Pure json api

Pure json api is module that allows you to create a single endpoint api that handles your code with dynamic handlers, without the need of custom routing to each request.

How?

 npm install pure-json-api --save 

 
 var options = {
     handlersDir: "./myHandlersDir",
     validateReqFunc: function (req) {
         var data = req.body || {};
         return (data["action_str"] !== undefined && typeof data["action_str"] === "string")
             && (data["data_type"] !== undefined && typeof data["data_type"] === "string")
             && (data["log_list"] !== undefined && typeof data["log_list"] === "object")
             && (data["request_map"] !== undefined && typeof data["request_map"] === "object")
             && (data["trans_map"] !== undefined && typeof data["trans_map"] === "object");
     },
     dataType: "",
     actionStr: "",
     debug: true
 };
 
 app.post("/myEndpoint", pureApi.endPoint(options));

The flow

All the requests will be made to the same endpoint using post request only, the custom validation function will make sure that all the needed data is supplied within the json data object that was sent to the server. Then check for the data type handler and the data type action within the object. Your data type callback handler will get this function

function (req, res, next) {
     ...
   next(null,responseObj);
   //next first param is an error object
   //and the second obj is the response that will be sent to the client
}

and will preform the appropriate actions and return the appropriate response using res.send function.

Options

default options object

var defaults = {
    handlersDir: "/handlers",
    validateReqFunc: function (req) {
        return true;
    },
    dataType: "data_type",
    actionStr: "action_str",
    debug: false
};

handlersDir

A path to the directory which contains the custom handlers.

validateReqFunc

A custom function which get the request object and allows you to check if the request is valid. if true continue with the process else throws an error.

dataType

Supply here the name of the field in the data object which corresponds to the handler file name.

actionStr

Supply here the name of the field in the data object which corresponds to the specific function within the handler.

debug

A flag if set to true will show log of request and response messages, (default to false).

Handler example

This handler file is located in my handlers dir under the name person.js.

exports.retrieve = function (req, res, next) {
    ...
    next(null, new pureApi.ApiResponse("RETRIEVED", "person"));
};

In order to execute this action I am sending to the endpoint this object:

 { action_str    : "retrieve",  //this verb is case sensitive and should be the same as the function name
     data_type     : "person",  //this verb is case sensitive and should be the same as the handler file name
     log_list      : [ /* application messages   */ ],
     request_map   : { /* request parameters     */ },
     trans_map     : { /* transaction meta-data  */ }
 }