The latest articles on Forem by Ayokunle Ola-Akande (@ayokunle_olaakande_e8831). https://forem.com/ayokunle_olaakande_e8831 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3573135%2F71bb0e03-e055-49b8-8dde-fe46e661af42.png https://forem.com/ayokunle_olaakande_e8831 en Ayokunle Ola-Akande Sun, 19 Oct 2025 19:37:56 +0000 https://forem.com/ayokunle_olaakande_e8831/building-a-dynamic-profile-endpoint-1l48 https://forem.com/ayokunle_olaakande_e8831/building-a-dynamic-profile-endpoint-1l48 <p>I recently completed Stage 0 of the Backend.<br> The task involved creating a simple RESTful API endpoint that returns personal profile information along with a random cat fact fetched from a third-party API.<br> Task Overview</p> <p>The main goal was to build a /me endpoint that:</p> <ul> <li>Returns structured JSON data with the following fields:</li> <li>- status</li> <li>- user (containing email, name, and stack)</li> <li>- timestamp (current UTC time in ISO 8601 format)</li> <li>- fact (a random cat fact fetched from the Cat Facts API)</li> <li>Handles API errors gracefully</li> <li>Ensures each request returns a fresh cat fact and timestamp</li> </ul> <p>**</p> <h2> Tech Stack </h2> <p>**</p> <ul> <li>Backend Framework: Node.js (Express)</li> <li>Language: TypeScript</li> <li>Testing Tools: Jest &amp; Supertest</li> <li>Deployment Platform: (e.g., Railway / Render / AWS)</li> <li>Version Control: GitHub</li> </ul> <p>**</p> <h3> Key Features </h3> <p>**</p> <ul> <li>Integrated a third-party API to fetch live data dynamically.</li> <li>Implemented proper error handling and fallback mechanisms for API failures.</li> <li>Used ISO 8601 format to ensure consistent timestamps.</li> <li>Added automated tests to validate response structure and reliability.</li> </ul> <p>**</p> <h2> What I Learned </h2> <p>**</p> <ul> <li>How to consume and handle external API responses effectively.</li> <li>Best practices for structuring a RESTful endpoint.</li> <li>The importance of consistent response formatting and proper HTTP status codes.</li> <li>How to test and verify endpoints using Jest and Supertest.</li> </ul> <p>**</p> <h2> Project Links </h2> <p>**</p> <ul> <li>Live Endpoint: <a href="https://hng-backend-stage-0-l1vs.onrender.com/me" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://hng-backend-stage-0-l1vs.onrender.com/me</a> </li> <li>GitHub Repository: <a href="https://github.com/Ayokayzy/hng-backend-stage-0" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/Ayokayzy/hng-backend-stage-0</a> </li> </ul> typescript api tutorial node