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Quickstart guide

This guide will get you up and running with the Adoptme API in just a few minutes. You’ll install the API, start the server, and make your first API call.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  • Node.js v22 or higher - Download Node.js
  • MongoDB - Running locally or a connection string to MongoDB Atlas
  • Git - For cloning the repository
The Adoptme API requires Node.js v22+. Check your version with node --version

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Get started

1

Clone and install

Clone the repository and install dependencies:
git clone https://github.com/GitRepoFabi/coderhouse-backendIII.git
cd coderhouse-backendIII
npm install
2

Configure environment

Create a .env file in the root directory:
PORT=8080
MONGO_URL=mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017
DB_NAME=adoptme
For MongoDB Atlas, use your connection string: mongodb+srv://username:[email protected]
3

Start the server

Start the API server:
npm start
You should see:
Connection successful MongoDB
Listening on 8080
4

Make your first API call

Test the API with a simple request:
curl http://localhost:8080/api/pets
Expected response:
{
  "status": "success",
  "payload": []
}
The response will be empty initially since no pets have been added yet.

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Try the interactive documentation

The Adoptme API includes Swagger UI for interactive API exploration:
  1. Open your browser and navigate to: http://localhost:8080/docs
  2. You’ll see all available endpoints
  3. Click on any endpoint to expand it
  4. Click “Try it out” to make requests directly from the browser

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Generate mock data

Want to quickly populate your database with test data? Use the mock data endpoint: 
curl -X POST "http://localhost:8080/api/mocks/generateData?user=5&pet=10"
This will create:
  • 5 mock users
  • 10 mock pets
  • Random adoption assignments
Now when you call GET /api/pets, you’ll see the generated pets!

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What’s next?

Installation guide

Detailed setup instructions and troubleshooting

API reference

Explore all available endpoints

Authentication

Learn about JWT authentication

Mock data

Generate test data for development

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Live deployment

Try the live API without installing anything: Base URL: https://coderhouse-backendiii-production.up.railway.app Swagger Docs: https://coderhouse-backendiii-production.up.railway.app/docs 
# Example: Get all pets from the live API
curl https://coderhouse-backendiii-production.up.railway.app/api/pets

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