Nodejs API Server – A Full-Stack Starter Kit by AppSeed

Nodejs and Express are widely adopted for creating API servers due to their ease of use and community support. AppSeed harnesses these technologies to provide developers with a full-stack ready starter that can significantly accelerate the development process. Featuring full-stack capabilities with the React Soft Dashboard, this starter is tested across multiple NodeJS versions and comes with several vital features such as Json Web Tokens (JWT) for authentication, SQLite for the data layer, and passport-jwt integration for handling OAuth.

Overview and Features

The AppSeed starter is a project scaffold designed for developers looking to create a new Express/Nodejs API Server. It offers a number of pre-configured features:

JWT Authentication: Ensures secure communication and user authentication in the application using Json Web Tokens (JWT).
SQLite Integration: Lightweight, disk-based database that does not require a separate server process, making it perfect for development and smaller apps.
Passport-Jwt Strategy: Enables authentication token strategies for securing Express/Node.js applications through the passport-jwt library.
OAuth with GitHub: Allows users to authenticate using their GitHub account, simplifying the login process.
Support: Provided through Discord & Email channels to assist users with potential issues or questions regarding the usage of this starter kit.
Full-stack Ready with TypeScript: The starter includes frontend capabilities with React Soft Dashboard, built with TypeScript.

Compatibility and Testing

Testing ensures that the project runs smoothly across different environments. The Nodejs API Server starter has been tested with:

NodeJS versions: v18.0.0, v16.10.0, v14.15.0
Package Managers: Both NPM and YARN are supported for package management and script execution.

Setup and Configuration

The starter kit provides clear instructions for setting up the development environment. Here's a brief overview of the steps:

Navigate to the Project Directory: cd <project-directory>
Install Dependencies: Run yarn or npm install.
Database Migrations: Execute the command yarn typeorm migration:run to set up your database schema.
Environment Variables: Copy .env.sample to .env and configure the required environment variables such as PORT, SQLITE_PATH, SECRET, and GitHub OAuth credentials.
Development Server: Start the development environment using npm run dev or yarn dev.
Production Build: Compile the project using the build script.
Running the Server: Launch the built server from build/index.js, ensuring that the PORT is set in .env.

Codebase and Structure

The codebase is designed to be simple and intuitive, allowing easy expansion and customization. The project directory encapsulates various components, including configuration files, source code, and utilities.

API and Endpoints

The provided API endpoints enable basic operations such as user registration, login, and logout:

Register: POST api/users/register
Login: POST /api/users/login
Logout: POST api/users/logout

Additionally, management scripts are included for updating user roles within the system.

SQLite and Migrations

The starter includes meticulous instructions for setting up SQLite and running or generating database migrations. These steps make sure the database layer is appropriately structured for the application's needs.

Conclusion and Credits

AppSeed's Nodejs API Server is a comprehensive, open-source starter that simplifies the development process for full-stack applications. Among other accolades, it credits numerous inspirations and similar projects which guided its creation, exemplifying community collaboration in the open-source ecosystem.