Hestia Universal Backend API

Hestia is a unified Modular Monolith backend built to serve three distinct frontend applications. By centralizing the API infrastructure, we ensure code reusability (like shared authentication), simplify database management, and streamline CI/CD deployments.

🚀 Projects Served

This single API hub powers the following applications:

1. 🛒 ShopMaster

   • Focus: Inventory management, barcode scanning, POS, and financial analytics for small businesses.
   • Modules: inventory/, sales/, auth/

2. 📍 VibeCheck (Coming Soon)

   • Focus: Geospatial discovery engine and community hub for local events and places.
   • Modules: places/, events/, reviews/

3. 🤝 EliteAid (Coming Soon)

   • Focus: Escrow-based marketplace connecting homeowners with vetted household professionals.
   • Modules: tasks/, safety/, payments/

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🏗️ Technical Architecture

This backend is built utilizing enterprise-grade technologies:

• Framework: NestJS (Node.js)
• Database: Neon.tech (Serverless PostgreSQL)
• ORM: Prisma
• Security: Passport.js + JWT (JSON Web Tokens)
• Documentation: Built-in Swagger OpenAPI (/api)

Why a Modular Monolith?

Instead of managing three separate microservices, all business logic is isolated into domain-specific modules within one server. This allows:

• Zero-Cost Scaling: A single Render instance handles all API traffic.
• Shared Context: Global user authentication and role-based access control (RBAC).
• Frontend Independence: Frontends are decoupled and live in their own repositories, keeping the client codebases lightweight.

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🛠️ Local Development

Prerequisites

• Bun (JavaScript runtime)
• A PostgreSQL connection string (via Neon.tech or local Docker)

Installation

1. Navigate to the backend directory:

   cd backend

2. Install dependencies:

   bun install

3. Set up your .env file:

   DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@host/db"
   PORT=3001

4. Generate the Prisma client:

   bunx prisma generate

Running the App

# Development watch mode
bun run start:dev

# Production mode
bun run build
bun run start:prod

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📚 API Documentation

When the server is running, interactive Swagger documentation is automatically generated.

• Local Development: http://localhost:3001/api
• Production URL: https://hestia-lpxn.onrender.com
• Production API Docs: https://hestia-lpxn.onrender.com/api

Use the Swagger UI to inspect endpoint schemas, test queries, and verify JSON structures before integrating them into the frontend repositories.