hapiinert

Hapiinert, commonly referred to as Inert, is a plugin for the hapi.js web framework that provides static file and directory handling. It enables a hapi server to serve static assets from the filesystem and to expose directory listings when no index file is present. The plugin is designed to integrate with hapi’s routing system and is often used to serve assets such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and other files.

Installation and usage are straightforward. In modern releases, the plugin is published under the package name @hapi/inert and can be installed via npm. After installation, the plugin is registered with the hapi server, for example by calling server.register(require('@hapi/inert')). Once registered, routes can be configured to use a directory handler to serve files. A typical route would specify a path pattern like '/{param*}' and a handler that declares directory options, such as path: 'public', index: true, listing: true.

Key configuration options include the root filesystem path, whether to serve an index file when a directory is requested, and whether to allow directory listings. The directory option provides the primary means of delivering static content and exposing directory contents, while other dynamic content should be handled by separate route handlers.

Compatibility and security considerations are important. Inert is focused on static content delivery and does not perform server-side processing of dynamic content. Administrators should restrict the served directory and be aware that enabling directory listings can reveal internal files, so access control and proper permissions are recommended. The plugin is maintained by the hapijs community and is available for current hapi.js releases, including modern @hapi versions.