Accept Numbers as body in send()

[artushin]

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Feature Request

5.0 breaks the ability to send numbers as a body in send(). I'd like to add them back.

Use Case

Why do you want this?
Backwards compatibility. If an API is already written with Number responses (which are arguably valid JSON), 5.0 breaks the contract.

Example API

This should include code snippets and documentation for the proposed feature
.send(200, 5);

Are you willing and able to implement this?

"Yes" or, if "no", what can current contributors do to help you create a PR?
Yes. I guess booleans probably fall into the same category. I can add those too.

[retrohacker]

Hey @artushin,

Thanks for pointing this regression out! I believe I introduced it when updating the way we handle optional parameters here: https://github.com/restify/node-restify/blob/5.x/lib/response.js#L273-L277

Is there a reliable way to differentiate between a body that is a Number and a status code? I.E. will a status code only be required when using a body of type Number as in resp.send(200, 200)?

[retrohacker]

To clarify, we run into the problem where:

Clear: resp.send(200, '200')
Clear: resp.send('200')
Clear: resp.send(200, 200)
Ambiguous: resp.send(200)

[retrohacker]

I'm labeling this as a bug since it was a regression and a feature since it is technically a "new" thing if we decide to formally support it. Also labeling it as needs discussion since, as it stands, this is introducing ambiguity into the API.

[artushin]

I think you should choose a convention and document it for the last case. Off the top of my head, a status code makes the most sense there semantically but I would go with whatever maintains the old API convention in order to prevent regressions.

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On Mon, Jul 17, 2017 at 7:11 PM William Blankenship < ***@***.***> wrote: To clarify, we run into the problem where: Clear: resp.send(200, '200') Clear: resp.send('200') Clear: resp.send(200, 200) Ambiguous: resp.send(200) — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1406 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABgVBvTVbFvXQjJ5K7pVmu3yWo63w3tiks5sO_YygaJpZM4OU10R> .

[kokarn]

I think the last case should also be a status code.
If somebody want's to implement something like that they should probably specify a explicit status code.

[retrohacker]

@yunong @rajatkumar @DonutEspresso thoughts?

[DonutEspresso]

Agree with status code, I think it would be more confusing to break that API given the historical/legacy use cases.

[hekike]

Fixed by: #1609