Backend for a Registration Form

This assignment will allow to practise building the database structure for a registration form

What you will be doing

This project will allow you to practise;

• Connecting to a MongoDB database
• Writing a schema for a MongoDB database with Mongoose

Tasks

Task 1 - Write a .env file

Note: For this assignment, we already assume you have a MongoDB server, and know how to access your credentials.

• Using the .env.example file as a template, create a .env file

The database connection string should be provided to you by MongoDB

Task 2 - Using dotenv

1. Install the dotenv npm package

2. Import dotenv into server.js

3. Add the following code to parse your .env variables into the process.env global object:

   dotenv.config();

Task 3 - Connecting Mongoose with your database

We will install mongoose and connect it to our database

1. Install the mongoose npm package

2. Import mongoose into server.js

3. Use the connect method from mongoose to connect to your database, using the connection string you can now read with the process.env global variable

    mongoose.connect();

Task 4 - Let's test our DB connection

The mongoose.connect() method returns a promise, which we can use to determine if the connection with the database worked or not.

1. Use the then method (the promise was resolved) to display a console.log() message that the connection was successful

2. Use the catch method (the promise was rejected) to display a console.log() message that the database connection failed

3. Test your code by running it. What message do you see in printed in the console?

Task 5 - Creating a registration endpoint

Now we've connected our database, we want to build an endpoint which will allow us to register new users onto our website. To do this, we will have to use express.js

1. Install the express npm package

2. Import express into server.js

3. Make a call to app.listen() to allow the server to start listening for incoming connections. We will use port 3001.

   Bonus: Move the port number into your .env file

4. Create an endpoint. It should:

   • listen for a POST request (we want to receive data)
   • use the path /register
   • don't forget response.send()!

5. Use an API testing tool such as Postman or Insomnia to test your endpoint.

If your endpoint works, move onto the next assignment

Task 6 - Mongoose - Complete the User schema

In the file models/User.js;

1. Import mongoose into models/User.js

2. Create a schema and assign it to the variable userSchema. The schema should have the following fields;

   username
   password
   firstName
   lastName
   dateOfBirth
   email
   telephone
   gender
   

   dateOfBirth should be of type Date

   The rest should be of type String

Task 7 - Adding validation to the User schema

1. username, password and email should be required

2. gender should have an enum validation. It should accept only the strings:

   • 'Male'
   • 'Female'
   • 'Other'
   • 'N/A'

3. gender should default to the string 'N/A'

Task 8 - Creating a model from the schema

Now our schema has been defined, we must instantiate it into a model

By doing this it will give us access to the document methods such as create(), allowing us to quickly and easily save data into our database.

In the file models/User.js;

1. Create model from the userSchema and assign it to a variable called User
2. Export the variable User from models/User.js
3. Import the User model into server.js

Task 9 - Preparing to receive data from POST

We will replace our sample data with the data we receive from the POST request

Before we can do this, we must prepare our application to receive data.

1. Install the cors npm package

2. Add the middleware express.json() and cors() to your server

   Hint: Don't forget to import cors before trying to use it

Task 10 - Saving data to your collection with the model

When we save data to our model with the create() method, the data is automatically saved to the database

Our data for the new user will come from the request body object - for this step we will assume that all the properties on this object match the fields in the User schema

Inside the /register endpoint;

1. use the User model with the create() method to save a user into the database

   Example

   User.create({});

   create() returns a Promise! Either use the async / await keywords or then() and catch() methods

2. Fill in the fields with the properties from the request body object

3. Update your code to handle errors

   • If the Promise fails send a status code of 400 with an appropriate message
   • If the Promise succeeds send a status code of 200 with an appropriate message

   Hint: You will need 2 response.send() statements

   Hint: You can send a different response code with response.status()

4. Test your endpoint. Use a MongoDB database viewing tool such as Compass to check if the data you added is in the database.

Task 11 - Get all users with GET /list

1. Create an endpoint inside server.js. It should:

   • listen for a GET request (we want to receive data from the server)
   • use the path /list
   • don't forget response.send()

2. Inside the handler for the /list endpoint, use the method User.find() to get all the users saved in the database

   • User.find() returns a Promise
   • Return the results to the user

Bonus Tasks

Bonus 1 - Build a frontend for the POST /user/register request

Build a frontend which will make the POST requests you were previously testing with your API testing tool.

1. The frontend should consist of a <form>, which will take the following details:

   • username
   • password
   • firstName
   • lastName
   • dateOfBirth
   • email
   • telephone
   • gender

   There should be a button to Submit the form