Data in named segments

We were introduced to named segments in Chapter 3, Understanding Express Routes. It needs a special mention in this chapter because it is one of the most common media for sending data to the server, along with forms and cookies.

In named segments, we create routes with segments in the URL marked as placeholders for values. When such a route is accessed, the values of the placeholders are available in variables named after the placeholders. This feature enables queries to look neater by making them look like regular URLs.

Here is a URL with data contained in a query string:

http://localhost:3000/user?id=89

The preceding URL can be converted to a cleaner-looking URL using named parameters:

http://localhost:3000/user/89

Reading data

Named segment values are available in the req.params object after we create the appropriate routing.

The following route is defined to work with the http://localhost:3000/user/89 URL:

app.get('/user/:id', function(req, res) {
  console.log('User ID...