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ActiveResource alternative
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 Dependencies

Development

~> 1.3

Runtime

~> 0.8
~> 1.5
~> 0.6
 Project Readme

SmoothOperator Code Climate

Ruby gem, that mimics the ActiveRecord behaviour but through external API's. It's a lightweight and flexible alternative to ActiveResource, that responds to a REST API like you expect it too.

Be sure to check out this micro-services example: https://github.com/goncalvesjoao/micro-services-example

Where a Rails4 app lists/creates/edits and destroys blog posts from a Padrino (aka Sinatra) app, using SmoothOperator::Rails instead of ActiveRecord::Base classes.

This micro-services example will also feature other cool stuff like:

  • parallel requests;
  • using HTTP PATCH verb for saving instead of PUT;
  • form errors with simple_form gem;
  • nested objects using cocoon gem;
  • endless-pagination with kaminari gem
  • and others...

1) Installation

Add this line to your application's Gemfile:

gem 'smooth_operator'

And then execute:

$ bundle

Or install it yourself as:

$ gem install smooth_operator

2) Usage and Examples

class MyBlogResource < SmoothOperator::Base

  # HTTP BASIC AUTH
  options endpoint_user: 'admin',
          endpoint_pass: 'admin',
          endpoint: 'http://myblog.com/api/v0'

  # OR
  # smooth_operator_options
end

class Post < MyBlogResource
end

2.1) Creating a .new 'Post' and #save it

post = Post.new(body: 'my first post', author: 'John Doe')

post.new_record?     # true
post.persisted?     # false
post.body           # 'my first post'
post.author         # 'John Doe'
post.something_else # will raise NoMethodError

save_result = post.save # will make a http POST call to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/posts'
                        # with `{ post: { body: 'my first post', author: 'John Doe' } }`

post.last_remote_call # will contain a SmoothOperator::RemoteCall instance containing relevant information about the save remote call.

# If the server response is positive (http code between 200 and 299):
save_result       # true
post.new_record?  # false
post.persisted?   # true
# server response contains { id: 1 } on its body
post.id # 1

# If the server response is negative (http code between 400 and 499):
save_result       # false
post.new_record?  # true
post.persisted?   # false
# server response contains { errors: { body: ['must be less then 10 letters'] } }
post.errors.body # Array

# If the server response is an error (http code between 500 and 599), or the connection was broke:
save_result       # nil
post.new_record?  # true
post.persisted?   # false
# server response contains { errors: { body: ['must be less then 10 letters'] } }
post.errors # will raise NoMethodError

  # In the positive and negative server response comes with a json,
  # e.g. { id: 1 }, post will reflect that new data
  post.id # 1

  # In case of error and the server response contains a json,
  # e.g. { id: 1 }, post will NOT reflect that data
  post.id # raise NoMethodError

2.2) Editing an existing record

post = Post.find(2)

post.body = 'editing my second page'

post.save

2.3) Customize #save 'url', 'params' and 'options'

post = Post.new(id: 2, body: 'editing my second page')

post.new_record? # false
post.persisted?  # true

post.save("save_and_add_to_list", { admin: true, post: { author: 'Agent Smith', list_id: 1 } }, { timeout: 1 })
# Will make a PUT to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/posts/2/save_and_add_to_list'
# with { admin: true, post: { body: 'editing my second page', list_id: 1 } }
# and will only wait 1sec for the server to respond.

post.save('/#{post.id}/save_and_add_to_list')
# Will make a PUT to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/posts/2/save_and_add_to_list'

post.save('/save_and_add_to_list')
# Will make a PUT to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/posts/save_and_add_to_list'

2.4) Saving using HTTP Patch verb

class Page < MyBlogResource
  options update_http_verb: 'patch'
  # OR
  #smooth_operator_options update_http_verb: 'patch'
end

page = Page.find(2)

page.body = 'editing my second page'

page.save # will make a http PATCH call to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/pages/2'
          # with `{ page: { body: 'editing my second page' } }`

2.5) Retrieving remote objects - 'index' REST action

remote_call = Page.find(:all) # Will make a GET call to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/pages'
                              # and will return a SmoothOperator::RemoteCall instance

pages = remote_call.data

# If the server response is positive (http code between 200 and 299, or 304):
  remote_call.ok? # true
  remote_call.not_processed? # false
  remote_call.error? # false
  remote_call.status # true
  pages = remote_call.data # array of Page instances
  remote_call.http_status # server_response code

# If the server response is unprocessed entity (http code 422):
  remote_call.ok? # false
  remote_call.not_processed? # true
  remote_call.error? # false
  remote_call.status # false
  remote_call.http_status # server_response code

# If the server response is client error (http code between 400..499, except 422):
  remote_call.ok? # false
  remote_call.not_processed? # false
  remote_call.error? # true
  remote_call.status # nil
  remote_call.http_status # server_response code

# If the server response is server error (http code between 500 and 599), or the connection broke:
  remote_call.ok? # false
  remote_call.not_processed? # false
  remote_call.error? # true
  remote_call.status # nil
  remote_call.http_status # server_response code or 0 if connection broke

2.6) Retrieving remote objects - 'show' REST action

remote_call = Page.find(2) # Will make a GET call to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/pages/2'
                           # and will return a SmoothOperator::RemoteCall instance

service_down = remote_call.error?

page = remote_call.data

2.7) Retrieving remote objects - custom query

remote_call = Page.find('my_pages', { q: body_contains: 'link' }, { endpoint_user: 'admin', endpoint_pass: 'new_password' })
# will make a GET call to 'http://myblog.com/api/v0/pages/my_pages?q={body_contains="link"}'
# and will change the HTTP BASIC AUTH credentials to user: 'admin' and pass: 'new_password' for this connection only.

@service_down = remote_call.error?

# If the server json response is an Array [{ id: 1 }, { id: 2 }]
  @pages = remote.data # will return an array with 2 Page's instances
  @pages[0].id # 1
  @pages[1].id # 2

# If the server json response is a Hash { id: 3 }
  @page = remote.data # will return a single Page instance
  @page.id # 3

# If the server json response is Hash with a key called 'pages' { current_page: 1, total_pages: 3, limit_value: 10, pages: [{ id: 4 }, { id: 5 }] }
  @pages = remote.data # will return a single ArrayWithMetaData instance, that will allow you to access to both the Page's instances array and the metadata.

  # @pages is now a valid object to work with kaminari
  @pages.total_pages # 3
  @pages.current_page # 1
  @pages.limit_value # 10

  @pages[0].id # 4
  @pages[1].id # 5

2.8) Keeping your session alive - custom HTTP Headers

Controllers ApplicationController

Models SmoothResource

class SmoothResource < SmoothOperator::Rails

  options headers: :custom_headers

  def self.custom_headers
    {
      cookie: current_user.blog_cookie,
      "X_CSRF_TOKEN" => current_user.blog_auth_token
    }
  end

  protected ############## PROTECTED #################

  def self.current_user
    User.current_user
  end

end

3) Methods


3.1) Persistence methods

Methods Behaviour Arguments Return
.create Generates a new instance of the class with *attributes and calls #save with the rest of its arguments Hash attributes = nil, String relative_path = nil, Hash data = {}, Hash options = {} Class instance
#new_record? Returns @new_record if defined, else populates it with true if #id is present or false if blank. - Boolean
#destroyed? Returns @destroyed if defined, else populates it with false. - Boolean
#persisted? Returns true if both #new_record? and #destroyed? return false, else returns false. - Boolean
#save if #new_record? makes a HTTP POST, else a PUT call. If !#new_record? and relative_path is blank, sets relative_path = id.to_s. If the server POST response is positive, sets @new_record = false. See 4.2) for more behaviour info. String relative_path = nil, Hash data = {}, Hash options = {} Boolean or Nil
#save! Executes the same behaviour as #save, but will raise RecordNotSaved if the returning value is not true String relative_path = nil, Hash data = {}, Hash options = {} Boolean or Nil
#destroy Does nothing if !persisted? else makes a HTTP DELETE call. If server response it positive, sets @destroyed = true. If relative_path is blank, sets relative_path = id.to_s. See 4.2) for more behaviour info. String relative_path = nil, Hash data = {}, Hash options = {} Boolean or Nil

3.2) Finder methods

Methods Behaviour Arguments Return
.find If relative_path == :all, sets relative_path = ''. Makes a Get call and initiates Class objects with the server's response data. See 4.3) and 4.4) for more behaviour info. String relative_path, Hash data = {}, Hash options = {} Class instance, Array of Class instances or an ArrayWithMetaData instance

3.3) Operator methods

...


3.3) Remote call methods

...


4) Behaviours


4.1) Delegation behaviour

...


4.2) Persistent operator behaviour

...


4.3) Operator behaviour

...


4.4) Remote call behaviour

...


4) TODO

  1. Finish "Methods" and "Behaviours" documentation;
  2. ModelSchema specs;
  3. Cache.