Simplistik

Getting Started

This tutorial will show how to use simplistik with sqlite(dev), postgres(production) on heroku.

$ mkdir dummy-project
$ cd dummy-project
$ yarn init
$ yarn add simplistik-cli pg sqlite3
$ yarn run knex init
$ yarn run simplistik init

Open the project in your editor and let's edit knexfile.js :

// knexfile.js
module.exports = {
  development: {
    client: 'sqlite3',
    connection: {
      filename: './dev.sqlite3',
    },
  },

  production: {
    client: 'pg',
    connection: process.env.DATABASE_URL,
    pool: {
      min: 2,
      max: 10,
    },
    migrations: {
      tableName: 'knex_migrations',
    },
  },
}

The process.env.DATABASE_URL is specific to heroku, you'll need to adapt this part to your configuration and database stack.

Then go to heroku, then :

• create a new project (or use the heroku cli).
• add addons:postgres
• in settings tab, add the config_vars :
  • secret = yoursecret
  • NODE_ENV = production

In the Config Vars you should see the DATABASE_URL from your postgres addons. Don't change it, we will use this value for knexfile.js

Once your heroku app is ready, comeback to your project.

Go to your package.json and add those scripts :

// package.json
[...]
"scripts": {
  "postinstall": "knex migrate:latest",
  "start": "simplistik"
},
[...]

If you're using seeds, change postinstall script to knex migrate:latest && knex seed:run

You are now ready to push your app to heroku, add heroku as a git remote by following the step from heroku Deploy tab and push your app.

git push heroku master

Your app should be uploaded to heroku and start after runnning the migrations.

Before being able to use your graphql api you need to create a user and get an api_key. To create an user use this command : heroku run simplistik new:user -u <username>

The command should create the user in your DB and print an api_key in the console.

Use the graphQL api

The easiest way to test your api is to use GraphiQL App Once the app is open :

• Change the url to your graphql api "http:///graphql"
• Authorization : Bearer <api_key>

To test the api, you can use this query :

{
  user(id: "1") {
    username
    id
  }
}

the api should return :

{
  "data": {
    "user": {
      "username": <your username>,
      "id": "1"
    }
  }
}

CLI

init

• create default db.js
• create knex default migrations
• create knex default seeds directory
• create default graphql types
• create default graphql resolvers

new:user (--username, -u)

• create a user and print his api_key

TODO : delete-user (--mail, -m)

• delete the user from db

Goal

I separate into 2 packages because the goal is to make the cli optionnal, removing the boilterplate it creates (default files)

We should be able to use simplistik without it by providing only a graphql schema and graphql resolvers. Obviously the main problem is the auth part where we need somehow to add simplistik_user table to your db and into the graphql schema/resovlers.

Maybe making the simplistik_user table a requirements that you'll have to implement by yourself and make the api_key auth system optionnal could be a solution to make simplistik-cli completly optionnal.

Right now the cli create basic file and most of them will need to be update by the user anyway because the DB connection are unique for everyone. Most of the "heavy lifting" in the getting started comes from heroku so maybe simplistik is already simple in itself.