PyBlog API: A RESTful Blog Backend

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live Demo on Render

Render: PyblogAPI

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Project Overview

PyBlog API is a robust, production-ready backend for a blog application, built with Django and Django REST Framework (DRF). This project provides a comprehensive set of RESTful endpoints to manage blog posts, user authentication, and data persistence. Designed as a decoupled backend, it allows any frontend application (web, mobile, or desktop) to consume its data via API calls.

This project showcases proficiency in building a complete RESTful API, secure user authentication, data serialization, and professional deployment to a cloud platform like Render.

Key Features

• User Authentication: Secure user registration, login, and token generation.
• Post Management (CRUD): Full Create, Read, Update, and Delete functionality for blog posts.
• Authorization: Ensures users can only modify or delete their own posts.
• Image Uploads: Handles and serves images associated with blog posts.

Technology Stack

• Backend: Python, Django, Django REST Framework (DRF), Gunicorn, PostgreSQL
• Deployment & Tools: Render, dj-database-url, WhiteNoise, Git

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API Endpoints

All endpoints are designed to be intuitive and easy to use.

Endpoint	Method	Description
/register_user/	POST	Registers a new user.
/token/	POST	Exchanges user credentials for a new access and refresh token.
/refresh_token/	POST	Refreshes the access token using a valid refresh token.
/create_blog/	POST	Creates a new blog post. Requires user authentication.
/update_user_profile/	PUT	Updates the profile of the authenticated user.
/blogs_list/	GET	Retrieves a list of all published blog posts.
/user_blogs_list/	GET	Retrieves a list of blog posts for the authenticated user.
/update_blog/<int:blog_id>/	PUT	Updates a specific blog post. Requires authentication and author ownership.
/delete_blog/<int:blog_id>/	DELETE	Deletes a specific blog post. Requires authentication and author ownership.

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Installation and Local Setup

To get a local copy of the project up and running, follow these steps.

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/meez-111/pyblogAPI.git
   cd pyblogAPI

2. Create and Activate a Virtual Environment:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Database Migrations:

   python manage.py makemigrations
   python manage.py migrate

5. Create a Superuser (Optional):

   python manage.py createsuperuser

6. Run the Development Server:

   python manage.py runserver

   The API will be available at http://127.0.0.1:8000/.

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Deployment

This project is deployed on Render using a PostgreSQL database.

• Build Script: A build.sh script automates the build process, including running migrations and collecting static files.
• Start Command: gunicorn pyblogapi.wsgi
• A persistent disk is configured on Render to ensure user-uploaded images remain available across deployments.

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Author

• Meez - meez-111
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn
• Email: meez.sabra.111@gmail.com