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');\n\nconst app = connect()\n // Use apology middleware for 404s, pointing to the custom HTML file\n .use(apology(custom404Path))\n // Serve static files from the current directory (ensure / will work)\n .use(serveStatic(__dirname));\n\nconst PORT = 3000;\nconst server = http.createServer(app).listen(PORT, () => {\n console.log(`Server running on http://localhost:${PORT}`);\n console.log('Try visiting http://localhost:3000/non-existent-page to see the custom 404.');\n console.log('Serving a static file would work at http://localhost:3000/custom404.html');\n});\n\n// Clean up the dummy file on exit (optional)\nprocess.on('exit', () => {\n if (fs.existsSync(custom404Path)) {\n fs.unlinkSync(custom404Path);\n }\n});","lang":"javascript","description":"This example demonstrates how to integrate `apology-middleware` into a `connect` application to serve a custom HTML page for 404 Not Found errors. It sets up a simple server, creates a dummy 404 page, and then uses `apology` before a `serve-static` middleware to catch unhandled requests."},"warnings":[{"fix":"Migrate to modern error handling middleware provided by current web frameworks like Express's built-in error handling, or use actively maintained libraries designed for current Node.js versions.","message":"This package is effectively abandoned, with its last commit over 8 years ago. It targets extremely old Node.js versions (>=0.10.0) and uses deprecated patterns. It is not recommended for new projects or production use.","severity":"breaking","affected_versions":">=0.1.0"},{"fix":"Due to abandonment, there's no official 'fix' for API instability; caution is advised if using this package at all.","message":"The package was explicitly marked as 'early development' at version 0.1.0. This implies that the API might have been unstable or subject to breaking changes had development continued, and its current functionality should not be assumed to be production-ready or fully feature-complete.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"0.1.0"},{"fix":"Always place `apology` before any middleware that might successfully serve a file or route, but after any routing that should preempt it. For 404s, it typically sits before a general `serveStatic` or at the end of routing.","message":"The `apology` middleware must be placed correctly in the middleware chain. If placed after other middleware that might handle or terminate the request (e.g., a static file server), it may not be reached for 404 errors.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":">=0.1.0"}],"env_vars":null,"last_verified":"2026-04-23T00:00:00.000Z","next_check":"2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z","problems":[{"fix":"Ensure the path passed to `apology()` is an absolute and correct path to an existing HTML file, e.g., `path.join(__dirname, '404.html')`.","cause":"The path provided to `apology-middleware` for the custom error page does not exist or is incorrect.","error":"Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/path/to/4oh4.html'"},{"fix":"For modern Express, use Express's built-in error handling mechanisms, typically by defining an error-handling middleware function with four arguments (`(err, req, res, next)`). For 404s, a simple catch-all route at the end of your middleware chain can render a custom page.","cause":"`apology-middleware` is designed for older Connect/Express middleware formats. Modern Express applications often use `app.use(errorMiddleware)` differently or have built-in error handling.","error":"TypeError: app.use is not a function (when using with modern Express)"}],"ecosystem":"npm","meta_description":null,"install_score":null,"install_tag":null,"quickstart_score":null,"quickstart_tag":null}