REST API in AWS with MySQL

At the conception of this sample project, the REST API app was kept alive using PM2 on an AWS EC2. The MySQL was an instance created in AWS RDS.

Tech Highlights

1. MySQL Driver: The node module mysql

2. REST Framework: Restify

3. Authentication: JsonWebToken

For this latest version:

1. I integrated JWT for API Authentication.
2. Re-scaffold the routes and data files.
3. I did not use async/await syntax, and instead, I kept Callbacks and Promise functions because I was being nostalgic of the old days. If you'd like to see me apply async/await used in REST API, take a look at the API_MongoDB_Atlas folder. MongooseJS added the async/await features so it was a given.
4. Added proper error handlings using restify-errors

Alternatives to the mysql driver

Sequelize is an ORM and a good alternative to mysql driver. In this project, I use only mysql which expects SQL Statements. However, with Sequelize, you don't make SQL Statements. It's beneficial to use Sequelize because it handles many SQL-DB like MSSQL Server, MariaDB and especially MySQL. I like making SQL Statements and being nostalgic, I decided to use mysql only without any ORM and other frameworks to interface with MySQL for this Web API app.

Create the Database

Three instances (or ways) to have a MySQL Database:

1. Remote MySQL DB on Amazon RDS: https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/hands-on/create-mysql-db/

2. Local using MAMP on MacOS

3. Local using XAMPP on Windows

Once you have your MySQL Database running, simply change the .env values for DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_PORT, and DB_NAME.