express-mongo-api-boilerplate

This is a basic express project to help build API's with MongoDB quickly. It's so easy a baby could (maybe) do it. I'll take you through going from 0 to a Heroku (or Dokku) Deployed API in 5-10 mins.

Demo

(heroku free instance, might be sleeping...) https://foo-api.herokuapp.com/

Git started

Go get a MongoDB Instance

https://mlab.com

To the right of MongoDB Deployments select Create New. Make sure you are not creating a New Private Environment.

Then select your favorite (or a random) Cloud Provider.

Select Sandbox (cause its free!). Then click Continue.

Pick a region near you.

Name your DB.

Submit order.

Click your database that you just made.

Click User, then Add Database User.

Type a username and password.

Copy the second URL given at the top!

To connect using a driver via the standard MongoDB URI (what's this?):
mongodb://<dbuser>:<dbpassword>@ds123456.mlab.com:12345/<your-db-name>

You will need this URL for the next step.

Setup Your ENV Variables

cp .env.example .env

Use your favorite (or least favorite) editor to add your MongoDB connection URL

vim .env

Now paste that URL next to MONGO_URL

MONGO_URL=mongodb://<dbuser>:<dbpassword>@ds123456.mlab.com:12345/<your-db-name>

But make sure you type in the username and password you created for your database into that URL (NOT YOUR MLAB ACCOUNT LOGIN)

Git Runnin

git clone https://github.com/paineleffler/express-mongo-boilerplate.git

cd express-mongo-boilerplate

if you really really want nodemon: npm install -g nodemon

npm install

npm run dev

npm start

Git Configurin

Change session name and secret on server.js

var sesh = {
  name: 'insert cool name here',
  secret: 'not a keyboard cat',
  //...
}

Change the Port number

const port = 5000;

Change the cookie domain for production

if (app.get('env') === 'production') {
  //...
  sesh.cookie.domain = 'insert.domain.here.com';
  //...
}

CORS

In your app/routes/foo_routes.js add this to the top:

  var cors = require('cors')
  var corsOptions = {
    origin: 'https://domain.calling.api.com'
  }

Then configure your routes with CORS by adding cors(corsOptions):

  //example
  app.get('/example', cors(corsOptions) (req, res) => {
  //...
  });

Git Deployin

Heroku

Make sure you have the Heroku CLI:

https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/heroku-cli

run heroku create <crazy-unique-name-here>

Then this should Echo back:

Creating ⬢ <crazy-unique-name-here>... done
https://<crazy-unique-name-here>.herokuapp.com/ | https://git.heroku.com/<crazy-unique-name-here>.git

Make sure to set your MONGODB URL or it will not work!!! heroku config:set MONGO_URL=mongodb://<dbuser>:<dbpass>@<ds123456>.mlab.com:<12345>/<dbname>

Make sure you git add && git commit -a -m 'commit message'

Then git push heroku master or whatever branch you like deploying from

Then BAMMMM it's on Heroku! Go look at:

https://crazy-unique-name-here.herokuapp.com/

Note your free heroku instance will sleep after 30 minutes of no activity.

Dokku (if ur cool like me)

Add your dokku remote to your .git/config

[remote "dokku"]
        url = dokku@<dokku-server-ip-address>:api
        fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/dokku/*

Set Dokku Environment Variable

dokku config:set MONGO_URL=mongodb://<dbuser>:<dbpass>@<ds123456>.mlab.com:<12345>/<dbname>

Then git push dokku master

BOOM!

Git Buildin

cp app/routes/foo_routes.js app/routes/bar_routes.js

Add new app/routes/bar_routes.js to the app/routes/index.js

const fooRoutes = require('./foo_routes');
const barRoutes = require('./bar_routes');

module.exports = function(app, db) {
  fooRoutes(app, db);
  barRoutes(app, db);
};

Customize your app/routes/bar_routes.js as you wish...

Git Routin

Params should be sent as x-www-form-urlencoded in the body.

get / root route of the API

get /foo fetches all the foo's

get /foo/:id fetches a foo by id

post /foo creates a foo

delete /foo/:id delete a foo by id

put /foo/:id update a foo

Git Testin

coming soon