Me downloading dependencies

Prototyping a Backend Less Than an Hour

Recently, on our weekly office-presentation day, I decided to show how easy it is to create a simple Rest API for prototyping or hobby-projects. (However I should admit that I have used the same tech-stack, with some simple modifications, in production projects. 😄)

My co-workers didn’t believe me when I said I can build a server-side app to function as a Rest API with authentication mechanisms and stuff in just 15 minutes. Including the time buying and setting up the server, installing required software and coding.

So I accepted the challenge! The video of me semi-successfully trying to build that Rest API in about 15 minutes can be seen below.

Oops wrong video, the real video is below!

Spoiler alert: I created the app in 15 minutes but finished coding in about 20 minutes 😅

The magic is using Deployd which is a nodejs framework including a remote dashboard in which you can code the business logic and manage your database. It also does many many more cool stuff, check out their website and documentation!

How to easily setup deployd and start playing with it within minutes?

Here is a step by step recipe:

1. Open a digital ocean account.
2. Create a droplet (Image: Ubuntu 16.04, Hardware: $5)
3. Don’t forget to set an ssh key to your droplet, or else you will have to connect to the server with the root password.
4. Once you are in, install nodejs. (Node 8)
5. Install mongodb.
6. Install deployd-cli.
7. Start a deployd app for development:
   - dpd create your-app-name
   - cd your-app-name
   - dpd remote -p 80
8. Go to http://your-domain-or-ip-address/dashboard
9. You are ready to develop a basic Rest API!

You can refer to documentation, sample apps, or tutorial videos to learn more about deployd.

Do not forget to clap for the cat gif, because it is a cat gif 😄