Express.js Mastery / Express: Let’s Start Building The Natours API!

Implementing the "Users" Routes

📖 Context

The API will have multiple resources — the tours resource has already been implemented, and now it's time to start on a second one: the users resource (for user accounts, roles, etc.). This is being set up now for two reasons:

  1. The project needs to keep moving forward.

  2. It's needed as groundwork for something upcoming in the course.

🔹 Step 1: Defining the Users Routes

Following the exact same pattern already used for tours
(app.route() with chained methods):

app
  .route('/api/v1/users')
  .get(getAllUsers)
  .post(createUser);

app
  .route('/api/v1/users/:id')
  .get(getUser)
  .patch(updateUser)
  .delete(deleteUser);

💡 Why this structure works (same logic as tours):

  • 👥 Route without an ID (/api/v1/users):

    • 📖 GET → get all users (all objects belonging to this resource).

    • ➕ POST → create a new user.

  • 👤 Route with an ID parameter (/api/v1/users/:id):

    • 🔍 GET → get one specific user.+2+362

    • ✏️ PATCH → update that user.

    • 🗑️ DELETE → delete that user.

🏷️ Naming convention: functions are named getAllUsers and getUser (rather than getOneUser) — a personal style choice, since different naming standards exist.

🔹 Step 2: Creating Placeholder Handler Functions

Since the actual user logic isn't being built yet, all five handlers are simple placeholders that return a "not implemented" response:

  • Right after the last route handler from the tour add this placeholder handler function:

const getAllUsers = (req, res) => {
  res.status(500).json({
    status: 'error',
    message: 'This route is not yet defined'
  });
};

const getUser = (req, res) => {
  res.status(500).json({
    status: 'error',
    message: 'This route is not yet defined'
  });
};

const createUser = (req, res) => {
  res.status(500).json({
    status: 'error',
    message: 'This route is not yet defined'
  });
};

const updateUser = (req, res) => {
  res.status(500).json({
    status: 'error',
    message: 'This route is not yet defined'
  });
};

const deleteUser = (req, res) => {
  res.status(500).json({
    status: 'error',
    message: 'This route is not yet defined'
  });
};

💡 Why each part works:

  • 🔴 500 indicates the feature isn't implemented yet.

  • ❌ status: 'error' is used for server-side errors.

  • 📦 Response format: status + message.

  • 📄 These functions are placed below the tour route handlers.

🔹 Step 3: Testing in Postman

  1. Duplicate an existing request and change the URL to target /api/v1/users.

  2. Sending it returns the expected 500 response with "This route is not yet defined".

  1. Save the request into the same Postman collection, but organized into a new folder.

  2. Create folders named after each resource — one for tours, one for users — to keep the collection organized as more routes get added.

🔹 Step 4: Acknowledging the File's Growing Mess

  • 📈 At this point, the single file contains routes, route handlers (also referred to as controllers), and server startup code all mixed together.

  • 🧹 This is becoming harder to manage as the project grows.

✅ Key Takeaway

  • 👥 Users follow the same routing pattern as tours using app.route().

  • 🎮 Route handlers are commonly called controllers.

  • 🔴 500 + status: 'error' is a placeholder for unimplemented functionality.

  • 📂 Organize Postman requests into folders (e.g., Tours, Users).

  • 🧩 The current single-file structure is temporary and will be refactored soon.

➡️ What's Next

🏗️ The next step will begin separating routes, controllers, and other pieces into their own files for better project structure.