Node.js HTTP/2 Module

Here is a clean, easy-to-understand, and complete guide on Node.js HTTP/2 Module — perfect for your tutorial series.

🚀 Node.js HTTP/2 Module Tutorial

The HTTP/2 module in Node.js enables creating high-performance and secure servers using the HTTP/2 protocol.

HTTP/2 provides several advantages over HTTP/1.1:

✔ Multiplexing (multiple requests over one connection)
✔ Header compression
✔ Server Push
✔ Faster performance
✔ Better resource delivery for modern web apps

Node.js provides a built-in module:

🧠 What is HTTP/2?

HTTP/2 is the next major version of HTTP, designed to improve:

Speed
Efficiency
Concurrency
Security

Browsers require HTTPS (TLS) before allowing HTTP/2, so you must provide SSL certificates.

🌐 1. Create a Simple HTTP/2 Server (Secure)

HTTP/2 over HTTPS (recommended for browsers):

server.js

const http2 = require("http2");
const fs = require("fs");

const server = http2.createSecureServer({
key: fs.readFileSync("key.pem"),
cert: fs.readFileSync("cert.pem")
});

server.on("stream", (stream, headers) => {
stream.respond({
"content-type": "text/html",
":status": 200
});

stream.end("<h1>Hello from HTTP/2 Server!</h1>");
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
console.log("HTTP/2 server running on https://localhost:3000");
});

const http2 = require("http2");

const fs = require("fs");

const server = http2.createSecureServer({

key: fs.readFileSync("key.pem"),

cert: fs.readFileSync("cert.pem")

});

server.on("stream", (stream, headers) => {

stream.respond({

"content-type": "text/html",

":status": 200

});

stream.end("<h1>Hello from HTTP/2 Server!</h1>");

});

server.listen(3000, () => {

console.log("HTTP/2 server running on https://localhost:3000");

});

Run it:

Open:

🔐 2. Create a Self-Signed SSL Certificate (for testing)

⚡ 3. HTTP/2 Plaintext (h2c) Server Example

Note: Browsers DO NOT support plaintext HTTP/2, but Node.js does for internal microservices.

const http2 = require("http2");

const server = http2.createServer();

server.on("stream", (stream, headers) => {
stream.respond({
"content-type": "text/plain",
":status": 200
});
stream.end("Hello HTTP/2 without TLS");
});

server.listen(8080, () => {
console.log("h2c server running on port 8080");
});

const http2 = require("http2");

const server = http2.createServer();

server.on("stream", (stream, headers) => {

stream.respond({

"content-type": "text/plain",

":status": 200

});

stream.end("Hello HTTP/2 without TLS");

});

server.listen(8080, () => {

console.log("h2c server running on port 8080");

});

📑 4. HTTP/2 Client Example

Connect to your secure server:

const http2 = require("http2");

const client = http2.connect("https://localhost:3000", {
rejectUnauthorized: false
});

const req = client.request({ ":path": "/" });

req.on("data", chunk => {
console.log(chunk.toString());
});

req.on("end", () => {
client.close();
});

req.end();

const http2 = require("http2");

const client = http2.connect("https://localhost:3000", {

rejectUnauthorized: false

});

const req = client.request({ ":path": "/" });

req.on("data", chunk => {

console.log(chunk.toString());

});

req.on("end", () => {

client.close();

});

req.end();

🚀 5. Server Push Example (HTTP/2 Feature)

Server can push additional resources without the client requesting them.

const http2 = require("http2");
const fs = require("fs");

const server = http2.createSecureServer({
key: fs.readFileSync("key.pem"),
cert: fs.readFileSync("cert.pem")
});

server.on("stream", (stream, headers) => {
// Push a CSS file
stream.pushStream({ ":path": "/style.css" }, (err, pushStream) => {
if (err) throw err;

pushStream.respond({
"content-type": "text/css",
":status": 200
});
pushStream.end("body { background: lightblue; }");
});

// Main HTML response
stream.respond({
"content-type": "text/html",
":status": 200
});

stream.end(`
<h1>HTTP/2 Server Push Demo</h1>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css">
`);
});

server.listen(3000);

const http2 = require("http2");

const fs = require("fs");

const server = http2.createSecureServer({

key: fs.readFileSync("key.pem"),

cert: fs.readFileSync("cert.pem")

});

server.on("stream", (stream, headers) => {

// Push a CSS file

stream.pushStream({ ":path": "/style.css" }, (err, pushStream) => {

if (err) throw err;

pushStream.respond({

"content-type": "text/css",

":status": 200

});

pushStream.end("body { background: lightblue; }");

});

// Main HTML response

stream.respond({

"content-type": "text/html",

":status": 200

});

stream.end(`

<h1>HTTP/2 Server Push Demo</h1>

`);

});

server.listen(3000);

🔍 6. Important HTTP/2 API Methods

✔ `http2.createSecureServer(options)`

Create HTTPS HTTP/2 server.

✔ `http2.createServer()`

Create plaintext HTTP/2 server.

✔ `server.on("stream")`

Triggered on every client request.

✔ `stream.respond(headers)`

Send response headers.

✔ `stream.end(body)`

Send response body.

✔ `stream.pushStream(headers, callback)`

Send server push streams.

✔ `http2.connect(url)`

Create an HTTP/2 client.

⚙ 7. HTTP/2 Headers

HTTP/2 uses special pseudo-headers:

Header	Meaning
`:method`	GET, POST, etc.
`:path`	URL path
`:status`	Response status code
`:scheme`	http / https
`:authority`	domain

Example request:

📦 8. When to Use HTTP/2 in Node.js

Best use cases:

High-performance APIs
Microservices communication
Streaming data
Real-time applications
Web apps with many assets
Server Push optimizations
Reducing latency on slow networks

📌 9. HTTP/2 vs HTTP/1.1 (Summary)

Feature	HTTP/1.1	HTTP/2
Multiplexing	❌ No	✔ Yes
Header Compression	❌ No	✔ Yes
Server Push	❌ No	✔ Yes
Binary protocol	❌ No	✔ Yes
Faster	❌ No	✔ Yes

🎉 Conclusion

The Node.js HTTP/2 module is a powerful tool for:

Building faster servers
Streaming data
Improving performance
Modern web architecture
Real-time apps

Node.js HTTP/2 Module

🚀 Node.js HTTP/2 Module Tutorial

🧠 What is HTTP/2?

🌐 1. Create a Simple HTTP/2 Server (Secure)

server.js

🔐 2. Create a Self-Signed SSL Certificate (for testing)

⚡ 3. HTTP/2 Plaintext (h2c) Server Example

📑 4. HTTP/2 Client Example

🚀 5. Server Push Example (HTTP/2 Feature)

🔍 6. Important HTTP/2 API Methods

✔ `http2.createSecureServer(options)`

✔ `http2.createServer()`

✔ `server.on("stream")`

✔ `stream.respond(headers)`

✔ `stream.end(body)`

✔ `stream.pushStream(headers, callback)`

✔ `http2.connect(url)`

⚙ 7. HTTP/2 Headers

📦 8. When to Use HTTP/2 in Node.js

📌 9. HTTP/2 vs HTTP/1.1 (Summary)

🎉 Conclusion

You may also like...

Node.js Tutorials

Node.js HTTP/2 Module

🚀 Node.js HTTP/2 Module Tutorial

🧠 What is HTTP/2?

🌐 1. Create a Simple HTTP/2 Server (Secure)

server.js

🔐 2. Create a Self-Signed SSL Certificate (for testing)

⚡ 3. HTTP/2 Plaintext (h2c) Server Example

📑 4. HTTP/2 Client Example

🚀 5. Server Push Example (HTTP/2 Feature)

🔍 6. Important HTTP/2 API Methods

✔ http2.createSecureServer(options)

✔ http2.createServer()

✔ server.on("stream")

✔ stream.respond(headers)

✔ stream.end(body)

✔ stream.pushStream(headers, callback)

✔ http2.connect(url)

⚙ 7. HTTP/2 Headers

📦 8. When to Use HTTP/2 in Node.js

📌 9. HTTP/2 vs HTTP/1.1 (Summary)

🎉 Conclusion

You may also like...

Node.js TLS/SSL Module

Node.js Net Module

Node.js Zlib Module

Node.js Tutorials

✔ `http2.createSecureServer(options)`

✔ `http2.createServer()`

✔ `server.on("stream")`

✔ `stream.respond(headers)`

✔ `stream.end(body)`

✔ `stream.pushStream(headers, callback)`

✔ `http2.connect(url)`