express questions

Middleware functions in Express are functions that have access to the request, response, and the next middleware function in the application’s request-response cycle. Implement middleware by defining a function with `(req, res, next)` parameters and using `app.use(middlewareFunction)` to apply it globally or `router.use(middlewareFunction)` for specific routes. Middleware can perform tasks such as logging, authentication, or request modification.

Implement rate limiting in Express using middleware like `express-rate-limit`. Install it with `npm install express-rate-limit` and configure it to limit the number of requests from a single IP address. For example, `const limiter = rateLimit({ windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, max: 100 }); app.use(limiter);` limits requests to 100 per 15 minutes. This helps prevent abuse and ensure fair usage of resources.

Error handling in Express is typically done using middleware. Define an error-handling middleware function with four parameters: `err`, `req`, `res`, and `next`. Use `app.use((err, req, res, next) => { /* error handling logic */ })` to catch and handle errors. Ensure you place this middleware after all route and other middleware definitions. Handle different error types and send appropriate responses to the client.

`String.prototype.match` retrieves the matches of a string against a regular expression. It returns an array of matches or `null` if no matches are found. 

const str = 'hello 123';
const matches = str.match(/\d+/);
console.log(matches); // ['123']

`String.prototype.search` searches a string for a match against a regular expression and returns the index of the first match. If no match is found, it returns -1. 

const str = 'hello 123'; 
const index = str.search(/\d+/); 
console.log(index); // 6 

A CTE (Common Table Expression) is a temporary result set that you can reference within a `SELECT`, `INSERT`, `UPDATE`, or `DELETE` statement. Defined using the `WITH` clause, it can simplify complex queries by breaking them into more manageable parts. For example: `WITH dept_emp AS (SELECT * FROM employees WHERE dept_id = 1) SELECT * FROM dept_emp;`.

Express.js is a fast, minimal web framework for Node.js that simplifies server creation and request handling. Example: Express allows you to define routes and middleware in a structured way. A simple Express app might handle GET requests at '/home' with app.get('/home').

Synchronous errors are caught using try-catch blocks, while asynchronous errors should be handled with `.catch()` or async error-handling middleware. For example: `app.use(async (req, res, next) => { try { await asyncFunction(); } catch (err) { next(err); } });`.