware: [],
   
    	routes: {
    		// This name isn't used for anything, it just needs to be unique.
    		Simple: {
    			// The relative path that this route responds to; so for an Express
    			// instance on 127.0.0.1 port 3000, respond to http://127.0.0.1/
    			path: ['/'],
    			// The http verb to respond to, e.g. get, put, post, patch, delete.
    			// This is optional, and defaults to 'get'.
    			method: 'get',
    			page: function () {
    				// TODO: returning an invalid object here (for instance, returning
    				// `(cb) => cb(HelloWorldPage)`) in a page makes it spin indefinitely
    				// but never throws an error.
    				return {
    					// TODO: Allow promises in addition to callbacks.
    					// i.e. return { promise: new promise((reject, resolve) => resolve(HelloWorldPage))}
    					done: function (cb) {
    						cb(HelloWorldPage);
    					}
    				};
    			}
    		},
    	}
    }
   

7. Create the server:

    touch server.js
   

   And add the minimal server logic:

    // "use strict" required to use `class` and `let`, but not strictly required
    // for using react-server.
    "use strict";
   
    // Require dependencies
    let rs = require("react-server"),
    	http = require("http"),
    	express = require("express"),
    	routes = require("./routes");
   
    // TODO: Move this into rs.setConfig()
    process.env.REACT_SERVER_CONFIGS = __dirname;
   
    // By instantiating Express directly, you can use other Express middleware,
    // or even multiple instances of react-server middleware.
    let server = express();
   
    // Register react-server as an Express middleware.
    rs.middleware(server, routes);
   
    // Use process.env.PORT if it's been set elsewhere, or 3000 if it hasn't.
    // This allows you to set process.env.PORT to a different value in production
    // without having to set it in development.
    let port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
    console.log("Start server...");
   
    // Feature: we should go down on ^D as well as ^C
    // Bug: (node) OutgoingMessage.flush is deprecated. Use flushHeaders instead.
    // Start the server and listen on port.
    let httpServer = http.createServer(server).listen(port, function () {
    	console.log("Started!");
    });
   
    console.log('Listening on port ' + port);
   

8. Start the server:

    node server.js
   

9. Load the page in your browser, either by opening your favorite browser and navigating to http://localhost:3000, or by opening it in your default browser from the command line:

    open http://localhost:3000
   

Contributing

We welcome contributions to react-server! To contribute, follow these steps:

1. Check out the code. You'll want to fork the repository, and then clone it locally.

2. Make your changes!

3. Write some tests. See the testing guide.

4. Make sure all the tests pass! gulp test

5. Make sure you've followed our style guide. The style guide is codified as eslint rules in package.json. You can read more about what those rules do on the eslint rules page, or with a combination of matching the style of the rest of the project and trial and error. gulp eslint

6. Create a pull request

7. Repeat zero or more times: Get some feedback from another contributor, resolve it, update your pull request.

8. Your pull request gets merged! Congratulations, you're officially a react-server contributor. Have a 🍺to celebrate; your check is in the mail, we swear 😉.

// TODO: Concepts // TODO: routing guide // TODO: generator

What is "triton"? Why do I see that in the git history?

Back when we started this project, we came up with a great name -- triton -- and we started using it internally. And then it took us forever to get around to making the source code public. And then Joyent released a product called triton and stole our thunder, so we had to go with react-server instead (a terrible, terrible tragedy, we know).