Vue + Express BFF + FastAPI, with protobuf between the BFF and Python service
This repo is a reference “quote recommender”: Vue 3 talks JSON to an Express backend-for-frontend, which validates input and calls FastAPI with binary Protocol Buffers for the heavy read path. The dataset is a bundled quotes JSON (thousands of rows) with tag filters and pagination; Buf and Make automate proto generation and dev startup as described in the README.
When it is useful
You are learning or demoing how a BFF hides binary APIs from the browser, you want a working Buf + Node + Python codegen loop, or you need a concrete microservice shape to adapt. You bring Node, Python, uv, Buf, and local tooling from the project docs.
What you can do
- Run
make setupandmake startto bring up frontend, BFF, and API with hot reload where configured. - Inspect shared
.protodefinitions and generated stubs for JavaScript and Python. - Compare payload size using the documented JSON vs protobuf example in the repository (figures are illustrative for that sample, not a universal guarantee).
Limits
- Security, auth, and tenancy are not production-complete; treat as a reference, not a hardened edge deployment.
- Operational ports and URLs belong in config files listed in the README; adjust before any shared environment.
- Throughput and savings depend on schema, compression, and HTTP stacks; measure your own services for real decisions.
