Dockerized Dictionary Application

A containerized web application that serves a Finnish-English dictionary with a microservices architecture. Demonstrates practical experience with Docker containerization, microservices communication, and full-stack web development.

Technologies Used

Backend

• Node.js 16 with Express.js REST API
• CORS middleware for cross-origin requests
• File System module for data persistence

Frontend

• Nginx web server with reverse proxy
• HTML5 with vanilla JavaScript
• Fetch API for asynchronous HTTP requests

DevOps

• Docker for containerization
• Docker Compose for multi-container orchestration
• Docker Hub for image registry

Key Features

• REST API: GET /api endpoint serving Finnish-English dictionary data
• Microservices: Separate containers for frontend and backend
• Reverse Proxy: Nginx routes API requests to backend service
• Service Discovery: Automatic backend discovery via Docker Compose networking

Quick Start

# Clone and run
git clone https://github.com/arben-grepi/dockerized_app.git
cd dockerized_app
docker-compose up -d

# Access application
# Frontend: http://localhost:8080
# Backend API: http://localhost:5000/api

Architecture

Frontend (Nginx) ←→ Backend (Node.js)
     Port 8080         Port 5000

Technical Highlights

• Microservices Architecture: Independent frontend and backend containers
• Container Optimization: Alpine Linux base images
• Production Ready: Environment variables and proper port mapping
• CI/CD Ready: Docker Hub integration for deployments
• Scalable Design: Services can be scaled independently

Skills Demonstrated

• Docker containerization and multi-container applications
• Microservices communication and service discovery
• REST API development with Express.js
• Web server configuration with Nginx
• Container orchestration with Docker Compose
• Image registry management with Docker Hub