Registry / web-framework / connect

connect

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library0.2jsnpmunverified

Connect is a minimalist, high-performance HTTP server framework for Node.js, built around the concept of 'middleware' plugins. It provides a simple, extensible mechanism to compose request handling functions into a stack, where each middleware can process the request, modify the response, and then pass control to the next middleware or end the request-response cycle. This architecture makes Connect a foundational component for more feature-rich frameworks like Express.js. The package's current stable version is 3.7.0, last published in May 2019, indicating a mature and stable project that is now in a maintenance phase rather than active feature development. Connect differentiates itself by being extremely lightweight, offering only core middleware functionality, and relying on the ecosystem for specific tasks like body parsing or session management, which were largely externalized starting from version 3.0.0.

web-framework
npm install connect
github ↗package ↗
INSTALL
IMPORT
SIG · CONNECT
C
connect
web-frameworkjavascriptv0.2
Install
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Import
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Disk
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Pass rate
0/ 6
Env Coverage0 / 6
glibc
18–22
musl
18–22
Install & Compatibility
Where this runs
tested against v? · npm install
Install × environment matrix
Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux
musl
node 18–226 runs
build_error
glibc
node 18–226 runs
build_error
Code
Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

connect
✓ const connect = require('connect');
✗ import connect from 'connect';
Connect is primarily a CommonJS module. While Node.js ESM can import CJS modules using a default import, the canonical and most reliable way to import 'connect' is via `require()`.
app.use
✓ app.use(function(req, res, next) { /* ... */ next(); });
Middleware functions are typically defined anonymously or as named functions and passed to the `app.use()` method. They must call `next()` to pass control to the subsequent middleware or `res.end()` to terminate the request.
error middleware
✓ app.use(function(err, req, res, next) { /* handle error */ });
Connect distinguishes error-handling middleware by their four-argument signature (err, req, res, next). These are invoked when `next(error)` is called from another middleware. They must be declared after the middleware they are intended to catch errors from.

Demonstrates setting up a basic Connect application with common external middleware (compression, cookie-session, body parsing) and illustrating basic routing and error handling before starting an HTTP server.

const connect = require('connect'); const http = require('http'); const compression = require('compression'); const cookieSession = require('cookie-session'); const bodyParser = require('body-parser'); const app = connect(); // Gzip/deflate outgoing responses app.use(compression()); // Store session state in browser cookie // Note: `keys` should be strong, randomly generated strings in production. app.use(cookieSession({ keys: ['super-secret-key-1', 'super-secret-key-2'] })); // Parse urlencoded request bodies into req.body app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: false })); // Example middleware that logs the request method and URL app.use(function logRequest(req, res, next) { console.log(`${req.method} ${req.url}`); next(); }); // Respond to a specific path app.use('/hello', function(req, res) { res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain'); res.end('Hello from Connect on /hello!\n'); }); // General fallback response for all other requests app.use(function(req, res) { res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain'); res.end('Hello from Connect! Try /hello\n'); }); // Error handling middleware (must take 4 arguments) app.use(function onError(err, req, res, next) { console.error(err.stack); res.statusCode = 500; res.end('Something broke!\n'); }); // Create node.js http server and listen on port const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000; http.createServer(app).listen(PORT, () => { console.log(`Connect server listening on port ${PORT}`); console.log(`Access at http://localhost:${PORT}`); });
Debug
Known issues
breakingConnect v3.x removed many previously bundled middleware, requiring developers to install them as separate npm packages. This includes `bodyParser`, `json`, `urlencoded` (now `body-parser`), `compress` (now `compression`), `timeout` (now `connect-timeout`), `cookieParser` (now `cookie-parser`), `limit`, and `multipart`.
fix
Manually install and `require()` or `import` the corresponding external middleware package (e.g., `npm install body-parser` and `require('body-parser')`).
affects: >=3.0.0
breakingConnect v3.x dropped support for Node.js versions prior to 0.10.x. Newer Node.js features may not be fully leveraged or supported in this older framework version.
fix
Ensure your project runs on Node.js v0.10.0 or higher. For modern applications, consider migrating to Express.js, which builds upon Connect and offers broader compatibility.
affects: >=3.0.0
deprecatedThe `basic-auth` middleware was deprecated in Connect v3.x. While not removed, new development or bug reports are no longer accepted for it.
fix
Migrate to `node-basic-auth` or an alternative authentication middleware for new projects or when updating existing ones.
affects: >=3.0.0
gotchaAs a framework focused on minimalism, Connect does not inherently include protections against all web vulnerabilities. Middleware used with Connect, especially older or unmaintained ones, may introduce security risks such as XSS or ReDoS if not carefully chosen and configured.
fix
Always audit third-party middleware for known vulnerabilities and ensure they are actively maintained. Consider using comprehensive frameworks like Express.js that incorporate many best practices and security features by default.
affects: *
Errors
Common errors & fixes
TypeError: app.use is not a function
`connect()` was not called to create the application instance, or `app` is not the result of `connect()`.
fix
Ensure you are initializing your application correctly: `const connect = require('connect'); const app = connect();`
Error: Cannot find module 'body-parser'
A middleware (e.g., `body-parser`, `compression`, `cookie-session`) is used without being explicitly installed and required. Connect v3.x externalized most middleware.
fix
Install the missing middleware via npm (e.g., `npm install body-parser`) and then `require()` it in your application code.
Error: Can't set headers after they are sent.
This common HTTP error occurs when a response is attempted to be sent or modified after `res.end()`, `res.send()`, or `res.json()` has already been called in a preceding middleware or the current one.
fix
Review your middleware chain. Ensure that only one middleware sends the final response or that `next()` is not called after `res.end()`. Place `next(error)` calls appropriately for error handling.
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Version history
0.2latest on npm
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Resources
githubhttps://github.com/senchalabs/connect ↗
packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/connect ↗