Chapter 5. Developing Node.js functions

When you create a Node.js function using the Knative (kn) CLI, the project directory looks like a typical Node.js project. The only exception is the additional func.yaml file, which is used to configure the function.

Both http and event trigger functions have the same template structure:

.
├── func.yaml 1
├── index.js 2
├── package.json 3
├── README.md
└── test 4
    ├── integration.js
    └── unit.js

When using the Knative (kn) CLI to create a function project, you can generate a project that responds to CloudEvents, or one that responds to simple HTTP requests. CloudEvents in Knative are transported over HTTP as a POST request, so both function types listen for and respond to incoming HTTP events.

Node.js functions can be invoked with a simple HTTP request. When an incoming request is received, functions are invoked with a context object as the first parameter.

function handle(context, data)

// Expects to receive a CloudEvent with customer data
function handle(context, customer) {
  // process the customer
  const processed = handle(customer);
  return context.cloudEventResponse(customer)
    .source('/handle')
    .type('fn.process.customer')
    .response();
}

{
  "customerId": "0123456",
  "productId": "6543210"
}

function handle(context, data)

Functions can return any valid JavaScript type or can have no return value. When a function has no return value specified, and no failure is indicated, the caller receives a 204 No Content response.

Functions can also return a CloudEvent or a Message object in order to push events into the Knative Eventing system. In this case, the developer is not required to understand or implement the CloudEvent messaging specification. Headers and other relevant information from the returned values are extracted and sent with the response.

function handle(context, customer) {
  // process customer and return a new CloudEvent
  return new CloudEvent({
    source: 'customer.processor',
    type: 'customer.processed'
  })
}

function handle(context, customer) {
  // process customer and return custom headers
  // the response will be '204 No content'
  return { headers: { customerid: customer.id } };
}

function handle(context, customer) {
  // process customer
  if (customer.restricted) {
    return { statusCode: 451 }
  }
}

function handle(context, customer) {
  // process customer
  if (customer.restricted) {
    const err = new Error(‘Unavailable for legal reasons’);
    err.statusCode = 451;
    throw err;
  }
}

Node.js functions can be tested locally on your computer. In the default project that is created when you create a function by using kn func create, there is a test folder that contains some simple unit and integration tests.