Build a Basic HTTP API with Native Node

Create small but solid APIs with Node's native `http` module by understanding routes, methods, status codes, JSON responses, and the difference between a valid result and a useful contract.

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📘 Theory

Every Endpoint Is a Contract

Method, route, status, and body all communicate meaning together.

The route identifies the resource. The HTTP method expresses the action or intention. The status code tells the client how the request ended. The JSON body carries structured data or error information.

When those parts disagree, the API becomes harder to consume and debug.

`GET` reads
`POST` creates
`PUT` or `PATCH` updates
`DELETE` removes
The payload shape should stay consistent across similar outcomes

Use `http.createServer` to See the Core Mechanics

Native Node gives you more control and more responsibility.

With the built-in `http` module, you handle routing logic, response headers, and error cases yourself.

That can feel more verbose, but it reveals the real moving parts that Express will later streamline.

Beginner API Mistakes Usually Break the Contract, Not the Syntax

The code may run while the API is still badly designed.

Common mistakes include returning `200` for real failures, forgetting JSON headers, or changing the response shape unpredictably between endpoints.

Those errors hurt client code because they force defensive patches in the frontend.

Useful APIs Return Predictable JSON

Clients should not have to guess whether the response is success, failure, or something in between.

You can keep API design simple and still be disciplined. For example, success responses can return a stable object shape, while failures can return a stable `error` message field.

Predictability becomes even more valuable once several screens or clients consume the same backend.