Using AI for backend feature development: Implementing Soft Delete
Backend development often involves managing user data efficiently, and implementing features like soft delete is crucial for preserving data without permanent loss. With Fine, developers can easily delegate such tasks to AI, saving time and focusing on what truly matters—building great products. "Soft Delete" is an important feature and needs to be prioritized - but it's not going to improve customer satisfaction or sales in the short term, so being able to delegate it and keep your developers focused on other high-value tasks is ideal for small dev teams.
Let's explore how Fine can help add a "Soft Delete" feature for user accounts in a backend application.
The Challenge: Adding a Soft Delete Feature for User Accounts
- Adding a "deleted_at" timestamp to mark user accounts as inactive.
- Updating ORM queries to exclude soft-deleted users.
- Modifying API endpoints to support soft delete without affecting existing functionality.
- Ensuring changes are tested in a secure, isolated environment.
For many startups, handling data effectively while minimizing the risk of data loss is a high priority. However, implementing soft delete can be time-consuming and require careful adjustments across the database, application logic, and API layers.
How Fine Simplifies the Process
Fine streamlines soft delete implementation with its intelligent automation capabilities. Here's how it helps:
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Generates a Migration Script
Fine creates a PostgreSQL migration script to add the "deleted_at" column to the users table, allowing for efficient marking of inactive accounts. -
Updates ORM Queries
It updates all ORM queries in your codebase to exclude users where "deleted_at" is not null, maintaining clean and accurate query results. -
Modifies API Endpoints
Fine modifies the GET /users API endpoint to support an optional "include_deleted" parameter, enabling flexible retrieval of both active and soft-deleted users. -
Tests Changes in a Virtual Machine
The AI agent runs tests in an isolated virtual machine, ensuring that all changes are verified without impacting the live environment.
Prompt Used
To implement a soft delete feature, simply provide Fine with the following prompt:
Generate a PostgreSQL migration script to add a deleted_at timestamp column to the @users table. Update all ORM queries in our codebase to exclude records where deleted_at is not null, and modify the GET /users API endpoint to support an optional include_deleted parameter.
Fine will handle the heavy lifting, delivering fully functional scripts, queries, and modifications in moments.
Benefits of Using Fine
By leveraging Fine for implementing a soft delete, developers gain:
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Non-Destructive Data Handling
Soft delete ensures that data is not permanently removed, allowing for better control and recovery options. -
Maintained Data Integrity
Automation helps maintain data integrity by ensuring all ORM queries and endpoints are consistently updated. -
Improved Developer Efficiency
Automation reduces manual coding, allowing developers to focus on innovation and other critical tasks. -
Tested in a Safe Environment
Fine runs the changes in a sandbox environment, providing live previews and ensuring stability before deployment.
Conclusion: Fine – Your Go-To for Simplified Backend Development
With Fine, adding a soft delete feature to your backend app is straightforward. From generating migration scripts to updating queries and modifying endpoints, Fine empowers developers to implement non-destructive features with minimal effort.
Ready to streamline your backend development? Try Fine and see the difference it can make.