CalmAPI Documentation

Production-Ready Modular REST API Framework using NodeJS & MongoDB

📚 Table of Contents#

1. Getting Started - Installation and project setup
2. Understanding the Architecture - Core concepts and structure
3. Creating Your First Module - Quick start guide to building APIs
4. Working with Models - Database schema and validation
5. Controllers Made Easy - Request handling and super methods
6. Services Layer - Business logic and database operations
7. Data Transfer Objects (DTOs) - Input validation and response formatting
8. Routing & Configuration - Custom paths and nested routes
9. Built-in Modules - Auth, User, Media & Post
10. Advanced Techniques - Tips, tricks, and best practices
11. Built in Security & Best Practices - Securing your API
12. Deployment Guide - From local to production

🎯 What is CalmAPI?#

CalmAPI is a zero-hidden-magic REST API framework that generates production-ready, modular APIs in seconds. Unlike other frameworks that hide complexity in node_modules, CalmAPI puts everything in your project where you can see it, customize it, and own it.

Key Features#

✅ Production Ready - Controller, Model & Service oriented architecture
✅ Lightning Fast - Generate complete CRUD modules with one command
✅ Built-in Auth - JWT authentication with database token store
✅ No Hidden Magic - All code is visible and customizable
✅ Smart Routing - Automatic route generation with nesting support
✅ DTO Support - Clean data validation and transformation
✅ File Uploads - AWS S3 integration out of the box
✅ ESLint Ready - Code quality baked in

⚡ Quick Example#

Create a complete CRUD API in seconds:

# Generate a module
calmapi generate module product

# That's it! Your API is ready at:
# GET    /api/products
# GET    /api/products/:id
# POST   /api/products
# PUT    /api/products/:id
# DELETE /api/products/:id

🏗️ What Gets Generated?#

Every module includes:

src/modules/product/
├── product.controller.js  # Request handling
├── product.service.js     # Business logic
├── product.model.js       # Database schema
├── product.route.js       # Route definitions
├── product.dto.js         # Data validation
└── product.settings.js    # Module configuration

🎓 Who Is This For?#

• Beginners who want to learn backend development with a clear structure
• Teams who need a consistent, maintainable codebase
• Developers who value transparency over "magic"
• Startups who need to move fast without sacrificing quality

🚀 Ready to Build?#

Start with Getting Started to install CalmAPI and create your first project!

📖 Documentation Philosophy#

This documentation is written for complete beginners. We explain:

• WHY - Why things work the way they do
• HOW - Step-by-step instructions
• WHEN - When to use different features
• EXAMPLES - Real-world code you can copy and modify

Every concept builds on the previous one. Start from page 1 and go in order for the best learning experience.

🤝 Need Help?#

• 🌐 Website: https://calmapi.dev
• 📦 GitHub: https://github.com/sunilksamanta/calmapi
• 📚 API Docs: https://docs.calmapi.dev

Let's build something amazing together! 🎉