Rails as a Backend for Mobile Applications

Whether sharing or backing up custom data between users and devices or connecting to an existing web service, mobile apps commonly rely on web-based backends to extend their functionality. In this talk, we'll delve into the features Rails provides to build a RESTful API specifically for mobile apps, present some common techniques and best-practices, and point out some areas of caution.

Transcript

1. RAILS AS A BACKEND FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS Mike Bradford Lone Star Ruby Conference - Friday, August 10, 2012
2. Topics to Cover
3. Topics to Cover Rails API Setup
4. Topics to Cover Security & Authentication Rails API Setup
5. Topics to Cover Security & Authentication Versioning Rails API Setup
6. Topics to Cover Security & Authentication Versioning Testing Rails API Setup
8. MyFitLog
10. No Assets
11. No Assets No JavaScript
12. No Assets No JavaScript RSpec
13. No Assets No JavaScript RSpec JBuilder
14. No Assets No JavaScript RSpec JBuilder Rails’ Built-in Authentication
15. No Assets No JavaScript RSpec JBuilder Rails’ Built-in Authentication No HTML
16. No Assets No JavaScript RSpec JBuilder Rails’ Built-in Authentication No HTML REST API
17. No Assets No JavaScript RSpec JBuilder Rails’ Built-in Authentication No HTML REST API Custom Route Constraints
18. No Assets No JavaScript RSpec JBuilder Rails’ Built-in Authentication No HTML REST API Custom Route Constraints Custom Rack Responder
20. validation Local data store ORM
21. Request Headers JSON Body validation Local data store ORM
22. Request Headers JSON Body validation Local data store ORM validation Database Model
23. Status Code Response Headers JSON Body Request Headers JSON Body validation Local data store ORM validation Database Model
24. $ rails new my_fit_log -S -J -T $ cd my_fit_log $ rm -rf app/assets vendor/assets app/views/layouts
29. $ rails generate model User name email password_digest api_key $
30. $ rails generate model User name email password_digest api_key $ rails generate model Exercise user_id:integer name instructions $
31. $ rails generate model User name email password_digest api_key $ rails generate model Exercise user_id:integer name instructions $ rails generate model Workout user_id:integer \ completed_at:timestamp summary $
32. $ rails generate model User name email password_digest api_key $ rails generate model Exercise user_id:integer name instructions $ rails generate model Workout user_id:integer \ completed_at:timestamp summary $ rails generate model Routine workout_id:integer \ exercise_id:integer sets:integer reps:integer
33. Versioning Version 1 Version 2
34. Versioning Version 1 Version 2 sign in with URL query params
35. Versioning Version 1 Version 2 sign in with URL query params HTTP authentication
36. Versioning Version 1 Version 2 sign in with URL query params HTTP authentication api key as URL parameter
37. Versioning Version 1 Version 2 sign in with URL query params HTTP authentication api key as URL parameter HTTP From Header
38. Versioning Version 1 Version 2 sign in with URL query params HTTP authentication api key as URL parameter HTTP From Header Enforce additional HTTP request headers
39. http://localhost:3000/api/v1/user.json
40. http://localhost:3000/user.json Accept: application/vnd.my_fit_log.v2
42. Api::V2::UsersController
43. Api::V2::UsersController
45. Api::V2::UsersController
46. Api::V2::UsersController
47. $ rails g controller api/v1/sessions create --no-assets --no-helper create app/controllers/api/v1/sessions_controller.rb route get "sessions/create" invoke erb create app/views/api/v1/sessions create app/views/api/v1/sessions/create.html.erb $ mv app/views/api/v1/sessions/create.html.erb \ app/views/api/v1/sessions/create.json.jbuilder $ rails g controller api/v2/sessions create --no-assets --no-helper
48. $ rails g controller api/v1/users create update --no-assets \ --no-helper $ rails g controller api/v2/users create update --no-assets \ --no-helper $ rails g controller api/v1/exercises index create show update \ destroy --no-assets --no-helper $ rails g controller api/v2/exercises index create show update \ destroy --no-assets --no-helper $ rails g controller api/v1/workouts index create show update \ destroy --no-assets --no-helper $ rails g controller api/v2/workouts index create show update \ destroy --no-assets --no-helper $ rails g controller api/v1/routines index create show update \ destroy --no-assets --no-helper $ rails g controller api/v2/routines index create show update \ destroy --no-assets --no-helper
52. Api::AppliationController
59. app/views/api/v2/workouts/index.json.jbuilder
60. app/views/api/v2/workouts/show.json.jbuilder
61. app/views/api/v2/workouts/_workout.json.jbuilder
62. app/views/api/v2/routines/_routine.json.jbuilder
63. Automated Testing
71. Manual Testing
72. $ curl -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'User-Agent: MyFitLog iOS' \ -H 'Accept: application/vnd.my_fit_log.v2' -X POST \ -d '{"email":"user@example.com", "password":"secret", \ "password_confirmation":"secret"}' http://localhost:3000/user.json Curl
73. Device Simulator
74. Questions?
75. https://github.com/47primes/my_fit_log https://github.com/47primes/MyFitLogiOS @mrmikebradford