Can't get POST body from request using Express.js

express, javascript, json, node.js, sails.js

Solution

Move the `bodyParser` middleware above the `router` middleware!

var app = express();
app.set('port', process.env.PORT || 3999);
app.use(express.favicon());
app.use(express.logger('dev'));
app.use(express.bodyParser());
app.use(app.router);

Problem

I'm working on an API with NodeJS and Express (and more stuff like mongo, sockets, etc) but i'm stuck on a very simple step I believe. I'm just trying to get the information from the POST `req` object, but I get an error when trying to access `req.body` Here's what I have: ``` var express = require('express'), http = require('http'), path = require('path'), fs = require('fs'), io = require('socket.io'); dynroute = require('dynroute'); var app = express(); app.set('port', process.env.PORT || 3999); app.use(express.favicon()); app.use(express.logger('dev')); app.use(app.router); app.use(express.bodyParser()); app.post('/user', function(req, res) { console.log(JSON.stringify(req.body)); res.send(req.body.self); }); http.createServer(app).listen(app.get('port'), function () { console.log('App Server is now running at:' + app.get('port')); }); ``` On the `console.log(JSON.stringify(req.body));` I get `undefined` and on the `res.send(req.body.self);` I get `TypeError: Cannot read property 'self' of undefined` I've been seaching for this type of error and usually the issue is that people do not include `app.use(express.bodyParser());` middleware , so I also tried using `app.use(express.urlencoded());` and `app.use(express.json());`, which didn't work either. If I do a `console.log(req)` I can see the entire object but I do not get to see `body` or any of the content I'm passing when doing the POST request from a client (I'm passing it as JSON). **I know I could use `restify` or `sails.js` to build APIs within Node but i want to do everything myself so I can learn from the experience.* Thanks EDIT: I had to put the `bodyparser` middleware before the `app.router` middleware, that fixed it!

Original source