How to return values from functions making HTTP request in node.js?

Question

The getStockValue() function is called from another javascript file in the following way:

var r=require("./stockfile");
var returedData = r.getStockValue());

here returnedData contains only "-START-".

My objective is to get the body object returned from the function, after receiving the response. I've tried putting a return statement into the 'close' event handler, but it didn't work.

How should I do that?

function getStockValue() {

    var http = require('http');

    var options = {
        host: 'in.reuters.com',
        path: '/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=RIBA.BO',
        method: 'GET'

    };

    var body = "--START--";

    var req = http.request(options, function (res) {
        console.log('STATUS: ' + res.statusCode);
        console.log('HEADERS: ' + JSON.stringify(res.headers));

        res.on('data', function (chunk) {
            body += chunk;

        });

        res.on('close', function () {
            console.log("\n\nClose received!");
        });

    });

    req.on('error', function (e) {
        console.log('problem with request: ' + e.message);
    });
    req.end();

    return body + '... recieved';
}

exports.getStockValue = getStockValue;

nav · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-04 17:40:22Z

11

As this is an asynchronous operation if will return straight away and continue to run in the background, hense why you only receive -START-. You can resolve this with the help of a callback function. Heres how:

Call the function as follows:

r.getStockValue(function(result) {
     var returedData = result

     //... rest of your processing here
}));

and within the getStockValue function change to this:

function getStockValue(callback) {
   ...

   res.on('data', function (chunk) {
        body += chunk;
        callback(body);
   }); 

   ...
}

answered Jan 4, 2012 at 17:40

nav

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1 Comment

sbose Over a year ago

Thanks will try and get back to you! :)

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