This project highlights various technical abilities using the Marvel API. Features include API rate limiting, caching, and the ability to record and replay external HTTP requests using VCR and Webmock.
Marvel.API.Demo.mov
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Framework:
- This application uses Ruby 3.1.2 and Rails 7.2.1
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Installation:
- To install the required libraries, run
bundle install - To create the database, run
rails db:create - To run the migrations, run
rails db:migrate - To seed the database, run
rails db:seed
- To install the required libraries, run
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Environment Variables:
- This application uses Rails credentials to store the Marvel API keys.
- To set the credentials, run
EDITOR="nano" rails credentials:edit - Add the following keys:
marvel: private_key: YOUR_PRIVATE_KEY public_key: YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY
- Save and close the file
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Running the Application:
- To run the application, use the command
rails s - The application is hosted on
http://localhost:3000
- To run the application, use the command
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Internal API:
- The API is hosted on
http://localhost:3000/api/v1 - The API has two endpoints:
/comicsand/comics/character - The API is versioned and follows RESTful conventions
- The API is hosted on
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Testing: RSpec, VCR, Webmock, FactoryBot, Rack Mini Profiler
- To run the tests, use the command
rspec - HTTP interactions have been recorded using VCR and Webmock
- The tests cover the service object requests, controller, API/v1 endpoints and external API requests
- The credentials have been filtered out of the VCR cassettes
- To run the tests, use the command
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Database: This application uses SQLite3
- VCR and Webmock: Replay external HTTP interactions.
- API Rate Limit Middleware: The application is rate-limited.
- The application uses a custom Faraday middleware to handle API rate limiting.
- The rate limit is set to 1000 requests per user in a 24-hour period.
- API caching: Caching is used to store the latest comics fetched from the Marvel API.
- The cache is cleared after 1 hour.
- Caching is used for both retrieving the latest comics and fetching comics by character.
- This speeds up the application and reduces the number of requests to the Marvel API.
- RSpec Testing: There are extensive tests using RSpec and VCR.
- The tests cover the service object requests, controller, API/v1 endpoints and external API requests.
- Grape API: The endpoints in the application use Grape API.
- The API is versioned and follows RESTful conventions.
- Marvel API: The application fetches data from the Marvel API.
- Logging: There is extensive logging throughout the application.
- Sensitive information is filtered out of the logs on VCR and Faraday requests.
- The logs have a custom tag to identify the action.
- This application uses Internationalization (I18n) for logging and error handling.
- API Rate Limit Middleware: This middleware helps limit and manage external API requests, preventing rate limits from being exceeded. It fetches user session information and keeps track of the number of external API requests the user has made in a 24-hour period. If the limit is reached, further requests are blocked.
- Rails Caching: The Marvel API requests are cached to improve performance. The cache is cleared every 24 hours.
A default fake user is assigned to the session, simplifying the application's use. The user is automatically logged in when the application is accessed.
This application relies on several Ruby gems to enhance its functionality:
- GrapeAPI: The Grape gem is used to create the API endpoints.
- Faraday: This gem is used to make HTTP requests to the Marvel API.
- VCR and Webmock: These gems are used to replay external HTTP interactions.
- Rack mini profiler: This gem is used to profile the application's performance.
- Tailwind: This gem is used to style the application.
- simplecov: This gem is used to track test coverage.
- RSpec: Extensive testing is ensured using RSpec.
- Factorybot Rails: This gem facilitates testing by providing factories for generating test data.
- Devise: This gem handles user sessions and authentication.
- Stimulus: This gem is used to add interactivity to the application, keeping the views lightweight.
- VCR and Webmock are used to replay external HTTP interactions. This allows the application to run tests without making actual requests to the Marvel API.
- This application has one model, User.
- This is because the application is only designed to fetch and display comics from the Marvel API.
- The User model is an effective way to store the user's session information and manage the API rate limit middleware.
- Grape is a lightweight API framework that allows for easy creation of API endpoints.
- Faraday is a flexible HTTP client library that allows for easy handling of HTTP requests.
- VCR and Webmock are used to replay external HTTP interactions, allowing for testing without making actual requests to the Marvel API.
- Sensitive information is filtered out of the VCR cassettes.
- Caching is used to store the latest comics fetched from the Marvel API.
- Favourite comics are stored with
sessionStoragein the browser to simplify the application's use.
- We are using sessions to track the number of API requests, and we automatically log in a fake user with Devise. As a result, we require stateful tracking that depends on server-side storage. This makes it impossible to update the JWT with the user's information. More information
- Add frontend test coverage.
- The external Marvel API is not production grade quality, and can be slow to respond.
- Not all comics on the Marvel API have an image and instead contain
/image_not_availablein the img path. - If the response contains
/image_not_availablethen a stock image is added to the request result.