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Welcome to API Logic Server documentation. In sufficently large browsers, the pages are shown at left, and the page contents are at right.

Start: Install, Samples, Training

Install and Verify

If you have the correct Python (version 3.10-3.12), install is standard (more detailed instructions here):

Install API Logic Server in a Virtual Environment

python3 -m venv venv                 # windows: python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate             # windows: venv\Scripts\activate
python -m pip install ApiLogicServer

ApiLogicServer start                 # optionally, start the project manager

Note: this requires you've activated VSCode code CLI (to get it: Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) and type 'shell command')

Using PyCharm?

The Manager defaults to VSCode. If you are using PyCharm, start the mananager like this:

To use Pycharm

ApiLogicServer start --open-with=pycharm  # For Mac, you may need use charm, not pycharm

Verification test - create and run the demo (from the IDE in your Manager CLI, or terminal):

Verify - Create and Run Demo

als create --project-name=basic_demo --db-url=sqlite:///sample_ai.sqlite
code basic_demo  # not required when running from Manager (IDE starts automatically)

The resultant project contains a readme which will walk you through the process of exploring the API, app, and customization.

The manager also contains a readme that introduces you to several key samples.

Finally, explore the demos, samples and tutorials, below.

Demos, Tutorials, Samples

Type:

• Demo: Small Databases, Introduces Key Features
• Tutorial: Detailed Walk-throughs
• Samples: other databases (brief description)
• Article: shows basic steps without detail (an article reprint)

Recommendation: start with the first 2 items

Project	Notes	Type
GenAI Demo	1. Natural language creation of project / database: 1 command 2. Illustrate a very rapid create / customize / iterate cycle 3. Introduce Integration	Demo
Tutorial	1. How to Use the Key Features 2. Key code samples for adapting into your project	Tutorial
App Integration	Illustrates running Kafka messaging, self-serve and customized APIs, choreographed with rules and Python	Tutorial
Deployment	Containerize and deploy your applications	Tutorial
Basic Demo	Focused use of API, Admin App and Rules on small customer/orders database	Demo
AI Demo	1. Use Copilot to create new databases from natural language 2. Illustrate a very rapid create / customize / iterate cycle 3. Introduce Integration	Demo
AI Drives Agile Vision	Use ChatGPT to create new databases from natural language, to bootstrap an agile create / deploy / collaborate / iterate cycle	Article
Agile	Behavior Driven Design and testing, using Behave	Tutorial
Allocation	Power Rule to allocate a payment to a set of outstanding orders	Sample
MySQL Docker	Create projects from sample databases: chinook (albums and artists), and classicmodels (customers and orders)	Sample
Sqlite databases	Create projects from pre-installed databases via abbreviations: - chinook, classicmodels, todo	Sample
BudgetApp	illustrates automatic creation of parent rows for rollups	Sample
Banking App	Illustrates more complex logic (Funds Transfer)	Sample - obtain via git clone

Finally, try your own database.

Training

After installing, you can optionally run the first demo, above. The key training activities are:

1. Perform the Tutorial
   • ApiLogicServer create --project_name= --db_url=
   • Keep this project installed; you can find code samples by searching #als
2. Perform Logic Training
   • Spreadsheet-like rules and Python for integration, and multi-table derivations / constraints
3. API Customization: explore the code in api/customize_api.py
   • Note this is largely standard Flask, enhanced with logic

Resources

You might find the following helpful in exploring the project:

• Installed Sample Databases - Here are some installed sample databases you can use with simplified abbreviations for db_url.

• Dockerized Test Databases - Then, you might like to try out some of our dockerized test databases.

• auth - sqlite authentication database (you can also use other DBMSs)

Release Notes

06/11/2024 - 10.04.61: Ontimize Rich Client Tech Preview

06/04/2024 - 10.04.43: Improved Ontimize support

05/xx/2024 - 10.04.23: API/Logic Discovery

05/04/2024 - 10.04.01: GenAI - Generative AI Automation

12/21/2023 - 10.00.01: Application Integration (Kafka), Bug Fix

10/31/2023 - 09.05.00: Enhanced Security (global filter, permissions), Logic (Insert Parent)

09/08/2023 - 09.03.04: AI Driven Automation (preview)

09/08/2023 - 09.03.00: Oracle support

06/22/2023 - 09.00.00: Optimistic Locking, safrs 310 / SQLAlchemy 2.0.15

05/01/2023 - 08.03.06: Allocation sample

04/26/2023 - 08.03.00: Virtual attrs (Issue 56), safrs 3.0.2, LogicBank 1.8.4, project readme updates

03/23/2023 - 08.01.15: Table filters, cloud debug additions, issue 59, 62-4

02/15/2023 - 08.00.01: Declarative Authorization and Authentication

01/05/2023 - 07.00.00: Multi-db, sqlite test dbs, tests run, security prototype, env config

09/15/2022 - 06.01.00: Multi-app Projects

05/04/2022 - 05.02.03: Alembic for database migrations, admin-merge.yaml

04/27/2022 - 05.01.02: copy_children, with support for nesting (children and grandchildren, etc.)

03/27/2022 - 05.00.06: Introducing Behave test framework, LogicBank bugfix

12/26/2021 - 04.00.05: Introducing the Admin app, with Readme Tutorial

Preview Version

 

This pre-release includes:

• Version 11.02.08
  • Tech Preview of Natural Language Logic; to try, use the Manager:

Tech Preview of Natural Language Logic

als genai --using=system/genai/examples/genai_demo/genai_demo.prompt

You can try it at (you may need to use python3):

python -m pip install --index-url https://test.pypi.org/simple/ --extra-index-url https://pypi.org/simple ApiLogicServer==11.02.08

Or use (not available currently):

docker run -it --name api_logic_server --rm -p 5656:5656 -p 5002:5002 -v ~/dev/servers:/localhost apilogicserver/api_logic_server_x

Or, you can use the beta version on codespaces.

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Works With

API Logic Server works with key elements of your existing infrastructure

Works With	Notes
AI	Use Copilot to create databases, and use API Logic Server to turn these into projects
Other Systems	APIs and Messages - with logic
Databases	Tested with MySQL, Sql/Server, Postgres, SQLite and Oracle
Client Frameworks	Creates instant APIs that factors out business logic, where it is automatically shared for User Interfaces, APIs, and Messages
Your IDE	Creates standard projects you can customize in your IDE, such as VSCode and PyCharm
Messaging	Produce and Consume Kafka Messages
Deployment	Scripts to create container images, and deploy them to the cloud
Agile and Test Methodologies	Use Behave to capture requirements, rapidly implement them with API Logic Server, collaborate with Business Users, and test with the Behave framework

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Contact Us

We'd love to hear from you:

1. Email: apilogicserver@gmail.com
2. Issues: github
3. Slack: contact us on apilogicserver.slack.com

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More Information

For docs, click here.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to

• Thomas Pollet, for SAFRS, SAFRS-react-admin, and invaluable design partnership
• Tyler Band, for leadership on security
• dbvis, for a complimentary license in support of this open source project
• Marelab, for react-admin
• Armin Ronacher, for Flask
• Mike Bayer, for SQLAlchemy
• Alex Grönholm, for Sqlacodegen
• Thomas Peters, for review and testing
• Meera Datey, for React Admin prototyping
• Denny McKinney, for Tutorial review
• Achim Götz, for design collaboration and testing
• Max Tardiveau, for testing and help with Docker
• Michael Holleran, for design collaboration and testing
• Nishanth Shyamsundar, for review and testing
• Gloria Huber and Denny McKinney, for doc revie

Articles

There are several articles that provide some orientation to API Logic Server:

• Instant APIs With Copilot and API Logic Server
• Instant App Backends With API and Logic Automation
• Instant Integrations With API and Logic Automation
• AI and Rules for Agile Microservices in Minutes

Also:

• How Automation Activates Agile
• How Automation Activates Agile - providing working software rapidly drives agile collaboration to define systems that meet actual needs, reducing requirements risk
• How to create application systems in moments
• Stop coding database backends…Declare them with one command.
• Instant Database Backends
• Extensible Rules - defining new rule types, using Python
• Declarative - exploring multi-statement declarative technology
• Automate Business Logic With Logic Bank - general introduction, discussions of extensibility, manageability and scalability
• Agile Design Automation With Logic Bank - focuses on automation, design flexibility and agile iterations
• Instant Web Apps

 

Runtimes and CLI

API Logic Server is a Python Application, consisting of:

1. Runtimes for ApiLogicProject execution (see below)
2. CLI (Command Language Interface - provides ApiLogicServer create…`)

It executes either as a locally install (venv), or a Docker image (which includes Python). In either case, the contents are the same:

 

Created Projects

Created projects are designed for Customization.

Key Runtime Components

The following

Component	Provides
Flask	enables you to write custom web apps, and custom api end points
SQLAlchemy	Python-friendly ORM (analogous to Hiberate, JPA)
Logic Bank	Listens for SQLAlchemy updates, provides Multi-Table Derivations and Constraint Rules Python Events (e.g., send mail, message) Customizable with Python
SAFRS	JSON:API and swagger, based on SQLAlchemy
SAFRS-RA	Admin App, using SAFRS

 

Execution: 3-tiered architecture

The API Logic Server executes as an application server, accessed by an API, in a standard 3-tiered architecture.

Observe that logic plugs into SQLAlchemy. Logic is thus automatically shared (factored out) of custom services, and web or browser-based apps.

In most cases, the API Logic Server executes in a container, so scales horizontally like any other Flask-based server.