scaffolding-microservice

name	scaffolding-microservice
description	Scaffolds an Express.js microservice with JSON file storage, JWT auth, and audit logging. It creates data files, route handlers, server wiring, and tests following a consistent factory function pattern.
argument-hint	Describe the service (e.g., "feature flag service with CRUD operations and audit trail")

Scaffolding Microservice

Use this skill when the user asks to scaffold a service, create a new microservice, build an API, create an API, or add a resource.

Scaffolding Checklist

Follow these steps in order. Do not skip steps or reorder them.

Step 1 - Create Data Files

Create backend/data/{resource}.json with an empty array [] or seed data if provided. Create backend/data/audit-log.json with an empty array []. Create backend/data/users.json with default admin/user accounts for development.

Step 2 - Create Route Handlers

Create backend/routes/{resource}.js using the factory function pattern:

• Export a function that receives a deps object ({ readData, writeData, authenticateToken, uuidv4 })
• Return an Express Router
• Include CRUD endpoints with input validation
• Protected mutations require deps.authenticateToken middleware
• Every mutation appends to the audit log via deps.writeData

See templates.md for the route skeleton.

Step 3 - Create Route Index

Create backend/routes/index.js to compose all routers:

• Import each route factory
• Call each with the shared deps object
• Mount routers on their base paths (e.g., /api/flags, /api/audit-log, /api/auth)

Step 4 - Create Server

Create backend/server.js with:

• Express app setup with CORS and JSON body parsing
• JWT authenticateToken middleware function
• readData / writeData helpers for JSON file storage
• A deps object bundling all shared utilities
• Route wiring via routes/index.js
• Server start on port 3500

See templates.md for the server skeleton.

Step 5 - Wire and Verify

Ensure all routes are registered in routes/index.js. Ensure server.js imports and uses the composed router. Verify the server starts without errors: node backend/server.js.

Step 6 - Create Tests

Create backend/tests/{resource}.test.js with:

• Jest + supertest
• describe block per route group
• it block per scenario (success + error cases)
• Test descriptions start with "should"
• Test status codes: 200, 201, 400, 401, 404, 409

See templates.md for the test skeleton.

Step 7 - Run Tests

Run npm run test:backend and fix any failures before finishing.

Conventions

• All comments start with generated-by-copilot:
• camelCase for variables and functions
• kebab-case for URL paths and flag names
• PascalCase for React components
• Routes export factory functions, never side-effect imports
• userId and createdBy come from the JWT token, never from the request body
• Error responses use { error: 'message' } format
• Flag names validated with ^[a-z0-9-]+$
• Descriptions capped at 200 characters
• Environment must be one of: development, staging, production

What This Skill Does NOT Cover

• Docker or containerization
• CI/CD pipelines
• Deployment configuration
• Logging frameworks