In this tutorial we will learn how to create RESTful APIs using Node.js and Express 4. Using Express 4 we can easily manage GET and POST requests. We have also used Mysql to Fetch and post data from database.
For demo we have created simple Book store app APIs. By using that we can Show, Add, Update & Delete Books data. Also showing the response data of api’s using postman.
SQL file can be found along with the downloaded code.
Let’s start with installing dependencies and then the code,
Install dependencies
Will going to use following node modules for handling session.
- Express 4
- Body parser
- MySql
I have created a package.json file that will install all required dependencies. have a look,
{
"name": "Node-APIs",
"version": "0.0.1",
"main": "server.js",
"dependencies": {
"express": "^4.8.7",
"mysql":"^2.5.5",
"body-parser":"^1.12.0"
}
}
How to install dependencies?
By typing following command you can install dependencies,
npm install
Note : You must also have MySQL installed if you are working locally.
Initialization & Require
First will include require node modules and http server.
Also we have done connection of MySql for GET & POST data.
var app = require('express')(); // Express App include
var http = require('http').Server(app); // http server
var mysql = require('mysql'); // Mysql include
var bodyParser = require("body-parser"); // Body parser for fetch posted data
var connection = mysql.createConnection({ // Mysql Connection
host : 'localhost',
user : 'root',
password : '',
database : 'books',
});
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
app.use(bodyParser.json()); // Body parser use JSON data
Show List Of Books
Using below API we will fetch all books with it’s data.
app.get('/book',function(req,res){
var data = {
"error":1,
"Books":""
};
connection.query("SELECT * from book",function(err, rows, fields){
if(rows.length != 0){
data["error"] = 0;
data["Books"] = rows;
res.json(data);
}else{
data["Books"] = 'No books Found..';
res.json(data);
}
});
});
First will define route url (i.e : app.get(‘/book’,function()) ).
And then make sql query to fetch all book data using connection.query. That will fetch all book data and return as json. which you can see in above image.
Add New Book
Using below API we will add new book data to database.
app.post('/book',function(req,res){
var Bookname = req.body.bookname;
var Authorname = req.body.authorname;
var Price = req.body.price;
var data = {
"error":1,
"Books":""
};
if(!!Bookname && !!Authorname && !!Price){
connection.query("INSERT INTO book VALUES('',?,?,?)",[Bookname,Authorname,Price],function(err, rows, fields){
if(!!err){
data["Books"] = "Error Adding data";
}else{
data["error"] = 0;
data["Books"] = "Book Added Successfully";
}
res.json(data);
});
}else{
data["Books"] = "Please provide all required data (i.e : Bookname, Authorname, Price)";
res.json(data);
}
});
First will define route url (i.e : app.post(‘/book’,function()) ).
And then make sql query to add book data to database using connection.query. That will add book data and based on that return response as json. which you can see in above image.
Update Existing Book
Using below API we will update existing book data to database.
app.put('/book',function(req,res){
var Id = req.body.id;
var Bookname = req.body.bookname;
var Authorname = req.body.authorname;
var Price = req.body.price;
var data = {
"error":1,
"Books":""
};
if(!!Id && !!Bookname && !!Authorname && !!Price){
connection.query("UPDATE book SET BookName=?, AuthorName=?, Price=? WHERE id=?",[Bookname,Authorname,Price,Id],function(err, rows, fields){
if(!!err){
data["Books"] = "Error Updating data";
}else{
data["error"] = 0;
data["Books"] = "Updated Book Successfully";
}
res.json(data);
});
}else{
data["Books"] = "Please provide all required data (i.e : id, Bookname, Authorname, Price)";
res.json(data);
}
});
First will define route url (i.e : app.put(‘/book’,function()) ).
And then make sql query to update book data to database using connection.query. That will update book data and based on that return response as json. which you can see in above image.
Delete Existing Book
Using below API we will delete existing book data to database.
app.delete('/book',function(req,res){
var Id = req.body.id;
var data = {
"error":1,
"Books":""
};
if(!!Id){
connection.query("DELETE FROM book WHERE id=?",[Id],function(err, rows, fields){
if(!!err){
data["Books"] = "Error deleting data";
}else{
data["error"] = 0;
data["Books"] = "Delete Book Successfully";
}
res.json(data);
});
}else{
data["Books"] = "Please provide all required data (i.e : id )";
res.json(data);
}
});
First will define route url (i.e : app.delete(‘/book’,function()) ).
And then make sql query to delete book data to database using connection.query. That will delete book data and based on that return response as json. which you can see in above image.
How to run?
First check whether you have installed Node.js or not.
Then install all required dependencies (i.e : express, express-session & body-parser ) by typing following command in terminal,
npm install
Now, run the server using following command.
node server.js
And now go to postman and hit “localhost:8080/RoutesUrl″. for checking APIs.
Mukul Kandhari is an internet marketer, SEO, and web developer with a passion for programming.
Actually this is not RESTful API.
When routing REST API, you should not use verb in your domain
for example, app.post(‘/deletebook’) -> app.delete(‘/book’) this is right way.
Yes right,
Thanks for your suggestion.
Also i have updated the code.
Hi Inaam,
Thanks for the excellent tutorial for creating RESTful API Using Node.js & Express 4.
I tried using your tutorial as it is but got stuck at one place. For post/put requests, I am getting undefined request.body.
Could you please suggest what could be the reason for this issue?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Neeraj,
Can you please describe more on your problem. like how you are passing data to that post/put routes.
Please download this postman for check Api’s responses https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/postman-rest-client/fdmmgilgnpjigdojojpjoooidkmcomcm?hl=en.
Then set and pass parameter as required. as you can see in above images.
However i have checked and it’s working fine me.
Thanks.
Hi Inaam,
Yes, I am already using Postman.
Below are the steps that I follow overall –
1. Downloaded the project from the git repo in your blog.
2. Install Node.js, MySQL, Postman
3. Create table in the MySQL myself ( I was not able to find sql script to do that in the source code)
4. Run the command ‘npm install’
5. Started the server using following command ‘node server.js’
6, When I try to hit “localhost:8080/RoutesUrl″ in Postman gets below error –
Cannot POST /RoutesUrl
Further, I am passing the data in json format the way it is suggested in your blog. The get request is working fine and I am able to see the list of books. But for post/put requests, I am getting below error in the Postman –
{
“error”: 1,
“Books”: “Please provide all required data (i.e : Bookname, Authorname, Price)”
}
In order to debug the issue, I placed some console.log() statements in server.js and notices that req.body is coming as undefined.
Hi Neeraj,
I have added sql file for this. By downloading latest code you will find that file.
And for the process, all above till step 5 you did correct.
for step 6 you need to call this URL in postman for post requests is ( i.e : http://localhost:8080/book ).
And object you need to pass in raw tab is,
{
“bookname”:”newtestbook”,
“authorname”:”boy”,
“price”:”657″
}
And then you should get response like,
{
“error”: 0,
“Books”: “Book Added Successfully”
}
By doing this steps it’s work fine for me. please check again with above mentioned description for step 6.
Thanks.
Hi, thank you for nice tutorial.
One thing, API endpoint could be more RESTful/CRUD ?
GET /books – for all books
POST /books – add new one
GET /books/{id} – for particular book
DELETE /books/{id} – response HTTP 404 error code when book doesn’t exists
PUT /books/{id}
best regards
Hi inzkulozik,
Thanks for the comment.
Also i have checked for DELETE and i am getting proper response. i don’t see any error.
Thanks.
Inaam, there is no any error. Read this http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9930695/rest-api-404-bad-uri-or-missing-resource
Can anyOne suggest me how i can learn Node.js From Scratch … i need step by step guide where i should start and can become a professional Node Developer
learn javascript first. understand it then node will be easy…
You need to get a good hold of JavaScript the node should be easy.
Here is a tutorial for beginners,
https://codeforgeek.com/2014/06/express-nodejs-tutorial/
Check out if it helps.
This has helped a lot!
God bless.
I am new to Node JS Sir,I am Followed your Full Process..For me..Get Api is Working..Other then that Post,Delete,Put Api are not working Sir
Hi SaravanaMoorthi,
Can you please provide me the steps you are doing while Post, Delete, Put API’s. So that i can resolve your problem.
Thanks.
Hi,
I am new to Postman. Could you please tell me the required header for this? And the URL parameters? Only GET call is working, the rest have different (but not the desired) outputs based on the headers.
Thanks.
Hi khush,
In header you need to pass “content-type” : “application/json” and in raw data tab you have to pass your data object. that you can see above images.
Thanks.
Thank you, that worked.
Could you please also guide how to GET data based on ID? As in, get individual rows instead of the entire table.
A.o.A!
Dear! Please suggest me what I m doing wrong with this INSERT (POST) operation.
url: http://localhost:8080/book
Type: GET
Header (key-value): “content-type” “application/json”
raw:
{
“bookname”:”newtestbook”,
“authorname”:”boy”,
“price”:”657″
}
THEN ON CLICKING |SEND| Button , no result appears.. 🙁
Everything looks fine except ‘Type’. that should be ‘POST’ instead ‘GET’. and raw data is like,
raw:
{
“bookname”:”newtestbook”,
“authorname”:”boy”,
“price”:657
}
Thanks.
if(rows.length != 0){
^
TypeError: Cannot read property ‘length’ of undefined
I am getting this error for app.get(‘/book’ api. What is the issue? I think rows is null but i don’t understand why it is being returned null. Please help
Hi Shivang,
make sure you have done sql connection properly before running. because here i have checked the code and its working fine for me.
Thanks.
Hi,
I have everything setup and double checked all the code files but I’m getting an error trying to run the server.js app with node:
/home/pi/NodeApps/NodeRestAPI/server.js:47
connection.query(“INSERT INTO book
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
SyntaxError: Unexpected token ILLEGAL
at exports.runInThisContext (vm.js:53:16)
at Module._compile (module.js:414:25)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:442:10)
at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:311:12)
at Function.Module.runMain (module.js:467:10)
at startup (node.js:134:18)
at node.js:961:3
I can access the database OK and perform select statements without issue so not sure what is going on here. I’m new to Node and Express.
p.s. I’ve updated the script with the correct login details for my instance of MySQL and tested that in the console as well.
Many thanks for any assistance.
Cheers,
Lee
Hey can you please provide query which you were trying, otherwise its look fine. or else send me your file so that i can look in to that file and resolve your problem.
Thanks.
Thanks for the tutorial. It would have been slightly easier to get it working if you had mentioned somewhere in the post that the following line should be appended to server.js – to someone without any node / express experience, this is not obvious.
http.listen(8080, function(){
console.log(“Connected & Listen to port 8080”);
});
Yes correct ben. will update as soon as possible.
Thanks for the comment.