Javascript REST with Jester

mikebailey mike@bailey.net.au deprec awesome new client Rails app launching soon available for interesting work

the problem • gmap based content management app • didn’t want to reload page • wanted to keep controller simple

enter the jester • http://giantrobots.thoughtbot.com/ • jester.js => 657 lines of javascript • javascript access to your models via REST

How much work does it take to implement?

Not much!

<%= javascript_include_tag :defaults %> <%= javascript_include_tag 'jester.js' %> <%= javascript_include_tag 'demo.js' %>

// demo.js // Object definitions Base.model('PaperRound'); Base.model('Property'); Base.model('Subscription');

Javascript REST in 60 seconds

# Create our application rails demo cd demo/ ./script/generate scaffold_resource Property name:string address:string ./script/generate scaffold_resource PaperRound name:string ./script/generate scaffold_resource Subscription paper_round_id:integer property_id:integer position:integer # Setup our database mysqladmin -u root drop demo_development mysqladmin -u root create demo_development rake db:migrate

# put in some static content rm app/views/layouts/* public/index.html echo ' <html><head></head><body> <%= [:properties, :paper_rounds, :subscriptions].collect {|i| link_to(i, send(\"#{i}_path\"))}.join(\" | \") %> <%= yield %> <%= javascript_include_tag :defaults %> <%= javascript_include_tag \"jester.js\" %> <%= javascript_include_tag \"demo.js\" %> </body></html> ' > app/views/layouts/application.rhtml echo “ Base.model('PaperRound'); Base.model('Property'); Base.model('Subscription'); ” > public/javascripts/demo.js cp ~/jester.js public/javascripts/

# Let's go! ./script/server open http://localhost:3000/properties

• interactive javascript console

# new # note, reflection available but not turned on by default # rails patch by jesters author has been accepted into core property = Property.build( {name: 'Kevin', address: '40 The Avenue, Windsor'} ); property.id; # => null property.save(); property.id; # => 4

# create property = Property.create( {name: 'Kim', address: 'Meadowvale'} ); property.id;

# index properties = Property.find('all'); properties.pluck('name');

# show property = Property.find(2); alert('address = ' + property.address);

# update property = Property.find(1); property.address = 'Ridgecrest Retirement Village'; property.save();

# destroy Property.find('all').last().destroy();

# reload a model property.reload(); # can cause problems if your object has associations # as it recreates objects - existing references to # the associated objects are orphaned

Associations

class PropertyController < ApplicationController # GET /properties # GET /properties.xml def index respond_to do |format| format.html # index.rhtml format.xml { render :xml => @properties.to_xml( :include => [:subscriptions], # associated models :methods => [:amount_owing] # call these methods ) } end end

Other Tips Use Rails’s .to_xml, not .to_json Changeset 7156 Patch in core for .to_xml clash between :include & :methods

more info • jester is documented in three blog posts • http://giantrobots.thoughtbot.com/ • I’ve linked to them on my blog • http://mike.bailey.net.au/blog/?p=15

Javascript REST with Jester

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