Express REST API Tutorial

This is a simple Express.js REST API tutorial project that demonstrates how to create a basic movie management API with CRUD operations.

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm (Node Package Manager)
• Thunder Client VS Code extension

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/oliverTwist2/express-rest-tutorial.git
cd express-rest-tutorial

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Start the server:

node server.js

The server will start running on http://localhost:8000

API Endpoints

Get All Movies

• GET /movies
• Returns a list of all movies

Get Movie by ID

• GET /movies/:id
• Returns a specific movie by its ID

Create New Movie

• POST /movies
• Creates a new movie
• Required fields in request body:

  {
    "title": "Movie Title",
    "genre": "Movie Genre",
    "year": 2024
  }

Update Movie

• PUT /movies/:id
• Updates an existing movie
• Required fields in request body:

  {
    "title": "Updated Title",
    "genre": "Updated Genre",
    "year": 2024
  }

Delete Movie

• DELETE /movies/:id
• Deletes a movie by its ID

Testing with Thunder Client

1. Open VS Code and install the Thunder Client extension
2. Click on the Thunder Client icon in the sidebar
3. Create a new request collection for the movie API
4. Test each endpoint using the following examples:

Create a Movie

• Method: POST
• URL: http://localhost:8000/movies
• Body (JSON):

  {
    "title": "The Matrix",
    "genre": "Sci-Fi",
    "year": 1999
  }

Get All Movies

• Method: GET
• URL: http://localhost:8000/movies

Get Movie by ID

• Method: GET
• URL: http://localhost:8000/movies/1

Update Movie

• Method: PUT
• URL: http://localhost:8000/movies/1
• Body (JSON):

  {
    "title": "The Matrix Reloaded",
    "genre": "Sci-Fi",
    "year": 2003
  }

Delete Movie

• Method: DELETE
• URL: http://localhost:8000/movies/1

Error Handling

The API includes basic error handling:

• 400: Bad Request (missing required fields)
• 404: Not Found (movie not found)
• 500: Internal Server Error

Note

This is a demonstration project using in-memory storage. In a production environment, you would want to:

• Use a proper database (MongoDB, PostgreSQL, etc.)
• Implement proper authentication and authorization
• Use environment variables for configuration
• Implement proper error handling
• Add logging

Author

Ikegah Oliver A.