instant-mvc

Create an mvc framework in an instant

Getting Started

Three steps!

• Installation npm install instant-mvc --save-dev
• Create a mvc.config.js file
• Run the command line utility npx instant-mvc

That's it! get back to building the app.

Inside the mvc.config.js

Create a mvc.config.js file in the root directory

Add this code to the mvc.config.js

module.exports = {
    routes: {}
}

You will define your routes here as an object.

Defining a route

You define a route as a key:value pair that takes on the form: <route path>:<method> Defining a 'GET' method at '/api/posts' would look like: '/api/posts':'GET'

multiple methods to a route

For multiple methods, use an array: '/api/posts':['GET','POST','DELETE']

Adding controllers to a method

To add a controller to a REST method, use an array [<method>,<controller>]

Example:

'/api/posts':[
    ['GET','getAllPosts'],
    ['POST','createPost'],
]

Possible issues

If only adding one [<method>,<controller>] to a route, make sure to define this as an Array of Arrays. Otherwise stranger things will occur.

Explicity, like this:

'/api/posts':[
    ['GET','getAllPosts'],
]

Putting it all together

Here's an example config

module.exports = {
    routes:{
        '/home':'index.html',
        '/login':'login.html',
        '/dashboard':'dashboard.html',
        '/api/posts':[
            ['GET','getAllPosts'],
            ['POST','createPost'],
        ],
        '/api/posts/:id':[
            ['GET','findPostById'],
            ['DELETE','deletePost'],
            ['PATCH','updatePost'],
        ],
        '/api/user':[
            ['POST','createUser'],
        ],
        '/api/user/:id':[
            ['GET','findUserById'],
            ['DELETE','deleteUser'],
            ['PATCH','updateUser'],
        ],
        '/api/user/VIP':[
            ['GET','getAllVIPS'],
            ['POST','createVIP'],
        ],
        '/api/user/VIP/:id':[
            ['GET','findVIPById'],
            ['DELETE','deleteVIP'],
            ['PATCH','updateVIP'],
        ],
    }
}

Running instant-mvc

Once a mvc.config.js file has been set up run npx instant-mvc

This will:

• Add a routes directory with all routes hooked to controllers (if defined that way).
• Add a controllers directory with a controller framework ready to add code to.
• Add a server.js file that:
  • uses compression
  • has cors configured
  • is set up for data parsing
  • initialises env variables
  • hooked to your routes
  • starts a server with npm start

Controllers directory

When these directories are set up, they contain an index file that autobundles all controllers into an object. If you want to add or remove controllers. Simply add and removes files. The exported object will automatically contain these files for you.

Config Options

To configure extra options, add them as key:value pairs to the mvc.config.js file

All config options:

• buildPath: path from the root to where static assets should be served from
• htmlPath: path from the root to where html should be served from

JS Frameworks

instant-mvc aims to effortlessly connect an mvc framework to your prefered JS framework.

React

Currently v0.3.8 supports create-react-app if housed in a 'client' folder. Instant-mvc will autoDetect React if it's under 'client' and configure your routes to reference everything from the build directory.

React quick start

From scratch, A create-react-app with a server:

• Make a new directory
• npx create-react-app client
• npm init
• npm install instant-mvc
• Create an mvc.config.js file with your routes and controllers.
• npx instant-mvc
• npm install Necessary step, the package.json file has been updated.
• npm start run the app!

That's it! You'll have a react app, with routes, with controllers, with a bells and whistles server running on localhost:3001. Neat huh?

React Specific Information

If using React Router (we recommend that you do), then there's no need to define a default for serving the index. we take care of this too.

If not using React Router, then simply serve up html files as you normally would, instant-mvc knows to serve these from ./client/build/<fileName>.html

Future Development

Currently instant-mvc is designed to be run at the start of the project as boilerplate, building the app on top of it. Ultimately instant-mvc is being developed to be boilerplate and a route management tool that...

• add/remove routes and controllers by adjusting the config
• integrate your preference of database and set up models for you.
• have a more configurable server.js
• set up database connection for you from your flavour of db.

If there's anything you would like to see on here, go to the github issues page (below) and request a feature, we're still in beta, anything can happen.

Issues

We're still in beta! (from 15/08/2020), if you want a feature or have an issue, please let us know here.

Contributing

Want to Contribute? Flick Wayne a message on github and let's have a chat.

License

Licensed under the MIT License