Build and Dockerize a CRUD RESTful API using NodeJS and MongoDB

For beginners, learning how to create a CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) RESTful API using NodeJS and MongoDB can be a great way to get started with web development. In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of building and dockerizing a simple CRUD API from scratch.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following installed on your machine:

• NodeJS
• NPM (Node Package Manager)
• Docker
• MongoDB

Step 1: Set up NodeJS and MongoDB

First, create a new directory for your project and navigate into it using your command line interface. Then, initialize a new NodeJS project by running the following command:

npm init -y

Next, install the necessary dependencies for your API using:

npm install express mongoose body-parser

Once you have your NodeJS project set up, make sure your MongoDB instance is running. You can download and install MongoDB from their official website if you haven’t already.

Step 2: Create the API

Create a new file called server.js in your project directory. In this file, you will write the code for your API using NodeJS and Express. Define the routes for your CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) and make sure to connect to your MongoDB instance using Mongoose.

Step 3: Dockerize the API

Once your API is working as expected, it’s time to dockerize it. Create a new file called Dockerfile in your project directory and write the necessary instructions to build and run your API as a Docker container. You can use a base NodeJS image as your starting point and copy your API files into the container.

Step 4: Build and Run the Docker Image

Finally, build your Docker image using the following command:

docker build -t my-api .

Then, run your API as a Docker container using:

docker run -p 3000:3000 my-api

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully built and dockerized a CRUD RESTful API using NodeJS and MongoDB. You can now use Docker to deploy your API on any platform without worrying about dependencies or environment setup. This is a great first step for beginners in web development, and you can continue to expand your knowledge by adding more features and functionality to your API.