Node.js http2.connect() Method

The http2.connect() is an inbuilt application programming interface of class http2 within the http2 module which is used to return a ClientHttp2Session instance.

Syntax:

const http2.connect(authority[, options][, listener])

Parameters: This method takes the following argument as a parameter:

• authority: It is the URL representing a remote HTTP/2 server to connect to.
• options: It can be maxDeflateDynamicTableSize, maxSettings, maxSessionMemory, etc option can be used according to need.
• listener: It is the one time listener of the 'connect' event.

Return Value: This method returns the object of the ClientHttp2Session instance.

How to generate a Private key and Public certificate?

1. Filename: Private key Open notepad and copy-paste the following key and save the file as private-key.pem

-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----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-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

2. Filename: Public certificate Open notepad and copy-paste the following key and save the file as public-cert.pem

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----

Example 1: Filename: index.js

// Node.js program to demonstrate the
// http2.connect() method

const http2 = require('http2');
const fs = require('fs');

// Private key and public certificate for access
const options = {
  key: fs.readFileSync('private-key.pem'),
  cert: fs.readFileSync('public-cert.pem'),
};

// Creating and initializing server
// by using http2.createServer() method
const server = http2.createServer(options);

server.on('stream', (stream, requestHeaders) => {
  stream.respond({ 
    ':status': 200, 
    'content-type': 'text/plain' 
  });

  stream.write('hello ');
  stream.end('world');
  
  // Stopping the server
  // by using the close() method
  server.close(() => {
    console.log("server closed");
  })
});

server.listen(8000);

// Creating and initializing client
// by using http2.connect() method
const client = http2.connect(
    'http://localhost:8000');

const req = client.request({ 
  ':method': 'GET', ':path': '/' });

req.on('response', (responseHeaders) => {
  console.log("status : " 
  + responseHeaders[":status"]);
});

req.on('data', (data) => {
  console.log('Received: %s ',
  data.toString().replace(/(\n)/gm,""));
});

req.on('end', () => {
  client.close(() => {
    console.log("client closed");
  })
});

Run the index.js file using the following command:

node index.js

Output:

status : 200
Received: hello
Received: world
client closed
server closed

Example 2: Filename: index.js

// Node.js program to demonstrate the
// http2.connect() method

const http2 = require('http2');
const fs = require('fs');

// Private key and public certificate for access
const options = {
  key: fs.readFileSync('private-key.pem'),
  cert: fs.readFileSync('public-cert.pem'),
};

// Creating and initializing server
// by using http2.createServer() method
const server = http2.createServer(options);

server.on('stream', (stream, requestHeaders) => {
  stream.end('world');
  
  // Stopping the server
  // by using the close() method
  server.close(() => {
    console.log("server closed");
  })
});

server.listen(8000);

// Creating and initializing client
// by using http2.connect() method
const client = http2.connect(
    'http://localhost:8000');

const req = client.request({ 
  ':method': 'GET', ':path': '/' });

req.on('data', (data) => {
  console.log('Received: %s ',
  data.toString().replace(/(\n)/gm,""));
});

req.on('end', () => {
  client.close(() => {
    console.log("client closed");
  })
});

Run the index.js file using the following command:

node index.js

Output:

Received: world
client closed
server closed

Reference: https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v12.x/docs/api/http2.html#http2_http2_connect_authority_options_listener