Build a REST API | Vix.cpp Documentation

Build a REST API

This guide shows how to build a small REST API with Vix.

You will create:

GET /
GET /health
GET /users
GET /users/{id}
POST /users

Requirements

bash

vix --version
vix new rest-api
cd rest-api

Minimal server

Create or replace src/main.cpp:

cpp

#include <vix.hpp>

using namespace vix;

int main()
{
  App app;

  app.get("/", [](Request &, Response &res){
    res.json({
        "message", "Hello from Vix",
        "framework", "Vix.cpp"
    });
  });

  app.run(8080);
  return 0;
}

bash

vix dev
curl -i http://127.0.0.1:8080/

Basic Vix HTTP structure

Part	Purpose
`App app;`	Creates the HTTP application instance.
`app.get(...)`	Registers a `GET` route handler.
`Request &req`	Provides access to request data.
`Response &res`	Provides methods for sending responses.
`res.json(...)`	Sends a JSON response.
`app.run(8080)`	Starts the server on port `8080`.

Create a health route

cpp

app.get("/health", [](Request &, Response &res){
  res.json({
      "ok", true,
      "service", "rest-api"
  });
});

Add an in-memory users list

cpp

std::vector<json::Json> users = {
    { {"id", 1}, {"name", "Alice"}, {"role", "admin"} },
    { {"id", 2}, {"name", "Bob"}, {"role", "user"}}
};

Add GET /users

cpp

app.get("/users", [&users](Request &, Response &res){
  res.json({
      "ok", true,
      "count", users.size(),
      "data", users
  });
});

Add GET /users/

cpp

app.get("/users/{id}", [&users](Request &req, Response &res){

  const std::string id = req.param("id");
  for (const auto &user : users)
  {
    if (std::to_string(user.value("id", 0)) == id)
    {
      res.json({
        "ok", true,
        "data", user
      });

      return;
    }
  }

  res.status(404).json({
      "ok", false,
      "error", "user not found",
      "id", id
  });

});

Add query params

cpp

app.get("/users", [&users](Request &req, Response &res){

  const std::string page = req.query_value("page", "1");
  const std::string limit = req.query_value("limit", "10");

  res.json({
      "ok", true,
      "page", page,
      "limit", limit,
      "count", users.size(),
      "data", users
  });

});

Useful request APIs:

API	Purpose
`req.param("id")`	Reads a route path parameter.
`req.param("id", "0")`	Reads a route parameter with fallback.
`req.query_value("page", "1")`	Reads a query parameter with fallback.
`req.query()`	Reads all query parameters.
`req.body()`	Reads the raw request body.
`req.json()`	Reads the parsed JSON body.
`req.header("Authorization")`	Reads a request header value.

Add POST /users

cpp

app.post("/users", [&users](Request &req, Response &res){

  const auto &body = req.json();
  if (!body.is_object())
  {
    res.status(400).json({
      "ok", false,
      "error", "expected JSON object body"
    });

    return;
  }

  const std::string name = body.value("name", "");
  const std::string role = body.value("role", "user");
  if (name.empty())
  {
    res.status(400).json({
      "ok", false,
      "error", "field 'name' is required"
    });

    return;
  }

  const int new_id = users.empty() ? 1 : users.back().value("id", 0) + 1;

  json::Json user = {
    {"id", new_id},
    {"name", name},
    {"role", role}
  };

  users.push_back(user);

  res.status(201).json({
    "ok", true,
    "message", "user created",
    "data", user
  });

});

bash

curl -i -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8080/users \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"Charlie","role":"user"}'

Final version

Replace src/main.cpp with this complete, organized version:

cpp

#include <vix.hpp>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

using namespace vix;

struct AppState
{
  std::vector<json::Json> users;
};

static AppState create_state()
{
  AppState state;

  state.users = {
    { {"id", 1}, {"name", "Alice"}, {"role", "admin"} },
    { {"id", 2}, {"name", "Bob"}, {"role", "user"} }
  };

  return state;
}

static void register_public_routes(App &app)
{
  app.get("/", [](Request &, Response &res){
    res.json({
      "message", "Vix REST API",
      "framework", "Vix.cpp"
    });
  });

  app.get("/health", [](Request &, Response &res){
    res.json({
      "ok", true,
      "service", "rest-api"
    });
  });
}

static void register_user_routes(App &app, AppState &state)
{
  app.get("/users", [&state](Request &req, Response &res){
    const std::string page = req.query_value("page", "1");
    const std::string limit = req.query_value("limit", "10");

    res.json({
      "ok", true,
      "page", page,
      "limit", limit,
      "count", state.users.size(),
      "data", state.users
    });
  });

  app.get("/users/{id}", [&state](Request &req, Response &res){

    const std::string id = req.param("id");
    for (const auto &user : state.users)
    {
      if (std::to_string(user.value("id", 0)) == id)
      {
        res.json({
          "ok", true,
          "data", user
        });

        return;
      }
    }

    res.status(404).json({
      "ok", false,
      "error", "user not found",
      "id", id
    });

  });

  app.post("/users", [&state](Request &req, Response &res){

    const auto &body = req.json();
    if (!body.is_object())
    {
      res.status(400).json({
        "ok", false,
        "error", "expected JSON object body"
      });

      return;
    }

    const std::string name = body.value("name", "");
    const std::string role = body.value("role", "user");
    if (name.empty())
    {
      res.status(400).json({
        "ok", false,
        "error", "field 'name' is required"
      });

      return;
    }

    const int new_id = state.users.empty() ? 1 : state.users.back().value("id", 0) + 1;

    json::Json user = {
      {"id", new_id},
      {"name", name},
      {"role", role}
    };

    state.users.push_back(user);

    res.status(201).json({
      "ok", true,
      "message", "user created",
      "data", user
    });

  });
}

int main()
{
  App app;

  AppState state = create_state();
  register_public_routes(app);
  register_user_routes(app, state);

  app.run(8080);

  return 0;
}

Test the API

bash

curl -i http://127.0.0.1:8080/
curl -i http://127.0.0.1:8080/health
curl -i http://127.0.0.1:8080/users
curl -i "http://127.0.0.1:8080/users?page=1&limit=10"
curl -i http://127.0.0.1:8080/users/1
curl -i -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8080/users \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"Charlie","role":"user"}'

Response helpers

cpp

res.json({"ok", true, "message", "Hello"});   // JSON
res.text("Hello Vix");                         // Text
res.send("Created");                           // Generic
res.status(201).json({"ok", true});            // With status
res.file("public/index.html");                 // File

Status codes

Status	Meaning	Example
`200`	OK.	Successful `GET` request.
`201`	Created.	Successful `POST` request.
`400`	Bad Request.	Invalid input was provided.
`401`	Unauthorized.	Authentication is missing.
`403`	Forbidden.	Access is not allowed.
`404`	Not Found.	Requested resource is missing.
`500`	Internal Server Error.	Server-side failure occurred.

Recommended JSON shape

json

{ "ok": true, "data": {} }
{ "ok": false, "error": "message" }
{ "ok": true, "count": 2, "data": [] }

Common mistakes

Forgetting to return after sending an error

cpp

// Wrong
if (name.empty()) {
  res.status(400).json({
    "error", "name is required"
  });
}

res.json({"ok", true});

// Correct
if (name.empty()) {
  res.status(400).json({
    "error", "name is required"
  });
  return;
}

res.json({"ok", true});

Passing runtime args incorrectly

bash

vix run main.cpp --run --port 8080   # correct
vix run main.cpp -- --port 8080      # wrong: -- is for compiler flags

Expecting in-memory data to persist

The users vector is in memory. If the server restarts, created users are lost. For persistence, use SQLite or MySQL.

What to use next

SQLite API guide — for persistence
Validation guide — for validating input
Authentication guide — for auth

Sunbelt Computer Software

PL/B Language Development and Support

Build a REST API ​

Requirements ​

Minimal server ​

Basic Vix HTTP structure ​

Create a health route ​

Add an in-memory users list ​

Add GET /users ​

Add GET /users/ ​

Add query params ​

Add POST /users ​

Final version ​

Test the API ​

Response helpers ​

Status codes ​

Recommended JSON shape ​

Common mistakes ​

Forgetting to return after sending an error ​

Passing runtime args incorrectly ​

Expecting in-memory data to persist ​

What to use next ​

Build a REST API

Requirements

Minimal server

Basic Vix HTTP structure

Create a health route

Add an in-memory users list

Add GET /users

Add GET /users/

Add query params

Add POST /users

Final version

Test the API

Response helpers

Status codes

Recommended JSON shape

Common mistakes

Forgetting to return after sending an error

Passing runtime args incorrectly

Expecting in-memory data to persist

What to use next