Why Loopback rocks?

This is the talk I gave on Nov. 19, 2014 at Taipei Javascript Enthusiasts (http://goo.gl/KSz7Ic), which covers the main benefits of using loopback for node.js-based API development.

Transcript

1. Why Loopback Rocks?
   

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2. Jeremy Lu
   @thecat | jeremy@pubulous.com
   Founder and builder,
   Lovelyreader | Pubulous | Visualmarks | Docknote
   

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3. Developer

   10+ years hands-on
   experience"
   !
   

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4. Consulting"
   Social Media"
   Finance"
   Real Estate"
   Digital Publishing"
   

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5. Founder"
   Lovelyreader"
   Pubulous"
   Visualmarks"
   Docknote"
   

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6. !
   FullstackRocks.com
   LATEST
   

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7. What is Loopback?
   - An open source project from StrongLoop"
   - Main contributor behind Node.js, Express and
   others"
   - A Node.js framework for creating APIs real
   quick"
   - With robust and well-thought out features
   built-in
   

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8. It’s good for?
   - API service and gateway"
   - Mobile backend and hybrid apps"
   - Web (sites and SPAs)"
   - Anything real-time
   

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9. What’s in the box?
   - A development framework"
   - A bunch of DevOP toolsets"
   - and a lot of wisdom packed in
   

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10. The Framework
    

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11. Create API endpoints quickly
    - Create schema in JSON and translate it to Model
    automagically"
    - Each model comes in with 10+ CRUD methods"
    - Methods become end points instantly
    

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12. {"
    "name": "user","
    "base": "PersistedModel","
    "trackChanges": true,"
    "properties": {"
    "id": {"
    "id": true,"
    "type": "string""
    },"
    "title": "string","
    "completed": {"
    "type": "boolean","
    "default": false"
    },"
    "created": {"
    "type": "number""
    

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13. Highly customizable domain Models
    - before/after hook for implementing business
    logics"
    - Create new remote methods for end points
    easily
    

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14. ORM
    - Mongodb, MySql, Postgres, MSSQL, Oracle"
    !
    - and a bunch of other DataSources"
    !
    - Forked from JugglingDb"
    !
    - Easy to use APIs and very efficient"
    !
    - Highly customizable"
    " " "
    - Support all kinds of relationships: hasMany, belongsTo...
    

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15. Cloud Storages
    - Uploading files to S3"
    - Amazon, Openstack, Rackspace, Azure"
    - Just like a normal dataSource which provides
    create/read/update/delete commands"
    

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16. Built-in API Explorer
    - Test APIs on the fly"
    - Adjustable parameters"
    * http://goo.gl/nmj0u0
    

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18. Authentication
    - Built-in User model provides register, login,
    logout, forgot password and reset"
    - Complete ACL rules setting
    

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19. Role-based access control
    - Who has right to access what?"
    - Support dynamic $role definition too
    

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20. oAuth2
    - Using Passport"
    - facebook/google/twitter/github "
    - and 100+ providers"
    * http://goo.gl/bmHMxO
    

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21. Sync
    - Stores data offline"
    - App continues to work offline"
    - Sync data when online"
    - Conflict resolution and 3-way merging"
    - Supports socket.io for real-time syncing"
    * http://goo.gl/plVBhr
    

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22. Studio API Composer
    - Editing models and datasources"
    - Generate models from db schemas"
    - Generate db schemas from models"
    * http://goo.gl/jODKSJ
    

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24. Push Notification
    - Support iOS and Android"
    * http://goo.gl/9zRZZ6
    

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25. Web Socket
    - Coming feature"
    - Real time notification when model changes
    

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26. Native SDK for iOS/Android/Angular
    * http://goo.gl/OW2TBf
    

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27. Leverage Express
    - Continue to use all middlewares"
    - Reuse your existing skills"
    - Build hybrid website and API end points in one"
    - Could use Reactjs as server-side templating
    engine (via express)
    

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28. DevOP Tools
    

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29. In the box
    - Debugger"
    - Build/Package"
    - Deploy"
    - Logging"
    - Monitoring"
    - Clustering
    

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30. Debugger
    - slc debug" "
    - Using node-inspector
    

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32. Build/Package
    - A standard way of packaging and building your
    apps"
    * http://goo.gl/5ghCIv
    

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33. Deploy
    - StrongLoop Process Manager (slc-pm)"
    - Works tightly with build/deploy tools"
    - Provides zero-downtime application updates" " "
    * http://goo.gl/aUeTp3"
    - Deployment best practices"
    * http://goo.gl/O1MDha
    

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34. Logging
    - Log to file, syslog, remote log, Splunk"
    - Using Winston or Bunyan"
    * http://goo.gl/aPlim9
    

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35. Clustering
    - Fully utilize all cores on the server"
    - View cluster status anytime"
    - Resizing clusters at runtime"
    * http://goo.gl/lF3ZKg
    

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36. Monitoring
    - Collecting metrics"
    - Diagnose memory leaks"
    - Profile CPU consumption"
    - With web UI"
    - On-premises or hosted"
    * http://goo.gl/7F3miH
    

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37. Other Benefits
    

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38. No Vendor Lock-in
    - Everything is open sourced"
    - Host on your own server
    

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39. Paid commerical support
    - When shit hits the fan, you know whom to ask
    help for"
    * http://goo.gl/ldeCDF
    

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40. Active response and community
    - google groups"
    * http://goo.gl/FEqhTL)"
    - github issues"
    * http://goo.gl/dXAUcM)
    

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41. The Bad
    

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42. - Still evolving very fast hence incomplete
    documentation and changing examples"
    - Took one month to get my ahead around it initially "
    - With professional guidance it shall take just 1 week
    to pick up
    

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43. When to use what?
    

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44. For quick and simple tasks
    - Koa and misc. middlewares"
    - You gotta know what you are doing when home
    brewing the whole stack though
    

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45. For Enterprise-grade API services
    and platform
    - Loopback"
    - Because it’s well thought out and got all ends
    covered
    

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46. For EC/Forum site
    - Express or Loopback"
    - Because it’s battle-tested
    

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47. Do not reinvent the
    wheels, especially
    flaky ones!
    

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48. Side Notes
    

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49. Learn from the best
    - Excellent coding skills for node.js development"
    - Lot of test cases"
    - Learn best practices for build/package/deploy/
    cluster/monitor node.js apps
    

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50. Stand on the shoulders
    of giants and get yourself
    a head start!
    

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51. The Holy Grail
    - The holy grail of fullstack development"
    - React + Flux for front-end apps"
    - Node.js and Loopback for backends"
    - Isomorphic javascript FTW"
    - Highly efficiency, shorter time to market, robust
    quality
    

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52. Loopback is way more than just a framework
    to help you build the application, it also
    provides a rich set of tools to help you debug,
    build, package, deploy, cluster and monitor
    the app.
    

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53. In short, you are fully covered.
    

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54. Professional training on
    fullstack development at
    fullstackrocks.com
    

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55. jeremy@pubulous.com
    Questions?
    

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