Node.js Http2ServerResponse.setHeader() Method
Last Updated :
03 Jun, 2025
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The Http2ServerResponse.setHeader() is an inbuilt method of the Http2ServerResponse class within the http2 module. It is used to set the header name and the corresponding value of that header.
Syntax
response.setHeader(name, value)In the above syntax:
- name: Name of the header.
- value: Value of the header.
Return Value: This method has nothing to return.
How to generate a private key and public certificate ?
To set up HTTPS for your server, you need a private key and a public certificate. Here's how you can generate them.
1. Private Key
Here are the some steps to generate a private key certificate
- Open Notepad or your preferred text editor.
- Copy-paste the following private key:
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----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-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY------ Save the file as private-key.pem.
2. Public certificate
Here are some steps to generate a public key certification
- Open Notepad or your preferred text editor.
- Copy-paste the following public certificate:
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE------ Save the file as public-cert.pem.
Now let's understand this with the help of example:
// Node.js program to demonstrate the
// Http2ServerResponse.setHeader() method
// Importing the http2 module
const http2 = require('http2');
// Importing the fs module
const fs = require('fs');
// Private key and public certificate for access
const options = {
// Reading the file private.key.pem file synchronously
key: fs.readFileSync('private-key.pem'),
// Reading the file public.cert.pem file synchronously
cert: fs.readFileSync('public-cert.pem'),
};
// Request and response handler
const http2Handlers = (request, response) => {
// Setting new header by using response.setHeader()
response.setHeader('Content-Type', 'hello world; charset=utf-8');
// Getting header's object by using getHeaders() method
const value = response.getHeaders()
// Display the header
console.log(value);
};
// Creating and Initializing server by
// using http2.createServer() method
const server = http2.createServer(options,http2Handlers);
server.on('stream', (stream, requestheader) => {
stream.write('hello ');
// Getting all information of this http2stream
// object by using state api
const status = stream.state;
stream.end("priority weight : " + status.weight);
// Stopping the server by
// using the close() method
server.close(()=>{
console.log("server destroyed");
})
});
server.listen(8000);
// Creating and initializing client by
// using tls.connect() method
const client = http2.connect('http://localhost:8000');
// Handling the request
const req = client.request({ ':method': 'GET', ':path': '/'});
req.on('response', (responsesocket) => {
console.log("status : " + responsesocket[":status"]);
});
req.on('data', (data) => {
console.log('Received: %s ',
data.toString().replace(/(\n)/gm,""));
});
req.on('end', () => {
client.close(()=>{
console.log("client destroyed");
})
});
Run the index.js file using the following command:
node index.jsOutput
{'content-type': 'hello world; charset=utf-8'}
status : 200
Received: hello
Received: priority weight : 16
client destroyed
server destroyedNow let's understand this with the help of example:
// Node.js program to demonstrate the
// Http2ServerResponse.setHeader() method
// Importing http2 module
const http2 = require('http2');
// Importing fs module
const fs = require('fs');
// Private key and public certificate for access
const options = {
// Reading the private-key.pem file synchronously
key: fs.readFileSync('private-key.pem'),
// Reading the public-cert.pem file synchronously
cert: fs.readFileSync('public-cert.pem'),
};
// Request and response handler
const http2Handlers = (request, response) => {
// Setting new header
response.setHeader('Foo', 'bar');
response.setHeader('Set-Cookie', ['foo=bar', 'bar=baz']);
// Getting header's object
// by using getHeaders() method
const value = response.getHeaders()
// Display the header
console.log(value);
};
// Creating and initializing server
// by using http2.createServer() method
const server = http2.createServer(options, http2Handlers);
server.on('stream', (stream, requestHeaders) => {
// Getting all information of this http2stream object
// by using state api
const status = stream.state;
stream.end("The sum weight of all Http2Stream : "
+ status.sumDependencyWeight);
// Stopping the server
// by using the close() method
server.close(()=>{
console.log("server destroyed");
})
});
server.listen(8000);
// Creating and initializing client
// by using tls.connect() method
const client = http2.connect('http://localhost:8000');
const req = client.request({
':method': 'GET', ':path': '/www.geeksforgeeks.org' });
req.on('data', (data) => {
console.log('Received: %s ',
data.toString().replace(/(\n)/gm,""));
});
req.on('end', () => {
client.close(()=>{
console.log("client destroyed");
})
});
Run the index.js file using the following command:
node index.jsOutput:
{ foo: 'bar', 'set-cookie': [ 'foo=bar', 'bar=baz' ] }
Received: The sum weight of all Http2Stream : 0
client destroyed
server destroyed
