README.MD

Superhero API : Group project

The aim of this project is to develop an API project solution in C# by implementing object-oriented principles with well designed, extendable, readable and well tested code. Our Superhero Combat API integrates with a free public API https://superheroapi.com/ and gets statistics for comic book heroes so that they face each other in combat!

Instructions

Pre-Requisites

The machine running the application should have .NET 6.0 (or above) installed, with the following technologies & Dependencies:

• ASP.NET Core MVC 6 (Web API Project)
• Moq
• Postman or Swagger
• Entity Framework Mirgrations
• NuGet
• NUnit testing framework
• Visual Studio 2022

To run the application:

• Clone the repository to your computer
• Run the application, for example on Visual Studio
• After swagger loads with the API, feel free to enter two superhero names and your chosen battlefield.
• If you're unsure if the superhero exists, or are just curious how powerful the superhero is, use the GetSuperheroes endpoint to get your facts!
• Execute to let the battle begin!

Key Features

There are two GET endpoints:

1) GetSuperheroes - enter a name

• This enables the user to check if a superhero exists. If yes, they can view the superhero's powerstats, eg:

  {
    "name": "Plastic Man",
    "realName": "Patrick O'Brian",
    "combat": 56,
    "durability": 100,
    "intelligence": 50,
    "power": 100,
    "speed": 23,
    "strength": 63
  }

• In the case of duplicates, the user can then see the different 'realName' of the superheroes and specify the intended one in the Combat end point.
• Example of a duplicate:

{
    "name": "Batman",
    "realName": "Terry McGinnis",
    "combat": 90,
    "durability": 55,
    "intelligence": 81,
    "power": 63,
    "speed": 29,
    "strength": 40
  },
  {
    "name": "Batman",
    "realName": "Bruce Wayne",
    "combat": 100,
    "durability": 50,
    "intelligence": 100,
    "power": 47,
    "speed": 27,
    "strength": 26
  }

2) Combat endpoint - enter a battlefield and two superhero names (optional real names)

• Valid battlefields are:

Volcano, Area51, HighGPlanet, Multiverse, BankVault, OpenField

• In the case where there are multiple superheroes of the same name returned, you will then have to input your chosen [more specific] superhero by putting the Real Name, for example:
• The win margin is:

CloseCall, SolidWin, NoChance, Tie

Approaches

Design

There are 3 layers: The Controller, The Service and The Repository

The Controller Layer

This routes two HTTP GET requests to the appropriate service.

The Service Layer

Two main functions are

• to return a list of superheroes
• to handle the combat. Where there is a combat, the service also checks the validity of the battlefield and handles the battle.

The Repository Layer

• This layer communicates with an external API (as mentioned in the introduction) to retrieve superhero data and filters the data returned.
• It also handles exceptions, for example duplication of superheroes and errors/NULL values returned by the external API.
• Data is returned in JSON format and this is converted to useable data classes.

Class Diagram

Flow Diagram

This is the Combat Flow diagram:

Future Considerations

Team Combat

It would be interesting to be able to make teams of more than one superhero, and have them fight against each other.

Build A Database For Statistics

Collect and analyse who is the most popular requested superhero, or which superhero wins the most/least.

Build A Front-End

Have an eye-catching, easy to use front-end that enables the user to see what powerstats a chosen superhero has, or in the case of duplicates, an easy option to choose which one they mean.