Django ? NestJS migration
Replaced the backend framework without destructively rebuilding the database or breaking frontend contracts.
Project 01
Trivia Spirit
Production-oriented turn-based trivia platform migrated from Django REST Framework to NestJS while preserving PostgreSQL data, authentication compatibility, and existing frontend API contracts.
- NestJS
- TypeScript
- PostgreSQL
- Next.js
- GitHub Actions
- Cloudflare R2
- Lemon Squeezy
Legacy / Migration Source: Django REST Framework
Year: 2024
Overview
Trivia Spirit began with a Django REST Framework backend and now uses NestJS and TypeScript. The migration preserves existing PostgreSQL data/schema compatibility, authentication, and frontend API contracts.
Teams take turns on one device, selecting categories, answering questions, and tracking scores. Lemon Squeezy handles payments and Cloudflare R2 stores media. Automated tests, GitHub Actions CI, explicit production database migrations, and health/readiness endpoints support deployment.
Engineering Highlights
- Migrated Django REST Framework to NestJS while preserving PostgreSQL data and frontend API contracts.
- Organized authentication, gameplay, content, payments, and media into modular backend domains.
- Processed signed payment webhooks with replay protection and durable entitlement updates.
- Added automated unit/integration testing and GitHub Actions CI.
- Added production database migrations and health/readiness endpoints.
Architecture
- Next.js
- BFF / API Layer
- NestJS
- PostgreSQL
- Cloudflare R2
- Lemon Squeezy
Technical Challenges
Authentication compatibility
Preserved existing user credentials, tokens, and persisted application data during migration.
Payment reliability
Handled signed payment webhooks with replay protection and durable entitlement updates.
Reliability & Testing
- Unit tests
- Integration tests
- GitHub Actions CI checks
- Production database migrations
- Health and readiness endpoints
- Production configuration validation
Key Engineering Decisions
Compatibility-first migration
Kept the NestJS backend compatible with the existing Django-owned PostgreSQL data model to enable incremental migration.
Screenshots
