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You have completed REST APIs with Express!
You have completed REST APIs with Express!
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To keep things simple and focused, we’re going to store the data for our REST API in this JSON file called data.json. Think of the data.json file as a mock database-- a datastore where we can save and persist information for our API.
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[MUSIC]
0:00
Typically, when you're
building an application,
0:04
you store application data in a database
such as PostgresSQL or MongoDB.
0:07
Depending on which database you choose,
you'd likely use some kind of library,
0:11
known as an ORM, or
object-relational mapping,
0:16
to facilitate the communication between
your express app and your database.
0:18
Some examples of ORM's include
Mongoose for MongoDB and SQLize for
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SQL based databases.
0:27
An ORM makes it easier to retrieve,
manipulate, save, and
0:29
validate the data in your database.
0:32
For example, an ORM might provide a method
to save new information to the database or
0:35
create or update a new piece of data.
0:40
While many of the basic concepts are the
same, whether you're using Mongoose,
0:43
or SQLize, or something else entirely,
each technology has a specific
0:46
way of doing things along with
a breadth of advanced features.
0:50
Learning to use an ORM can get complex,
0:54
enough that it could
warrant its own course.
0:57
Same with setting up, configuring,
and using a database.
0:59
In this course we want to concentrate
on just the concepts you need
1:02
to know to create a rest API, independent
of database and ORM technologies.
1:06
For these reasons our application isn't
going to use a database or an ORM.
1:11
Instead, we've provided a module
containing a few key functions for
1:16
building out our app.
1:20
Open up the project files if you
don't have them open already.
1:21
To keep things simple and
focused we're going to store the data for
1:24
our rest API in this json
file called data.json.
1:29
Think of the data.json
file as a mock database,
1:32
a data store where we can save and
persist information for our API.
1:35
Open it and you'll see that we have a JSON
object containing an array of quotes.
1:40
And each quote has a unique ID number,
the text of the quote, and an author.
1:44
Let's take a look at
the records.js module.
1:49
You can think of this module as a very,
very basic ORM.
1:53
As you can see, there's a method
to get quotes from our data store,
1:57
a method to get one quote, and so on.
2:02
We'll see how to use these
functions later in the course.
2:05
Keep in mind that the purpose
of the records.js module,
2:09
is to allow us to work with some data for
our API without a lot of overhead.
2:12
So don't worry too much about
understanding exactly what the code in
2:16
this module is doing.
2:19
We're actually making these
functions available specifically so
2:20
that you don't need to worry about it.
2:23
Which is also purpose of ORMs,
like Mongoose and SQLize.
2:25
To abstract away some of
the repetitive and or
2:29
tedious parts of interacting
with the data store.
2:31
Once you've completed this course
you'll be able to take the basic
2:34
concepts you've learned here and
apply them to ORM.
2:38
After you're familiar with how to build an
API, you'll have some conceptual knowledge
2:41
that will help you dig into PosGres
with SQLize, MongoDB with Mongoose, or
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whatever other technology you decide to
use to store and interact with your data.
2:49
In the next video, we'll refactor our get
routes using the records.js module and
2:53
our data.json file,
2:58
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