express-graphql-boilerplate

Express GraphQL API with JWT Authentication and support for sqlite, mysql, and postgresql

• authentication via JWT
• support for sqlite, mysql, and postgresql
• support for graphiql an easy way exploring a GrapgQL API
• environments for development, testing, and production
• linting via eslint
• integration tests running with Jest
• built with npm sripts
• examples for User, Note, and nested GraphQL Queries

Quick Intro

GraphQL is a Query Language where your REST API can co-exist directly beside your GraphQL API in harmony. To demonstrate this we have two REST endpoints for register and login.

# clone repository
$ git clone https://github.com/aichbauer/express-graphql-boilerplate.git
# cd into project root
$ cd express-graphql-boilerplate
# install dependencies
$ npm i
# start application
$ npm start
# create a User via the REST API
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"email":"[email protected]","password":"pw","password2":"pw"}' http://localhost:2017/rest/register
# login a User via the REST API
# you will get a JSON with a token and this is your token to get access to the GraphQL API
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"email":"[email protected]","password":"pw"}' http://localhost:2017/rest/login
# requesting a User via the GraphQL API
curl -i -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" -X POST -d '{"query": "{user{id, username}}"}'  http://localhost:2017/graphql
# creating a Note for a user via the GraphQL API
curl -i -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" -X POST -d '{"query": "mutation{createNote(userId:1,note:\"this is a note\"){id,userId,note}}"}' http://localhost:2017/graphql
# requesting a User with its Notes via the GraphQL API (nested Query)
curl -i -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" -X POST -d '{"query": "{user{id, username, notes{id, note}}}"}'  http://localhost:2017/graphql

Table of Contents

• Install & Use
• Folder Structure
• Controllers
  • Create a Controller
• GraphQL
  • Create a Query
  • Create a Mutation
  • Create a Type
  • RootQuery and Schema
• Models
  • Create a Model
• Policies
  • auth.policy
• Services
• Config
  • Connection and Database
  • Routes
• Test
  • Setup
• npm scripts

Install and Use

Start by cloning this repository

# HTTPS
$ git clone https://github.com/aichbauer/express-graphql-boilerplate.git

then

# cd into project root
$ cd express-graphql-boilerplate
# install dependencies
$ yarn
# to use mysql
$ yarn add mysql2
# to use postgresql
$ yarn add pg pg-hstore

or

$ cd express-graphql-boilerplate
$ npm i
$ npm i mysql2 -S
$ npm i pg pg-hstore -S

sqlite is supported out of the box as it is the default database.

Folder Structure

This boilerplate has four main directories:

• api - for controllers, queries, mutations, models, types, cervices, etc.
• config - for routes, database, etc.
• db - this is only a directory for the sqlite database, the default for NODE_ENV=development
• test - using Jest

Controllers

Controllers in this boilerplate have a naming convention: ModelnameController.js and uses an object factory pattern. To use a model inside of your controller you have to require it. We use Sequelize as ORM, if you want further information read the Docs.

Create a Controller

For an example with all CRUD operations visit the express-rest-api-boilerplate

GraphQL

This directory holds all files that are related to GraphQL (mutations, queries, types, ...).

Create a Query

Note: You need to have a Type, and an existing Model to use queries in combination with a database!

Example query for a User which lets you request all different fields which are defined in args.

// import the required GraphQL Types
const {
  GraphQLInt,
  GraphQLString,
  GraphQLList,
} = require('graphql');

// import the Model and the Type
const { UserType } = require('../types');
const { User } = require('../../models');

// create the query
const userQuery = {
  type: new GraphQLList(UserType), // the Type which it returns (an array of Users)
  args: {
    // arguments you are able to Query
    // notice no password field
    // so the password will not be send as respond
    // neither can you Query for it
    id: {
      name: 'id',
      type: GraphQLInt,
    },
    username: {
      name: 'username',
      type: GraphQLString,
    },
    email: {
      name: 'email',
      type: GraphQLString,
    },
    notes: {
      name: 'notes',
      type: GraphQLString,
    },
    createdAt: {
      name: 'createdAt',
      type: GraphQLString,
    },
    updatedAt: {
      name: 'updatedAt',
      type: GraphQLString,
    },
  },
  // how to get the respond
  // DB call
  resolve: (user, args) => User.findAll({ where: args }),
};

module.exports = { userQuery };

Do not forget to require and export the query in ./api/graphql/queries/index.js.

Create a Mutation

Note: You need to have a Type, and an existing Model to use mutations in combination with a database!

// import the rqeuired GraphQL Types
const {
  GraphQLString,
  GraphQLInt,
  GraphQLNonNull,
} = require('graphql');
const merge = require('lodash.merge');

// import the Model and the Type
const { UserType } = require('../types');
const { User } = require('../../models');

// create the mutation
const updateUser = {
  // the Type which it returns (one user)
  type: UserType,
  description: 'The mutation that allows you to update an existing User by Id',
  // arguments you can use
  // have to be fields that are
  // resolvable by the UserType
  args: {
    id: {
      name: 'id',
      type: new GraphQLNonNull(GraphQLInt),
    },
    username: {
      name: 'username',
      type: GraphQLString,
    },
    email: {
      name: 'email',
      type: GraphQLString,
    },
  },
  // find the User in the DB
  // update the fields for this user
  resolve: async (user, { id, username, email }) => {
    const foundUser = await User.findById(id);

    if (!foundUser) {
      throw new Error(`User with id: ${id} not found!`);
    }

    const updatedUser = merge(foundUser, {
      username,
      email,
    });

    return foundUser.update(updatedUser);
  },
};

// the delete mutation
const deleteUser = {
  // the Type which it returns (one user)
  type: UserType,
  description: 'The mutation that allows you to delete a existing User by Id',
  // arguments you can use
  args: {
    id: {
      name: 'id',
      type: new GraphQLNonNull(GraphQLInt),
    },
  },
  resolve: async (user, { id }) => {
    const foundUser = await User.findById(id);

    if (!foundUser) {
      throw new Error(`User with id: ${id} not found!`);
    }

    await User.destroy({
      where: {
        id,
      },
    });

    return foundUser;
  },
};

module.exports = {
  updateUser,
  deleteUser,
};

Do not forget to require and export the mutation in ./api/graphql/mutations/index.js.

Create a Type

Types are necessary to let GraphQL know, how to resolve the different fields you provide in your queries and mutations.

// import the required GraphQL Types
const {
  GraphQLObjectType,
  GraphQLInt,
  GraphQLString,
  GraphQLList,
} = require('graphql');

// our UserType definition
const UserType = new GraphQLObjectType({
  name: 'User',
  description: 'This represents a User',
  // all the fields a User can have
  fields: () => ({
    id: {
      type: GraphQLInt,
      resolve: (user) => user.id,
    },
    username: {
      type: GraphQLString,
      resolve: (user) => user.username,
    },
    email: {
      type: GraphQLString,
      resolve: (user) => user.email,
    },
    createdAt: {
      type: GraphQLString,
      resolve: (user) => user.createdAt,
    },
    updatedAt: {
      type: GraphQLString,
      resolve: (user) => user.updatedAt,
    },
  }),
});

module.exports = { UserType };

Do not forget to require and export the type in ./api/graphql/types/index.js.

RootQuery, RootMutation and Schema

The schema holds the RootQuery and the RootMutation which holds all the other Queries and Mutations, that is applied to one route which is your entrypoint for your GraphQL API. The schema has to be exported and used in the ./api/api.js file.

// import required GraphQL Types
const {
  GraphQLSchema,
  GraphQLObjectType,
} = require('graphql');

// import Query and Mutations
const { userQuery } = require('./queries');
const {
  updateUser,
  deleteUser,
} = require('./mutations');

// add Queries to RootQuery
const RootQuery = new GraphQLObjectType({
  name: 'rootQuery',
  description: 'This is the RootQuery which holds all possible READ entrypoints for the GraphQL API',
  fields: () => ({
    user: userQuery,
  }),
});

// add Mutations to RootMutations
const RootMutation = new GraphQLObjectType({
  name: 'rootMutation',
  description: 'This is the root Mutation which holds all possible WRITE entrypoints for the GraphQL API',
  fields: () => ({
    updateUser,
    deleteUser,
  }),
});

// add RootQuery and RootMutation
// to your Schema
const schema = new GraphQLSchema({
  query: RootQuery,
  mutation: RootMutation,
});

module.exports = { schema };

To use the this schema for your API we need to add it to a route, as you can see we use our auth service to protect our GraphQL API to be used without authorization via a valid JSON Web Token. We get a nice web interface for our GraphQL API via the graphql-playground-middleware-express package. You can use it if you visit http://localhost:2017/explore. If you want to use it in production you should make sure only you have access to /explore.

api.all('/graphql', (req, res, next) => auth(req, res, next));
api.use('/graphql', bodyParser.json(), graphqlExpress({ schema }));
api.get('/explore', expressPlayground({ endpoint: '/graphql' }));

The entrypoint for our GraphQL API is http://localhost:2017/graphql

Models

This folder holds all models. Every model is required and exported in index.js.

Create a model

Models in this boilerplate have a naming convention: Model.js and uses Sequelize to define our Models, if you want further information, read the Docs.

Example User Model:

// as our ORM
const Sequelize = require('sequelize');
// for encrypting our passwords
const bcryptSevice = require('../services/bcrypt.service');

// the DB connection
const sequelize = require('../../config/database');

// hooks are functions that can run before or after a specific event
const hooks = {
  beforeCreate(user) {
    user.password = bcryptSevice().password(user); // eslint-disable-line no-param-reassign
  },
};

// naming the table in the DB
const tableName = 'users';

// the actual Model
const User = sequelize.define('User', {
  username: {
    type: Sequelize.STRING,
  },
  password: {
    type: Sequelize.STRING,
  },
  email: {
    type: Sequelize.STRING,
    unique: true,
  },
}, { hooks, tableName });

// instanceMethods are functions that run on instances of our Model
// toJSON runs before delivering it to our client
// we delete the password, that the client has no sensitive data
User.prototype.toJSON = function () {
  const values = Object.assign({}, this.get());

  delete values.password;

  return values;
};

module.exports = { User };

Do not forget to require the the model in ./api/models/index.js.

Policies

Policies are middleware functions that can run before hitting a specific or more specified route(s).

Example policy:

Only allow if the user is marked as admin.

Note: this is not a secure example, only for presentation puposes

module.exports = (req, res, next) => {
  if(req.body.userrole === 'admin') {
    // do some verification stuff
    const verified = verifyAdmin(req.body.userid);

    if(verified) {
      return next();
    }

    return res.status(401).json({ msg: 'Unauthorized' });
  }

  return res.status(401).json({ msg: 'Unauthorized' });
};

To use this policy on all routes that only admins are allowed:

api.js

const adminPolicy = require('./policies/admin.policy');

app.all('/admin/*', (req, res, next) => adminPolicy(req, res, next));

Or for one specific route

api.js

const adminPolicy = require('./policies/admin.policy');

app.get('/admin/myroute',
  (req, res, next) => adminPolicy(req, res, next),
  (req, res) => {
  //do some fancy stuff
});

auth.policy

The auth.policy checks wether a JSON Web Token is send in the header of an request as Authorization: Bearer [JSON Web Token] or inside of the body of an request as token: [JSON Web Token]. The policy runs default on all API routes that are are prefixed with /graphql. To map multiple routes read the express-routes-mapper docs.

To use this policy on all routes of a specific prefix:

app.js

app.use('/prefix', yourRoutes);
app.all('/prefix', (req, res, next) => auth(req, res, next));

or to use this policy on one specific route:

app.js

app.get('/specificRoute',
  (req, res, next) => auth(req, res, next),
  (req, res) => {
  // do some fancy stuff
});

Services

Services are little useful snippets, or calls to another API that are not the main focus of your API.

Example service:

Get comments from another API:

module.exports = {
  getComments: () => (
    fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/comments', {
      method: 'get'
    }).then(function(res) {
      // do some fancy stuff with the response
    }).catch(function(err) {
      // Error :(
    })
  );
};

Config

Holds all the server configurations.

Connection and Database

Note: If you use mysql make sure mysql server is running on the machine

Note: If you use postgresql make sure postgresql server is running on the machine

This two files are the way to establish a connaction to a database.

You only need to touch connection.js, default for development is sqlite, but it is easy as typing mysql or postgres to switch to another db.

Note: To run a mysql db install these package with: yarn add mysql2 or npm i mysql2 -S

Note: To run a postgres db run these package with: yarn add pg pg-hstore or npm i -S pg pg-hstore

Now simple configure the keys with your credentials.

{
  database: 'databasename',
  username: 'username',
  password: 'password',
  host: 'localhost',
  dialect: 'sqlite' || 'mysql' || 'postgres',
}

To not configure the production code.

To start the DB, add the credentials for production. Add environment variables by typing e.g. export DB_USER=yourusername before starting the API.

Routes

For an example REST API with routes visit express-rest-api-boilerplate

Here you define all your routes for your API. It doesn't matter how you structure them. By default they are mapped on privateRoutes and publicRoutes. You can define as much routes files as you want e.g. for every Model or for specific use cases, e.g. normal user and admins.

Test

All test for this boilerplate uses Jest and supertest for integration testing. So read their docs on further information.

npm scripts

There are no automation tools or task runners like grunt or gulp used for this boilerplate. This boilerplate only uses npm scripts for automatization.

npm start

This is the entry for a developer.

By default it uses a sqlite databse, if you want to migrate the sqlite database by each start, disable the prestart and poststart command. Also mind if you are using a sqlite database to delete the drop-sqlite-db in the prepush hook.

• runs a nodemon watch task for the all files in the project root
• sets the environment variable NODE_ENV to development
• opens the db connection for development
• starts the server on 127.0.0.1:2017

npm test

This command:

• runs npm run lint (eslint) with the airbnb styleguide without arrow-parens rule for better readability
• sets the environment variable NODE_ENV to testing
• creates the database.sqlite for the test
• runs jest --coverage for testing with Jest and the coverage
• drops the database.sqlite after the test

npm run production

This command:

• sets the environment variable to production
• opens the db connection for production
• starts the server on 127.0.0.1:2017 or on 127.0.0.1:PORT_ENV

Before running on production you have to set the environment vaiables:

• DB_NAME - database name for production
• DB_USER - database username for production
• DB_PASS - database password for production
• DB_HOST - database host for production
• JWT_SECRET - secret for json web token

Optional:

• PORT - the port your API on 127.0.0.1, default to 2017

other commands

• npm run dev - simply starts the server without a watch task
• npm run creates-sqlite-db - creates the sqlite database file
• npm run drop-sqlite-db - deletes the sqlite database file
• npm run lint - linting with eslint
• npm run nodemon - same as npm start
• npm run prepush - a hook wich runs before pushing to a repository, runs npm test and npm run drop-sqlite-db
• pretest - runs linting before npm test
• test-ci - only runs tests, nothing in pretest, nothing in posttest, for better use with ci tools

LICENSE

MIT © Lukas Aichbauer