Phase 6: Universal Backend Adapter (UBA) System

Phase: 6
Status: 🔴 Not Started
Effort: 8-12 weeks
Priority: HIGH

Overview

The Universal Backend Adapter (UBA) system enables Noodl to connect to any backend service (Directus, Supabase, Pocketbase, Firebase, custom APIs) through a unified configuration interface. Instead of hardcoding backend integrations, users configure adapters that translate between Noodl's data model and the target backend.

Problem Statement

Currently, Noodl users who want to use external backends must:

Manually configure HTTP requests for each endpoint
Handle authentication, pagination, and error handling themselves
Build custom UI for CRUD operations
No schema introspection - everything is manual

Solution: UBA System

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    NOODL DATA LAYER                              │
│                                                                  │
│   Query Node  →  UBA Adapter  →  Backend API  →  Response       │
│                                                                  │
│   The adapter handles:                                          │
│   • Authentication (Bearer, Basic, API Key)                     │
│   • Schema introspection                                        │
│   • Query translation                                           │
│   • Pagination                                                   │
│   • Error normalization                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Task Breakdown

Task	Name	Description	Effort
UBA-001	Foundation	Schema parser, basic field types	2-3 weeks
UBA-002	Field Types	Complex fields (relations, JSON)	1-2 weeks
UBA-003	Debug System	Live debugging panel	1-2 weeks
UBA-004	Polish	UX improvements, error handling	1 week
UBA-005	Reference Backend	Example implementation (Directus)	1-2 weeks
UBA-006	Community	Adapter sharing, marketplace	2-3 weeks

Architecture

See individual task files for detailed architecture:

UBA-001-FOUNDATION.md - Core system architecture
UBA-002-FIELD-TYPES.md - Field type system
UBA-003-DEBUG-SYSTEM.md - Debug infrastructure
UBA-004-POLISH.md - UX polish tasks
UBA-005-REFERENCE-BACKEND.md - Directus adapter
UBA-006-COMMUNITY.md - Community features

Dependencies

Phase 3 Editor UX (property panel infrastructure)
HTTP Node improvements (Phase 2/3)

Success Criteria

Users can configure Directus/Supabase connection via UI
Schema introspection populates dropdowns automatically
CRUD operations work with configured adapters
Debug panel shows live request/response data
At least 3 backend adapters available

History

2026-01-07: Moved from Phase 3 TASK-008 to dedicated Phase 6
Previously named "granular-deployment" which was misleading

Last Updated: January 2026

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