Install & Run

• This project relies on npm. This will need to be installed before moving forward.

• Once npm is installed...

• Unzip the project

• Boot up the server side project...

  • cd into the server dir
  • Ensure that you create a zomato-api-key.const.js file in the root of the server dir

  Add your api key into the file you just created

  // Note: this is my real api key for a basic account...
  // Normally I wouldn't commit this to source - but for simplicity sake, here it is...
  
  module.exports = '00eb7c42ec7ccf5f9188a5792fd05afb';

  • npm install - Install the project's dependencies
  • npm start - will boot up a node.js server on localhost:3000

• Boot up the client side project...

  • cd into the client dir
  • npm install -g parcel-bundler - This is the bundler that will compile the project
  • npm install - Install the project's dependencies.
  • npm start - will boot up the app on localhost:1234

Understanding the Project

Features

• Uses React-Fn framework, which is a micro framework around React that promotes a functional approach, but as an alternative to Redux.
• Default map of cuisines and categories allows instant load, but is then verified once the real api calls are returned.
• Server side app layer provides a cache to reduce api calls and protect api key.

Client side

The client-side app uses React-Fn. A functional approach to React that I built as an alternative to Redux style actions. A similar approach to something like Hyperapp.

The Project running on local is expected to be run with parcel.js. Parcel is a zero config approach to bundling as opposed to webpack which can require quite a lot of config to get it working correctly.

The project is written in typescript. While the project is quite functional, types and interfaces help especially with code completion and linting.

Server side

The Serverside is a basic node.js express app.

There are 2 main reasons for having a server-side part to the project.
Firstly it hides the api-key away from the client-side, so other parties cannot use the api with this key.
Secondly it allows the ability to add a caching layer. Since categories and cuisines is likely to be relatively stable, it makes good sense to have a cache to speed things up and reduce calls.