How to implement server-side rendering (SSR) in a Node.js application



Image not found!!

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) is a technique used to render web pages on the server side before sending them to the client. In a Node.js application, you can implement SSR using frameworks like Express.js along with a view engine like EJS, Pug, or Handlebars. Below are the general steps to implement SSR in a Node.js application:

  1. Setup Node.js Project: If you haven't already, create a new Node.js project and initialize it with a package.json file. You can use the following command to create a new project:

    bash
    npm init -y

  2. Install Dependencies: Install the necessary dependencies, including Express.js and a view engine of your choice. For example, let's use EJS as the view engine:

    bash
    npm install express ejs

  3. Create Express App: Create an index.js file or any other entry point for your application and set up a basic Express.js app. Here's a simple example:

    javascript
    const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;

// Set EJS as the view engine
app.set('view engine', 'ejs');
app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');

// Define a simple route
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
    res.render('index', { title: 'Server-Side Rendering Example' });
});

// Start the server
app.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Server is running on http://localhost:${port}`);
});

  4. Create Views: Create a folder named views in your project directory and add an EJS file (e.g., index.ejs) with the HTML structure for your page. You can use EJS syntax to embed dynamic content.

    html
    <!-- views/index.ejs -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title><%= title %></title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1><%= title %></h1>
</body>
</html>

  5. Run the Application: Execute your Node.js application using the following command:

    bash
    node index.js

    Visit http://localhost:3000 in your web browser, and you should see the rendered HTML from the server.

This is a basic example of implementing SSR with Node.js and Express.js. Depending on your project requirements, you may need to integrate data fetching, handle routing, and manage state on the server side to fully leverage the benefits of SSR. Additionally, consider using a more advanced framework like Next.js if you need a more opinionated and feature-rich SSR solution.

Category List