Genre of Design - Public API

This is the public API server for the Genre of Design client landing page. It provides read-only access to projects, jobs, and handles form submissions for contact messages and vendor registrations.

Purpose

This API is designed to serve the client-facing website with:

• Read-only data: Projects, job postings, and other public content
• Form submissions: Contact messages and vendor registrations
• No admin operations: All CRUD operations are handled by a separate admin API

Project Structure

web-api/                    # Public API (Node.js + Express)
├── config/                 # Database configuration
├── controllers/            # Public API Controllers (read-only + form submissions)
├── middleware/             # Validation middleware only
├── models/                 # Sequelize ORM models
├── routes/                 # Public API routes only
├── uploads/                # File uploads directory
├── server.js              # Main server file
└── package.json           # Dependencies

Features

Public API (Node.js + Express)

• Read-only Operations: Fetch projects, jobs, and other public data
• Form Submissions: Handle contact messages and vendor registrations
• File Upload: Support for vendor registration file uploads
• Validation: Input validation for form submissions
• Security: Helmet, CORS, rate limiting
• No Authentication: Public API with no admin access

API Endpoints

Projects (Read-only)

• GET /api/projects - Get all projects
• GET /api/projects/:id - Get single project
• GET /api/projects/types - Get project types for filtering

Jobs (Read-only + Applications)

• GET /api/jobs - Get all job postings
• GET /api/jobs/:id - Get single job posting
• POST /api/jobs/apply - Apply for job

Contact

• POST /api/contact/send - Send contact message

Vendors

• POST /api/vendor/register - Register vendor

Installation & Setup

1. Navigate to the API directory:

cd god-mvc/web-api

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Create environment file:

cp env.example .env

4. Update .env with your configuration:

PORT=3001
NODE_ENV=development
DATABASE_URL=postgres://username:password@localhost:5432/genre_of_design
SMTP_HOST=your-smtp-host
SMTP_USER=your-smtp-user
SMTP_PASS=your-smtp-password
ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@genreofdesign.com

5. Start the server:

npm run dev

Database Schema

The API uses the following entities for read-only access:

• Projects: Design portfolio items (read-only)
• Job Postings: Career opportunities (read-only)
• Applicants: Job application data (create only)
• Contact Messages: Customer inquiries (create only)
• Vendor Registrations: Business partnerships (create only)

Key Features

Public Data Access

• Project portfolio with filtering
• Job postings and applications
• No authentication required
• Optimized for client landing page

Form Submissions

• Contact message handling with email notifications
• Vendor registration with file upload support
• Input validation and error handling
• Database storage for admin review

Security

• Rate limiting for API protection
• CORS configuration for public access
• Input validation and sanitization
• File upload security

Technology Stack

• Node.js: Runtime environment
• Express.js: Web framework
• Sequelize ORM: Database operations
• PostgreSQL: Database
• Express Validator: Input validation
• Helmet: Security headers
• CORS: Cross-origin resource sharing
• Express File Upload: File handling
• Nodemailer: Email notifications

Development

Running in Development Mode

cd god-mvc/web-api
npm run dev

The server will start on http://localhost:3001

API Health Check

Visit http://localhost:3001 to see the API status and available endpoints.

Deployment

Production Deployment

• Deploy to platforms like Heroku, DigitalOcean, AWS, etc.
• Set up PostgreSQL database
• Configure environment variables
• Set up file upload directory
• Configure CORS for your frontend domain

Environment Variables

• PORT: Server port (default: 3001)
• NODE_ENV: Environment (development/production)
• DATABASE_URL: PostgreSQL connection string
• SMTP_*: Email configuration for notifications
• ADMIN_EMAIL: Admin email for notifications

Architecture Separation

This public API is designed to work alongside a separate admin API that handles:

• User authentication and management
• CRUD operations for all entities
• Admin dashboard functionality
• Content management

The separation ensures:

• Security: Public API has no admin access
• Performance: Optimized for public consumption
• Maintainability: Clear separation of concerns
• Scalability: Independent scaling of public and admin services