freeCodeCamp/curriculum/challenges/english/05-apis-and-microservices/apis-and-microservices-projects/url-shortener-microservice.md

id, title, challengeType, forumTopicId, dashedName

id	title	challengeType	forumTopicId	dashedName
bd7158d8c443edefaeb5bd0e	URL Shortener Microservice	4	301509	url-shortener-microservice

--description--

Build a full stack JavaScript app that is functionally similar to this: https://url-shortener-microservice.freecodecamp.rocks/. Working on this project will involve you writing your code using one of the following methods:

• Clone this GitHub repo and complete your project locally.
• Use our Replit starter project to complete your project.
• Use a site builder of your choice to complete the project. Be sure to incorporate all the files from our GitHub repo.

When you are done, make sure a working demo of your project is hosted somewhere public. Then submit the URL to it in the Solution Link field. Optionally, also submit a link to your projects source code in the GitHub Link field.

--instructions--

HINT: Do not forget to use a body parsing middleware to handle the POST requests. Also, you can use the function dns.lookup(host, cb) from the dns core module to verify a submitted URL.

--hints--

You should provide your own project, not the example URL.

(getUserInput) => {
  assert(
    !/.*\/url-shortener-microservice\.freecodecamp\.rocks/.test(
      getUserInput('url')
    )
  );
};

You can POST a URL to /api/shorturl and get a JSON response with original_url and short_url properties. Here's an example: { original_url : 'https://freeCodeCamp.org', short_url : 1}

async (getUserInput) => {
  const url = getUserInput('url');
  const urlVariable = Date.now();
  const fullUrl = `${url}/?v=${urlVariable}`
  const res = await fetch(url + '/api/shorturl', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' },
    body: `url=${fullUrl}`
  });
  if (res.ok) {
    const { short_url, original_url } = await res.json();
    assert.isNotNull(short_url);
    assert.strictEqual(original_url, `${url}/?v=${urlVariable}`);
  } else {
    throw new Error(`${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
  }
};

When you visit /api/shorturl/<short_url>, you will be redirected to the original URL.

async (getUserInput) => {
  const url = getUserInput('url');
  const urlVariable = Date.now();
  const fullUrl = `${url}/?v=${urlVariable}`
  let shortenedUrlVariable;
  const postResponse = await fetch(url + '/api/shorturl', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' },
    body: `url=${fullUrl}`
  });
  if (postResponse.ok) {
    const { short_url } = await postResponse.json();
    shortenedUrlVariable = short_url;
  } else {
    throw new Error(`${postResponse.status} ${postResponse.statusText}`);
  }
  const getResponse = await fetch(
    url + '/api/shorturl/' + shortenedUrlVariable
  );
  if (getResponse) {
    const { redirected, url } = getResponse;
    assert.isTrue(redirected);
    assert.strictEqual(url,fullUrl);
  } else {
    throw new Error(`${getResponse.status} ${getResponse.statusText}`);
  }
};

If you pass an invalid URL that doesn't follow the valid http://www.example.com format, the JSON response will contain { error: 'invalid url' }

async (getUserInput) => {
  const url = getUserInput('url');
  const res = await fetch(url + '/api/shorturl', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded' },
    body: `url=ftp:/john-doe.org`
  });
  if (res.ok) {
    const { error } = await res.json();
    assert.isNotNull(error);
    assert.strictEqual(error.toLowerCase(), 'invalid url');
  } else {
    throw new Error(`${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
  }
};

--solutions--

/**
  Backend challenges don't need solutions, 
  because they would need to be tested against a full working project. 
  Please check our contributing guidelines to learn more.
*/