Nest + Docker + PGSQL + TypeOrm

• Init Nest project
• Create Dockerfile
• Create docker-compose.yml
• Create .dockerignore
• Build the containers
• Setting up the PG database
• Install the TypeORM dependencies
• Import TypeORM at the app.module.ts
• Create a new REST module
• Create the user entity
• Inject the user entity on the TypeORMModule (users.module.ts)
• Create the request and response DTOs
• Apply the DTOs on the controllers
• Apply the DTOs on the services

Initiating a new Nest project

nest new project-name

Creating the Dockerfile

FROM node:18

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./

RUN npm install

COPY . .

RUN npm run build

CMD [ "npm", "run", "start:dev"

Create docker-compose.yml

version: '3.5'

services:
  db:
    image: postgres
    restart: always
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres
    container_name: postgres
    volumes:
      - ./pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    ports:
      - '7654:7654'

  app:
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
    container_name: nest-docker-postgres
    environment:
      - PORT=${PORT}
    ports:
      - '3000:3000'
    depends_on:
      - db
    volumes:
      - ./src:/app/src

  pgadmin:
    image: dpage/pgadmin4
    restart: always
    container_name: nest-pgadmin4
    environment:
      - [email protected]
      - PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD=pgadmin4
    ports:
      - '5050:80'
    depends_on:
      - db

Creating .dockerignore

Dockerfile
.dockerignore
node_modules
npm-debug.log
dist

Building the containers

docker compose up --build

Setting up the PG database

To set up your Postgres database you must access http://localhost:5050 (pgadmin) and log in using the credentials you have specified at the docker-compose.yml file.

In this case, we are going to use the following credentials:

EMAIL=[email protected]
PASSWORD=pgadmin4

After logging in, you must create a new server (Right click Servers > Register > Server), go to the Connection tab and fill in the following fields:

Host name/address: db
Port: 5432
Maintenance database: postgres
Username: postgres
Password: postgres

Installing the TypeORM dependencies

npm install @nestjs/typeorm typeorm pg class-validators

Importing TypeORM at the app.module.ts

imports: [
  TypeOrmModule.forRoot({
    type: 'postgres',
    host: 'db',
    port: 5432,
    username: 'postgres',
    password: 'postgres',
    database: 'postgres',
    entities: [],
    synchronize: true,
    autoLoadEntities: true,
  }),
],

Creating a new REST module for Users

nest g rest users

Creating the user entity

import { Entity, Column, PrimaryGeneratedColumn } from 'typeorm';

@Entity()
export class UserEntity {
  @PrimaryGeneratedColumn()
  id: number;

  @Column()
  firstName: string;

  @Column()
  lastName: string;

  @Column({ default: true })
  isActive: boolean;
}

Injecting the user entity on the TypeORMModule (users.module.ts)

imports: [TypeOrmModule.forFeature([UserEntity])],

Creating the request DTO

import { IsBoolean, IsNotEmpty, IsString } from 'class-validator';

export class CreateUserDto {
  @IsString()
  @IsNotEmpty()
  firstName: string;

  @IsString()
  @IsNotEmpty()
  lastName: string;

  @IsBoolean()
  isActive: boolean;
}

Creating the response DTO

import { UserEntity } from './../entities/user.entity';

export class ResponseUserDTO {
  id: number;
  firstName: string;
  lastName: string;
  isActive: boolean;

  constructor(user: Partial<UserEntity>) {
    this.id = user.id;
    this.firstName = user.firstName;
    this.lastName = user.lastName;
    this.isActive = user.isActive;
  }
}