Xmysql : One command to generate REST APIs for any MySql database

Why this ?

Generating REST APIs for a MySql database which does not follow conventions of frameworks such as rails, django, laravel etc is a small adventure that one like to avoid ..

Hence this.

Setup and Usage

npm install -g xmysql

xmysql -h localhost -u mysqlUsername -p mysqlPassword -d databaseName

http://localhost:3000

That is it! Simple and minimalistic!

Happy hackery!

Example : Generate REST APIs for Magento

Powered by popular node packages : (express, mysql) => { xmysql }

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Features

• Generates API for ANY MySql database 🔥🔥
• Serves APIs irrespective of naming conventions of primary keys, foreign keys, tables etc 🔥🔥
• Support for composite primary keys 🔥🔥
• REST API Usual suspects : CRUD, List, FindOne, Count, Exists, Distinct
• Bulk insert, Bulk delete, Bulk read 🔥
• Relations
• Pagination
• Sorting
• Column filtering - Fields 🔥
• Row filtering - Where 🔥
• Aggregate functions
• Group By, Having (as query params) 🔥🔥
• Group By, Having (as a separate API) 🔥🔥
• Multiple group by in one API 🔥🔥🔥🔥
• Chart API for numeric column 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
• Auto Chart API - (a gift for lazy while prototyping) 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
• XJOIN - (Supports any number of JOINS) 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
• XQL (Work in Progress) 🐎 🐎
• Supports views
• Prototyping (features available when using local MySql server only)
  • Run dynamic queries 🔥🔥🔥
  • Upload single file
  • Upload multiple files
  • Download file

Use HTTP clients like Postman or similar tools to invoke REST API calls

---

Download node, mysql (setup mysql), sample database - if you haven't on your system.

API Overview

HTTP Type	API URL	Comments
GET	/	Gets all REST APIs
GET	/api/tableName	Lists rows of table
POST	/api/tableName	Create a new row
PUT	/api/tableName	Replaces existing row with new row
POST 🔥	/api/tableName/bulk	Create multiple rows - send object array in request body
GET 🔥	/api/tableName/bulk	Lists multiple rows - /api/tableName/bulk?_ids=1,2,3
DELETE 🔥	/api/tableName/bulk	Deletes multiple rows - /api/tableName/bulk?_ids=1,2,3
GET	/api/tableName/:id	Retrieves a row by primary key
PATCH	/api/tableName/:id	Updates row element by primary key
DELETE	/api/tableName/:id	Delete a row by primary key
GET	/api/tableName/findOne	Works as list but gets single record matching criteria
GET	/api/tableName/count	Count number of rows in a table
GET	/api/tableName/distinct	Distinct row(s) in table - /api/tableName/distinct?_fields=col1
GET	/api/tableName/:id/exists	True or false whether a row exists or not
GET	/api/parentTable/:id/childTable	Get list of child table rows with parent table foreign key
GET 🔥	/api/tableName/aggregate	Aggregate results of numeric column(s)
GET 🔥	/api/tableName/groupby	Group by results of column(s)
GET 🔥	/api/tableName/ugroupby	Multiple group by results using one call
GET 🔥	/api/tableName/chart	Numeric column distribution based on (min,max,step) or(step array) or (automagic)
GET 🔥	/api/tableName/autochart	Same as Chart but identifies which are numeric column automatically - gift for lazy while prototyping
GET 🔥	/api/xjoin	handles join
GET 🔥	/dynamic	execute dynamic mysql statements with params
GET 🔥	/upload	upload single file
GET 🔥	/uploads	upload multiple files
GET 🔥	/download	download a file
GET	/api/tableName/describe	describe each table for its columns
GET	/api/tables	get all tables in database

Relational Tables

xmysql identifies foreign key relations automatically and provides GET api.

/api/blogs/103/comments

eg: blogs is parent table and comments is child table. API invocation will result in all comments for blog primary key 103. ⤴️

Support for composite primary keys

___ (three underscores)

/api/payments/103___JM555205

___ : If there are multiple primary keys - seperate them by three underscores as shown

Pagination

_p & _size

_p indicates page and _size indicates size of response rows

By default 20 records and max of 100 are returned per GET request on a table.

/api/payments?_size=50

/api/payments?_p=2

/api/payments?_p=2&_size=50

Order by / Sorting

ASC

/api/payments?_sort=column1

eg: sorts ascending by column1

DESC

/api/payments?_sort=-column1

eg: sorts descending by column1

Multiple fields in sort

/api/payments?_sort=column1,-column2

eg: sorts ascending by column1 and descending by column2

Column filtering / Fields

/api/payments?_fields=customerNumber,checkNumber

eg: gets only customerNumber and checkNumber in response of each record

/api/payments?_fields=-checkNumber

eg: gets all fields in table row but not checkNumber

Row filtering / Where

Comparison operators

eq      -   '='         -  (colName,eq,colValue)
ne      -   '!='        -  (colName,ne,colValue)
gt      -   '>'         -  (colName,gt,colValue)
gte     -   '>='        -  (colName,gte,colValue)
lt      -   '<'         -  (colName,lt,colValue)
lte     -   '<='        -  (colName,lte,colValue)
is      -   'is'        -  (colName,is,true/false/null)
in      -   'in'        -  (colName,in,val1,val2,val3,val4)
bw      -   'between'   -  (colName,bw,val1,val2) 
like    -   'like'      -  (colName,like,~name)   note: use ~ in place of % 
nlike   -   'not like'  -  (colName,nlike,~name)  note: use ~ in place of %

Use of comparison operators

/api/payments?_where=(checkNumber,eq,JM555205)~or((amount,gt,200)~and(amount,lt,2000))

Logical operators

~or     -   'or'
~and    -   'and'
~xor    -   'xor'

Use of logical operators

eg: simple logical expression

/api/payments?_where=(checkNumber,eq,JM555205)~or(checkNumber,eq,OM314933)

eg: complex logical expression

/api/payments?_where=((checkNumber,eq,JM555205)~or(checkNumber,eq,OM314933))~and(amount,gt,100)

eg: logical expression with sorting(_sort), pagination(_p), column filtering (_fields)

/api/payments?_where=(amount,gte,1000)&_sort=-amount&p=2&_fields=customerNumber

eg: filter of rows using _where is available for relational route URLs too.

/api/offices/1/employees?_where=(jobTitle,eq,Sales%20Rep)

FindOne

/api/tableName/findOne?_where=(id,eq,1)

Works similar to list but only returns top/one result. Used in conjunction with _where ⤴️

Count

/api/tableName/count

Returns number of rows in table ⤴️

Exists

/api/tableName/1/exists

Returns true or false depending on whether record exists ⤴️

Group By Having as query params

⤴️

/api/offices?_groupby=country

eg: SELECT country,count(*) FROM offices GROUP BY country

/api/offices?_groupby=country&_having=(_count,gt,1)

eg: SELECT country,count(1) as _count FROM offices GROUP BY country having _count > 1

Group By Having as API

⤴️

/api/offices/groupby?_fields=country

eg: SELECT country,count(*) FROM offices GROUP BY country

/api/offices/groupby?_fields=country,city

eg: SELECT country,city,count(*) FROM offices GROUP BY country,city

/api/offices/groupby?_fields=country,city&_having=(_count,gt,1)

eg: SELECT country,city,count(*) as _count FROM offices GROUP BY country,city having _count > 1

Group By, Order By

⤴️

/api/offices/groupby?_fields=country,city&_sort=city

eg: SELECT country,city,count(*) FROM offices GROUP BY country,city ORDER BY city ASC

/api/offices/groupby?_fields=country,city&_sort=city,country

eg: SELECT country,city,count(*) FROM offices GROUP BY country,city ORDER BY city ASC, country ASC

/api/offices/groupby?_fields=country,city&_sort=city,-country

eg: SELECT country,city,count(*) FROM offices GROUP BY country,city ORDER BY city ASC, country DESC

Aggregate functions

⤴️

http://localhost:3000/api/payments/aggregate?_fields=amount

response body
[
    {
        "min_of_amount": 615.45,
        "max_of_amount": 120166.58,
        "avg_of_amount": 32431.645531,
        "sum_of_amount": 8853839.23,
        "stddev_of_amount": 20958.625377426568,
        "variance_of_amount": 439263977.71130896
    }
]

eg: retrieves all numeric aggregate of a column in a table

http://localhost:3000/api/orderDetails/aggregate?_fields=priceEach,quantityOrdered

response body
[
    {
        "min_of_priceEach": 26.55,
        "max_of_priceEach": 214.3,
        "avg_of_priceEach": 90.769499,
        "sum_of_priceEach": 271945.42,
        "stddev_of_priceEach": 36.576811252187795,
        "variance_of_priceEach": 1337.8631213781719,
        "min_of_quantityOrdered": 6,
        "max_of_quantityOrdered": 97,
        "avg_of_quantityOrdered": 35.219,
        "sum_of_quantityOrdered": 105516,
        "stddev_of_quantityOrdered": 9.832243813502942,
        "variance_of_quantityOrdered": 96.67301840816688
    }
]

eg: retrieves numeric aggregate can be done for multiple columns too

Union of multiple group by statements

⤴️

🔥🔥[ HOTNESS ALERT ]

Group by multiple columns in one API call using _fields query params - comes really handy

http://localhost:3000/api/employees/ugroupby?_fields=jobTitle,reportsTo

response body
{  
   "jobTitle":[  
      {  
         "Sales Rep":17
      },
      {  
         "President":1
      },
      {  
         "Sale Manager (EMEA)":1
      },
      {  
         "Sales Manager (APAC)":1
      },
      {  
         "Sales Manager (NA)":1
      },
      {  
         "VP Marketing":1
      },
      {  
         "VP Sales":1
      }
   ],
   "reportsTo":[  
      {  
         "1002":2
      },
      {  
         "1056":4
      },
      {  
         "1088":3
      },
      {  
         "1102":6
      },
      {  
         "1143":6
      },
      {  
         "1621":1
      }
      {  
         "":1
      },
   ]
}

Chart

⤴️

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 [ HOTNESS ALERT ]

Chart API returns distribution of a numeric column in a table

It comes in SEVEN powerful flavours

1. Chart : With min, max, step in query params 🔥🔥 ⤴️

This API returns the number of rows where amount is between (0,25000), (25001,50000) ...

/api/payments/chart?_fields=amount&min=0&max=131000&step=25000

Response

[
  {
    "amount": "0 to 25000",
    "_count": 107
  },
  {
    "amount": "25001 to 50000",
    "_count": 124
  },
  {
    "amount": "50001 to 75000",
    "_count": 30
  },
  {
    "amount": "75001 to 100000",
    "_count": 7
  },
  {
    "amount": "100001 to 125000",
    "_count": 5
  },
  {
    "amount": "125001 to 150000",
    "_count": 0
  }
]

2. Chart : With step array in params 🔥🔥 ⤴️

This API returns distribution between the step array specified

/api/payments/chart?_fields=amount&steparray=0,10000,20000,70000,140000

Response

[
  {
    "amount": "0 to 10000",
    "_count": 42
  },
  {
    "amount": "10001 to 20000",
    "_count": 36
  },
  {
    "amount": "20001 to 70000",
    "_count": 183
  },
  {
    "amount": "70001 to 140000",
    "_count": 12
  }
]

3. Chart : With step pairs in params 🔥🔥 ⤴️

This API returns distribution between each step pair

/api/payments/chart?_fields=amount&steppair=0,50000,40000,100000

Response

[
    {"amount":"0 to 50000","_count":231},
    {"amount":"40000 to 100000","_count":80}
]

4. Chart : with no params 🔥🔥 ⤴️

This API figures out even distribution of a numeric column in table and returns the data

/api/payments/chart?_fields=amount

Response
[
  {
    "amount": "-9860 to 11100",
    "_count": 45
  },
  {
    "amount": "11101 to 32060",
    "_count": 91
  },
  {
    "amount": "32061 to 53020",
    "_count": 109
  },
  {
    "amount": "53021 to 73980",
    "_count": 16
  },
  {
    "amount": "73981 to 94940",
    "_count": 7
  },
  {
    "amount": "94941 to 115900",
    "_count": 3
  },
  {
    "amount": "115901 to 130650",
    "_count": 2
  }
]

5. Chart : range, min, max, step in query params 🔥🔥 ⤴️

This API returns the number of rows where amount is between (0,25000), (0,50000) ... (0,maxValue)

Number of records for amount is counted from min value to extended Range instead of incremental steps

/api/payments/chart?_fields=amount&min=0&max=131000&step=25000&range=1

Response

[
   {
       "amount": "0 to 25000",
       "_count": 107
   },
   {
       "amount": "0 to 50000",
       "_count": 231
   },
   {
       "amount": "0 to 75000",
       "_count": 261
   },
   {
       "amount": "0 to 100000",
       "_count": 268
   },
   {
       "amount": "0 to 125000",
       "_count": 273
   }
]

6. Range can be specified with step array like below

/api/payments/chart?_fields=amount&steparray=0,10000,20000,70000,140000&range=1

[
   {
       "amount": "0 to 10000",
       "_count": 42
   },
   {
       "amount": "0 to 20000",
       "_count": 78
   },
   {
       "amount": "0 to 70000",
       "_count": 261
   },
   {
       "amount": "0 to 140000",
       "_count": 273
   }
]

7. Range can be specified without any step params like below

/api/payments/chart?_fields=amount&range=1

[
    {
        "amount": "-9860 to 11100",
        "_count": 45
    },
    {
        "amount": "-9860 to 32060",
        "_count": 136
    },
    ...
    
]

Please Note: _fields in Chart API can only take numeric column as its argument.

Autochart

Identifies numeric columns in a table which are not any sort of key and applies chart API as before - feels like magic when there are multiple numeric columns in table while hacking/prototyping and you invoke this API.

http://localhost:3000/api/payments/autochart

[
    {
        "column": "amount",
        "chart": [
                    {
                        "amount": "-9860 to 11100",
                        "_count": 45
                    },
                    {
                        "amount": "11101 to 32060",
                        "_count": 91
                    },
                    {
                        "amount": "32061 to 53020",
                        "_count": 109
                    },
                    {
                        "amount": "53021 to 73980",
                        "_count": 16
                    },
                    {
                        "amount": "73981 to 94940",
                        "_count": 7
                    },
                    {
                        "amount": "94941 to 115900",
                        "_count": 3
                    },
                    {
                        "amount": "115901 to 130650",
                        "_count": 2
                    }
                ]
    }
]

XJOIN

Xjoin query params and values:

_join           :   List of tableNames alternated by type of join to be made (_j, _ij,_ lj, _rj)
alias.tableName :   TableName as alias
_j              :   Join [ _j => join, _ij => ij, _lj => left join , _rj => right join)
_onNumber       :   Number 'n' indicates condition to be applied for 'n'th join between (n-1) and 'n'th table in list  

Simple example of two table join:

Sql join query:

SELECT *
FROM productlines as pl
    JOIN products as pr
        ON pl.productline = pr.productline

Equivalent xjoin query API:

/api/xjoin?_join=pl.productlines,_j,pr.products&_on1=(pl.productline,eq,pr.productline)

Multiple tables join

Sql join query:

SELECT *
FROM productlines as pl
    JOIN products as pr
        ON pl.productline = pr.productline
    JOIN orderdetails as ord
        ON pr.productcode = ord.productcode

Equivalent xjoin query API:

/api/xjoin?_join=pl.productlines,_j,pr.products,_j,ord.orderDetails&_on1=(pl.productline,eq,pr.productline)&_on2=(pr.productcode,eq,ord.productcode)

Explanation:

pl.productlines => productlines as pl

_j => join

pr.products => products as pl

_on1 => join condition between productlines and products => (pl.productline,eq,pr.productline)

_on2 => join condition between products and orderdetails => (pr.productcode,eq,ord.productcode)

Example to use : _fields, _where, _p, _size in query params

/api/xjoin?_join=pl.productlines,_j,pr.products&_on1=(pl.productline,eq,pr.productline)&_fields=pl.productline,pr.productName&_size=2&_where=(productName,like,1972~)

Run dynamic queries

⤴️

Dynamic queries on a database can be run by POST method to URL localhost:3000/dynamic

This is enabled ONLY when using local mysql server i.e -h localhost or -h 127.0.0.1 option.

Post body takes two fields : query and params.

query: SQL query or SQL prepared query (ones with ?? and ?)

params : parameters for SQL prepared query

POST /dynamic   

    {
        "query": "select * from ?? limit 1,20",
        "params": ["customers"]
    }

POST /dynamic URL can have any suffix to it - which can be helpful in prototyping

eg:

POST /dynamic/weeklyReport

POST /dynamic/user/update

Upload single file

⤴️

POST /upload

Do POST operation on /upload url with multiform 'field' assigned to local file to be uploaded

eg: curl --form file=@/Users/me/Desktop/a.png http://localhost:3000/upload

returns uploaded file name else 'upload failed'

(Note: POSTMAN has issues with file uploading hence examples with curl)

Upload multiple files

⤴️

POST /uploads

Do POST operation on /uploads url with multiform 'fields' assigned to local files to be uploaded

Notice 's' near /api/uploads and files in below example

eg: curl --form files=@/Users/me/Desktop/a.png --form files=@/Users/me/Desktop/b.png http://localhost:3000/uploads

returns uploaded file names as string

Download file

⤴️

http://localhost:3000/download?name=fileName

For upload and download of files -> you can specify storage folder using -s option Upload and download apis are available only with local mysql server

When to use ?

⤴️

• You need just REST APIs for (ANY) MySql database at blink of an eye (literally).
• You are learning new frontend frameworks and need REST APIs for your MySql database.
• You are working on a demo, hacks etc

When NOT to use ?

⤴️

• If you are in need of a full blown MVC framework, ACL, Validations, Authorisation etc - its early days please watch/star this repo to keep a tab on progress.

Command line options

⤴️

  Options:

    -V, --version            output the version number
    -h, --host <n>           hostname / localhost by default
    -u, --user <n>           username of database / root by default
    -p, --password <n>       password of database / empty by default
    -d, --database <n>       database schema name
    -n, --portNumber <n>     port number for app / 3000 by default
    -s, --storageFolder <n>  storage folder / current working dir by default / available only with local
    -i, --ignoreTables <n>   comma separated table names to ignore
    -h, --help               output usage information

  Examples:

    $ xmysql -u username -p password -d databaseSchema

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Docker

⤴️

Simply build with docker build -t xmysql . and run with docker run -p 3000:3000 -d xmysql

The best way for testing is to run mysql in a docker container too and create a docker network, so that xmysql can access the mysql container with a name from docker network.

1. Create network
   • docker network create mynet
2. Start mysql with docker name some-mysql and bind to docker network mynet
   • docker run --name some-mysql -p 3306:3306 --net mynet -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=password -d mysql
3. build xmysql container (if not done yet)
   • docker build -t xmysql .
4. run xmysql and set env variable for some-mysql from step 2
   • docker run -p 3000:3000 -d -e DATABASE_HOST=some-mysql --net mynet xmysql

You can also pass the environment variables to a file and use them as an option with docker like docker run --env-file ./env.list -p 3000:3000 --net mynet -d xmysql

environment variables which can be used:

ENV DATABASE_HOST 127.0.0.1
ENV DATABASE_USER root
ENV DATABASE_PASSWORD password
ENV DATABASE_NAME sakila

Tests : setup on local machine

⤴️

Login to mysql shell

mysql> create database classicmodels
mysql> use classicmodels
mysql> source path_to/xmysql/tests/sample.sql

$ mocha tests/*.js --exit