tomevault-io Lingx Backend Architecture
CQRS-lite + Event-Driven architecture for scalable translation management.
Why CQRS-lite for Lingx?
| Challenge | CQRS Solution |
|---|---|
| Read/Write asymmetry | Workbench reads many translations, writes one at a time |
| Async operations | AI translation, imports, webhooks via EventBus |
| Real-time collaboration | Events broadcast changes to connected users |
| Audit trail | Events capture who changed what and when |
Directory Structure
apps/api/src/
├── modules/ # Domain modules
│ ├── project/
│ │ ├── commands/ # CreateProject, UpdateProject
│ │ ├── queries/ # GetProject, ListProjects
│ │ ├── events/ # ProjectCreated, ProjectUpdated
│ │ ├── handlers/ # Command & Event handlers
│ │ └── project.repository.ts
│ ├── translation/
│ │ ├── commands/ # UpdateTranslation, BulkImport
│ │ ├── queries/ # GetTranslations, SearchKeys
│ │ ├── events/ # TranslationUpdated, KeyCreated
│ │ ├── handlers/
│ │ └── translation.repository.ts
│ └── collaboration/ # Real-time features
│ ├── commands/ # JoinRoom, FocusKey
│ ├── queries/ # GetPresence
│ ├── events/ # UserJoined, UserFocused
│ └── handlers/
├── shared/
│ ├── cqrs/ # Bus implementations
│ │ ├── command-bus.ts
│ │ ├── query-bus.ts
│ │ └── event-bus.ts
│ ├── domain/ # Base classes, errors
│ └── container/ # Awilix DI setup
├── routes/ # Thin HTTP layer
├── workers/ # Event consumers (BullMQ)
└── websocket/ # Real-time connections
Core Concepts
Command/Query Separation
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ HTTP Request │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
▼ ▼
┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐
│ Command │ │ Query │
│ (Write) │ │ (Read) │
└───────┬───────┘ └───────┬───────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐
│ CommandHandler│ │ QueryHandler │
│ - Validate │ │ - Fetch data │
│ - Execute │ │ - Transform │
│ - Emit Event │ │ - Cache │
└───────┬───────┘ └───────────────┘
│
▼
┌───────────────┐
│ EventBus │ ──► Real-time sync
│ │ ──► Audit log
│ │ ──► Webhooks
└───────────────┘
Data Flow
- Route receives HTTP request, validates input
- Route creates Command or Query object
- Bus dispatches to appropriate Handler
- Handler executes logic via Repository
- Handler emits Event (commands only)
- EventBus triggers side effects
Quick Reference
Command Pattern
// modules/translation/commands/update-translation.command.ts
export class UpdateTranslationCommand {
constructor(
public readonly keyId: string,
public readonly language: string,
public readonly value: string,
public readonly userId: string
) {}
}
// modules/translation/handlers/update-translation.handler.ts
export class UpdateTranslationHandler implements ICommandHandler<UpdateTranslationCommand> {
constructor(
private repo: TranslationRepository,
private eventBus: EventBus
) {}
async execute(cmd: UpdateTranslationCommand): Promise<Translation> {
const translation = await this.repo.update({
keyId: cmd.keyId,
language: cmd.language,
value: cmd.value,
});
await this.eventBus.publish(new TranslationUpdatedEvent(translation, cmd.userId));
return translation;
}
}
Query Pattern
// modules/translation/queries/get-translations.query.ts
export class GetTranslationsQuery {
constructor(
public readonly branchId: string,
public readonly options: { search?: string; page?: number }
) {}
}
// modules/translation/handlers/get-translations.handler.ts
export class GetTranslationsHandler implements IQueryHandler<GetTranslationsQuery> {
constructor(private repo: TranslationRepository) {}
async execute(query: GetTranslationsQuery): Promise<PaginatedResult<Translation>> {
return this.repo.findByBranch(query.branchId, query.options);
}
}
Event Pattern
// modules/translation/events/translation-updated.event.ts
export class TranslationUpdatedEvent implements IDomainEvent {
public readonly occurredAt = new Date();
constructor(
public readonly translation: Translation,
public readonly userId: string
) {}
}
// Event handlers (side effects)
// - RealTimeSyncHandler: Broadcast via WebSocket
// - AuditLogHandler: Record change history
// - WebhookHandler: Notify external systems
Thin Route
// routes/translations/handlers.ts
export function createTranslationHandlers(container: AwilixContainer) {
return {
async updateTranslation(request: FastifyRequest, reply: FastifyReply) {
const commandBus = container.resolve<CommandBus>('commandBus');
const result = await commandBus.execute(
new UpdateTranslationCommand(
request.params.keyId,
request.body.language,
request.body.value,
request.userId
)
);
return toTranslationDto(result);
},
};
}
Decision Tree
Where does this code belong?
Is it a write operation that changes state?
└─ Command + CommandHandler
Is it a read operation returning data?
└─ Query + QueryHandler
Is it a side effect of a write (notify, log, sync)?
└─ Event + EventHandler
Is it HTTP parsing/response formatting?
└─ Route handlers
Is it database access?
└─ Repository
Documentation
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| cqrs-overview.md | CQRS-lite concepts |
| commands.md | Command patterns |
| queries.md | Query patterns |
| events.md | Event patterns, real-time |
| modules.md | Module organization |
| routes.md | Thin HTTP layer |
| repositories.md | Data access |
| dependency-injection.md | Awilix setup |
| migration-guide.md | Service → CQRS migration |
| error-handling.md | Error flow and patterns |
| events-best-practices.md | Event design guidelines |
Anti-Patterns
❌ Business logic in routes
// BAD
app.post('/translations', async (request) => {
const existing = await prisma.key.findUnique({ where: { id } });
if (!existing) throw new Error('Key not found');
const result = await prisma.translation.update({ ... });
await redis.publish('translation:updated', result); // Side effect in route
return result;
});
✅ Route delegates to command
// GOOD
app.post('/translations', async (request) => {
const result = await commandBus.execute(
new UpdateTranslationCommand(request.params.id, request.body)
);
return toDto(result);
});
❌ Handler without event emission
// BAD - No way to react to changes
async execute(cmd: UpdateTranslationCommand) {
return this.repo.update(cmd);
}
✅ Handler emits event
// GOOD - Enables real-time sync, audit, webhooks
async execute(cmd: UpdateTranslationCommand) {
const result = await this.repo.update(cmd);
await this.eventBus.publish(new TranslationUpdatedEvent(result, cmd.userId));
return result;
}
Real-time Collaboration
Events enable real-time features:
// Event handlers for real-time sync
@EventHandler(TranslationUpdatedEvent)
export class RealTimeSyncHandler {
constructor(private wsServer: WebSocketServer) {}
async handle(event: TranslationUpdatedEvent) {
this.wsServer.broadcast(`branch:${event.translation.branchId}`, {
type: 'translation:updated',
data: event.translation,
});
}
}
@EventHandler(UserFocusedKeyEvent)
export class PresenceSyncHandler {
async handle(event: UserFocusedKeyEvent) {
this.wsServer.broadcast(`branch:${event.branchId}`, {
type: 'presence:focus',
userId: event.userId,
keyId: event.keyId,
});
}
}
Benefits
- Testable - Mock buses in tests, no HTTP/database setup
- Scalable - Events can be processed by workers
- Real-time ready - Events broadcast changes instantly
- Auditable - Events capture full history
- Decoupled - Handlers don't know about each other
Sources:
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