← Back to Portfolio
Matt’s Bookstore API
A Django REST API bookstore project with Google SSO, reviews, and deployment.
📌 Overview
An API-first bookstore web app with full CRUD for books, ratings, search, and Docker-based deployment.
🧩 The Problem
I wanted to learn Django REST Framework by building an API-first bookstore that could handle real CRUD operations and secure logins.
💡 The Solution
Created a REST-ready bookstore with user authentication, image uploads, reviews, and Heroku-based deployment using Docker.
🛠️ Tech Stack
Backend:
Django
DRF
Python 3.12
Frontend:
Bootstrap 5
Crispy Forms
Deployment:
Docker
Heroku
Whitenoise
Tools:
Allauth
django-environ
✨ Special Features
- 🌟 UUID and slug-based URLs
- 🌟 Secure reviews via permission classes
- 🌟 Search filtering using Django Q objects
🎯 Real-World Problems Solved
- 🔧 Learned DRF by building real API endpoints
- 🔧 Handled book reviews, search, and secure login
🚧 Improvements for Next Time
- 🛠 Add frontend search bar and filters
- 🛠 Convert to SPA with Vue or React
🏅 What I'm Proud Of
- 🌈 Handled Docker + DRF + PostgreSQL integration solo
- 🌈 Built full book management pipeline
📚 Build Notes
Heroku container stack deployment using `heroku.yml` and `.env` management. Includes future-ready DRF endpoints for mobile or SPA frontend.