Simple Link Shortener API without database. Nodejs

Hello world 👋🏻
On the #100daysofMiva day 6, I worked on an API for shortening links without a database. let's talk about it

Marvellye / 100daysofMiva

100 Days of Miva - API and Front-end Projects

Welcome to my repository for the #100daysofMiva challenge! This repository contains a collection of 100 simple API projects developed over 100 days. The challenge is all about consistency, learning, and building resilience through daily coding.

About the Challenge

The #100daysofMiva challenge is designed to help developers, especially students of Miva Open University, develop a strong work ethic by committing to coding every day. The goal is to spend at least one hour each day working on a small project, pushing the boundaries of our skills, and documenting our progress.

Repository Structure

This repository is organized into three main sections, each corresponding to a different programming language:

/100daysofMiva
├── README.md
├── public/
│   ├── banner.jpg
│   └── (other assets)
└── Projects/
    ├── Day 1 | hello world API/
    │   ├── php/
    │   ├── nodejs/
    │   ├── python/
    │   └── README.md...

• PHP…

View on GitHub

Step-by-Step Instructions and Documentation

This Node.js script creates, edits, deletes, and manages shortlinks with associated QR codes. It uses Express.js, Axios, Cheerio, and several Node.js core modules to achieve these tasks.

1. Installation

Before running the script, ensure you have Node.js installed on your machine. Then, follow these steps:

1.1. Clone the repository or create a new directory and copy the script into it:

git clone https://github.com/Marvellye/100daysofMiva/Projects/Day_6-Shortlink_API_CRUD
cd https://github.com/Marvellye/100daysofMiva/Projects/Day_6-Shortlink_API_CRUD

1.2. Install the required dependencies using npm:

npm init -y
npm install axios cheerio qrcode uuid

1.3. Create necessary directories:

Ensure that the following directories exist within your project:

• public: This directory will store generated QR codes.
• db: This directory will store the shortlink.json file, which holds the shortlink data.

If these directories don't exist, the script will create them automatically.

2. How the Code Works

2.1. Initialization and Directory Setup

• The script begins by defining the paths to the public and db directories and the shortlink.json file.
• It checks if the public and db directories exist. If not, it creates them.

const publicDir = path.join(__dirname, '../public');
const dbDir = path.join(__dirname, '../db');
const shortlinkFile = path.join(dbDir, 'shortlink.json');

// Ensure directories exist
if (!fs.existsSync(publicDir)) {
  fs.mkdirSync(publicDir);
}
if (!fs.existsSync(dbDir)) {
  fs.mkdirSync(dbDir);
}

2.2. Load and Save Shortlinks

• loadShortlinks: This function reads the shortlink.json file and parses its content into a JavaScript array. If the file does not exist, it returns an empty array.

• saveShortlinks: This function saves the shortlink data into the shortlink.json file, formatted as a JSON string.
  

const loadShortlinks = () => { /*...*/ };
const saveShortlinks = (shortlinks) => { /*...*/ };

2.3. Shortlink Creation and Management

• The shortlinkParser function is an Express.js middleware that handles all incoming requests to create, edit, delete, or retrieve shortlinks.

2.3.1. Create a Shortlink

• When a url is provided, the script attempts to fetch the page title using Axios and Cheerio. If successful, it stores the title; otherwise, it uses a default title.
• The script generates unique IDs, a short URL, and a QR code image for the short URL.
• It saves the new shortlink to shortlink.json.

  const decodedUrl = decodeURIComponent(url);
  const { data } = await axios.get(decodedUrl);
  const $ = cheerio.load(data);
  const fetchedTitle = $('title').text();

  const mainId = uuidv4().slice(0, 6);
  const uniqueId = generateRandomNumber();
  const shortUrl = `https://sl.free.nf/${mainId}`;

  await qrCode.toFile(qrFilePath, shortUrl);

  const newShortlink = { /*...*/ };
  shortlinks.push(newShortlink);
  saveShortlinks(shortlinks);

2.3.2. Delete a Shortlink

• If delete=1 is passed with unique_id, the corresponding shortlink is removed from shortlink.json, and the associated QR code file is deleted.

  if (uniqueIdStr && deleteFlag === '1') {
    let shortlinks = loadShortlinks();
    shortlinks = shortlinks.filter(link => String(link.unique_id) !== uniqueIdStr);
    // Delete QR code file and save changes
  }

2.3.3. Edit a Shortlink

• If unique_id is passed along with other edit parameters (edit_title, edit_long_url, edit_main_id), the script updates the shortlink data, generates a new QR code if necessary, and saves the updated data.

  if (uniqueIdStr) {
    let shortlinks = loadShortlinks();
    const linkIndex = shortlinks.findIndex(link => String(link.unique_id) === uniqueIdStr);
    // Update the shortlink data and generate a new QR code if needed
  }

2.3.4. Track Clicks on a Shortlink

• If main_id is passed with clicks=1, the script increments the click count for the corresponding shortlink.

  if (main_id && clicks === '1') {
    const shortlinks = loadShortlinks();
    const foundLink = shortlinks.find(link => link.main_id === main_id);
    foundLink.clicks += 1;
    saveShortlinks(shortlinks);
  }

2.4. Date Formatting

• The formatDate function formats the timestamp according to the Nigerian time zone.

const formatDate = (date) => { /*...*/ };

2.5. Export the Middleware

• The shortlinkParser function is exported so it can be used as a middleware in an Express.js application.

module.exports = { shortlinkParser };

3. Usage

3.1. Integration with Express.js

In your app.js or server file, you can integrate the shortlinkParser middleware like this:

const express = require('express');
const { shortlinkParser } = require('./path-to-your-script');

const app = express();

app.get('/shortlink', shortlinkParser);

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});

3.2. Making Requests

• Create a Shortlink:

  GET /shortlink?url=http://example.com&title=My%20Example%20Site

• Delete a Shortlink:

  GET /shortlink?unique_id=12345&delete=1

• Edit a Shortlink:

  GET /shortlink?unique_id=12345&edit_title=New%20Title&edit_main_id=newid123

• Track Clicks:

  GET /shortlink?main_id=newid123&clicks=1

The responses will be in JSON format, providing the relevant data or error messages.

check it out here
https://app.marvelly.com.ng/100daysofMiva/day-6/

GitHub source code
https://github.com/Marvellye/100daysofMiva/Projects/Day_6-Shortlink_API_CRUD

Comments

[mayowa-kalejaiye]

👌Interesting