From 129f1db945db95d096d056f9352f033de6daa6d9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Scott Erickson <sderickson@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 16:01:23 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Created Add basic REST endpoints for a collection (markdown)

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+## Problem
+
+You want the server to provide standard REST endpoints to the site.
+
+## Solution
+
+Create routes in `/server/routes/index.coffee`, using pre-existing or custom middleware in `/server/middleware`.
+
+## Details
+
+The routes we usually include for a collection are:
+
+* Create: `POST /db/collection_name`
+* Get many: `GET /db/collection_name`
+* Get one: `GET /db/collection_name/:id`
+* Edit one: `PUT /db/collection_name/:id`
+
+Some collections may also allow DELETE, though that's uncommon. Others may not need all of these, such as one which allows creation but not editing.
+
+### General vs Custom Behavior
+
+There are generic handlers for standard behavior in [`/server/middleware/rest.coffee`](https://github.com/codecombat/codecombat/blob/master/server/middleware/rest.coffee), and if possible, your endpoints should just use those. If your endpoint needs custom behavior, though, you can use `rest.coffee` as a template for specific middleware, such as for the [PUT Achievement middleware](https://github.com/codecombat/codecombat/blob/8f16f5f487bfdab51f9490002a150fd15c3cbfb8/server/middleware/achievements.coffee#L14-L25).
+
+You can also extend route behavior by chaining middleware, such as [these Achievement POST and GET routes](https://github.com/codecombat/codecombat/blob/8f16f5f487bfdab51f9490002a150fd15c3cbfb8/server/routes/index.coffee#L18-L19) do. The GET middleware `fetchByRelated` checks if there's a `related` is a GET query parameter. If there is, it handles the response, otherwise it continues to the generic rest GET middleware.
+
+```
+app.get('/db/achievement', mw.achievements.fetchByRelated, mw.rest.get(Achievement))
+```
+
+While the POST middleware prevents anyone but admins or artisans from performing the action.
+
+```
+app.post('/db/achievement', mw.auth.checkHasPermission(['admin', 'artisan']), mw.rest.post(Achievement))
+```
+
+### Generators and Yield
+
+To avoid callback hell, we use `co`, which is elegantly tied to `express` with `co-express`. Async functions should return Promises, and then yielded to co. Mongoose commands like `find` and `save` return Promise-like Query objects. If you need to make a Node-style callback function into a Promise, use [Bluebird](http://bluebirdjs.com/docs/getting-started.html). When errors happen, they are automatically given to Express' `next` function and sent to our error middleware.
+
+For an elegant explanation of what's going on when you use `co` and `yield`, read [Node.js Flow (part 2) - Fibers and Generators](http://blog.vullum.io/nodejs-javascript-flow-fibers-generators/) by Eirik Vullum.
+
+```coffeescript
+wrap = require 'co-express'
+
+# this function is express middleware that can be put into any routes
+module.exports.setSomeValue: wrap (req, res) ->
+  doodad = yield Doodad.findById(req.query.userID)
+  doodad.set('property', 'value')
+  yield doodad.save()
+  res.status(200).send(doodad.toObject())
+```
+
+## Resources
+* [Mongoose with ES6](http://mongoosejs.com/docs/unstable/docs/harmony.html)
+* [Bluebird](http://bluebirdjs.com/docs/getting-started.html)
+* [co](https://github.com/tj/co)
+* [Node.js Flow (part 2) - Fibers and Generators](http://blog.vullum.io/nodejs-javascript-flow-fibers-generators/)
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