Student Records API

A RESTful API for managing student records built with Node.js, Express, and MongoDB.

Overview

This application provides a backend system for managing student records through a RESTful API. It allows users to create, read, update, and delete student information using standard HTTP methods.

Features

• CRUD Operations: Complete set of Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations for student records
• RESTful API: Follows REST architectural style with standard HTTP methods
• MongoDB Integration: Uses MongoDB Atlas for data persistence
• Data Validation: Validates student data before saving to the database
• Error Handling: Proper error handling with appropriate status codes

Technologies Used

• Node.js: JavaScript runtime environment
• Express.js: Web application framework for Node.js
• MongoDB: NoSQL database
• Mongoose: MongoDB object modeling tool
• dotenv: Environment variables management

Project Structure

student-records-api/
├── controllers/         # Request handlers
│   └── studentController.js
├── models/             # Database models
│   └── Student.js
├── routes/             # API routes
│   └── studentRoutes.js
├── .env                # Environment variables (not included in repository)
├── .gitignore          # Git ignore file
├── dbConfig.js         # Database configuration
├── package.json        # Project dependencies
└── server.js           # Application entry point

API Endpoints

Method	Endpoint	Description	Request Body	Response
GET	/students	Retrieves all students	-	Array of student objects
GET	/students/:id	Retrieves a specific student	-	Student object
POST	/students	Creates a new student	Student details (firstName, lastName, etc.)	Created student object
PUT	/students/:id	Updates a student	Updated student details	Updated student object
DELETE	/students/:id	Deletes a student	-	Success message

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd student-records-api
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Create a .env file in the project root with the following variables:

   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   PORT=3000
   

4. Start the server:

   npm run dev
   

API Usage Examples

Create a Student (POST)

POST http://localhost:3000/students
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Doe",
  "email": "john.doe@example.com",
  "course": "Computer Science"
}

Get All Students (GET)

GET http://localhost:3000/students

Get Student by ID (GET)

GET http://localhost:3000/students/60d21b4667d0d8992e610c85

Update Student (PUT)

PUT http://localhost:3000/students/60d21b4667d0d8992e610c85
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Smith",
  "email": "john.smith@example.com",
  "course": "Data Science"
}

Delete Student (DELETE)

DELETE http://localhost:3000/students/60d21b4667d0d8992e610c85

Development

To start the server in development mode with automatic restart on file changes:

npm run dev

To start the server in production mode:

npm start

Error Handling

The API returns appropriate HTTP status codes:

• 200: Success
• 201: Resource created
• 400: Bad request
• 404: Resource not found
• 500: Server error

Future Enhancements

• Authentication and authorization
• Pagination for GET requests
• Advanced filtering and sorting
• Input sanitization
• CORS configuration
• Rate limiting

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.