Backend Assessment

Introduction

Welcome to the Backend Assessment!

This assessment is designed to help you practice the skills and knowledge you have acquired from the WD-107 Backend course. You will be building a Node.js Express MongoDB application to make API endpoints and combine data from the Unsplash API. You will create simple and complex GET routes, as well as full CRUD functionality for a favoriteUsers collection. You will also need to connect your app to a MongoDB database, and create a full login system with Authentication using JWT.

To complete this assessment, complete every task in Parts I through VII outlined below.

Requirements to Pass

• All routes must return the correct status code and data.
• Routes, controllers, models, middleware, etc. must be created in the appropriate files and folders.
• In Part I through III, async/await and try/catch blocks must be used to make requests and handle errors rather than promise chaining.
• Errors must be handled and returned to the user.
• The db.js file must be set up correctly.
• The MongoDB database must be set up correctly.
• The login system must be secured using JWT.
• Your code must be clean and readable. It should follow the DRY principle.
• Routes created in Part VI should be accessed only by users who are logged in.
• Error handling middleware is implemented for all favorites routes (created in Part VI).
• Auth middleware is implemented for all favorites routes (created in Part VI).

Important Note(s)

• Use axios to make requests to the Unsplash API.
• Save all sensitive passwords and keys to an .env file.
• Upon completing this assessment, submit your Github repo link and the .env file.

Documentation

• Postman documentation
• axios documentation
• Express documentation
• Unsplash API
• MongoDB
• Mongoose
• JWT
• bcryptjs
• jsonwebtoken
• dotenv

Downloads

• Download Compass to view your MongoDB database.
• Download Postman to test your API endpoints.

BEFORE YOU START YOUR PROJECT

Before you start, set up your Developer account on Unsplash and create an application. You will need to create an application to get your API key. You can find the documentation for the Unsplash API here.

• Create a Developer account on Unsplash.
• Create a new application called BE Assessment.
• Copy your Access Key and your Secret Key and save them to your .env file as UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY and UNSPLASH_SECRET_KEY respectively.

Part I - Setup Instructions

Set up your project by following the instructions below.

• Fork and clone this repository.
• Run npm install to install dependencies.
• Run npm run server to start the server w/ nodemon.
• Create a .gitignore file and add node_modules and .env to it.
• Create a .env file and add PORT=3000 to it.
• Set up the app.js file:
  • Require the express module
  • Set up the app object
  • Set the port to 3000
  • Set up the app object to use express.json() middleware to parse JSON bodies
  • Add a GET route to / that returns a 200 status and a JSON object with a message key assigned to a string that reads, "Welcome to the Unsplash API!"
  • Set up the server to listen on port 3000.
  • Run your server with npm run server
  • Check that your server is running:
    • You should see your "Listening on port 3000" log in the terminal.
    • When you visit http://localhost:3000/ in your browser, you should see a JSON object, {message: "Welcome to the Unsplash API!"}.

Commit to Github

• Commit your work to Github and push to your forked repository w/ a commit message that reads, "Part I - Setup".

Part II - API GET Routes: Return Unsplash Photos

Create the following GET routes in the photoRoutes.js file:

• Use /api/photos as the base path for all photo routes

/api/photos Route

Create a GETroute in the photoRoutes.js file that:

• Returns an array of raw Unsplash photo URLs.
• If the catch block is triggered, returns a 500 status and a JSON object with a message key assigned to a string that reads, "Server error. Please try again later."

/api/photos/:id Route

Create a GETroute in the photoRoutes.js file that:

• Returns a single photo object from the Unsplash API based on a photo's id
• If the catch block is triggered, returns a 500 status and a JSON object with a message key assigned to a string that reads, "Server error. Please try again later."

Commit to Github

• Commit your work to Github and push to your forked repository w/ a commit message that reads, "Part II - API GET Routes: Return Unsplash Photos".

Part III - Advanced Route: Return Combined Data

/api/photos/user/:username Route

Create a GETroute in the photoRoutes.js file that:

• Returns an array of a user's Unsplash photos based on a username parameter.
  • The array of photos should be an array of objects with the following keys:
    • id - photo's id
    • username - the username of the user who added the photo
    • description - photo's description
    • url - photo's raw URL
    • if the description is null, the description key should be assigned to a string that reads, "No description provided."
• If the catch block is triggered, it returns the error status and a JSON object with a message key assigned to the error message contained in the axios error response data. Use Axios Response Schema documentation as needed.

Commit to Github

• Commit your work to Github and push to your forked repository w/ a commit message that reads, "Part III - Advanced Routes: Return Combined Data".

Part IV - Set up MongoDB and connect to your application

• Set up a MongoDB database
• Connect it to your application.
• Add the MONGO_URI to your .env file

Part V - Authentication

Create Authentication using JWT:

• Create a User model that has the following properties:

  • username - a string
  • password - a string
  • email - a string
  • Set all properties to required
  • Make sure that the email is unique
  • Include a timestamp

• Create a register route where users can sign up for your application

  • All passwords should be hashed using bcryptjs and 10 salt rounds
  • Make sure that the user's email is unique
  • If the user's email is not unique, return a 400 status and a JSON object with a message key assigned to a string that reads, "Email already exists."

• Create a login route where users can sign in

  • login route should compare the hashed password to the password in the user request and returns a JWT token

• Create a logout route that invalidates the JWT token

• Create the JWT token using jsonwebtoken

• Create a middleware that checks for the JWT token and verifies it

• Create a private /me route that returns the user's information based on the JWT token

• Store the JWT_SECRET in your .env file

Commit to Github

• Commit your work to Github and push to your forked repository w/ a commit message that reads, "Part VI - Authentication".

Part VI - Collection of Favorite Photos

Note: All functionality in this section should only be accessed by authenticated users.

• Implement asyncHandler to avoid try/catch blocks and to trigger error handling middleware (error middleware to be completed in Part VII)
• Create a new collection in your database called favoritePhotos
• Create a model for your favoritePhotos collection with a schema that includes the following:
  • user - the authenticated unsplash-backend-assessment user's id
  • url - the photo's raw url
  • description - the photo's description
  • username - the Unsplash user's username associated with the photo url
• Create a route that allows a user to add a photo's url, description, and Unsplash user's username as well as an explanation of why they added the photo to their favoritePhotos collection
• Create a route that allows a user to get all of their favoritePhotos
• Create a route that allows a user to remove a photo from their favoritePhotos
• Create a route that allows a user to edit their description of why they added the photo to their list of favorites

Commit to Github

• Commit your work to Github and push to your repository w/ a commit message that reads, "Part VII - Favorites Collection"

Part VII - Error Handling Middleware

Create an errorHandler function in the errorMiddleware.js file that:

• Responds with a statusCode and error message
• Returns the stack trace only if the environment is in development
• Implement the errorHandler function in your app.js file
• Check that the errorHandler is working with all of the favorites routes created in Part VI. No need to implement for photos routes.

Commit to Github

• Commit your work to Github and push to your repository w/ a commit message that reads, "Part VII - Error Handling Middleware"

Pass in your assessment

• Ensure all routes work as expected
• Ensure that your code is readable and DRY
• Include the .env file