feat: Generate NEXT_PUBLIC_CHAT_API for NextJS backend to specify alternative backend (#445)

.changeset/perfect-days-smoke.md

+---
+"create-llama": patch
+---
+
+Generate NEXT_PUBLIC_CHAT_API for NextJS backend to specify alternative backend

create-app.ts

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { configVSCode } from "./helpers/vscode";
 
 export type InstallAppArgs = Omit<
   InstallTemplateArgs,
-  "appName" | "root" | "isOnline" | "customApiPath"
+  "appName" | "root" | "isOnline" | "port"
 > & {
   appPath: string;
   frontend: boolean;
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ export async function createApp({
   communityProjectConfig,
   llamapack,
   vectorDb,
-  port,
   postInstallAction,
   dataSources,
   tools,
@@ -80,7 +79,6 @@ export async function createApp({
     communityProjectConfig,
     llamapack,
     vectorDb,
-    port,
     postInstallAction,
     dataSources,
     tools,
@@ -100,7 +98,6 @@ export async function createApp({
       ...args,
       root: frontendRoot,
       framework: "nextjs",
-      customApiPath: `http://localhost:${port ?? 8000}/api/chat`,
       backend: false,
     });
   }

helpers/env-variables.ts

@@ -407,6 +407,13 @@ const getFrameworkEnvs = (
       ],
     );
   }
+  if (framework === "nextjs") {
+    result.push({
+      name: "NEXT_PUBLIC_CHAT_API",
+      description:
+        "The API for the chat endpoint. Set when using a custom backend (e.g. Express). Use full URL like http://localhost:8000/api/chat",
+    });
+  }
   return result;
 };
 
@@ -585,18 +592,10 @@ export const createBackendEnvFile = async (
 export const createFrontendEnvFile = async (
   root: string,
   opts: {
-    customApiPath?: string;
     vectorDb?: TemplateVectorDB;
   },
 ) => {
   const defaultFrontendEnvs = [
-    {
-      name: "NEXT_PUBLIC_CHAT_API",
-      description: "The backend API for chat endpoint.",
-      value: opts.customApiPath
-        ? opts.customApiPath
-        : "http://localhost:8000/api/chat",
-    },
     {
       name: "NEXT_PUBLIC_USE_LLAMACLOUD",
       description: "Let's the user change indexes in LlamaCloud projects",

helpers/index.ts

@@ -225,7 +225,6 @@ export const installTemplate = async (
   } else {
     // this is a frontend for a full-stack app, create .env file with model information
     await createFrontendEnvFile(props.root, {
-      customApiPath: props.customApiPath,
       vectorDb: props.vectorDb,
     });
   }

helpers/types.ts

@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ export interface InstallTemplateArgs {
   framework: TemplateFramework;
   ui: TemplateUI;
   dataSources: TemplateDataSource[];
-  customApiPath?: string;
   modelConfig: ModelConfig;
   llamaCloudKey?: string;
   useLlamaParse?: boolean;

index.ts

@@ -326,7 +326,6 @@ async function run(): Promise<void> {
     ...answers,
     appPath: resolvedProjectPath,
     packageManager,
-    port: options.port,
   });
 
   if (answers.postInstallAction === "VSCode") {