REST conventions for mobx.
npm install mobx-restREST conventions for mobx.
Table of Contents
- Installation
- What is it?
- Full React example
- Documentation
- Model
- Collection
- apiClient
- Simple Example
- State shape
- FAQ
- Where is it used?
- License
``
npm install mobx-rest --save
An application state is usually divided into three realms:
- Component state: Each component can have their own state, like a button
being pressed, a text input value, etc.
- Application state: Sometimes we need components to share state between them and
they are too far away to actually make them talk each other through props.
- Resources state: Other times, state is persisted in the server. We synchronize
that state through APIs that consume resources. One way to synchronize this state
is through REST.
MobX is an excellent state management choice to deal with those three realms:
It allows you to represent your state as a graph while other solutions,
like Redux for instance, force you to represent your state as a tree.
With mobx-rest resources are implemented with all their RESTcreate
actions built in (, fetch, save, destroy, ...) so instead
of writing, over and over, hundreds of lines of boilerplate we can leverage
REST conventions to minimize the code needed for your API interactions.
If you want to see a full example with React you
can check out the mobx-rest-example repo.
The demo is deployed here.
mobx-rest is fairly simple and its source code could be read in 5 minutes.
A Model represents one resource. It's identified by a primary key (mandatory) and holdsModel
its attributes. You can create, update and destroy models in the client and then sync
them with the server. Apart from its attributes, a also holds the state of
the interactions with the server so you can react to those easily (showing loading states
for instance).
#### constructor(attributes: Object)
Initialize the model with the given attributes.
#### defaultAttributes: Object
An object literal that holds the default attributes of the model. {} by default.
#### attributes: ObservableMap
An ObservableMap that holds the attributes of the model in the client.
#### commitedAttributes: ObservableMap
An ObservableMap that holds the attributes of the model in the server.
#### collection: ?Collection
A pointer to a Collection. By having modelsmobx-rest
"belong to" a collection you can take the most out
of .
#### toJS(): Object
Return the object version of the attributes.
#### primaryKey: string
Implement this abstract method so mobx-rest knows what to'id'
use as a primary key. It defaults to but if you use'_id'
something like mongodb you can change it to .
#### urlRoot(): string
Implement this abstract method so mobx-rest knows whereCollection
its API points to. If the model belongs to a
(setting the attribute) this method does
not need to be implemented.
#### url(): string
Return the url for that given resource. Will leverage the
collection's base url (if any) or urlRoot. It uses the
primary id since that's REST convention.
Example: tasks.get(34).url() // => "/tasks/34"
#### changedAttributes: Array
Get an array with the attributes names that have changed.
Example:
`js
model.set({ name: 'Pau'})
model.changedAttributes // => ['name']
`
#### changes: { [string]: any }
Gets the current changes.
Example:
`js
model.set({ name: 'Pau'})
model.changes // => { name: 'Pau' }
`
#### hasChanges(attribute?: string): boolean
If an attribute is specified, returns true if it has changes.
If no attribute is specified, returns true if any attribute has changes.
Example:
`js
model.set({ name: 'Pau'})
// with attribute
model.hasChanges('name') // => true
// without attribute
model.hasChanges() // => true
`
#### commitChanges(): void
Commit attributes to model.
Example:
`js
model.set({ name: 'Pau' })
model.hasChanges // => true
model.commitChanges()
model.hasChanges // => false
`
#### discardChanges(): void
This will reset the model attributes to the last committed ones.
Example:
`js
const model = new Model({ name: 'Foo' })
model.set({ name: 'Pau' })
model.get('name') // => Pau
model.discardChanges()
model.get('name') // => 'Foo'
`
#### isNew: boolean
Return whether that model has been synchronized with the server or not.
Resources created in the client side (optimistically) don't have
an id attribute yet (that's given by the server)
Example:
`js`
const user = new User({ name : 'Pau' })
user.isNew // => true
user.save()
user.isNew // => false
user.get('id') // => 1
#### get(attribute: string): any
Get the given attribute. If the attribute does not exist, it will throw an error.
If different resources have different schemas you can
always use has to check whether a given attribute exists or not.
Example:
`js`
if (user.has('role')) {
return user.get('role')
} else {
return 'basic'
}
#### has(attribute: string): boolean
Check that the given attribute exists.
#### set(data: Object): void
Update the attributes in the client.
Example:
`js`
const folder = new Folder({ name : 'Trash' })
folder.get('name') // => 'Trash'
folder.set({ name: 'Rubbish' })
folder.get('name') // => 'Rubbish'
#### fetch(options): Promise
Fetches this resource's data from the server.
Example:
`js`
const task = new Task({ id: 3 })
const promise = task.fetch()
await promise
task.get('name') // => 'Do the laundry'
#### save(attributes: Object, options: Object): Promise
The opposite of fetch. It takes the resource from the client andset
persists it in the server through the API. It accepts some attributes
as the first argument so you can use it as a + save.saving
It tracks the state of the request using the label .
If the model has a collection associated, it will be added into it.
Options:
- optimistic = true Whether we want to update the resource in the clientpatch = true
first or wait for the server's response.
- Whether we want to use the PATCH verb and semantics, sendingkeepChanges = false
only the changed attributes instead of the whole resource down the wire.
- Whether we want to keep the changes after the response from the API.path
- (Optional) Target API path where we want perform the save action. Iturl()
has preference over .
Example:
`js`
const company = new Company({ name: 'Teambox' })
const promise = company.save({ name: 'Redbooth' }, { optimistic: false })
company.get('name') // => 'Teambox'
await promise
company.get('name') // => 'Redbooth'
#### destroy(options: Object): Promise
Tells the API to destroy this resource.
Options:
- optimistic = true Whether we want to delete the resource in the clientpath
first or wait for the server's response.
- (Optional) Target API path where we want perform the save action. Iturl()
has preference over .
#### rpc(method: 'string', body?: {}, label?: 'fetching'): Promise
When dealing with REST there are always cases when we have some actions beyond
the conventions. Those are represented as rpc calls and are not opinionated.
Example:
`js`
const response = await task.rpc('resolveSubtasks', { all: true })
if (response.ok) {
task.subTasks.fetch()
}
A Collection represents a group of resources. Each element of a Collection is a Model.
Likewise, a collection tracks also the state of the interactions with the server so you
can react accordingly.
#### models: ObservableArray
An ObservableArray that holds the collection of models.
#### indexes: Array
Indexes allow you to determine which attributes you want to index your collection by.
This allows you to trade-off memory for speed. By default we index all the models by
primaryKey but you can add more indexes that will be used automatically when using filter and find with the object form.
`js`
users.find({ id: 123 }) // This will hit the index. Fast!
users.find(user => user.get('id') === 123) // This will do a full scan of the table. Slow.
You can query your collection by a combination of attributes that are indexed and others
that are not indexed. mobx-rest will take care to sort your query in order to scan the least
number of models.
#### constructor(data: Array
Initializes the collection with the given resources.
#### url(): string
Abstract method that must be implemented if you want your collection
and it's models to be able to interact with the API.
#### model(): Model
Abstract method that tells which kind of Model objects this collectioncollection.create
holds. This is used, for instance, when doing a so
we know which object to instantiate.
#### toJS(): Array
Return a plain data structure representing the collection of resources
without all the observable layer.
#### toArray(): Array
Return an array with the observable resources.
#### isEmpty: boolean
Helper method that asks the collection whether there is any
model in it.
Example:
`js`
const promise = usersCollection.fetch()
usersCollection.isEmpty // => true
await promise
usersCollection.isEmpty // => false
usersCollection.models.length // => 10
#### at(index: number): ?Model
Find a model at the given position.
#### get(id: number, { required?: boolean = false }): ?Model
Find a model (or not) with the given id. If required it will raise an error if not found.
#### filter(query: Object | Function): Array
Helper method that filters the collection by the given conditions represented
as a key value.
Example:
`js
// using a query object
const resolvedTasks = tasksCollection.filter({ resolved: true })
resolvedTasks.length // => 3
// using a query function
const resolvedTasks = tasksCollection.filter(model => model.resolved)
resolvedTasks.length // => 3
`
It's important to notice that using the object API we can optimize
the filtering using indexes.
#### find(query: Object | Function, { required?: boolean = false }): ?Model
Same as filter but it will halt and return when the first model matchesrequired
the conditions. If it will raise an error if not found.
Example:
`js
// using a query object
const user = usersCollection.find({ name: 'paco' })
user.get('name') // => 'paco'
// using a query function
const user = usersCollection.find(model => model.name === 'paco')
user.get('name') // => 'paco'
usersCollection.find({ name: 'foo'}) // => Error(Invariant: Model must be found)`
#### last(): ?Model
Returns the last model of the collection. If the collection is empty, it returns null
#### add(data: Array
Adds models with the given array of attributes.
`js`
usersCollection.add([{id: 1, name: 'foo'}])
#### reset(data: Array
Resets the collection with the given models.
`js`
usersCollection.reset([{id: 1, name: 'foo'}])
#### remove(ids: Array
Remove any model with the given ids.
Example:
`js`
usersCollection.remove([1, 2, 3])
#### set(models: Array
Merge the given models smartly the current ones in the collection.
It detects what to add, remove and change.
Options:
- add = true Change to disable adding modelschange = true
- Change to disable updating modelsremove = true
- Change to disable removing models
`js`
const companiesCollection = new CompaniesCollection([
{ id: 1, name: 'Teambox' }
{ id: 3, name: 'Zpeaker' }
])
companiesCollection.set([
{ id: 1, name: 'Redbooth' },
{ id: 2, name: 'Factorial' }
])
companiesCollection.get(1).get('name') // => 'Redbooth'
companiesCollection.get(2).get('name') // => 'Factorial'
companiesCollection.get(3) // => null
#### build(attributes: Object|T): Model
Instantiates and links a model to the current collection.
`js`
const factorial = companiesCollection.build({ name: 'Factorial' })
factorial.collection === companiesCollection // => true
factorial.get('name') // 'Factorial'
#### create(target: Object | Model, options: Object)
Add and save to the server the given model. If attributes are given,
also it builds the model for you. It tracks the state of the request
using the label creating.
Options:
- optimistic = true Whether we want to create the resource in the clientpath
first or wait for the server's response.
- (Optional) Target API path where we want perform the save action. Iturl()
has preference over .
`js`
const promise = tasksCollection.create({ name: 'Do laundry' })
await promise
tasksCollection.at(0).get('name') // => 'Do laundry'
#### fetch(options: Object)
Fetch the date from the server and then calls set to update the currentset
models. Accepts any option from the method.
`js`
const promise = tasksCollection.fetch()
tasksCollection.isEmpty // => true
await promise
tasksCollection.isEmpty // => false
#### rpc(method: 'string', body: {}): Promise
Exactly the same as the model one, but at the collection level.
Alias for models.forEach
Example: collection.forEach(model => console.log(model.get('id')))
Alias for models.map
Example: collection.map(model => model.get('id')) // => [1,2,3...]
Returns a shallow array representation of the collection
Returns a defensive shallow array representation of the collection
This is the object that is going to make the xhr requests to interact with your API.
There are currently three implementations:
- One using jQuery in the mobx-rest-jquery-adapter package.fetch
- One using in the mobx-rest-fetch-adapter package.axios
- One Using in the mobx-rest-axios-adapter package.
Initially you need to configure apiClient() with an adapter and the apiPath. You can also set additional options, like headers to send with all requests.
For example, if you're using JWT and need to send it using the Authorization header, it could look like this:
`
const options = {
apiPath: window.env.apiUrl,
}
if (token) {
options.commonOptions = {
headers: {
Authorization:
}
}
}
apiClient(adapter, options)
All options:
* apiPath (required): what do prepend for all model and collections URLs
* commonOptions: settings to use for all requests
* headers: Additional request headers, like Authorization
* tbd.
A collection looks like this:
`js
// TasksCollection.js
const apiPath = '/api'
import adapter from 'mobx-rest-fetch-adapter'
import { apiClient, Collection, Model } from 'mobx-rest'
// We will use the adapter to make the xhr calls
apiClient(adapter, { apiPath })
class Task extends Model { }
class Tasks extends Collection {
url () { return /tasks }
model () { return Task }
}
// We instantiate the collection and export it as a singleton
export default new Tasks()
`
And here an example of how to use React with it:
`js
import tasksCollection from './TasksCollection'
import { computed } from 'mobx'
import { observer } from 'mobx-react'
@observer
class Task extends React.Component {
onClick () {
this.props.task.save({ resolved: true })
}
render () {
return (
@observer
class Tasks extends React.Component {
componentDidMount () {
// This will call /api/tasks?all=true
tasksCollection.fetch({ data: { all: true } })
}
@computed
get activeTasks () {
return tasksCollection.filter({ resolved: false })
}
render () {
return (
`
Your collections and models will have the following state shape:
`js`
models: Array
`js`
attributes: Object // The resource attributes
optimisticId: string, // Client side id. Used for optimistic updates
This is something that mobx makes really easy to achieve:
`js
import users from './UsersCollections'
import comments from './CommentsCollections'
import { computed } from 'mobx'
class Task extends Model {
@computed
author () {
return users.get(this.get('user_id'))
}
@computed
comments () {
return comments.filter({ task_id: this.get('id') })
}
}
``
Developed and battle tested in production in Factorial
(The MIT License)
Copyright (c) 2022 Pau Ramon
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.