How to add authentication to a Pliny API?

Pliny doesn't include built-in authentication; you'll need to integrate gems like JWT or Devise manually, following its mediator pattern for business logic. Check the wiki for community examples or extend endpoints with middleware.

Pliny vs Sinatra for building APIs in Ruby

Pliny offers a more opinionated, structured framework with generators and enforced patterns, ideal for consistency in larger teams. Sinatra is lightweight and flexible, better for small, quick APIs where you want minimal overhead.

Does Pliny support GraphQL?

No, Pliny is designed primarily for RESTful APIs and doesn't have built-in GraphQL support. You'd need to integrate GraphQL gems separately, which might conflict with its opinionated architecture.

How to deploy a Pliny app to Heroku?

Deployment is similar to other Ruby apps; ensure a Procfile with `web: bundle exec puma` and set up database configs. Use Foreman locally for testing, but Heroku handles process management automatically.

What are mediators in Pliny and when to use them?

Mediators handle business logic and orchestration between models and endpoints, promoting separation of concerns. Use them for complex operations like data validation or service calls, as shown in generators like `pliny-generate mediator artists/creator`.

Can I use Pliny with existing Rails models?

It's challenging due to Pliny's different structure and dependencies; you might need to refactor models to fit its directory layout and avoid conflicts with ActiveRecord patterns in Rails.

Open-Awesome

Pliny

MITRubyv1.1.0

An opinionated toolkit for building and maintaining excellent APIs in Ruby.

GitHub

807 stars75 forks0 contributors

What is Pliny?

Pliny is an opinionated toolkit for building and maintaining excellent APIs in Ruby. It provides a structured framework with generators, database management tasks, and development tooling to enforce best practices and reduce boilerplate. The project solves the problem of inconsistent API development by bundling proven patterns and libraries into a cohesive workflow.

Target Audience

Ruby developers and teams building RESTful APIs who want a standardized, opinionated framework to ensure consistency and maintainability.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Pliny for its curated set of best practices, time-saving generators, and structured architecture that minimizes configuration decisions. Its focus on maintainability and real-world patterns makes it ideal for teams aiming to produce high-quality, scalable APIs efficiently.

Overview

An opinionated toolkit for writing excellent APIs in Ruby.

Use Cases

Best For

Teams starting new Ruby API projects with a need for consistency
Developers who want to avoid boilerplate code with scaffolding generators
Projects requiring structured separation of models, mediators, and endpoints
Maintaining large-scale APIs with standardized patterns
Ruby developers seeking an opinionated framework for RESTful services
Integrating database migrations and schema management seamlessly

Not Ideal For

Teams already heavily invested in Rails for API development and unwilling to adopt a new framework
Projects requiring real-time features like WebSockets or GraphQL APIs, as Pliny is focused on RESTful patterns
Developers who prefer minimal, unopinionated micro-frameworks with full control over architecture
Legacy Ruby applications that would require significant refactoring to fit Pliny's structured directory layout

Pros & Cons

Pros

Rapid Scaffolding

Generators for models, mediators, endpoints, and more reduce boilerplate; for example, `pliny-generate scaffold artist` creates multiple files with a single command.

Enforced Architecture

Promotes clean separation of concerns with dedicated directories for models, mediators, and endpoints, ensuring consistency across the codebase.

Integrated Database Workflow

Includes Rake tasks for migrations, seeding, and schema management, streamlining operations like `rake db:schema:merge` to simplify database maintenance.

Easy Version Updates

The `pliny-update` command syncs the app with template changes and dependency bumps, reducing manual upgrade efforts.

Cons

Foreman Dependency

Relies on Foreman for running servers and commands, adding complexity; the README hints at easy-to-miss steps like using `foreman run` in development.

Limited Ecosystem

As a niche framework, it has fewer community plugins and resources compared to Rails, which can slow down integration with third-party tools.

Opinionated Rigidity

The enforced structure may hinder teams with existing divergent workflows, making it less flexible for custom or non-standard API requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

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