Core Concepts

Controllers

Controllers are the HTTP boundary in Netpress.

They receive the request, call the right service or model, and return a response. They should stay thin. If a controller starts owning business rules, it usually belongs in a service instead.

What Controllers Should Do

read request input
validate input
authorize the action
call a service or model
return a response

What Controllers Should Not Do

hold large business workflows
wire infrastructure clients
contain repeated validation logic across many actions
know too much about persistence details

Quick Example

import { BaseController, json } from "@admicaa/netpress";
import StorePostRequest from "../Requests/StorePostRequest.js";
import PostService from "../../Services/PostService.js";

class PostController extends BaseController {
  async store(req) {
    const payload = await this.validate(req, StorePostRequest);
    const post = await PostService.create(req.user.id, payload);

    return json(post, 201);
  }
}

export default new PostController();

`BaseController`

Extending BaseController gives you common controller helpers:

await this.validate(req, RequestClassOrRules)
await this.authorize(req, PolicyClass, method, resource?)
await this.can(req, ability, resource?)

It also binds inherited action methods to the controller instance, so you can pass PostController.store directly to the router.

Response Options

You can return plain values and let Netpress handle the response:

async show(req) {
  return PostService.show(req.params.id);
}

You can also use explicit response helpers:

async show(req, res) {
  const post = await PostService.show(req.params.id);
  return res.success(post);
}

Or use response builders when you want clearer intent:

import { json, redirect, view } from "@admicaa/netpress";

return json({ created: true }, 201);
return redirect("/login");
return view(DashboardPage, { title: "Dashboard" });

Recommended Pattern

Use this flow consistently:

Route -> Controller -> Service -> Model -> Response

That keeps controllers readable and makes the rest of the codebase easier to test and extend.

Next, read Services and Response System.