README.md

Recipes API Backend

This is a simple API for recipes and ingredients. The customer could be a French-style bistro.

Quick start

1. Use Git to clone this repo.
2. To build the project: ./mvnw clean install.
3. To serve it: ./mvnw spring-boot:run.
4. To test: http://localhost:8080.

Project description

The project is built with Spring Boot and these Starters and dependencies:

1. Web - Full-stack web development with Tomcat.
2. JPA - Java Persistence API including spring-data-jpa, spring-orm and Hibernate
3. H2 - H2 database (with embedded support)
4. DevTools - Spring Boot Development Tools

The embedded database is initialized automatically at startup. This is enabled by placing the data.sql file in the src/main/resources folder.

Spring Boot Development Tools

The development tools are enabled by default. This is done by setting the property spring.h2.console.enabled=true at the file application.properties.

The database can be explored from the H2 console:

1. To access the database open http://localhost:8080/h2-console.
2. Make sure H2 console uses JDBC URL jdbc:h2:mem:testdb.
3. Query the tables ingredient and recipe to see their data.

Testing

The GET method can be tested in a browser. For instance, to get ingredient 1 paste this http://localhost:8080/api/ingredient/1 in the address bar.

Other methods, like POST and PUT can be tested using the Postman API testing tool.
For example, when trying POST with http://localhost:8080/api/ingredient, select the request Body type as raw and change "Text" to "JSON (application/json)" and write the value using this format: {"name"="red wine"}.

In a similar way, to POST a new recipe set a JSON body to {"name": "The Portobello Grilled Steak", "people": 2}.

References

Spring Initializr
Building a RESTful Web Service
Spring Boot and H2 in memory database
Spring Boot Reference Guide
Mapping ManyToMany association table with an extra column