res.notFound()

Sends a 404 (“Not Found”) response using either res.json() or res.view(). Called automatically when Sails receives a request which doesn’t match any of its explicit routes or route blueprints (i.e. serves the 404 page).

When called manually from your app code, this method is normally used to indicate that the user-agent tried to find, update, or delete something that doesn’t exist.

Usage

  1. return res.notFound();

Or:

  • return res.notFound(data);
  • return res.notFound(data, pathToView);

Details

Like the other built-in custom response modules, the behavior of this method is customizable.

By default, it works as follows:

  • If the request “wants JSON“ (e.g. the request originated from AJAX, WebSockets, or a REST client like cURL), Sails will send the provided error data as JSON. If no data is provided a default response body will be sent (the string "Not Found").
  • If the request does not “want JSON” (e.g. a URL typed into a web browser), Sails will attempt to serve one of your views.
    • If a specific pathToView was provided, Sails will attempt to use that view.
    • Alternatively if pathToView was not provided, Sails will try to guess an appropriate view (see res.view() for details). If Sails cannot guess a workable view, it will just send JSON.
    • If Sails serves a view, the data argument will be accessible as a view local: data.

Example

Using the default view:

  1. return res.notFound();

With a custom view:

  1. Pet.findOne()
  2. .where(name: 'fido')
  3. .exec(function(err, fido) {
  4.   if (err) return res.serverError(err);
  5.   if (!fido) return res.notFound(undefined,'pet/sorry-that-pet-has-moved');
  6.   // ...
  7. })

Notes

  • This method is terminal, meaning it is generally the last line of code your app should run for a given request (hence the advisory usage of return throughout these docs).
  • res.notFound() (like other userland response methods) can be overridden or modified. It runs the response method defined in /responses/notFound.js, which is bundled automatically in newly generated Sails apps. If a notFound.js response method does not exist in your app, Sails will implicitly use the default behavior.
  • If pathToView refers to a missing view, this method will respond as if the request “wants JSON”. +By default, the specified error (err) will be excluded if the app is running in the “production” environment (i.e. process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production').