I think I'm done

.gitignore

@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-/data
+/data
+test.js

README.md

@@ -7,4 +7,9 @@ User Story: If I pass an invalid URL that doesn't follow the valid http://www.ex
 
 User Story: When I visit that shortened URL, it will redirect me to my original link.
 
-Note: all instructions and wording is taken from the example website (https://little-url.herokuapp.com/)
+Note: all instructions and wording is taken from the example website (https://little-url.herokuapp.com/)
+
+Other resources (no code was copied):
+http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14915496/how-can-i-allow-slashes-in-my-express-routes
+https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v6.x/docs/api/http.html#http_message_headers
+http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26007187/node-js-check-if-a-remote-url-exists

package.json

@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
     "express": "^4.14.0",
     "mongod": "^1.3.0",
     "mongodb": "^2.2.19",
-    "path": "^0.12.7",
-    "pug": "^2.0.0-beta6"
+    "path": "^0.12.7"
   }
 }

server.js

@@ -1,54 +1,96 @@
 var express = require('express');
 var path = require('path');
+var url = require('url');
 var mongoclient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;
 
 var app = express();
 
 app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'public')));
 
-app.get('/new/:url', function(req, res) {
-  console.log('got to our special place');
-  mongoclient.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/appdata', function(err, db){
-    if (err) throw err;
-    console.log('opened connection to mongo');
-
-    //add one to the counter
-    db.collection('nextNum').update({}, {
-      $inc: {counter: 1}
+app.get(/^\/new\/([:\w.\/]*)/, function(req, res) {
+  console.log('got to our special place: ' + req.params[0]);
+
+  //parse, validate, and test url
+  var oldURL = url.parse(req.params[0]);
+  var h;
+  console.log(oldURL.protocol);
+  switch (oldURL.protocol) {
+    case 'http:':
+      h = require('http');
+      break;
+    case 'https:':
+      h = require('https');
+      break;
+    default:
+      showJSONerror(res);
+      return;
+  }
+  console.log('stored ' + h);
+  var options = {
+    protocol: oldURL['protocol'],
+    hostname: oldURL['hostname'],
+    method: 'HEAD'
+  };
+  var pingreq = h.request(options, function(pingres) {
+    console.log('we made a ping: ' + pingres.statusCode);
+    if (pingres.statusCode === 200) {
+      mongoclient.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/appdata', function(err, db){
+        if (err) throw err;
+        console.log('opened connection to mongo');
+
+        //add one to the counter
+        db.collection('nextNum').update({}, {
+          $inc: {counter: 1}
+        });
+        console.log('incremented db?');
+
+        //get the new counter value
+        db.collection('nextNum').find({}, {counter:1, _id:0}).toArray( function(err, data){
+          if (err) throw err;
+          console.log('inside fn promise, current val: ' + data[0].counter);
+          //make new URL
+          var count = data[0].counter;
+          var newURL = 'https://shorten-url-hogdogthegod.c9users.io/' + count;
+          var newObj = {
+            'original-url': oldURL.href,
+            'short-url': newURL
+          };
+          console.log('created object:');
+          console.log(newObj);
+
+          //output info
+          res.json(newObj);
+          console.log('returned json');
+
+          //save to DB
+          newObj['short-id'] = count;
+          db.collection('urls').insert(newObj);
+          console.log('saved to db');
+
+          //clean up?
+          res.end();
+          db.close();
+          console.log('cleaned up');
+        });
+      })
+    } else {
+      showJSONerror(res);
+    }
     });
-    console.log('incremented db?');
-
-    //get the new counter value
-    db.collection('nextNum').find({}, {counter:1, _id:0}).toArray( function(err, data){;
-      if (err) throw err;
-      console.log('inside fn promise, current val: ' + data[0].counter);
-      //make new URL
-      var count = data[0].counter;
-      var newURL = 'https://shorten-url-hogdogthegod.c9users.io/' + count;
-      var newObj = {
-        'original-url': req.params.url,
-        'short-url': newURL
-      };
-      console.log('created object:');
-      console.log(newObj);
-
-      //output info
-      res.json(newObj);
-      console.log('returned json');
-      //save to DB
-      newObj['short-id'] = count;
-      db.collection('urls').insert(newObj);
-      console.log('saved to db');
-
-      //clean up?
-      res.end();
-      db.close();
-      console.log('cleaned up');
-    });
-  })
+  pingreq.on('error', function() {
+    showJSONerror(res)
+  });
+  pingreq.end();
 });
 
+function showJSONerror(res) {
+  console.log('caught error');
+  res.json({'error': 'no such url'});
+  res.end();
+}
+
 app.get('/:id', function(req, res){
+  console.log('retrieving long url');
   mongoclient.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/appdata', function(err, db) {
     if (err) throw err;
 
@@ -69,6 +111,10 @@ app.get('/:id', function(req, res){
   })
 });
 
+app.get('*', function(req, res){
+  showJSONerror(res);
+})
+
 app.listen(8080, function() {
   console.log('listener added');
 })