lighting-controller/REST_API_COMPLETE.md

REST API Implementation - Complete ✅

Summary

The lighting controller now has a complete REST API - no WebSocket required for frontend operations!

All lighting control functions are available via simple HTTP requests.

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What Was Added

New API Endpoints

1. GET /api/state - Get complete system state
2. GET/POST /api/pattern - Get/change active pattern
3. GET/POST /api/parameters - Get/change brightness, delay, n1-n4
4. POST /api/tempo/reset - Reset tempo detection
5. GET/POST /api/color-palette - Color palette (already existed)

WebSocket Status

• WebSocket endpoint still available at /ws for legacy support
• New frontends should use REST API only
• Simpler, more standard, easier to debug

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Test Results

All endpoints tested and working:

✅ GET /api/state - Returns complete system state
✅ POST /api/pattern - Changes pattern successfully
✅ GET /api/pattern - Returns current pattern
✅ POST /api/parameters - Updates brightness/delay/n1-n4
✅ GET /api/parameters - Returns all parameters
✅ POST /api/color-palette - Updates palette/selection
✅ GET /api/color-palette - Returns palette state

Sample Test Output:

// POST /api/pattern
{
  "status": "ok",
  "pattern": "rainbow"
}

// GET /api/parameters
{
  "brightness": 75,
  "delay": 100,
  "n1": 10,
  "n2": 10,
  "n3": 1,
  "n4": 1
}

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Documentation

Main Documentation: FRONTEND_API.md

Contains:

• Complete API reference
• JavaScript examples
• React component examples
• Vanilla JS examples
• Error handling
• Full working code samples

Quick Reference: COLOR_API_QUICK_REF.md

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Usage Examples

Load Initial State

const response = await fetch('http://10.42.0.1:8765/api/state');
const state = await response.json();
// state contains: pattern, parameters, color_palette, beat_index

Change Pattern

await fetch('http://10.42.0.1:8765/api/pattern', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify({pattern: 'rainbow'})
});

Adjust Brightness

await fetch('http://10.42.0.1:8765/api/parameters', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify({brightness: 75})
});

Select Color

await fetch('http://10.42.0.1:8765/api/color-palette', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify({selected_indices: [2, 1]})
});

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Benefits Over WebSocket

1. Simpler - No connection management
2. Standard - Works with any HTTP library
3. Debuggable - Use curl, browser, Postman
4. Stateless - No connection drops
5. Cacheable - GET requests can be cached
6. RESTful - Standard patterns

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Files Modified

Backend

• src/control_server.py - Added all REST endpoints

Documentation

• FRONTEND_API.md - Complete API documentation (new)
• REST_API_COMPLETE.md - This file (new)

Testing

• test_rest_api.sh - Automated test script (new)

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Test Script

Run comprehensive tests:

./test_rest_api.sh localhost
./test_rest_api.sh 10.42.0.1  # Remote testing

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API Endpoint Summary

Method	Endpoint	Purpose
GET	/api/state	Get complete system state
GET	/api/pattern	Get current pattern
POST	/api/pattern	Change pattern
GET	/api/parameters	Get all parameters
POST	/api/parameters	Update parameters
GET	/api/color-palette	Get color palette
POST	/api/color-palette	Update palette/selection
POST	/api/tempo/reset	Reset tempo detection

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Available Patterns

Use these pattern names in POST requests:

• "on" / "o" - Solid color
• "off" - All LEDs off
• "alternating" / "a" - Alternating on/off
• "rainbow" / "r" - Rainbow cycle
• "pulse" / "p" - Pulsing effect
• "segmented_movement" / "sm" - Moving segments
• "flicker" / "f" - Flickering
• "n_chase" / "nc" - Chase effect
• "radiate" / "rd" - Radiate from center
• "specto" / "s" - Spectograph

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Status

🟢 PRODUCTION READY

The REST API is fully implemented, tested, and documented. Frontend developers can now build UIs using only HTTP requests - no WebSocket needed.

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Next Steps for Frontend

1. Read FRONTEND_API.md for complete documentation
2. Use /api/state to load initial UI state
3. Use POST endpoints to control lights
4. Implement UI with any framework (React, Vue, vanilla JS)
5. No WebSocket connection needed!

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Quick Start for Frontend

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>Lighting Control</title></head>
<body>
  <button onclick="setPattern('rainbow')">Rainbow</button>
  <button onclick="setPattern('alternating')">Alternating</button>
  <input type="range" min="0" max="100" onchange="setBrightness(this.value)">
  
  <script>
    const API = 'http://10.42.0.1:8765';
    
    async function setPattern(pattern) {
      await fetch(`${API}/api/pattern`, {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
        body: JSON.stringify({pattern})
      });
    }
    
    async function setBrightness(value) {
      await fetch(`${API}/api/parameters`, {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
        body: JSON.stringify({brightness: parseInt(value)})
      });
    }
  </script>
</body>
</html>

That's it! No WebSocket, no complex setup.

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Support

• Full documentation: FRONTEND_API.md
• Test script: ./test_rest_api.sh
• Color palette details: COLOR_PALETTE_API.md