title: How to create a variable in jade to be used in node.js
body: <p>I am new to express node and I am responsible for the front end of a web app. I need to be able to have the user press a link and for that link to when press pass variable to index.js this link lets the user choose what category of question that they want to be tested on. I do not think that having a different route for each category is the best option. but because I am new I am not sure what to do.</p>
  
  <p>Here is the code for my link in jade (I want to add something here to do what I want) there is a link to a screenshot of the page at the bottom of this post.</p>
  
  <pre><code>              li.active
                   a(href='freeplay')
                      i.fa.fa-edit
                      span.nav-label Freeplay
                      span.fa.arrow
                   ul.nav.nav-second-level
                      li
                         a(href='freeplay/category') Category1
                      li
                         a(href='freeplay/category') Category2
                      li
                         a(href='freeplay/category') Category3
                      li
                         a(href='freeplay/category') Category4
                      li
                         a(href='freeplay/category') Category5
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and Here is my index.js that handles it. temp is the variable that I want to hold the string of the category.</p>
  
  <pre><code>//Handle the free play request
  router.get('/freeplay' , isAuthenticated, freeplay.startFreePlay);
  
  //Handle the free play request with category
  router.get('/freeplay/category' , isAuthenticated, freeplay.startCategoryPlay);
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and finally the node.js that I want to be able to read a variable in to temp is the variable I want to assign the user chosen category to.</p>
  
  <pre><code>exports.startFreePlay = function(req, res) {
  
  //grab a question that the user has not gotten right
  //Get the users logged in id
  userId = req.session.passport.user;
  
  
  freePlayLogic.getQuestion(userId, function(question){
  
  
      res.render("FreePlayQuestion", { question: question , questionID : question._id.toString()});
  })
  
  //Pass the question to render
  
  };
  
  exports.startCategoryPlay = function(req, res){
  //grab a question that the user has not gotten right
  //Get the users logged in id
  userId = req.session.passport.user;
  
  /**
   * get a question from category "temp"
   */
  freePlayLogic.getQuestionFromCategory(userId, "temp", function(question){
  
      res.render("FreePlayQuestion", { question: question , questionID :   question._id.toString()});
  })
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Thanks in advance for help!</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://i.stack.imgur.com/HDfG3.png" rel="nofollow">here is a screenshot of the web app with the category choices</a></p>