How to Build a Backend for jQuery?

introduction in this tutorial, you'll learn how to build a backend for jquery using back4app we will integrate back4app’s essential features—database management, cloud code, rest and graphql apis, user authentication, and real time queries—to create a secure and scalable backend this backend will communicate with your jquery based frontend through ajax calls and other common jquery methods back4app's intuitive environment reduces the time needed to set up servers or databases by following a few simple steps, you'll gain hands on experience with acls, class level permissions, data modeling, file uploads, and more by the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid foundation for a fully functional jquery based app connected to a back4app backend you'll be ready to add custom logic, integrate external apis, and secure your data with fine grained control prerequisites to complete this tutorial, you will need a back4app account and a new back4app project getting started with back4app https //www back4app com/docs/get started/new parse app if you do not have an account, you can create one for free follow the guide above to get your project ready basic jquery environment you can download jquery from the official website https //jquery com/download/ node js (version 14 or above) installed (optional) while node js is not strictly required for jquery in a browser, you may need it for running local test servers or installing npm packages if you wish to do local testing installing node js https //nodejs org/en/download/ familiarity with javascript and jquery basics jquery official documentation https //api jquery com/ make sure you have all these prerequisites in place before starting, so you can follow along smoothly when building your jquery based front end and connecting it to back4app step 1 – setting up back4app project create a new project to begin your jquery backend project, create a new back4app project log in to your back4app account click the “new app” button in your back4app dashboard give your app a name (e g , “jquery backend tutorial”) when the project is created, you’ll see it in your back4app dashboard this will be the base of your backend configurations for jquery connect the parse sdk back4app uses the parse platform for data and real time features if you want to use the parse sdk directly with jquery, you can load it as a script in your html retrieve your parse keys in the back4app dashboard, open your app’s “app settings” or “security & keys” to find application id javascript key parse server url (usually https //parseapi back4app com ) include the parse sdk in your html file in a jquery environment, you can load jquery first, then parse, and interact with parse objects in your scripts this connection ensures that all data calls to your back4app backend go through the parse platform step 2 – setting up the database saving and querying data after integrating the parse sdk, you can save and fetch data from the back4app database here’s a simple example of creating and retrieving “todo” objects using jquery and parse you can also call rest apis using curl curl x post \ h "x parse application id your application id" \ h "x parse rest api key your rest api key" \ h "content type application/json" \ d '{"title" "buy groceries", "iscompleted" false}' \ https //parseapi back4app com/classes/todo or use graphql mutation { createtodo(input { fields { title "clean the house" iscompleted false } }) { todo { objectid title iscompleted } } } schema design and data types in the back4app dashboard go to “database ” create a new class (e g , “todo”) and add columns like title (string) and iscompleted (boolean) you can also let parse automatically create columns the first time you save an object using the ai agent back4app has an ai agent for data modeling open the ai agent in your app’s dashboard or menu describe your data model (e g , “create a todo app with a class schema ”) let the ai agent generate the schema relational data if you have a category class linked to many todo items, you can use pointers or relations live queries for real time updates in your jquery app enable live queries in your back4app dashboard under server settings initialize a live query subscription this subscription notifies you in real time whenever a “todo” object is created, updated, or deleted step 3 – applying security with acls and clps back4app security mechanism acls (access control lists) and clps (class level permissions) let you control who can read and write data at object or class levels access control lists (acls) an acl is set on individual objects to limit access class level permissions (clps) clps control default permissions for an entire class in your back4app dashboard , open the database section select your class (e g , “todo”) go to the class level permissions tab to configure public, authenticated, or role based access combine acls for object level security with clps for broader restrictions for more, see app security guidelines https //www back4app com/docs/security/parse security step 4 – writing and deploying cloud functions cloud code runs custom javascript on the server side, letting you add business logic, data validations, or external api calls how it works you place your code in main js (or a similar file), deploy it to back4app, and let the parse server handle execution you can also use npm modules for more complex logic // main js const axios = require('axios'); parse cloud define('fetchexternaldata', async (request) => { const url = request params url; if (!url) { throw new error('url parameter is required'); } const response = await axios get(url); return response data; }); parse cloud beforesave('todo', (request) => { const todo = request object; if (!todo get('title')) { throw new error('todo must have a title'); } }); deploy your function via the https //www back4app com/docs/local development/parse cli b4a deploy through the dashboard in your app’s dashboard, go to cloud code > functions copy/paste the function into main js click deploy calling your function from jquery, you can call a cloud function like this step 5 – configuring user authentication user authentication in back4app back4app employs the parse user class for authentication password hashing, session tokens, and secure storage are handled automatically setting up user authentication session management you can retrieve the current user const currentuser = parse user current(); if (currentuser) { console log('logged in user ', currentuser getusername()); } else { console log('no user is logged in'); } logout parse user logout(); social login integration back4app supports google, facebook, apple, and other oauth providers for more, see the social login docs https //www back4app com/docs/platform/sign in with apple step 6 – handling file storage uploading and retrieving files use parse file to handle uploads you can store the file in a class by assigning it to a field const photo = parse object extend('photo'); const photo = new photo(); photo set('imagefile', parsefile); photo save(); retrieving the file url const imagefile = photo get('imagefile'); const imageurl = imagefile url(); file security you can manage who can upload files by modifying the file upload settings in parse server { "fileupload" { "enableforpublic" true, "enableforanonymoususer" true, "enableforauthenticateduser" true } } step 7 – scheduling tasks with cloud jobs cloud jobs you can run routine tasks, like deleting old data // main js parse cloud job('cleanupoldtodos', async (request) => { const todo = parse object extend('todo'); const query = new parse query(todo); const now = new date(); const thirty days = 30 24 60 60 1000; const cutoff = new date(now thirty days); query lessthan('createdat', cutoff); try { const oldtodos = await query find({ usemasterkey true }); await parse object destroyall(oldtodos, { usemasterkey true }); return `deleted ${oldtodos length} old todos `; } catch (err) { throw new error('error during cleanup ' + err message); } }); in the dashboard, go to app settings > server settings > background jobs to schedule it step 8 – integrating webhooks webhooks let your app send http requests to an external service whenever certain events happen go to more > webhooks in your back4app dashboard add a new webhook with your external endpoint configure triggers for events like “new record in the todo class ” you might integrate slack or a payment gateway like stripe by sending event data through webhooks step 9 – exploring the back4app admin panel the back4app admin app offers a non technical, web based interface for crud operations enabling the admin app go to app dashboard > more > admin app and click “enable admin app” create a first admin user , which automatically creates a new role (b4aadminuser) and classes in your schema pick a subdomain for accessing the admin app log in using your new admin credentials once enabled, this admin app lets you manage data or grant access to team members without coding conclusion in this guide, you learned how to build a backend for jquery with back4app you created a new back4app project as your backend foundation set up a database, including schema design and data relations used acls and clps for fine grained security deployed cloud code for custom server side logic configured user authentication, file storage, and real time updates scheduled background jobs and integrated webhooks for external services explored the back4app admin panel for simpler data management you’re now equipped to extend this basic jquery + back4app setup into a full production solution continue integrating advanced features like social login or more detailed security rules enjoy building your scalable, data driven applications! next steps go production ready add advanced role based permissions, caching strategies, and performance tuning integrate third party apis for payments, messaging, or analytics explore back4app docs dive deeper into advanced security, logs, or analytics create real world apps use jquery’s simplicity combined with back4app’s powerful backend services