laurenceisla/postgrest-js

postgrest-js is a JavaScript library that lets your web app talk to a database through a REST API in a clean, readable way. Instead of writing raw HTTP requests or complex SQL queries, you get simple, chainable commands like select(), insert(), update(), and delete() that feel like using an ORM (object-relational mapper). It is built by the team at Supabase. At a high level, the library works as a middleman between your JavaScript code and a tool called PostgREST, which automatically turns a PostgreSQL database into a web API. You initialize the library by giving it the URL of your PostgREST endpoint. From there, you use its built-in methods to read or write data. The library handles the work of translating your JavaScript commands into the correct HTTP requests behind the scenes. The library is "isomorphic," meaning it runs both in the browser and on a Node.js server. For developers building apps with Supabase, this client is useful for interacting with a database without needing to write backend code. Because it works across different environments, the same code can be used whether the project is a client-side web app, a server-rendered site, or a static site generator. Notably, the library allows developers to swap out the default HTTP request mechanism for a custom one. This is a practical tradeoff for compatibility. The default setup uses a package that works across most platforms, but in specific edge cases like Cloudflare Workers, that default package may not function. By allowing a custom fetch implementation, developers can keep using this library even in unusual or restricted hosting environments.