How to set a timeout on a http.request() in Node?

Question

I'm trying to set a timeout on an HTTP client that uses http.request with no luck. So far what I did is this:

var options = { ... }
var req = http.request(options, function(res) {
  // Usual stuff: on(data), on(end), chunks, etc...
}

/* This does not work TOO MUCH... sometimes the socket is not ready (undefined) expecially on rapid sequences of requests */
req.socket.setTimeout(myTimeout);  
req.socket.on('timeout', function() {
  req.abort();
});

req.write('something');
req.end();

Any hints?

Answer 1

The Rob Evans anwser works correctly for me but when I use request.abort(), it occurs to throw a socket hang up error which stays unhandled.

I had to add an error handler for the request object :

var options = { ... }
var req = http.request(options, function(res) {
  // Usual stuff: on(data), on(end), chunks, etc...
}

req.on('socket', function (socket) {
    socket.setTimeout(myTimeout);  
    socket.on('timeout', function() {
        req.abort();
    });
}

req.on('error', function(err) {
    if (err.code === "ECONNRESET") {
        console.log("Timeout occurs");
        //specific error treatment
    }
    //other error treatment
});

req.write('something');
req.end();

Answer 2

For me - here is a less confusing way of doing the socket.setTimeout

var request=require('https').get(
    url
   ,function(response){
        var r='';
        response.on('data',function(chunk){
            r+=chunk;
            });
        response.on('end',function(){
            console.dir(r);            //end up here if everything is good!
            });
        }).on('error',function(e){
            console.dir(e.message);    //end up here if the result returns an error
            });
request.on('error',function(e){
    console.dir(e);                    //end up here if a timeout
    });
request.on('socket',function(socket){
    socket.setTimeout(1000,function(){
        request.abort();                //causes error event ↑
        });
    });