Beginner's Guide to Building a RESTful API with Node.js, Express, and MongoDB
Introduction:
This contains a beginner-friendly guide and implementation of a RESTful API built with Node.js,
Express, and MongoDB. The API allows you to manage data, including creating,
reading, updating, and deleting records.
JavaScript:
JavaScript is a versatile programming language primarily used for web
development. It enables interactive web pages and is essential for building
dynamic and responsive web applications.
Node.js:
Node.js is a runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript code outside
of a web browser. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, making it
lightweight and efficient for building scalable network applications.
Express.js:
Express.js is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that
provides a robust set of features for building web and mobile applications. It
simplifies the process of creating APIs and handling HTTP requests.
MongoDB:
MongoDB is a NoSQL database that stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents.
It is designed for scalability, high availability, and performance, and it
facilitates rapid development and iteration of database schemas.
RESTful API:
RESTful API (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for
designing networked applications. It uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST,
PUT, DELETE) to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on
resources. RESTful APIs are widely used for building web services and
interacting with data-driven applications.
Prerequisites
\nBasic knowledge of JavaScript, Node.js,
and MongoDB
Installed software: Node.js , MongoDB , Postman ( click the text for download )
IDE: Visual Studio ( as per your choice)
Setup:
\nSetting up the project directory
\nInitializing npm and installing
dependencies, open Terminal:
npm init -y
\nnpm install express cors mongodb
\nconst express = require('express');
const cors = require('cors');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const { MongoClient, ObjectId } = require('mongodb');
const app = express();
app.use(cors());
app.use(bodyParser.json());
const port = 1100; // Change port if it's already in use
//Sample Web- http://localhost:1100/get
//http://localhost:portnumber/
Database creation in MongoDB
On the Command Prompt or any terminal add these commands:
\nmongod
\nmongosh
\nFor creating new database
and collection in MongoDB:
use playerDB //i named my database name as playerDB you can name it whatever__you want
\nNow you have to create
a collection in this database:
db.createCollection('playerCollection') // name__it as per your choice
\n// MongoDB connection
const uri = 'mongodb://localhost:27017';
const client = new MongoClient(uri);
// Connect to MongoDB
async function connectToMongoDB() {
try {
await client.connect();
console.log('Connected to MongoDB');
} catch (err) {
console.error('Failed to connect to MongoDB', err);
process.exit(1);
}
}
connectToMongoDB(); // Must call this function
\nconst database = client.db('playerDB'); // As per database name
const collection = database.collection('playerCollection'); // As per collection name
app.listen(port, () =>
console.log(Server running on ${port})
);
//Sample MongoDB Data
\n// db.playerCollection.insertOne({ name: 'Neymar Jr', position: 'LW', number: 10 })
// db.playerCollection.insertOne({ name: 'Lionel Messi', position: 'RW', number: 10 })
// db.playerCollection.insertOne({ name: 'Cristiano Ronaldo', position: 'ST', number: 7 })
// db.playerCollection.insertOne({ name: 'Sergio Ramos', position: 'CB', number: 4 })
// db.playerCollection.insertOne({ name: 'Toni Kross', position: 'CM', number: 8 })
// MongoDB Command
// test> use playerDB
// playerDB> db.createCollection('playerCollection')
Connect with me:
\nAbtahi Md. Mahib Uddin
\nGitHub || Portfolio || LinkedIn || Email || Facebook
\n","schema":"https://schema.getpostman.com/json/collection/v2.0.0/collection.json","toc":[],"owner":"36920253","collectionId":"8f86f5c7-545b-4076-beca-40fbd911782c","publishedId":"2sA3kPo46s","public":true,"customColor":{"top-bar":"FFFFFF","right-sidebar":"303030","highlight":"FF6C37"},"publishDate":"2024-07-14T11:02:10.000Z"},"item":[{"name":"http://localhost:1100/get","id":"727be38a-8290-4109-9132-c234801cab61","protocolProfileBehavior":{"disableBodyPruning":true},"request":{"method":"GET","header":[],"url":"http://localhost:1100/get","description":"// Read Data (FETCH)
app.get('/get', async (req, res) => {
try {
const data = await collection.find({}).toArray();
res.send(data);
} catch (err) {
console.error('Failed to fetch data', err);
res.status(500).send({ error: 'Failed to fetch data' });
}
});
// Create Data (ADD)
app.post('/post', async (req, res) => {
try {
const newItem = req.body;
const result = await collection.insertOne(newItem);
res.status(201).send({ insertedId: result.insertedId });
} catch (err) {
console.error('Failed to add item', err);
res.status(500).send({ error: Failed to create item: ${err.message} });
}
});
// Delete Data (DELETE)
app.delete('/delete/:id', async (req, res) => {
try {
const id = req.params.id;
console.log(Deleting player with id: ${id}); // Log the id being deleted
const result = await collection.deleteOne({ _id: new ObjectId(id) });
if (result.deletedCount === 0) {
return res.status(404).send({ error: 'Player not found' });
}
res.send({ message: 'Player deleted' });
} catch (err) {
console.error('Failed to delete player', err);
res.status(500).send({ error: Failed to delete player: ${err.message} });
}
});
// Update Data (UPDATE)
app.put('/update/:id', async (req, res) => {
try {
const id = req.params.id;
if (!ObjectId.isValid(id)) {
return res.status(400).send({ error: 'Invalid ID format' });
}
const updatedItem = req.body;
const result = await collection.updateOne(
{ _id: new ObjectId(id) },
{ $set: updatedItem }
);
if (result.matchedCount === 0) {
return res.status(404).send({ error: 'Player not found' });
}
res.send({ message: 'Player updated' });
} catch (err) {
console.error('Failed to update player', err);
res.status(500).send({ error: Failed to update player: ${err.message} });
}
});