mean-rest

Middleware and tools for Restful API based MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS or Angular, and Node.js) end to end web development.

It composes of two modules: mean-rest-express for the back end and mean-rest-angular for the front end.

Both modules take the single input from the Mongoose schema you defined, and generate Restful API for express on the fly (by mean-rest-express), and generate Angular boilerplate code with ready-to-use UIs (by mean-rest-angular).

                 |------  mean-rest-express --------> Express REST API
                 |
   Schema / Views  
                 |
                 |------  mean-rest-angular --------> Angular Modules

1. Quick Start

1.1 Schema and View Definition

• Define your Mongoose schema and views in "blog.js"

const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const Schema = mongoose.Schema;

// Schema definition
const blogSchema = new Schema({
    title:  String,
    author: String,
    body:   String,
    date: { type: Date, default: Date.now }
});
// Define views for query(blogBrief, blogDetail), create (blogCreate), Update (blogEdit), and Search (blogSearch)
const blogBrief = "title author date";		//The fields showed in the list view of the document
const blogDetail = "title author body date";	//The fileds that show when reviewing the details of the document
const blogCreat = "title body";			//The fields that show in 'Create' view
const blogEdit = "title body";			//The editable fields show in 'Edit' view
const blogSearch = "title author body date";	//Future use
const blogIndex = "title";			//The field that is used as the index of the document viewable in front end

// 1. put schema definition together:
const blogSchemaDef = {
    schema: blogSchema,
    views: [blogBrief, blogDetail, blogCreat, blogEdit, blogSearch, blogIndex],
    name: 'Blog', //Optional. The name on front end UI
}
// 2. Configuration of all schema definition and generation:
const config = {
  dateFormat: "MM-DD-YYYY",
  timeFormat: "hh:mm:ss",
}
// 3. Authorization definition of the schemas
const authz = {
  "module-authz": {"LoginUser": 'R', "Anyone": ""},
  "blog": {"LoginUser": 'CRUD', "Anyone": "R"},
}

//Export the views so mean-rest-express and mean-rest-angular can use
module.exports = {
    schemas: {
        "blog": blogSchemaDef
    },
    config,
    authz,
};

1.2 Create Express Router for above schema and views in "app.js"

• Install mean-rest-express to your project:

$ npm install mean-rest-express

• Use mean-rest-express in your code:

const blog = require('./blog');

const meanRestExpress = require('mean-rest-express');
const blogRouter = meanRestExpress.RestRouter(blog);

app.use('/', blogRouter);

1.3 Generated APIs:

Now you can access the Blog with following REST APIs:

• GET /blog/ -- list of blogs with Brief View
• GET /blog/:id -- get details of a blog (Detail View)
• PUT /blog/ - -create a new blog, with information in the Create View
• POST /blog/:id -- update a blog, with information in the Edit View
• DELETE /blog/:id -- delete a blog

1.4 Generated Angular Front End for above schema:

Use mra tool to generated front end code (to be added).

2. Schema Definition

• Schema definition has the following format:

    {
        schema: <Schema>,
	views: [<brief view>, <detail view>, <create view>, <edit view>, <search fields>, <index field>],
	name: <Viewable Name>,
	patch: [<pre-defined extra field 1>, <pre-defined extra field 2>, ...],
	ebmeddedViewOnly: <true | false>,
	api: <supported APIs in string format, eg: "LCRUD">,
	validators: <validator object>
	mraUI {
		detailType: 'post', //use the post view in detailed page
		listViewType: 'list', // list, table, or grid
	},
    }

2.1 schema

• A mongoose schema object, with some extentions

Extentions:

• editor: used in a string field to change the field to a rich editor in front end UI

const blogSchema = new Schema({
    ...
    body:   { type: String, editor: true, required: true, minlength: 20 },
    ...
});

• mraType: it has the following values:
  • 'picture': used in a string field to indicate the field will store the URL of a picture
  • 'file': used in a string field to indicate the field will store the URL of a file

const person = new Schema({
    ...
    photo:   { type: String, mraType: 'picture', required: true },
    ...
});

2.2 views

• A string array, with each string containing a list of fields showing under different views:
  • : The fields showed in the list view of the document
  • : The fileds that show when reviewing the details of the document
  • : The fields that show in 'Create' view
  • : The editable fields show in 'Edit' view
  • : Future use
  • : The field that is used as the index of the document viewable in front end

Special Formats:

• Grouping: Usie "|" to seperate fields into different groups. Grouping makes several fields to show in a single line in front end UI.

...
const teacherDetail = "firstName lastName | email | phoneNumber  courses | introduction | photo";
...
const views = [teacherBrief, teacherDetail, teacherCreat, teacherEdit, teacherTextSearch, teacherIndex]

• Hide: use "()" to hide the field from showing in UI

...
var Brief = "question answer (order)";
...
var views = [Brief, Detail, Creat, Edit, TextSearch, Index]

2.3 name

• Optional.
• The viewable name of the defined schema in fornt end UI.

2.4 patch

• Optional
• A list of extra predefined fields that will be added to the schema when creating the document.
• Currently the allowable pre-defined fields are:

const PredefinedPatchFields = {
  muser_id: { type: String, index: true},
  mmodule_name: { type: String, index: true},
};

2.5 owner

• optional
• enable the ownership of the schema. Owner type could be: user, and module.

  owner: {enable: true, type: 'module'},

2.6 ebmeddedViewOnly

• Optional. Default: false
• All views for this schema are embedded. Usually used for association of two schemas.

2.7 api

• Optional. Default: 'LCRUD'
• A list of supported APIs for this schema
  • L: list all documents
  • C: create a new document
  • R: read details of a document
  • U: update a document
  • D: delete a document

2.8 validators

• Optional
• validator object in the format of:

  {
    <'field 1'>: [
      {
        validator: <validator function 1 for field 1>,
	msg: <message if validation fails>,
      },
      {
        validator: <validator function 1 for field 1>
	msg: <message if validation fails>,
      },
      ...
    ],
    ... 
  }

• Example:

function validator1(str) {
	if (!str) return true;
	if (str.length < 5) return false;
}
function validator2(str) {
	if (!str) return true;
	if (str.length > 10) return false;
}
function validator3(number) {
	//integer
	if (number === parseInt(number, 10)) return true;
	return false;
}
const blog2Validators = {
	"name": [
		{validator: validator1, msg: "Name must not be less than 5 characters."},
		{validator: validator2, msg: "Name must not be greater than 10 characters."},
	],
	"age": [
		{validator: validator3, msg: "Age must be an integer."}
	]
};

2.9 mraUI

• optional
• this configuration controls the UI generation. It has the following attributes:

  • detailType: type of detailed view. 'normal', or 'post'.

    • 'normal': show detailed information line by line, with index fields as the title.
    • 'post': detailView shall be defined in "signaturePicture title author publishDate content" sequence. It will be shown as a post.
    • 'info': detailView shall be defined in "signaturePicture title content" sequence. It will be shown as titled information, with picture if provided..
    • 'slide': detailView shall be defined in "signaturePicture title subtitle description" sequence. It will be shown as picture in the background and other info on top of the picture.

  • listType: type of the list view. 'table', 'list', or 'grid'

    • table
    • list
    • grid

  • listToDetail: how to transit from list to detail view:

    • 'click'
    • 'link'

  • defaultListSort: how to sort the list. An object with the key as the sorting field, and the value is 'asc', or 'desc'.

   	defaultListSort: {last_name: 'asc'}
  

  • homeListNumber: number of items to show in the 'home' list view
  • detailPipelines: add extra button in detailed view, which will trigger the given pipeline

   	detailPipelines: [["Enroll", "/pipeline/register-class"]],
  

3. System Configuration

• Schema configuration has the configurations that applies to all schema. It has the following format:

const config = {
  dateFormat,
  timeFormat,
  patch: ['mmodule_name'], // extra fields to patch to all schemas
  owner: {enable: true, type: 'module'},
  fileServer: {
    uploadUrl: '/api/files/upload',
    downloadUrl: '/api/files/download'
  }
};

3.1 dateFormat and timeFormat

Defines what date and time format to show on UI. Examples are:

const dateFormat = 'MM/DD/YYYY';
const timeFormat = 'hh:mm:ss';

3.2 patch

See 2.4

3.2 owner

See 2.5

3.3 fileServer

File server urls that upload and download files used by the 'file' field in the schema (field with mraType defined as 'file').

4. Authorization Definition

const authz = {
  "module-authz": {"LoginUser": 'R', "Anyone": ""},
  "Class": {"LoginUser": '', "Anyone": "R"},
}

5. mean-rest-express

6. mean-rest-angular

7. mean-rest-angular-cli

8. Server auth module

9. Client auth module

10. File Server

11. Client file uploading