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JavaScript REST APIs with Express Create, Read, Update, Delete Using Try/Catch with Async/Await

Posted by Hanwen Zhang
Hanwen Zhang
20,084 Points

Can we use res.json(err.message); instead of res.json(message: err.message)?

att

3 Answers

Joseph Lander
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Joseph Lander
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 27,765 Points

I see you get the same information back technically but I guess the method they suggest is in a proper, conventional JSON format.

  try {
    throw new Error("Ooopsies!");
...
  } catch (err) {
    res.json(err.message);
    // expected output: "Ooopsies!"
  }

  try {
    throw new Error("Ooopsies!");
...
  } catch (err) {
     res.json({ message: err.message });
     // expected output: {"message": "Ooopsies!"}
  }

JSON comes in curly braces with both key and value in double quotes.

Brian Wright
Brian Wright
6,770 Points
Brian Wright
Brian Wright
6,770 Points

By ensuring that all the responses are formatted as JSON objects, the client application can handle the returned information in the same manner.

Michael Knott
Michael Knott
2,041 Points
Michael Knott
Michael Knott
2,041 Points

res.json(message: err.message) means we're assigning err.message to a key called message, in the res.json object:

On success: res.json { quote: "blahblahblah" }

On error: res.json { message: err.message }

It just makes it easier to obtain the error message later.

Hanwen Zhang
Hanwen Zhang
20,084 Points

Go it, thank you