The 3D Web Coder

Radical Node Server View and Heroku Push Cleanup

Two days ago, I implemented an enhancement to the node server REST API of my WebGL viewer and its interactive testing framework suggested by my colleague Cyrille Fauvel. He also suggested applying a whole host of other best practices to separate content, styles and logic. I am quite impressed that I succeeded in breaking so many rules implementing such a small project. I am very happy and find it extremely important to get them corrected early on. Many thanks to... Read more →

Cleaner Node Server REST API Implementation

My colleague Cyrille Fauvel provided some suggestions for me to apply various best practices to my Node.js WebGL viewer server implementation and its interactive testing framework: Criteria to choose the rendering engine? Eliminate explicit request method checking Complete node.js server implementation Download Criteria to choose the rendering engine Question: You listed a couple of different rendering engines, then picked Swig, not EJS. Can you explain why? I use EJS myself. Answer: I picked the ones that looked smallest and easiest... Read more →

Node Server Rendering with either Swig or Handlebars

My previous step towards implementing a minimal WebGL viewer node server showed how to render 3D geometric POST data using Swig. Due to various self-created difficulties, I switched the rendering engine to Swig after struggling with initial attempts using Express Handlebars. Now that those difficulties have been solved, I thought I would show how to switch back to the handlebars support and prove that I use either one. They cannot be used in parallel, though, since the rendering engine is... Read more →

POST Data and Swig Driven WebGL Viewer Node Server

In my previous step towards a node server implementing a handy minimal WebGL viewer, I started added support for handling a REST API POST request. Now that we have transferred and received data, let's implement code to display it: Adding JSON support Picking a Node view engine How to reference JavaScript modules in the template file – or not? Transferring data to the view template Complete node.js server implementation Interactive testing framework Download Adding JSON Support My initial tests were... Read more →

Implementing Node Server HTTP POST, GET vs POST

In my previous step towards implementing a handy minimal WebGL viewer, I started equipping it with a REST API. Now I'll expand that just a little bit by adding support for POST requests as well: HTTP GET and POST limitations HTTP GET implementation starting point Struggles implementing the POST handler Complete GET and POST implementation Interactive testing framework Download What next? HTTP GET and POST Limitations So far, my miniscule REST API just implements a placeholder skeleton returning v1: Hello... Read more →

Implementing a Node REST API Server

Now that our node.js web server is Heroku-hosted live on the web, we can talk with it through text, view 2D SVG graphics, drive it from a desktop app, implement a 3D WebGL viewer and feed that geometry data from the desktop as well... ... let's start interacting with it on a more professional basis. Time to implement an API, aka Application Programming Interface. Together with other interesting little titbits, this leads to the following topics: JavaScript style guide REST... Read more →