Right Track API Server

GitHub repo: right-track/right-track-server

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This module creates a RESTful API Server for accessing Right Track commuter train schedules and real-time status information.

Features

The following features are supported by the API Server:

• Information about supported Right Track Agencies
• GTFS Data
  • Routes
  • Stops
  • Trips
• Right Track Station Feeds (real-time departure status information)
• Right Track Transit Feeds (real-time transit status information)
• Trip Searches (direct and with transfers)
• Right Track User Registration
• Right Track User Authentication
• User Favorites
• Server Administration

Documentation

Documentation about the Server endpoints can be found in the following locations:

• the /doc/ directory of this repository
• the /doc/ endpoint of the API Server
• online at https://docs.righttrack.io/right-track-server

Dependencies

Right Track Agency

In order to provide agency-specific information (GTFS data, real-time information, etc), at least one Right Track Agency must be installed on the same machine as the API Server and must be referenced in the server configuration file.

For a list of supported agencies, see the list of Supported Agencies in the right-track-agency project.

MySQL Server

A MySQL database is required to store User information (such as registration information, sessions, and favorites), client information (such as API access levels), and app and message information. See the included rt_api.sql file for the database schema.

The MySQL server can be accessed locally on the same machine as the API server or remotely with the proper network and access settings.

Installation

Install the API Server

Install the Right Track API Server globally via npm:

npm install -g right-track/right-track-server

This will install the executable right-track-server into your $PATH.

Install Right Track Agency(s)

Use npm to install one or more Right Track Agencies:

npm install -g right-track/right-track-agency-mnr
npm install -g right-track/right-track-agency-lirr

It is recommended to install these globally or as dependencies in the node_modules directory within the right-track-server project. That way the agency modules can be referenced by name in the server configuration file.

Optionally, you can download the projects' repositories and reference the agencies by directory location in the server configuration file.

Setup MySQL Database

Create a new MySQL database named rt_api. Then, use the rt_api.sql file to create the necessary tables within the database.

Additionally, you should create a new MySQL user that has privileges for just the rt_api database and just SELECT privileges for the clients table.

Modify Server Configuration

To add your specific configuration variables to the server, create a new json file with the properties that will need to be overridden from their defaults:

Most likely, this will include the MySQL's host, username and password as well as the require locations for supported Right Track Agencies.

An example my_server.json:

{
    "database": {
        "host": "127.0.0.1",
        "username": "myMySQLUser",
        "password": "myMySQLPassword"
    },
    "agencies": [
        {
            "require": "right-track-agency-mnr",
            "config": "/optional/agency/config.json"
        },
        {
            "require": "./path/to/right-track-agency-lirr"
        }
    ],
    "transit": [
        {
            "require": "right-track-transit-mta"
        }
    ]
}

This configuration file will be merged with the default configuration, overriding existing properties, concatenating arrays and appending new properties. Relative paths in the configuration file will be read relative to the location of the configuration file.

Usage

Once the Server has been properly configured, use the right-track-server executable to start the server:

right-track-server ./my_server.json

The full usage of the right-track-server executable is:

Right Track API Server
Module: right-track-server
Version: 1.1.0
--------------------------
Usage:
  right-track-server [--option] config...
options:
  --config|-c    Display the configuration properties
                 If a config file is provided, display the merged configuration.
  --help|-h      Display this usage information
  --version|-v   Display the API Server version (from package.json)
config:
  Path to additional server configuration file(s)