Help with the Use the .env File challenge

JavaScript
#21

Honestly, I don’t know antmore

#22

I tried to use the solution that was given by the first hint area and this is the result

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#23

I never know why but it always gets rid of the error when I remove the console.log()

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#24

With my experience, that the replit show those HTTP traffic error when you opened the port but didn’t close and reopen it again.

#25

This is after the stop and restart, it’s more about the “err”'s in the console that I was talking about

#26

Hello @Hello_Forum,

@caryaharper mentioned this:

Your code:

app.get("/json", (req, res)=>{
  
res.json({
    "message": "Hello json"
  });
  
  var response = "Hello json".toUpperCase();

  if (process.env.VAR_NAME === "uppercase") {
  response = "Hello json".toUpperCase();
} else {
  response = "Hello json";
}
});

Currently, the code does not use the response. You are also not changing it correctly, beacuse you are told to change it based on the MESSAGE_STYLE variable.

This is the expected workflow:

  1. Create a .env file (this file is special, and must be named exactly like that)
  2. Add a MESSAGE_STYLE variable with a value of uppercase in the .env file
  3. Within the existing /json route (from the previous lesson), do the following:
  • If MESSAGE_STYLE is equal to "uppercase", respond with {message: "HELLO JSON"}
  • If MESSAGE_STYLE is not equal to "uppercase", respond with {message: "Hello json"}

For future posts, please include the link to your project code. This helps those wanting to help you.

Hope this clarifies

#27

this is what you send, when are you determining that it is sometimes uppercase? this never changes and is always the same

#28

Okay, I reworked the challenges from the beginning to this challenge and passed them just to make sure I didn’t mess anything up. I also went through the messages that were on this post and reviewed the challenge to se if I missed something and so far I have come up with this:

app.use("/public", express.static(__dirname + "/public"));

app.get("/json", (req, res) => {

var res="Hello json".toUpperCase();
  if(process.env.VAR_NAM===uppercase){
    {message: "HELLO JSON"};
  } else {
    {message: "Hello json"}  }
  return res;
  res.json({
    "message": "Hello json"
  });
});

I also have a file that has only “.env” as it’s name and it is placed as the first file that is under the files named “public” and “views”. As far as I know that is where the “root” of my project directory is. Within the .env file is the code:

MESSAGE_STYLE=uppercase;

As of this point, I have not seen any changes on the display (it still says “Hello HTML.”). Where am I going wrong?

@ieahleen :

I used

because that is what the challenge told me to do

#29

Here is your current code, but with comments:

app.get("/json", (req, res) => {

// There is already a variable name 'res' defined
// DO NOT overwrite it, this will cause problems
var res="Hello json".toUpperCase(); // You do not use this...
  if(process.env.VAR_NAM===uppercase){ // What is 'VAR_NAM'? Where have you defined it?
    {message: "HELLO JSON"}; // This is not doing anything
  } else {
    {message: "Hello json"}  } //  This is not doing anything

  // If a function has a 'return' nothing defined
  // afterwards will do anything. You DO NOT need to
  // return anything in the GET callback - that is why
  // you have the 'res' object.
  return res; 

  // This is almost correct, but the response ('res')
  // is not changing based on the MESSAGE_STYLE value
  res.json({
    "message": "Hello json"
  });
});

Now, the .env file:

  • The .env file is not written in JavaScript
  • It is a plain text file, which is parsed in a special way (LT)
  • anything after the equals sign is included in the value (including a semi-colon)
  • All values are returned as strings
  • So, here is an example of a .env file:
VAR_ONE=value one
VAR_TWO= value two
VAR_THREE="value three";
VAR_FOUR=1234

This is the result of the above:

console.log(process.env.VAR_ONE); // "value one"
console.log(process.env.VAR_TWO); // " value two"
console.log(process.env.VAR_THREE); // '"value three;"'
console.log(process.env.VAR_FOUR); // "1234"

I hope this clarifies

#30

The part of the .env file makes a little more sense. I rewritten the GET and now it looks like this.

ar response="Hello json";
  if(process.env.MESSAGE_STYLE==="uppercase"){
    response="Hello json".toUpperCase();
  } else {
    response="Hello json" ; }
  
  res.json({
    message: "Hello json"
  });

});

I changed the var to response rather than res, possibly corrected the if/else statement, and removed the return statement. I changed the res.json statement back to it’s previous challenges answer. If that is the correct format, I don’t know why the challenge says

The response object should become {"message": "HELLO JSON"} .

I think I’m getting closer, but still needs work, lol :laughing:

#31

This is what the actual response is.

Naming a variable with the word response does not cause it to be what is sent by the API.

Let us go right back to the point of the lessons…

  • You are creating an API, using Express.js, in the form of HTTP requests.
  • The end goal is for someone/something to request some data from your API, by performing a GET request to a specific endpoint (/json)
  • You are defining what happens when someone/something makes a GET request to /json, by saying:
app.get('/json', callback);
  • The app is your app object created by Express.js
  • .get accepts two arguments - a route (/json) - the endpoint - and a callback function (this should be something you are very familiar with by now)
  • The callback function is called with 2 arguemnts(remember, you do not need to call it - this is done automagically behind the scenes)
    • The first argument is the Request object - this holds all the information about the request (e.g. who did it, where they did it from, and what they attached to it)
    • The second argument is the Response object - this is automagically sent to the someone/something which made the request
    • Using this, you, the API developer, need to define what the RESPONSE is (what you want to send as a response)

Now, in this case, you want to send a JSON response with the property message with a value of either "Hello json" OR "HELLO JSON". How do you do this:

function callback(request, response) {
// REMEMBER: you can name the parameters anything you want
// it is just common to name them 'req' and 'res'

// I want to attach a JSON object to the response:
  response.json({property: "value"});
}
// That is it! Express ('app') will automagically reply to the
// requester with the RESPONSE object you have defined

What your code is currently doing:

  • Defining a variable named response with value of `“Hello json”
  • Checking if process.env.MESSAGE_STYLE === "uppercase"
    • If true, setting the variable response to "HELLO JSON"
    • If false, setting the variable response to "Hello json"
  • Attaching a JSON object to the Response object with a property message and a value "Hello json"

What your code should be doing:

  • If process.env.MESSAGE_STYLE === "uppercase", respond with JSON {message: "HELLO JSON"}
  • Otherwise, respond with JSON {message: "Hello json"}

If you are completely lost still:

  1. Go back to the basics, refresh your memory on declarations, objects, functions, and callbacks.
  2. Do some research as to common Express applications - Look at the Express.js Docs
  3. Here is some example code:
app.get('/return-sum-one-plus-one', (req, res) => {
  const a = 1;
  const b = 1;
  res.send(a+b);
  // FYI, I often write "return res.send(a+b);", because it reminds
  // me when my app is returning with the response, but this is
  // not always necessary!
  // REMEMBER: There are many methods for the Response:
  // res.send(), res.get(), res.json(), res.sendFile()....
});

I cannot explain this any more. So, if this has not helped, I recommend you ask a specific question about what you do not understand.

Hope this helps

#32

You are almost there. Only this needs to change:

  res.json({
    message: "Hello json"
  });

Look at the if/else statement. You are setting a variable called response but not using it.