Supabase: Open Source Backend-as-a-Service

Understanding Supabase

Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service (BaaS) solution that simplifies backend development by offering a managed PostgreSQL database, authentication, real-time capabilities, storage, and serverless functions.

Key Features of Supabase

• Managed PostgreSQL Database – Full control over a scalable database with SQL support.
• Authentication – Built-in auth with email/password, OAuth, and magic links.
• Real-Time Database Updates – Listen for changes in your database live.
• File Storage – Store and serve media assets securely.
• Edge Functions – Deploy serverless functions for custom backend logic.

Getting Started with Supabase

Before writing any code, you’ll need to set up a Supabase project.

1. Creating a Supabase Project

1. Sign up at Supabase and create a new project.
2. Copy your project’s API URL and anon/public API key from the dashboard.
3. Install the Supabase JavaScript SDK in your project:

npm install @supabase/supabase-js

Setting Up a Database

Let’s create a simple todos table to store user tasks.

2. Creating a Table in Supabase

1. Go to Database > Tables in the Supabase dashboard and create a table:

CREATE TABLE todos (
    id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    completed BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT FALSE
);

CRUD Operations

Now that we have our database set up, let’s implement CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations for our todos table.

Inserting a Todo

async function insertTodo(title) {
    const { data, error } = await supabase
       .from('todos')
       .insert([{ title, completed: false }]);

    if (error) console.error(`Error inserting todo: ${error.message}`);
    return data;
}

Fetching Todos

async function fetchTodos() {
    const { data, error } = await supabase
       .from('todos')
       .select('*');

    if (error) console.error(`Error fetching todos: ${error.message}`);
    return data;
}

Updating a Todo

async function updateTodo(id, completed) {
    const { data, error } = await supabase
       .from('todos')
       .update({ completed })
       .eq('id', id);

    if (error) console.error(`Error updating todo: ${error.message}`);
    return data;
}

Deleting a Todo

async function deleteTodo(id) {
    const { data, error } = await supabase
       .from('todos')
       .delete()
       .eq('id', id);

    if (error) console.error(`Error deleting todo: ${error.message}`);
    return data;
}

Conclusion

Supabase provides an open-source alternative to backend services like Firebase, with PostgreSQL, authentication, real-time updates, and serverless functions. In this guide, we set up a Supabase project, created a database, implemented authentication, and secured the database with basic Row-Level Security (RLS). We also implemented CRUD operations for a simple todo list.

FAQs

Q: What is Supabase?

A: Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service (BaaS) solution that simplifies backend development by offering a managed PostgreSQL database, authentication, real-time capabilities, storage, and serverless functions.

Q: What are the key features of Supabase?

A: The key features of Supabase include a managed PostgreSQL database, authentication, real-time database updates, file storage, and edge functions.

Q: How do I set up a Supabase project?

A: To set up a Supabase project, sign up at Supabase, create a new project, copy your project’s API URL and anon/public API key, and install the Supabase JavaScript SDK in your project.

Q: How do I implement CRUD operations in Supabase?

A: To implement CRUD operations in Supabase, you can use the Supabase JavaScript SDK to insert, update, and delete data in your database.