A developer wants to set up a secure web server withNode.js. The developer creates a directory locally called app-server, and the first file is…

To create a secure web server in Node.js without third-party libraries, the built-in https module is required. This module provides the functionality to create an HTTPS server, which is the standard for secure web communication. It is an implementation of the HTTP protocol over a TLS/SSL encrypted connection. The https.createServer() method is used to instantiate a new secure server, which requires SSL certificate details to operate. This directly fulfills the requirement of setting up a "secure web server" using Node.js core functionalities.

B. secure-server is not a built-in core module in Node.js. Using it would require installing a third-party library, which violates the problem's constraint.

C. The tls module provides the underlying Transport Layer Security protocol, but it is a lower-level API for secure streams, not a high-level web server implementation.

D. The http module creates a standard, unencrypted HTTP server. This is inherently insecure and does not meet the requirement for a "secure web server".

1. Node.js v20.12.2 Documentation, HTTPS: The official documentation explicitly states, "The https module provides an implementation of the TLS/SSL protocol for Node.js." The primary method for creating a secure server is https.createServer().

Reference: Node.js Documentation, https module, Introduction section. (https://nodejs.org/api/https.html)

2. Node.js v20.12.2 Documentation, HTTP: This documentation describes the http module for creating standard web servers, which are unencrypted by default, confirming why option D is incorrect.

Reference: Node.js Documentation, http module, http.createServer() section. (https://nodejs.org/api/http.html#httpcreateserveroptions-requestlistener)

3. Node.js v20.12.2 Documentation, TLS (Transport Layer Security): This source clarifies that the tls module provides the underlying security protocol upon which https is built, making https the correct high-level abstraction for a web server.

Reference: Node.js Documentation, tls module, Class: tls.Server section. (https://nodejs.org/api/tls.html#class-tlsserver)

4. Salesforce Trailhead, JavaScript Developer I Cert Prep: Server-Side JavaScript: This module establishes that knowledge of core Node.js modules is a key objective for the certification, including how to handle web requests.

Reference: Trailhead, "Understand Server-Side JavaScript with Node.js" unit. (https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/javascriptdevelopericertificationprepserversidejavascript/understand-server-side-javascript-with-nodejs)