You can provide multiple callback functions that behave like middleware to handle a request. The only exception is that these callbacks might invoke next('route') to bypass the remaining route callbacks. You can use this mechanism to impose pre-conditions on a route, then pass control to subsequent routes if there’s no reason to proceed with the current route.

Route handlers can be in the form of a function, an array of functions, or combinations of both, as shown in the following examples.

A single callback function can handle a route. For example:

app.get('/example/a', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello from A!')
})

More than one callback function can handle a route (make sure you specify the next object). For example:

app.get('/example/b', (req, res, next) => {
  console.log('the response will be sent by the next function ...')
  next()
}, (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello from B!')
})

An array of callback functions can handle a route. For example:

const cb0 = function (req, res, next) {
  console.log('CB0')
  next()
}

const cb1 = function (req, res, next) {
  console.log('CB1')
  next()
}

const cb2 = function (req, res) {
  res.send('Hello from C!')
}

app.get('/example/c', [cb0, cb1, cb2])

A combination of independent functions and arrays of functions can handle a route. For example:

const cb0 = function (req, res, next) {
  console.log('CB0')
  next()
}

const cb1 = function (req, res, next) {
  console.log('CB1')
  next()
}

app.get('/example/d', [cb0, cb1], (req, res, next) => {
  console.log('the response will be sent by the next function ...')
  next()
}, (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello from D!')
})

Response methods

The methods on the response object (res) in the following table can send a response to the client, and terminate the request-response cycle. If none of these methods are called from a route handler, the client request will be left hanging.

Method	Description
res.download()	Prompt a file to be downloaded.
res.end()	End the response process.
res.json()	Send a JSON response.
res.jsonp()	Send a JSON response with JSONP support.
res.redirect()	Redirect a request.
res.render()	Render a view template.
res.send()	Send a response of various types.
res.sendFile()	Send a file as an octet stream.
res.sendStatus()	Set the response status code and send its string representation as the response body.