rest-easy-loki

REST-EASY-LOKI

A simple REST interface for the in-memory database, lokijs, featuring:

• Automatic creation of collections, including CRUD actions, pagination and MongoDB-like queries.
• Simple authorization using whitelisting domain names and API keys via environment variables.
• Statically sharing the public folder
• Retrieving environment variables starting with LOKI_ via REST

Development

npm install # Or pnpm i
npm start # Will transpile the TypeScript project to JavaScript and run node on every change.

Usage

To simply run the lokijs server and expose the CRUD services.

npm run serve

To embed it in your own project, do something like the following:

import { createApi, db } from 'rest-easy-loki';

export const collectionName = 'documents';

export const startService = (done: () => void) => {
  db.startDatabase('my_database_file.json', () => {
    const api = createApi({ cors: true });
    api.listen(options.port).on('listening', () => {
      const exists = db.collections().reduce((acc, cur) => acc || cur.name === collectionName, false);
      if (!exists) {
        db.createCollection(collectionName, ['file']);
      }
      console.info(`Server running on port ${options.port}.`);
      done();
    });
  });
};

Configuration

• Reads .env file for specifying the database name, port, CORS and message size limits.

Managing collections (CRUD)

• Get an overview of all collections: https://localhost:3000/api/collections.
• Get all messages in a collection: https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME.
• Automatic creation of new collections: when you post a message to a non-existing collection, it is automatically created.
• Create a new item: POST the item as an application/json body to https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME.
• Get the item with $loki ID: https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME/ID.
• Delete the item with $loki ID: Make a DELETE request to https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME/ID.
• Update the item by ID. PUT the item as an application/json body to https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME/ID. Alternatively, change the original item (from the GET, so including $loki ID) and PUT it back to https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME

Filtering collections

• Pagination of messages in a collection: https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME?from=0&to=10.
• Query a collection using find, for example based on strict equality q={"name": "a name"}: https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME?from=0&to=10&q=%7B%20%22name%22:%20%22My%20third%20lesson%22%20%7D
• Another query example, not equal q={"name": {"$ne": "a name"}}: https://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME?from=0&to=10&q=%7B%20%22name%22:%20%7B%20%22$ne%22:%20%22My%20third%20lesson%22%20%7D%7D.- You can filter the properties that get returned (simple GraphQL-like filter) using a collection's 'view', e.g. http://localhost:3000/api/COLLECTION_NAME/view?props=title,$loki,file.

Sharing the public folder

• You can use the public folder for sharing static files or your own web application.

Serving environment variables

• The http://localhost:3000/api/env serves all environment variables that start with LOKI_ (except the LOKI_AUTHZ_, so you don't accidentally share secrets). Since all key-value pairs are strings, a type conversion to boolean, number and arrays (using the , as separator) is performed.

Authorization

• Simple authorization can be enabled by specifying environment variables: LOKI_AUTHZ_CREATE, LOKI_AUTHZ_READ, LOKI_AUTHZ_UPDATE, LOKI_AUTHZ_DELETE, where the value is a comma-separated list of API keys. If no authz is set, all CRUD actions are allowed. Otherwise, your query needs to set the x-api-key header.
• You can require it in your own project.