support/doc/server/code.md

   1 # Server code documentation
   2
   3 The server is a web server developed with [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/)/[Express](http://expressjs.com).
   4
   5
   6 ## Technologies
   7
   8   * [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) -> Language
   9   * [PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/) -> Database
  10   * [Express](http://expressjs.com) -> Web server framework
  11   * [Sequelize](http://docs.sequelizejs.com/en/v3/) -> SQL ORM
  12   * [WebTorrent](https://webtorrent.io/) -> BitTorrent tracker and torrent creation
  13   * [Mocha](https://mochajs.org/) -> Test framework
  14
  15
  16 ## Files
  17
  18 The server main file is [server.ts](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/blob/master/server.ts).
  19 The server modules description are in the [package.json](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/blob/master/package.json) at the project root.
  20 All other server files are in the [server](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/tree/master/server) directory:
  21
  22     server.ts -> app initilization, main routes configuration (static routes...)
  23     config    -> server YAML configurations (for tests, production...)
  24     scripts   -> Scripts files for npm run
  25     server
  26     |__ controllers  -> API routes/controllers files
  27     |__ helpers      -> functions used by different part of the project (logger, utils...)
  28     |__ initializers -> functions used at the server startup (installer, database, constants...)
  29     |__ lib          -> library function (WebTorrent, OAuth2, friends logic...)
  30     |__ middlewares  -> middlewares for controllers (requests validators, requests pagination...)
  31     |__ models       -> Sequelize models for each SQL tables (videos, users, pods...)
  32     |__ tests        -> API tests and real world simulations (to test the decentralized feature...)
  33
  34
  35 ## Conventions
  36
  37 Uses [JavaScript Standard Style](http://standardjs.com/).
  38
  39
  40 ## Developing
  41
  42   * Install [the dependencies](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube#dependencies)
  43   * Run `npm install` at the root directory to install all the dependencies
  44   * Run PostgreSQL and create the database `peertube_dev`.
  45   * Run `npm run dev:server` to compile the client, run the server and watch server files modifications.
  46
  47 The `NODE_ENV=test` is set to speed up communications between pods (see [constants.ts](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/blob/master/server/initializers/constants.ts)).
  48
  49 `npm run help` gives you all available commands.
  50
  51 If you want to test the decentralization feature, you can easily run 3 pods by running `npm run play`. The pods password are `test1`, `test2` and `test3`.
  52
  53
  54 ## Architecture
  55
  56 The server is composed by:
  57
  58   * a REST API (throught Express framework)
  59   * a WebTorrent Tracker
  60
  61 A video is seeded by the server throught the [WebSeed](http://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0019.html) protocol (HTTP).
  62
  63 ![Architecture scheme](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/blob/master/support/doc/server/upload-video.png)
  64
  65 When a user uploads a video, the rest API create the torrent file and then adds it to its database.
  66
  67 If a user wants to watch the video, the tracker will indicate all other users that are watching the video + the HTTP url for the WebSeed.
  68
  69 ## Newcomers
  70
  71 The server entrypoint is [server.ts](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/blob/master/server.ts). You can begin to look at this file.
  72 Then you can try to understand the [controllers](https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/tree/master/server/controllers): they are the entrypoint of each API request.