Daybed¶

Daybed is an Open Source Web API providing validation and storage as a service.

Why ?¶

Usually, when a Web application requires a backend for storage and validation, one of the following solutions is employed :

A custom API is developed and deployed (reinvent the wheel)
A commercial and closed-source service is used (Google Forms)
A CMS is used as a backoffice for customizable content types (twist)

To avoid those situations and make it easy to get your storage backend ready in seconds, we’ve created Daybed.

Daybed is :

a minimalist, robust, dynamic and generic API ;
a validation layer with schemaless storage ;
a reusable layer of permissions logic ;
a universal REST endpoint for Web and mobile apps ;
a key component for rapid application building ;
a simple service deployed and integrated without coding.

How ?¶

Create a model by posting its definition (title, fields, ...)
Define the permissions sets (modify definition, create, update or delete records, ...)
Use the allocated RESTful endpoint in your application (GET, POST, PUT, ...)
Store and query records !

Since Daybed talks REST and JSON, you can basically use it as a remote storage with any of your favorite technologies (Python, Android, iOS, AngularJS, Ember.js, Backbone.js, etc.).

Note

Currently, the authentication relies on Basic authentication and Hawk

Use Cases¶

Mobile apps
Full JavaScript apps
Online forms
Data Wiki
Collaborative Web mapping

Using Daybed in its first versions, we built:

daybed-map, a geo-pad where you can create you own maps with custom fields, using backbone-forms
A password manager
A generic CRUD application using backbone-daybed ;
A TODO list using jquery-spore ;

Technologies¶

Daybed uses the following stack by default :

Pyramid, a robust and powerful python Web framework
Cornice, a REST framework for Pyramid
Colander for the schema validation part
Redis as the default persistence backend
ElasticSearch as indexing and faceted search engine
CouchDB as an alternative persistence backend

Comparison¶

Daybed has many competitors, yet none of them shares the same approach or features set.

Strategy		Custom dedicated API	Generated code	Competitors
Project	Daybed	Django REST framework, Restify, express, Struts...	Python Eve	Loopback	Hoodie	Google Forms
Minimalist	✔	✔
Validation	✔	✔	✔	✔		✔
Permissions	✔	✔		✔		✔
Dynamic schemas	✔			✔	✔	✔
Reusable instance	✔			✔		✔
Dynamic API end-points	✔			✔
Raw data access	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Agnostic (REST)	✔	✔	✔	✔
Requires SDK					✔
Open Source	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Faceted search	✔

Sources: http://python-eve.org ; http://hood.ie ; http://loopback.io ;