How to add node-schedule module to the expressjs app

Question

I am new to Nodejs and Expressjs. I am thinking of having a script running continously in the background without interrupting application. There are many scheduling NodeJs modules (such as node-scheduling, later etc.) available but I couldn't figure how to include them into my ExpressJs app.

Besides that where I should be including this module; at the application level or at the router.

I hope environment is not an issue, I am running this app on Windows 7 32 bit box.

I have used Yeoman Generator to create ExpressJs App. Copy and pasting code from the files generated by generator.

config.js

var path = require('path'),
rootPath = path.normalize(__dirname + '/..'),
env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';

var config = {
  development: {
    root: rootPath,
    app: {
      name: 'nodejswebsocketapp'
    },
    port: process.env.PORT || 3000,
  },

  test: {
    root: rootPath,
    app: {
      name: 'nodejswebsocketapp'
    },
    port: process.env.PORT || 3000,
  },

  production: {
    root: rootPath,
    app: {
      name: 'nodejswebsocketapp'
    },
    port: process.env.PORT || 3000,
  }
};

module.exports = config[env];

express.js

var express = require('express');
var glob = require('glob');

var favicon = require('serve-favicon');
var logger = require('morgan');
var cookieParser = require('cookie-parser');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var compress = require('compression');
var methodOverride = require('method-override');
var allowCrossDomain = function(req, res, next) {
    res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*');
    res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET,PUT,POST,DELETE');
    res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'X-Requested-With, Content-Type');
    next();
}

module.exports = function(app, config) {
  var env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
  app.locals.ENV = env;
  app.locals.ENV_DEVELOPMENT = env == 'development';

  app.set('views', config.root + '/app/views');
  app.set('view engine', 'jade');

  // app.use(favicon(config.root + '/public/img/favicon.ico'));
  app.use(logger('dev'));
  app.use(bodyParser.json());
  app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({
    extended: true
  }));
  app.use(cookieParser());
  app.use(compress());
  app.use(express.static(config.root + '/public'));
  app.use(methodOverride());
  app.use(allowCrossDomain);

  var controllers = glob.sync(config.root + '/app/controllers/*.js');
  controllers.forEach(function (controller) {
    require(controller)(app);
  });

  app.use(function (req, res, next) {
    var err = new Error('Not Found');
    err.status = 404;
    next(err);
  });

  if(app.get('env') === 'development'){
    app.use(function (err, req, res, next) {
      res.status(err.status || 500);
      res.render('error', {
        message: err.message,
        error: err,
        title: 'error'
      });
    });
  }

  app.use(function (err, req, res, next) {
    res.status(err.status || 500);
      res.render('error', {
        message: err.message,
        error: {},
        title: 'error'
      });
  });

};

app.js

var express = require('express');
var config = require('./config/config');

var app = express();
var expressWs = require('express-ws')(app);

require('./config/express')(app, config);

app.listen(config.port, function () {
  console.log('Express server listening on port ' + config.port);
});

After this a controller file that I have created scheduleTaskController.js

var express = require('express'),
    router = express.Router(),
    schedule = require('node-schedule');

module.exports = function (app) {
  app.use('/', router);
  app.use('/schedule', router);
};

router.get('/schedule', function (req, res, next) {

    console.log(schedule.RecurrenceRule());

    var rule = new schedule.RecurrenceRule();
    rule.second = 30;
    schedule.scheduleJob(rule, function(){
        console.log(new Date(), 'The 30th second of the minute.');
    });

});

Hitting the URL '/schedule' yields into nothing. not in browser and not in the command prompt where I am expecting result of console.log.

Answer 1

I would create a scripts folder and then require that file from your server.js file.