Serverless Universal MEAN API

• This package allow you to set up a backend API using node.js & mongodb in 2 minutes
• An Universal RESTful CRUD API for dynamic multiple collections of mongodb (database tables) with Node.js and Express.js, we DO NOT need to code the CRUD route/controller for each collection/table anymore.
• Designed to run on Serverless environment, such as AWS Lambda, Azure, Google, NetLify, Vercel
• Universal MEAN API stands for MongoDB(M) + Express.js(E) + Universal CRUD API(A) + Node.js(N)
• All schemas and api routes can define in ONE file: api.config.js (No need to create mongodb collection beforehand)
• Come with a react-admin demo
• Support field search(=, %like%, full-text) and some json-sever standard parameters: _sort, _order, _start, _end, _limit, _like, _gte, _lte, id=1,2,3,4,5

How to install

• npm install universal-mean-api

How to use

• You only need create 2 js files after install: server.js & meanapi.config.js
• Then run command: node server.js to see the result
• Done!
• The file structure example:

  /node_modules
  /package-lock.json
  /server.js
  /meanapi.config.js or /config/meanapi.config.js or /config/api.config.js

• Basic example code for server.js:

const { app, serverless, API_CONFIG } = require("universal-mean-api");
if (API_CONFIG.IS_SERVERLESS) {
    module.exports.lambdaHandler = serverless(app); // handler for serverless function
} else {
    app.listen(app.get('config').PORT, () => {
        console.log(`API is running on port ${API_CONFIG.PORT}.`);
    });
}

• Basic example of meanapi.config.js (API variables & MongoDB schemas & routes)

module.exports.DB = process.env.DB || 'please-set-database-connect-uri-first';
module.exports.API_BASE = process.env.API_BASE || 'api/';
module.exports.PORT = process.env.PORT || '8080';
module.exports.CORS_ORIGIN = process.env.CORS_ORIGIN || [/localhost/, /\.test$/];
module.exports.IS_SERVERLESS = !!(process.env.LAMBDA_TASK_ROOT || process.env.AWS_LAMBDA_FUNCTION_NAME);

module.exports.API_SCHEMAS = [
    {
        "apiRoute": "test1",
        "collectionName": "test1",
        "schema": {
            name: String,
            description: String,
            type: String,
            gender: String,
            dob: Date,
            userId: { type: Number, required: [true, 'userId is required.'] }
        },
        "mongooseOption": { timestamps: true, strict: false },
        "searchFields": ["name", "description", "type"],
    },
    {
        "apiRoute": "test2",
        "collectionName": "test2",
        "schema": {
            title: {
                type: String,
                required: [true, 'Title is required.']
            },
            description: String,
            age: {
                type: Number,
                min: [18, 'Too young'],
                max: 80
            }
        },
        "mongooseOption": { timestamps: true, strict: true },
        "searchFields": ["description", "title"],
    },
    {
        "apiRoute": "test3",
        "collectionName": "test3",
        "schema": {
            address: String,
            description: String
        },
        "mongooseOption": { timestamps: false, strict: false },
        "searchFields": ["address"],
    }
];

How to access the RESTful API

• Based on above example server.js & meanapi.config.js files, we can access the localhost:8080 by run command node server.js or nodemon server.js
• RESTful API endpoint for collection < tablename >: http://localhost:8080/api/< tablename >
• RESTful API endpoint for collection test1: http://localhost:8080/api/test1
• RESTful API endpoint for collection test2: http://localhost:8080/api/test2
• RESTful API endpoint for collection test3: http://localhost:8080/api/test3
• RESTful API endpoint support GET/POST/PUT/DELETE and fields search

RESTful API CRUD routes example

GET http://localhost:8080/api/test1
GET http://localhost:8080/api/test1/<id>
POST http://localhost:8080/api/test1
PUT http://localhost:8080/api/test1/<id>
PATCH http://localhost:8080/api/test1/<id>
DELETE http://localhost:8080/api/test1/<id>

Field search route examples

• GET /api/test1?name_like=mean&description_like=api
• GET /api/test1?age_lgt=18&_limit=20
• GET /api/test1?id=1&id=2&id=3
• GET /api/test1?id=1,2,3,4 or ?_id=1,2,3,4

Sort & order by examples

• GET /api/test1?_sort=age&_order=dasc&_start=10&_end=20&name_like=api

Get data from relationship collections or tables

• To include children resources, add _embed
• To include parent resource, add _expand
• e.g. /pets/5fcd8f4a3b755f0008556057?_expand=user,file|mainImageId&_embed=pets,stories
• _expand=user,file|mainImageId means get parent data from parent table users and files. it will use userId and fileId as the foreign key by default unless you set it by table|foreignKey. e.g. file|mainImageId, file is the singular table name and mainImageId is the foreignKey
• Only support the detail route at this moment, will add to the list route

User auth check system (check if the user is the owner or admin via JWT access token)

• ENABLE_AUTH: enable user auth check system or not

• ENABLE_AUTH=true, all edit/delete/add(update/destroy/create) requests has to be the owner or admin

• ENABLE_AUTH=false, test & debug mode, everyone can view/edit/delete

• e.g. module.exports.ENABLE_AUTH = true;

• USER_ROUTE: user table api endpoint route

• e.g. module.exports.USER_ROUTE = 'users';

• FIELD_USER_ID: the foreign key id in other tables to user id

• e.g. module.exports.FIELD_USER_ID = 'userId';

• by default all GET request no need check user auth

• if we want enable auth check for a table/collection list/show GET request

• set readRules for each table/collection like below

• "readRules": { "checkAuth": true, "checkOwner": true }

• e.g. CRUD for orders table/collection, need to login first to do anything, only the owner itself can view/add/edit/delete his/her orders

• Who is admin? Set role field in users table to admin or xxxAdmin (any role value contains string "admin" will consider is an admin role)

• e.g. role=webAdmin, role=admin, role=SuperAdmin, role=Dashboard Admin

• admin has all permissions for now

How to set admin only add/edit/delete permission

• add/edit/delete request allow owner itself by default
• if you want set admin only for some system tables, e.g. settings, categories
• Add "writeRules": { "checkAdmin": true } to the schema settings in api.config.js

How to allow create item anonymous

• Sometimes we want allow create item anonymous. e.g. a contact us form
• Add "writeRules": { "ignoreCreateAuth": true } to the schema settings in api.config.js
• NOTE: It still requires login if there is a _POST[userId] parameter for security reason
• edit/delete still requires owner or admin

How to set up a private item

• Sometimes we want create item privately. e.g. something is public while others is private, or private message & public comment
• Add "isPublic: Boolean" to the schema settings in api.config.js
• Set FIELD_PUBLIC = 'isPublic' and FIELD_TARGET_USER_ID = 'ownerId' to fit your needs
• The API will check if there is a isPublic field in the schema first, then check the current user or target user is match or not
• Example 1: a story set isPublic=false, means it is private. only the owner itself can view/edit it. Other users can not event list or view it.
• Example 2: a private message sent to userA from userB, only those two users both can view the message, however, only userB can edit/delete the message.

How to update some fields anonymous

• selfUpdateFields only allow 1 increase/decrease self update unless use is admin
• "writeRules": { "selfUpdateFields": ["viewNum", "likeNum", "commentNum"] }
• Note: selfUpdateFields will exclude from owner itself update

return data - all JSON format

• add or update request, returns the NEW item object if success
• list request, returns an array contains all item objects
• show/detail request, returns the item object if success
• delete request, the http status returns 200 if success

Debug locally

• npm install universal-mean-api
• npx nodemon server.js (or nodemon server.js)
• cd reactAdmin
• npm start

AWS Lambda settings

• Function js file: awsLambda.js

Serverless function settings for NetLify

• Base directory: Empty(Not set)
• Build command: npm install && cd reactAdmin && npm install && npm run build && rm -rf node_modules
• Publish directory: reactAdmin/build
• Functions directory: netlifyFunctions
• Function js file: netlifyFunctions/serverlessapi.js
• Environment variables API_BASE: .netlify/functions/serverlessapi/ DB: mongodb+srv://db-user:[email protected]/db-name?retryWrites=true&w=majority DEBUG: yes REACT_APP_MEAN_API: https://meanapi.netlify.app/.netlify/functions/serverlessapi
• Config react-admin for API demo or admin dashboard
  • Setup env available: MEAN_API to https://meanapi.netlify.app/.netlify/functions/serverlessapi
  • Change document root directory to reactAdmin/build

Vercel

• Test many times for serverless function and failed
• Use vercel.json install of serverless function
• Demo: https://meanapi.now.sh/serverlessApi/pet
• Environment variables
  • API_BASE: serverlessApi/
  • DB: mongodb+srv://db-user:[email protected]/db-name?retryWrites=true&w=majority
  • DEBUG: yes
  • CORS_ORIGIN: https://reactadmindemo.now.sh
• Set up react-admin with another app use different domain name
  • REACT_APP_MEAN_API: https://meanapi.now.sh/serverlessApi
  • Demo: https://reactadmindemo.now.sh/