11
121. **Incremental Development**
13 - Start with database schema initialization
14 - Then build core API endpoints
15 - Finally develop the dashboard UI
312. **SQLite Usage**
32 - Use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection
33 - Keep database schema simple to stay within size limits (10MB free, 1GB paid)
34 - Create new tables when modifying schema rather than using ALTER TABLE
35 - Consider occasional exports for backup
434. **Authentication**
44 - Generate strong API keys (at least 32 characters)
45 - Store API keys in the database, not as environment variables
46 - Use basic authentication for dashboard access
47 - Always validate API keys against the database
48
495. **UI Development**
113## Troubleshooting
114
115- **Database Issues**: Check SQLite query syntax and parameter types
116- **HTTP Val Errors**: Verify Request/Response format against Web API standards
117- **Authentication Problems**: Ensure API keys match and Authorization header is correctly formatted
57
58All API endpoints are secured using one of two methods:
591. API key authentication for app submissions (stored in database, not hardcoded)
602. Basic authentication for dashboard access
61
92 const data = await req.json();
93
94 // Store feedback in database
95 const feedback = await storeFeedback(apiKey, data);
96
10## Core Val Town Features Used
11
12### SQLite Database
13- Using `std/sqlite` for all database operations
14- Val Town provides up to 10MB storage on free tier, 1GB on paid tier
15- Database connection is managed by Val Town
16
17```ts
18import { sqlite } from "https://esm.town/v/std/sqlite";
19
20// Example database operation
21await sqlite.execute(`
22 SELECT * FROM apps WHERE api_key = ?
4alwaysApply: false
5---
6# Database Schema Design
7
8The AppFeedback.val project uses Val Town's SQLite database for storage. The database has the following schema:
9
10## Apps Table
33```
34
35## Database Operations
36
37Database interactions are encapsulated in dedicated modules:
38
39- `db/schema.ts` - Contains table definitions and constraints
40- `db/init.ts` - Handles database initialization on startup
41- `db/queries.ts` - Provides query functions with proper TypeScript types
42
43## Implementation Notes
44
45- All database operations are performed through Val Town's `std/sqlite` API
46- Schema includes proper constraints:
47 - Primary keys for uniquely identifying records
1import { serveFile } from "https://esm.town/v/std/utils/index.ts";
2import { generateCode } from "./backend/generate-code.ts";
3import { createTables } from "./database/migrations.ts";
4import { createProject, getCode, getNextVersionNumber, insertVersion } from "./database/queries.ts";
5
6await createTables();
1import { serveFile } from "https://esm.town/v/std/utils/index.ts";
2import { generateCode } from "./backend/generate-code.ts";
3import { createTables } from "./database/migrations.ts";
4import { createProject, getCode, getNextVersionNumber, insertVersion } from "./database/queries.ts";
5
6await createTables();
1// Script to set up the telegram_chats table in SQLite
2// Run this script manually to create the database table
3
4export default async function setupTelegramChatDb() {
25 `);
26
27 return "Telegram chat database table created successfully.";
28 } catch (error) {
29 console.error("Error setting up telegram_chats table:", error);
13## Technical Architecture
14
15**⚠️ important caveat: the admin dashboard doesn't have auth! currently it just relies on security by obscurity of people not knowing the url to a private val. this is not very secure. if you fork this project and put sensitive data in a database you should think carefully about how to secure it.**
16
17Stevens has been designed with the utmost simplicity and extensibility, much like a well-organized household. At the heart of his operation lies a single "memories" table - a digital equivalent of a butler's meticulous records. This table serves as the foundation for all of Stevens' operations.
45- `dashboard`: the admin view for showing the memories notebook + visualizing imports
46- `dailyBriefing`: stuff related to sending a daily update via telegram
47- `dbUtils`: little one-off scripts for database stuff
48
49## Hiring your own Stevens
57- For the Google Calendar integration you'll need `GOOGLE_CALENDAR_ACCOUNT_ID` and `GOOGLE_CALENDAR_CALENDAR_ID`. See [these instuctions](https://www.val.town/v/stevekrouse/pipedream) for details.
58
59**important caveat: the admin dashboard doesn't have auth! currently it just relies on security by obscurity of people not knowing the url to a private val. this is not very secure, if you put sensitive data in a database you should think carefully about how to secure it.**
60
61Overall it's a simple enough project that I encourage you to just copy the ideas and run in your own direction rather than try to use it as-is.
4
5* `index.ts` - this is the **entrypoint** for this whole project
6* `database/` - this contains the code for interfacing with the app's SQLite database table
7
8## Hono
26## CRUD API Routes
27
28This app has two CRUD API routes: for reading and inserting into the messages table. They both speak JSON, which is standard. They import their functions from `/backend/database/queries.ts`. These routes are called from the React app to refresh and update data.
29
30## Errors
1# Database
2
3This app uses [Val Town SQLite](https://docs.val.town/std/sqlite/) to manage data. Every Val Town account comes with a free SQLite database, hosted on [Turso](https://turso.tech/). This folder is broken up into two files:
4
5* `migrations.ts` - code to set up the database tables the app needs
6* `queries.ts` - functions to run queries against those tables, which are imported and used in the main Hono server in `/backend/index.ts`
7
8## Migrations
9
10In `backend/database/migrations.ts`, this app creates a new SQLite table `reactHonoStarter_messages` to store messages.
11
12This "migration" runs once on every app startup because it's imported in `index.ts`. You can comment this line out for a slight (30ms) performance improvement on cold starts. It's left in so that users who fork this project will have the migration run correctly.
13
14SQLite has much more limited support for altering existing tables as compared to other databases. Often it's easier to create new tables with the schema you want, and then copy the data over. Happily LLMs are quite good at those sort of database operations, but please reach out in the [Val Town Discord](https://discord.com/invite/dHv45uN5RY) if you need help.
15
16## Queries
17
18The queries file is where running the migrations happen in this app. It'd also be reasonable for that to happen in index.ts, or as is said above, for that line to be commented out, and only run when actual changes are made to your database schema.
19
20The queries file exports functions to get and write data. It relies on shared types and data imported from the `/shared` directory.