restful_express_router

The restful_express_router is a lightweight, flexible Node.js package that streamlines the creation of RESTful APIs by automatically generating Express routes for your Mongoose models. With minimal setup, it provides a complete CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) API interface, making it perfect for rapid development while maintaining customization options.

Main objective is to keep things very simple and provide a boilerplate to create RESTful Express Routers using mongoose 

Features

• Automatic Route Generation: Creates standardized RESTful endpoints for all CRUD operations
• Flexible Middleware Support: Add custom middleware for authentication, logging, or any other purpose
• Advanced Query Capabilities: Built-in support for:
  • Pagination
  • Sorting
  • Field selection
  • Custom filters
• Customizable: Easy to extend with additional routes and custom handlers
• MongoDB/Mongoose Integration: Seamless integration with your existing Mongoose models

Installation

Install the package using npm:

npm install restful_express_router

Usage Example

Below is a basic example demonstrating how to create a complete REST API for a User model:

require('dotenv').config();
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const express = require('express');
const RestfulExpressRouter = require('restful_express_router'); 

const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

// Define a simple Mongoose model
const UserSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  email: String,
  password: String,
});
const User = mongoose.model('User', UserSchema);

let restfulExpressRouter = new RestfulExpressRouter(User);

app.use('/users', restfulExpressRouter.getRouter());

app.get('/', (req, res) => res.status(200).json({ message: "Welcome to ExpressRestRouter 0.0.1" }));

// Start the server
const PORT = 5000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running on port ${PORT}`);
});

API Manual

Available Endpoints

Query Parameters

When retrieving lists (GET /), the following query parameters are supported:

• sort (string): Sort by any field. Prefix with - for descending order
  • Example: sort=-createdAt or sort=email
• limit (number): Number of items per page (default: 10)
  • Example: limit=20
• page (number): Page number for pagination (default: 1)
  • Example: page=2
• fields (string): Comma-separated list of fields to include
  • Example: fields=email,createdAt
• filters: Any model field can be used as a filter
  • Example: status=active&role=admin

Middleware Functionality

The RestfulExpressRouter provides a flexible middleware system that allows you to:

• Add authentication to specific routes
• Log requests
• Validate input data
• Transform responses
• Handle errors

Middleware Configuration

Each route type can have its own middleware chain:

Advanced Example

The following example demonstrates how to implement authentication, logging, and custom routes:

require('dotenv').config();
const db = require("./mongo.js");
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const express = require('express');
const RestfulExpressRouter = require('restful_express_router'); 
const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
const login = require('./src/login.js');

const UserSchema = require('./src/UserSchema.js');
const User = mongoose.model('User', UserSchema);

//////////////////////////////
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

//==Middlewhere
const logRequest = (req, res, next) => {
  // debugger;
  console.log(`Request Method: ${req.method}, URL: ${req.url}`);
  next(); // Proceed to the next middleware or route handler
};


// Middleware  for Auth
const authenticateJWT = (req, res, next) => {
  debugger;
    const token = req.headers['authorization']?.split(' ')[1]; 
    if (!token) {
        return res.sendStatus(403); // Forbidden if no token
    }

    jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET, (err, user) => {
        if (err) {
          console.log(`Verified: ${req.method}, URL: ${req.url}`);
            return res.sendStatus(403); // Forbidden if token is not valid
        }
        
        req.user = user; // Save user info in request object
        next(); // Proceed to the next middleware or route handler
    });
};

///////////////////////////////////////////////
let restfulExpressRouter = new RestfulExpressRouter(User);

restfulExpressRouter.middlewareForList = [logRequest];
restfulExpressRouter.middlewareForGetById = [logRequest];
restfulExpressRouter.middlewareForUpdate = [authenticateJWT];

restfulExpressRouter.addExtraRoute(
  {
    method: 'post',
    path: '/login',
    middlewares: [], // Optional: add any middlewares
    handler: async function(req, res) {
      debugger;
      const rez =  await login(req,res);
      return rez;
      // res.status(200).json({ message: 'This is an additional route (login)' });
    }
  }
);

////----Here it all comes together
app.use('/users', restfulExpressRouter.getRouter());

app.get('/', (req, res) => res.status(200).json({ message: "Welcome to ExpressRestRouter 0.0.1" }));

// Start the server
const PORT = 5000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running on port ${PORT}`);
});

Error Handling

The router provides consistent error responses:

• 404: Resource not found
  • Returned when requesting non-existent items
• 500: Internal server error
  • Returned for database errors or unexpected issues
• 400: Bad request
  • Returned for invalid input data
• 403: Forbidden
  • Returned for authentication/authorization failures

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Author

Bilal Tariq