DEV Community

The-x
The-x

Posted on

I built auto-generated REST APIs from a visual table designer — here's how it works

#api #database #nocode #showdev

Hey everybody,

I want to share something I built over the last 200 days that
I think is technically interesting.

The core idea: you design a database table through a UI, and
the system automatically generates a live REST API for that
table. No code. No config.

Here's how it works under the hood:

  1. User creates a table in the visual designer
  2. Backend runs a dynamic CREATE TABLE in PostgreSQL
  3. A generic route handler picks up requests to /api/:project/:table
  4. The handler reads the table schema and builds parameterized queries on the fly
  5. Full CRUD is available instantly — GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE

Features on top of that:

  • Filters: ?column=value
  • Sorting: ?order=column&dir=asc
  • Pagination: ?page=1&limit=20
  • Field selection: ?select=id,name,email
  • Row-level security — users only access their own rows
  • SQL injection protection — fully parameterized queries

The broader project is called VOID-X — a beginner-friendly
BaaS platform I'm building solo.

Full feature set:
✅ Auth (JWT, refresh tokens, per-project users)
✅ Visual database designer
✅ Auto REST API engine (what I described above)
✅ File storage with bucket access control
✅ Real-time WebSocket subscriptions on DB changes

Stack: Node.js, Express, PostgreSQL, Next.js 14

If you're curious or want early access → https://tally.so/r/eqNE7J

Happy to go deep on any of the technical decisions in
the comments 👇

Top comments (0)