serve-static 1.8.0

The serve-static module in Node.js is a middleware used for serving static files. These files are served from a specific root directory. The file to be served is determined by the combination of req.url with the provided root directory. If the file isn't found, instead of sending a 404 response, the module will call next() to move on to the next middleware, thereby allowing for stacking and fall-backs.

In order to use serve-static, you first need to install it by running npm install serve-static in your terminal. Once installed, you can require it in your application like this:

var serveStatic = require('serve-static')

Afterwards, you can set up the middleware to serve files from a specific directory. For example, to serve files from a directory named public, use the code below:

// Serve up public/ftp folder
var serve = serveStatic('public/ftp', { index: ['index.html', 'index.htm'] })

Here, serve is a function, which can be used with an HTTP Server object:

var finalhandler = require('finalhandler')
var http = require('http')
var serveStatic = require('serve-static')

var serve = serveStatic('public/ftp', { index: ['index.html', 'index.htm'] })

var server = http.createServer(function onRequest (req, res) {
  serve(req, res, finalhandler(req, res))
})

server.listen(3000)

In this example, the server listens on port 3000, and files in the public/ftp directory can be accessed by browsing to http://localhost:3000. The { index: ['index.html', 'index.htm'] } option specifies that index.html or index.htm will be served when a request targets a directory.

The serve-static documentation is available in the README file on the GitHub project page. More in-depth details can be found directly on the GitHub repository for serve-static. By visiting the link, users can access comprehensive information about API usage, available options, and several code examples demonstrating how to use serve-static in various settings.