Basic Node API
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LAMBDA_LABS_Family_Promise
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Welcome to your Basic Node API Repository. Use this to start your own Greenfield Project using nodejs, express and common industry standards.
This repository assumes a handful of industry practices and standards. We strive to keep you up to date in the industry and as a result, we have made some opinions for you so that you don't have to; you're welcome.
The following working examples can be found in this project template.
CRUD for a single resource
A Knex providing CRUD methods for DB operations
Okta authentication verification middleware
eslint setup and prettier formating.
Jest tests for routes with mocking of database calls
Inline docs with a live route at /api-docs
Github workflow config setup to run linting, tests and upload coverage to code climate
docker-compose file for spinning up postgresql db. (Win10 Home requires WSL)
The documentation can be viewed in the /api-docs route of your deploy (or ). ​
Read more about the setup of ​
Here is a brief walk thru of setting up the node api application.
The following enviornment variables are required. the dotenv library is installed which will allow you to use a .env file.
PORT - API port (optional, but helpful with FE running as well)
The following ports are whitelisted for use with okta
3000
8000
8080
DS_API_TOKEN - authorization header token for data science api (eg. SUPERSECRET)
DATABASE_URL - connection string for postgres database
OKTA_URL_ISSUER - The complete issuer URL for verifying okta access tokens. https://example.okta.com/oauth2/default
OKTA_CLIENT_ID - the okta client ID.
See .env.sample for example values.
There are 3 options to get postgresql installed locally [Choose one]:
run: docker-compose up -d to start up the postgresql database and pgadmin.
If you need to start over you will need to delete the folder $ rm -rf ./data/pg as this is where all of the server data is stored.
if the database api-dev was not created then start over.
make note of the port, username and password you use to setup the database.
Connect your client to the server manually using the values previously mentioned
You will need to create a database manually using a client.
Make sure to update the DATABASE_URL connection string with the values for username/password, databasename and server port (if not 5432).
Sign up for a free Tiney Turtle plan
copy the URL to the DATABASE_URL .env variable
make sure to add ?ssl=true to the end of this url
From your project locally run the following commands:
run: npm install to download all dependencies.
run: cp .env.sample .env and update the enviornment variables to match your local setup.
run: npm run knex migrate:latest to create the starting schema.
run: npm run knex seed:run to populate your db with some data.
run: npm run tests to confirm all is setup and tests pass.
run: npm run watch:dev to start nodemon in local dev enviornment.
Make sure to update the details of the app name, description and version in the package.json and config/jsdoc.js files.
Labs teams must follow all .
DS_API_URL - URL to a data science api. (eg. )
Use docker. for your platform
Open a browser to and you should see the Dev server already defined.
Download and install postgresql directly from the ​
Setup a free account at ​
See the for more info.