API
API Layer

API Layer

Overview

The API Layer in PDeck serves as the intermediary between the front-end and back-end services. It handles HTTP requests, manages authentication, and routes requests to appropriate services.

Key Responsibilities

  1. Request handling and routing
  2. Authentication and authorization
  3. Input validation
  4. Rate limiting
  5. Error handling and logging
  6. API versioning

Technology Stack

  • Node.js with Express.js for the API server
  • JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for authentication
  • Joi for request validation
  • Winston for logging

Implementation Guidelines

1. Setting Up the API Server

Create a new Node.js project and install necessary dependencies:

mkdir pdeck-api
cd pdeck-api
npm init -y
npm install express jsonwebtoken joi winston cors helmet

2. Basic Server Setup

Create the main server file:

// server.js
const express = require('express')
const cors = require('cors')
const helmet = require('helmet')
const routes = require('./routes')
 
const app = express()
 
app.use(cors())
app.use(helmet())
app.use(express.json())
 
app.use('/api/v1', routes)
 
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000
app.listen(PORT, () => console.log(`Server running on port ${PORT}`))

3. Implementing Authentication Middleware

Create a middleware for JWT authentication:

// middleware/auth.js
const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken')
 
const authMiddleware = (req, res, next) => {
  const token = req.header('x-auth-token')
  if (!token) return res.status(401).json({ message: 'No token, authorization denied' })
 
  try {
    const decoded = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET)
    req.user = decoded.user
    next()
  } catch (err) {
    res.status(401).json({ message: 'Token is not valid' })
  }
}
 
module.exports = authMiddleware

4. Creating API Routes

Implement routes for various functionalities:

// routes/index.js
const express = require('express')
const router = express.Router()
const authMiddleware = require('../middleware/auth')
const taskController = require('../controllers/taskController')
 
router.get('/tasks', authMiddleware, taskController.getTasks)
router.post('/tasks', authMiddleware, taskController.createTask)
router.put('/tasks/:id', authMiddleware, taskController.updateTask)
router.delete('/tasks/:id', authMiddleware, taskController.deleteTask)
 
// Add more routes for other functionalities
 
module.exports = router

5. Implementing Controllers

Create controllers to handle business logic:

// controllers/taskController.js
const Task = require('../models/Task')
 
exports.getTasks = async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const tasks = await Task.find({ user: req.user.id })
    res.json(tasks)
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err.message)
    res.status(500).send('Server Error')
  }
}
 
// Implement other controller methods (createTask, updateTask, deleteTask)

6. Input Validation

Use Joi for request validation:

// validation/taskValidation.js
const Joi = require('joi')
 
const taskSchema = Joi.object({
  title: Joi.string().required(),
  description: Joi.string(),
  priority: Joi.number().min(1).max(5),
  dueDate: Joi.date()
})
 
module.exports = taskSchema

7. Error Handling and Logging

Implement centralized error handling and logging:

// middleware/errorHandler.js
const winston = require('winston')
 
const logger = winston.createLogger({
  level: 'info',
  format: winston.format.json(),
  transports: [
    new winston.transports.File({ filename: 'error.log', level: 'error' }),
    new winston.transports.Console()
  ]
})
 
const errorHandler = (err, req, res, next) => {
  logger.error(err.message, err)
  res.status(500).json({ message: 'An unexpected error occurred' })
}
 
module.exports = errorHandler

Best Practices

  1. Use environment variables for sensitive information (e.g., database URLs, JWT secret).
  2. Implement proper error handling and provide meaningful error messages.
  3. Use rate limiting to prevent abuse of the API.
  4. Implement API versioning to manage changes over time.
  5. Use compression for responses to improve performance.
  6. Implement proper logging for debugging and monitoring.
  7. Use HTTPS in production to secure data in transit.

Next Steps

  1. Implement user registration and login endpoints.
  2. Develop endpoints for managing user preferences and settings.
  3. Create routes for integrating with external services.
  4. Implement WebSocket functionality for real-time updates.
  5. Add comprehensive API documentation using tools like Swagger.
  6. Set up automated testing for API endpoints.
PDeck Developer OverviewAPI Reference