What is the difference between middleware and routes in Express?

Can you explain the difference between middleware and routes in Express?

Sure! In Express, middleware functions are functions that have access to the request, response, and the next middleware function in the application’s request-response cycle. They can modify the request and response objects, end the request-response cycle, and call the next middleware function.

What about routes? How do they differ from middleware?

Routes in Express are used to define the endpoints of your application. They determine how the application responds to client requests for a specific endpoint, which is defined by a URL and an HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.). Routes can use middleware functions to handle requests.

Can middleware be used in routes?

Yes, absolutely! You can use middleware in routes to perform tasks like authentication, logging, or parsing request bodies before the route handler processes the request.

Can you give me an example of middleware in action?

Certainly! For example, you can create a middleware function that logs the request method and URL, and then use it in your routes to log every incoming request.