Pattern: Generic Data Endpoint & Registries

A significant architectural pattern in the API server is the use of a generic data endpoint powered by two central registries. This design provides a single, consistent, and powerful interface for all standard CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, reducing code duplication and simplifying both the backend and client-side implementations.

The Challenge: Avoiding Boilerplate

A typical REST API might have separate endpoints for each data type: /headlines, /topics, /sources, etc. This approach leads to a lot of boilerplate code, as the logic for handling GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests is often very similar for each model.

The Solution: A Single Endpoint with Registries

This API server solves the problem by using a single, dynamic endpoint: /api/v1/data. This endpoint handles requests for all standard data models, with the specific model determined by a ?model= query parameter.

• GET /api/v1/data?model=headline -> Returns a list of headlines.
• POST /api/v1/data?model=source -> Creates a new source.

This is made possible by two key components:

1. ModelRegistry: This registry maps a model name (e.g., "headline") to a ModelConfig object. The config defines the rules for the model, such as authorization requirements and type-specific functions (fromJson, getOwnerId).

2. DataOperationRegistry: This registry maps a model name to the actual functions that perform the CRUD operations (e.g., the function to fetch all headlines, the function to create a new source).

When a request comes in, middleware uses the ModelRegistry to authorize the request and the route handlers use the DataOperationRegistry to execute the correct data operation.

Architectural Benefits

• DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself): Eliminates redundant route handlers.
• Consistency: Provides a uniform API for all data models.
• Extensibility: Adding CRUD support for a new model is as simple as adding entries to the two registries.
• Centralized Logic: Authorization rules and data operations are defined in central, easy-to-audit locations.

Tip

For a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of how the endpoint, registries, and middleware work together, see the Architectural Deep Dive: Data Access Flow guide.