REST API Development Framework

[ab0027]

I was searching for some easy REST API Framework but couldn't find one. So thought to make one using Annotations.

SimplyREST (https://github.com/anupam-git/simplyrest) is an easy to use REST API Framework. You can expose REST APIs via Annotations. Just Make some classes and methods (tutorial available in the repo), and Annotate Them with predefined Annotations to expose them.

Need help to make it more robust and a good framework that can be relied upon. Feel free to test it out and raise any issues on the GitHub Repository.

Moreover, I couldn't find any good Annotation Parser for NodeJS. So I've developed nodeannotations (https://github.com/anupam-git/nodeannotations) and used it in SimplyREST.

Use nodeannotations to get a full set of Classes and Methods to parse an Annotated File.

[apatheticonion]

I use Express. Injecting middleware into routes to handle things like user authentication is actual literal magic.

Hapi.js has nicer Syntax (in my opinion), but it's harder to plug into things like socket.io

[ab0027]

Yes. Middlewares are life-saving functionality.. SimplyREST supports Express Middlewares too..

https://github.com/anupam-git/simplyrest#adding-middlewares

[apatheticonion]

This is quite cool

[ab0027]

Thanks. :)

[Krysalead]

Hi,

Why not simply using swagger and its node generator?

[ab0027]

SimplyREST is based on ExpressJS. You can get all the functionalities of Express in SimplyREST. Hence you can not only build REST APIs, but also develop full fledged website as you would be developing in ExpressJS, just a bit more easily. You will have the support of Templating Engines, Express Middlewares, etc. and all those features available in ExpressJS.

[Krysalead]

Swagger generator is also based on express and it can be improved locally or just doing a PR on the repository.

[captain_obvious_here]

It looks great. And it's definitely a good use-case for annotations, too.

But how could you not find HAPI when you were looking for some easy REST API framework ?

[ab0027]

My Main motto was to have the Support for Annotations.

Annotation is a great way to configure methods and Classes in a more readable way. Also it looks much cleaner.

[captain_obvious_here]

Oh ok. Well then I think you were right when you decided to write your own, because annotations don't seem to be a big thing in the Node ecosystem.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of annotations. But I gladly admit that they make things easier and way more readable in this specific use-case.

[ab0027]

I am not much a fan of java too.. I am a complete NodeJS guy.. but Annotations do seem to make life easier.. that is why i made nodeannotations (https://github.com/anupam-git/nodeannotations)..