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JavaScript Build a Simple Dynamic Site with Node.js Creating a Simple Server in Node.js Creating a Simple Server

Posted by Megan Weber
Megan Weber
28,554 Points

2 questions

Doesn't the status change depending on whether the request was successful? Why explicitly set it to 200?

Does it make a difference whether I use port 3000, 1337, 80, 8080, 4567, etc?

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,236 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,236 Points

The status is set to 200 to indicate that the message you are sending is the result of a successfully handled request. If you were sending back an error message, you'd use a different response code.

The port number chosen must be one not already in use by another service on the same machine. Plus, it's a good practice not to use one commonly associated with a specific service unless it's what you are providing. A list of commonly used ports can be seen on this Wikipedia page.