Unlocking the Power of Express Request Object

Why Extend the Request Object?

In Express, the Request object is a critical component that carries data about every HTTP request from a client to our Node.js server. It serves as the foundation for our application logic. While the Request object provides several properties out-of-the-box, there are times when we need more than the standard details provided.

Extending the Request object allows us to pass custom data to controllers directly, avoiding code duplication and making our codebase cleaner and easier to manage. For instance, suppose we want to make the APIs available only to users with a valid authentication token. We can define a simple authentication middleware that validates the token and assigns the user associated with the token to the Request object.

How to Extend the Request Object in TypeScript

To extend the Request object in TypeScript, we can use declaration merging. This feature allows us to add additional properties and methods to an existing type. We can create an index.d.ts file that defines the extended Request type, and then use it throughout our application.

Example Use Case: Authentication Middleware

Let’s say we want to create an authentication middleware that validates the authentication token received in the Authorization header of the HTTP request. If the token is valid, we can assign the user associated with the token to the Request object.

// authentication.middleware.ts
import { NextFunction, Request, Response } from 'express';
import { User } from '../models/user';

interface ExtendedRequest extends Request {
  user?: User;
}

const authenticate = async (req: ExtendedRequest, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
  const token = req.headers.authorization;
  if (!token) {
    return res.status(401).send('Unauthorized');
  }

  try {
    const user = await validateToken(token);
    req.user = user;
    next();
  } catch (error) {
    return res.status(401).send('Invalid token');
  }
};

Using the Extended Request Object

Once we’ve defined the extended Request type, we can use it throughout our application. For example, we can create a route handler that uses the req.user property to retrieve the user’s data.

// user.controller.ts
import { Request, Response } from 'express';
import { User } from '../models/user';

const getUserData = async (req: ExtendedRequest, res: Response) => {
  if (!req.user) {
    return res.status(401).send('Unauthorized');
  }

  const userData = await User.findById(req.user.id);
  res.send(userData);
};

• Note: In the above example, we assume that the validateToken function is already implemented and available.
• Note: You can customize the authentication middleware to fit your specific use case.

Learn more about Express Request Object