var url = "MY-URL";
var method = "POST";
var postData = "Some data";

// You REALLY want shouldBeAsync = true.
// Otherwise, it'll block ALL execution waiting for server response.
var shouldBeAsync = true;
var XMLHttpRequest = require("xmlhttprequest").XMLHttpRequest;
var request = new XMLHttpRequest();

// Before we send anything, we first have to say what we will do when the
// server responds. This seems backwards (say how we'll respond before we send
// the request? huh?), but that's how Javascript works.
// This function attached to the XMLHttpRequest "onload" property specifies how
// the HTTP response will be handled.
request.onload = function () {

   // Because of javascript's fabulous closure concept, the XMLHttpRequest "request"
   // object declared above is available in this function even though this function
   // executes long after the request is sent and long after this function is
   // instantiated. This fact is CRUCIAL to the workings of XHR in ordinary
   // applications.

   // You can get all kinds of information about the HTTP response.
   var status = request.status; // HTTP response status, e.g., 200 for "200 OK"
   var data = request.responseText; // Returned data, e.g., an HTML document.
}

request.open(method, url, shouldBeAsync);

request.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json;charset=UTF-8");
// Or... request.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "text/plain;charset=UTF-8");
// Or... whatever

// Actually sends the request to the server.
request.send(postData)