This is a RESTful API handling authentication logic for tmessage - a lightweight and low bandwidth chatting tool.

First, to host this API locally, you would need...

• Node.js and NPM (Noed Package Manager) installed
• A text editor
• A command-line terminal

Second, you would need to host a MongoDB database. You can either do it locally or on a service such as mongoDB Atlas. When the database is up and running, you need a connection string to set up connection between the API and the database (follow this instruction if you use mongoDB Atlas).

Step-by-step to set up the API:

1. Open the terminal where you want to store the project
2. Clone the project:

   git clone https://github.com/Haider8/tmessage-api.git

3. Navigate into the project:

   cd tmessage-api

4. Install all dependencies/packages of the project:

   npm i

5. Create a file named .env in the current directory:

   touch .env

6. Open the .env file with a text editor and enter the following content:

   MONGODB_CONNECTION_STRING=[Your MongoDB connection string]
   

7. Subtitute [Your MongoDB connection string] with your MongoDB connection string you got earlier.
8. Save and close the file.
9. Host the API:

   node server.js

10. Use an Http Client (e.g.: Postman) to test the API.

Make a reuqest to this route to register a User Account, expected body data shape:

• user_name: A string - name used for login (used with the --user parameter)
• displayed_name: A string - name used to display when communicate with others
• password: A string
• password_confirm: A string matches password

The reponse of returned data includes 2 fields:

• success: true if the registration process is successfull, false otherwise
• token: A JWT token to be decoded if success is true, undefined otherwise
• message: A message

Make a reuqest to this route to login, expected body data shape:

• user_name: A string
• password: A string

The reponse of returned data includes 2 fields:

• success: true if the login process is successfull, false otherwise
• token: A JWT token to be decoded if success is true, undefined otherwise
• message: A message

Make a request to this route to check if a user_name is occupied or not. The reponse of returned data includes 3 fields:

• success: true if the checking process is successfull, false otherwise
• exist: true if the user_name is occupied, false if the user_name is not taken, undefined if success is false
• message: A message