Dashpress

Dashpress is a self‑hosted low‑code admin application generator that turns a relational database schema into a production‑ready dashboard with minimal developer effort. At its core, it scans the database’s tables and columns, infers relationships, and automatically produces CRUD interfaces, filters, charts, and export utilities. The generated app is fully functional out of the box while remaining open for deep customization through a plugin system and API hooks, making it ideal for teams that need to expose internal data quickly without sacrificing control or performance.

Technical Stack & Architecture

Dashpress is built on Node.js (v18+) with a React front‑end powered by Vite for fast builds and hot module replacement. The server side uses the NestJS framework, which provides a modular architecture, dependency injection, and built‑in support for GraphQL and REST endpoints. Database connectivity is handled by TypeORM, allowing support for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite with a single configuration file. The generated admin UI is composed of reusable React components (form fields, tables, charts) that consume a strongly‑typed API exposed by NestJS. The entire stack is containerized via Docker, and the repository ships a ready‑to‑run Dockerfile.example that can be tweaked for production environments.

Core Capabilities & APIs

• Schema‑driven CRUD – Automatic generation of list, create, read, update, delete views for every table.
• Relation handling – One‑to‑many and many‑to-many relationships are detected, with UI components for foreign keys (selects, autocomplete).
• Custom business logic – Developers can inject custom services or guards in the NestJS module tree to override default behavior.
• Extensible widgets – A plugin registry allows adding new UI components (charts, maps) that plug into the auto‑generated pages.
• REST & GraphQL – The backend exposes both APIs; developers can choose the protocol that best fits their stack.
• Webhooks & Events – Hooks are available for CRUD operations, enabling integration with external systems or triggering background jobs.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Dashpress is designed for self‑hosting. A single docker-compose.yml can spin up the app, a PostgreSQL database, and an optional Redis cache for session management. The application scales horizontally by running multiple instances behind a load balancer; the NestJS server is stateless, and session data can be stored in Redis or JWTs. For production, the build is served as a static bundle via Nginx, and SSL termination can be handled by a reverse proxy like Traefik. The open‑source license (AGPLv3) ensures that any modifications remain freely available, encouraging community contributions.

Integration & Extensibility

Dashpress exposes a plugin API that allows developers to register new components, routes, or middleware. The plugin system is built into the NestJS module architecture, so adding a new feature typically involves creating a small TypeScript module and placing it in the plugins/ directory. Additionally, the auto‑generated REST endpoints can be consumed by external services, and the GraphQL schema is introspectable for client developers. Webhooks can be configured to notify Slack, email services, or custom webhook endpoints whenever a CRUD event occurs.

Developer Experience

The generator is invoked with a single command (npx dashpress) or via Docker, and it outputs a fully‑configured project in seconds. Documentation is organized into docs/ with clear sections on contribution guidelines, security practices, and API references. The codebase follows a clean modular structure, with maintainability metrics (Code Climate badges) indicating high quality. Community support is active through Discord and GitHub Discussions, where developers can request features or report bugs.

Use Cases

• Rapid internal tooling – Build dashboards for HR, finance, or product teams without writing boilerplate CRUD code.
• Data‑driven MVPs – Quickly prototype admin interfaces for new data models during early product phases.
• Custom reporting portals – Generate secure, role‑based access to complex relational data with built‑in export and charting.
• Legacy database modernization – Wrap existing PostgreSQL or MySQL schemas with a modern UI, preserving business logic while accelerating development.

Advantages

Dashpress offers performance through a lightweight React front‑end and efficient NestJS back‑ends. Its flexibility comes from the plugin system and dual API support, while the AGPLv3 license ensures that any improvements benefit the community. Compared to commercial low‑code platforms, Dashpress eliminates vendor lock‑in and allows full control over hosting, scaling, and security. For developers who need a quick, reliable admin interface that can grow with their product, Dashpress delivers the right balance of automation and extensibility.