mb-server.js

 /*
Rapid Prototyping with JS is a JavaScript and Node.js book that will teach you how to build mobile and web apps fast. — Read more at
http://rapidprototypingwithjs.com.
*/

var http = require('http');
//loads http module
var util= require('util');
//usefull functions
var querystring = require('querystring');
//laods querystring module, we'll need it to serialize and deserialize objects and query strings

var messages=[];
//this array will hold our messages
messages.push({
	"name":"John",
	"message":"hi"
});
//sample message to test list method

exports.server=http.createServer(function (req, res) {
//creates server
	if (req.method=="POST"&&req.url=="/messages") {
		//if method is POST and URL is messages/ add message to the array
		var message='';
		req.on('data', function(data, msg){
			console.log(data.toString('utf-8'));
			message=exports.addMessage(data.toString('utf-8'));
			//data is type of Buffer and must be converted to string with encoding UTF-8 first
			//adds message to the array
		})
		// *NOTE* doies not work!!! Race condition  - need req.on('end', function(){}
		req.on('end', function(){
			console.log(util.inspect(message, true, null));
			console.log(util.inspect(messages, true, null));
			//debugging output into the terminal
			res.writeHead(201, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
			//sets the right header and status code	
			res.end(message);
			//out put message, should add object id
		})

	} else
	if (req.method=="GET"&&req.url=="/messages") {
	//if method is GET and URL is /messages output list of messages
		var body=exports.getMessages();
		//body will hold our output
		res.writeHead(200, {
			'Content-Length': body.length,
			'Content-Type': 'text/plain'
		});
		res.end(body);
	}
	else {
		res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
		//sets the right header and status code
		res.end('Empty\n');
	};
	console.log(req.method);

  //outputs string with line end symbol
}).listen(process.env.PORT||5050);
//sets port and IP address of the server
console.log('Server running at http://127.0.0.1:5050/ if local');


exports.getMessages = function() {
	return JSON.stringify(messages);
	//output array of messages as a string/text
};
exports.addMessage = function (data){
	messages.push(querystring.parse(data));
	//to convert string into JavaScript object we use parse/deserializer
	return JSON.stringify(querystring.parse(data));
	//output new message in JSON as a string
};