Ember Data is a library for Ember.js that handles client-side data persistence. It provides models, a store to manage data, and adapters to abstract different data protocols. Models define schema and relationships. The store handles querying, saving and promises. Adapters provide protocol abstraction to connect to different data sources like REST APIs. Ember Data is still in beta but provides clean separation of concerns for building Ember applications.

1. Ember Data
Adam Kloboučník, GoodData
@akloboucnik
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

2. Ember Data
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client data-persistence library
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for Ember.js
still beta-quality
strongly opinionated (naming, url + model
schema)
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“trivial choices are enemy” ~ @wycats
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

3. Complications
Data
merge problems
Web Applications
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

4. Complications
User
Post
dirty checking
Comment
changes
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

5. Complications
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merge problems
dirty checking
async
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

6. Ember Data architecture
TA
ES
Lo
c
alS
PI
tor
ag
e
R
Data
“Talks”
protocol
Persists models
Adapter
Store
Serializer
Models
Google Spreadsheet
Extracts raw data to Models
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

7. Models
App.Post = DS.Model.extend({
title: DS.attr('string'),
body: DS.attr('string'),
comments: DS.hasMany('comment', {async:
true})
});
App.Comment = DS.Model.extend({
content: DS.attr('string'),
post: DS.belongsTo('post')
});
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

8. Adapter
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provides protocol abstraction
RESTAdapter, FixtureAdapter provided
LocalStorageAdapter, many others...
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

9. Intermezzo - promises
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“eventual value returned from completion of operation”
function callApi(id) {
var promise = longRunningOperation(id);
return promise;
}
//....
callApi(2).then(function(result) {
// do sth with resolved result
}, function(err) {
// do sth with rejection
});
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

10. Store
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querying and saving
store.find[All,Query](‘model-name’[, id]);
model_object.save();
both finders and save return promises for developer
sanity (formerly a state chart with actions on
edges)
▶
Em.RSVP.all([promise1, promise2]).then ...
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

11. Notes
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identity map
sideloading
optimize you API for easier life (jsonapi.org)
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alternatives
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active_model_serializers in Rails
:-( elsewhere
Ember.Resource
Ember.Model
EPF
sources - emberjs.com/guides, source
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

12. Conclusion
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really young now, but
provides clean separation of concerns
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developing client app without backend
testing adapter code without rest of the app
…
“best practices” for api modelling
integrates greatly with Ember if you use it
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.

13. Thank you!
@akloboucnik
GoodData Confidential. 2013 GoodData Corporation. All rights reserved.