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Creating an API with Lithe

#php #api #lithe #webdev

If you're interested in building a simple API using Lithe, you've come to the right place! In this tutorial, we'll step by step create an API that allows sending and receiving messages in a chat. We'll use routers to organize our code modularly.

What You Will Learn

  • Set up a PHP project with Lithe.
  • Create a router to manage chat messages.
  • Implement basic functionalities such as sending and receiving messages.
  • Test the API using Postman or Insomnia.

Prerequisites

  • Basic knowledge of Lithe and PHP.
  • A PHP development environment installed (with Composer).
  • A code editor (I recommend Visual Studio Code).

Installing Lithe

To create a new project with Lithe, run the following command:

composer create-project lithephp/lithephp chat-api
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Project Structure

Create the following directory and file structure within the chat-api directory:

chat-api/ │ ├── src/ │ ├── routes/ │ │ └── chat.php │ └── App.php └── composer.json
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Starting the Application

In the src/App.php file, configure the application with the following code:

<?php use function Lithe\Orbis\Http\Router\{router}; $app = new \Lithe\App; // Router to manage chat messages $chatRoutes = router(__DIR__ . '/routes/chat'); $app->use('/api/chat', $chatRoutes); $app->listen();
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Creating the Routes File

In the src/routes directory, create the chat.php file to manage the routes related to the chat. Add the following code:

use function Lithe\Orbis\Http\Router\{get, post}; // Array to store messages $messages = []; // Route to get all messages get('/', function ($req, $res) use (&$messages) { $res->json($messages); }); // Route to send a new message post('/', function ($req, $res) use (&$messages) { $user = $req->input('user'); $text = $req->input('text'); if (!$user || !$text) { return $res->status(400)->json(['error' => 'User and text are required']); } $timestamp = (new DateTime())->format('Y-m-d H:i:s'); $message = compact('user', 'text', 'timestamp'); $messages[] = $message; $res->status(201)->json($message); });
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Testing the API

Now that your API is set up, let's test it using a tool like Postman or Insomnia.

1. Start the Server

In the terminal, run the following command to start the server:

php line serve
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You will see the message Server running on port 8000.

2. Test the Messages Route

2.1 Get All Messages

  1. Open Postman.
  2. Create a new GET request to http://localhost:8000/api/chat.
  3. Click Send. You should see an empty array initially [].

2.2 Send a New Message

  1. Create a new POST request to http://localhost:8000/api/chat.
  2. Go to the Body tab and select the raw option. Choose the JSON type.
  3. Add the following JSON in the body of the request: 
{ "user": "William", "text": "Hello, how is everyone?" }
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  1. Click Send. You should receive the sent message as a response: 
{ "user": "William", "text": "Hello, how is everyone?", "timestamp": "2023-10-17 15:30:00" }
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3. Check All Messages

Make another GET request to http://localhost:8000/api/chat. You should see the message you just sent:

[ { "user": "William", "text": "Hello, how is everyone?", "timestamp": "2023-10-17 15:30:00" } ]
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Conclusion

Congratulations! You have created a simple chat API using Lithe. This API can be expanded with functionalities such as user authentication, data persistence in a database, and much more.

Next Steps

  • Data Persistence: Use a database like MySQL or PostgreSQL to store messages permanently.
  • Authentication: Add authentication so that only authenticated users can send messages.
  • WebSockets: Explore using WebSockets to enable real-time communication.

Feel free to share your ideas and improvements in the comments! If you enjoyed this tutorial, consider leaving a reaction and sharing it with other developers.

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