How to implement static web server with node.js

Question

I want to use node.js & express as a static server. I want it to serve all views without having to explicitly define routes. How do I do this?

Answer 1

To serve static files you can use the middleware provided by Express, just add

app.use('/public', express.static(__dirname));

after your dynamic routes.

Answer 2

You should not use node.js as a static file server, use nginx instead. But if you have to or you are just playing with node, you can use this (coffeescript):

Handle static files:

app.use '/public/', express.static(__dirname + '/public')

Example:

<img src="/public/logo.jpg" alt="" />

Handle single app page:

app.get '/', (req, res)->
   res.sendfile './public/index.html'