Find the documentation here.

Welcome to API Logic Server

API Logic Server creates customizable database web app projects:

• Creation is Instant: create projects with a single command

• Projects are Highly Functional:

  • API: an endpoint for each table, with filtering, sorting, pagination and related data access

  • Admin UI: multi-page / multi-table apps, with page navigations and automatic joins

• Projects are Customizable, using your IDE: such as VSCode, PyCharm, etc, for familiar edit/debug services

• Business Logic Automation: using unique rules, extensible with Python

Background

A brief look at why we built it, and what it is.

Motivation - not instant, propietary IDE, no logic automation

We looked at approaches for building database systems:

• Frameworks: Frameworks like Flask or Django enable you to build a single endpoint or Hello World page, but a multi-endpoint API and multi-page application would take weeks or more.

• Low Code Tools: these are great for building great UIs, but

  • Want a multi-page app -- no screen painting
  • Want to preserve dev tools - VSCode, PyCharm, git, etc
  • Need an answer for backend logic (it's nearly half the effort)
    
    

Our Approach: Instant, Customizable, Logic Automation

API Logic Server is an open source Python project, consisting of:

• a set of runtimes (SAFRS API, Flask, SQLAlchemy ORM, rule engine) for project execution, plus

• a CLI (Command Language Interface) to create executable projects, which can be customized in an IDE such as VSCode or PyCharm

It runs as a standard pip install, or under Docker. After installation, you use the CLI create a project like this:

ApiLogicServer create --project_name=ApiLogicProject db_url=

API Logic Server reads your schema, and creates an executable, customizable project providing the features listed below. Check it out - zero install - here, in Codespaces.

Feature Summary

Instant -- Single Command

Use the CLI to create the sample API and Admin App project, with a single command.

Create With Docker

Execute the following commands (Windows, use Powershell):

# Start the API Logic Server docker container
docker run -it --name api_logic_server --rm -p 5656:5656 -p 5002:5002 -v ${PWD}:/localhost apilogicserver/api_logic_server

ApiLogicServer create-and-run --project_name=/localhost/ApiLogicProject --db_url=

Or, Create With Local Install

Presuming Python 3.7+ is installed, it's typically:

python -m venv venv                  # may require python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate             # windows venv\Scripts\activate
venv\Scripts\activate                # mac/linux: source venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install ApiLogicServer

ApiLogicServer create-and-run        # create, or create-and-run; accept defaults

Execute

Your server is running - explore the data and api at localhost:5656. Using the defaults provided above, you have started the Tutorial, the recommended quick start for API Logic Server.

Customize in IDE

VSCode and PyCharm users can customize and run/debug within their IDE with these steps. Created projects include Launch and Docker configurations.

Rebuild services are provided to accomodate changes to database structure or ORM classes.

Overview Video

Project creation is based on database schema introspection as shown below: identify a database, and the ApiLogicServer create commands creates an executable, customomizable project.

Click for a video tutorial, showing complete project creation, execution, customization and debugging.

Getting Started

Quick Evaluation - no install

You can avoid install hassles by exploring the Sample Project in Codespaces. This will enable you to use VSCode - in your Browser, zero install - to:

• see the created project
• use the Tutorial to run, customize and debug it

We think you'll find Codespaces pretty amazing - check it out!

Local Install

API Logic Server is designed to make it easy to get started:

• Install and run Tutorial - install, and explore the tutorial. You'll create a complete project using the pre-installed sample database, explore its features, and support for customization and debugging.

• Dockerized Test Databases - then, you might like to try out some of our dockerized test databases.

• Your Database - finally, try your own database.

Project Information

Tutorials

There are a number of facilities that will quickly enable you to get familiar with API Logic Server:

• Tutorial walks you through the steps of creating a server
• Video shows the steps of creating a server

Making Contributions

This is an open source project. We are open to suggestions. Some of our ideas include:

To get started, please see the Architecture.

Status

We have tested several databases - see status here.

We are tracking issues in git.

We have introduced several renames to clarify operation. These do not affect existing projects. However, we've not updated all the docs to reflect these changes:

• logic/declare_logic.py replaces logic_bank.py
• api/customize_api.py replaces expose_services.py
• database/customize_models.py replaces models_ext.py

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to

• Thomas Pollet, for SAFRS, SAFRS-react-admin, and invaluable design partnership
• Marelab, for react-admin
• Armin Ronacher, for Flask
• Mike Bayer, for SQLAlchemy
• Alex Grönholm, for Sqlacodegen
• Meera Datey, for React Admin prototyping
• Denny McKinney, for Tutorial review
• Achim Götz, for design collaboration and testing
• Max Tardiveau, for testing and help with Docker
• Michael Holleran, for design collaboration and testing
• Nishanth Shyamsundar, for review and testing
• Thomas Peters, for review and testing
• Daniel Gaspar, for Flask AppBuilder
• Gloria Huber and Denny McKinney, for doc review

Articles

There are a few articles that provide some orientation to API Logic Server:

• How Automation Activates Agile
• How Automation Activates Agile - providing working software rapidly drives agile collaboration to define systems that meet actual needs, reducing requirements risk
• How to create application systems in moments
• Stop coding database backends…Declare them with one command.
• Instant Database Backends
• Extensible Rules - defining new rule types, using Python
• Declarative - exploring multi-statement declarative technology
• Automate Business Logic With Logic Bank - general introduction, discussions of extensibility, manageability and scalability
• Agile Design Automation With Logic Bank - focuses on automation, design flexibility and agile iterations
• Instant Web Apps

Change Log

10/02/2022 - 06.02.00: Option infer_primary_key, Oct1 SRA (issue 49), cleanup db/api setup, restore postgres dvr

09/15/2022 - 06.01.00: Multi-app Projects

08/28/2022 - 06.00.00: Admin App show_when, cascade add. Simplify Codespaces swagger url & use default config

08/15/2022 - 05.03.33: Remove Postgres driver from local install, Fix ApiLogicServer run fails (Issue 45)

06/27/2022 - 05.03.06: nw-, with perform_customizations docker

06/22/2022 - 05.03.00: Docker support to load/run project (env or sh), create ApiLogicProject image

06/16/2022 - 05.02.23: Support nw- (sample, no customization) for evaluation

06/12/2022 - 05.02.22: No pyodbc by default, model customizations simplified, better logging

05/30/2022 - 05.02.16: Python 3.10, Dockerfile include, start info

05/25/2022 - 05.02.12: Verified for Python 3.10, improved support for configuring venv

05/04/2022 - 05.02.03: alembic for database migrations, admin-merge.yaml

04/24/2022 - 05.01.01: copy_children, with support for nesting (children and grandchildren, etc.)

03/27/2022 - 05.00.06: Introducing Behave test framework, LogicBank bugfix

02/18/2022 - 04.02.03: SqlServer fixes, rebuild creates '-created' versions for data model repair

01/18/2022 - 04.01.01: fix startup failure on created app (windows pip-install version only)

01/14/2022 - 04.01.00: add info_disp/show, attribute info, performance, date fix

12/26/2021 - 04.00.05: Introducing the Admin app, with Readme Tutorial

11/13/2021 - 03.50.00: rebuild-from-database/model, improved relationship support

11/04/2021 - 03.40.01: Per macOS Monterey, default ports to 5001, 5002

10/18/2021 - 03.20.11: Readme Tutorial for IDE users

10/16/2021 - 03.20.07: dev-network no longer required (see Releases)

10/03/2021 - 03.10.17: default db_url

10/02/2021 - 03.01.16: bugfix improper run arg for VSCode launch configuration

09/29/2021 - 03.01.15: run (now just runs without create), added create-and-run

09/25/2021 - 03.01.10: enable run command for Docker execution, pyodbc, fab create-by-copy

09/15/2021 - 03.00.09: auto-create .devcontainer for vscode, configure network, python & debug

09/10/2021 - 03.00.02: rename logic_bank to declare_logic, improved logging