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apipeline

Easily write offline-first react-native and web applications with your own REST API. This module supports every major features for network requests : middlewares, fine-grained control over caching logic, custom caching driver... and works in isomorphic (universal) environments.

Table of contents

Installation

npm install --save apipeline # with npm
yarn add apipeline # with yarn

How it works

click to enlarge

How to use

Since this plugin is a fully-fledged wrapper and not just a network helper, you need to set up your API configuration.

Setting up your global API options

Here's an example :

const API_OPTIONS = {
    fetchMethod: yourFetchMethod, // documented below
    domains: { default: 'http://myapi.tld', staging: 'http://staging.myapi.tld' },
    prefixes: { default: '/api/v1', apiV2: '/api/v2' },
    debugAPI: true,
    printNetworkRequests: true
};

Here, we have set up the wrapper so it can use 2 different domains, a production API (the default one) and a staging API.

We also have 2 different prefixes, so, if you're versioning your APIs by appending /v2 in your URLs for example, you'll be able to easily request each versions. Please note that this is totally optional.

Check out all the API options here

Setting your fetch method

Since you can use apipeline in any javascript environement (react—native / browsers / node.js), you need to tell the plugin which function it should use to fetch data.

You can use anything you want as long as it follows the fetch specification.

  • When using react-native : it's easy, just use fetch which is defined globally
  • On the browser : you can use fetch on the most recent browser or use a polyfill like unfetch or whatwg-fetch
  • In node.js : you need a fetch polyfill like node-fetch

Declaring your services definitions

From now on, we'll call all your API's endpoint services. Now that you have set up your options, you need to declare your services. Easy peasy :

const API_SERVICES = {
  articles: {
    path: 'articles',
  },
  documents: {
    domain: 'staging',
    prefix: 'apiV2',
    path: 'documents/:documentId',
    disableCache: true
  },
  login: {
    path: 'login',
    method: 'POST',
    expiration: 5 * 60 * 1000
  }
};

Here, we declared 3 services :

  • articles that will fetch data from http://myapi.tld/api/v1/articles
  • documents that will fetch data from http://staging.myapi.tld/api/v2/documents/:documentId and won't cache anything
  • login that will make a POST request on http://myapi.tld/api/v1/login with a 5 minutes caching

These are just examples, there are much more options for your services, check them out here.

Setting your cache driver

This step is optional, but if you want the wrapper to handle all of the offline goodness for you, you have to tell the plugin which cache driver it should use.

In order to do that, just pass your driver as the 3rd argument of APIPeline when instantiating your api, or use api.setCacheDriver.

  • When using react-native: you can import AsyncStorage or use the baked-in sqlite driver
  • On the browser : the trusty localforage plugin is usually a good choice
  • In node.js : no cache driver has been written for now but we would gladly accept pull requests regarding this feature

Examples :

In react-native :

import { AsyncStorage } from 'react-native';
import APIpeline from 'apipeline';

const api = new APIPeline(API_OPTIONS, API_SERVICES, AsyncStorage);

In an isomorphic setting (next.js for instance):

import APIpeline from 'apipeline';
import clientFetch from 'unfetch';
import serverFetch from 'isomorphic-unfetch';
import localforage from 'localforage';

const isServer = typeof window === 'undefined';

// ... API and services configuration

const api = isServer ?
    new APIpeline(API_OPTIONS, API_SERVICES) :
    new APIpeline(API_OPTIONS, API_SERVICES, localforage);

export default api;

Firing your first request

Now that we have our API options and services configured, let's call our API !

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import APIpeline from 'apipeline';

// ... API and services configurations and instantiation

export default class demo extends Component {

    componentDidMount () {
        this.fetchSampleData();
    }

    async fetchSampleData () {
        try {
            const request = await api.get(
                'documents',
                {
                    pathParameters: { documentId: 'xSfdk21' }
                }
            );
            console.log('Our fetched document data', request);
        } catch (err) {
            // Handle any error
        }
    }

    render () {
        // ...
    }
}

In this short example, we're firing a GET request on the path http://staging.myapi.tld/api/v2/documents/xSfdk21. If you don't understand how this path is constructed, see path and query parameters.

A couple of notes :

  • The get, post, fetch, fetchHeaders... methods are promises, which means you can either use async/await or get().then().catch() if you prefer.
  • You can instantiate APIPeline without API_OPTIONS and/or API_SERVICES and set them later with api.setOptions and api.setServices methods if the need arises.

Methods

Name Description Parameters Return value
fetch Fires a network request to one of your service with additional options, see fetch options service: string, options?: IFetchOptions Promise<any>
get, post, head... Each HTTP method has a dedicated method that acts just like fetch service: string, options?: IFetchOptions Promise<any>
fetchHeaders Just like fetch but only returns the HTTP headers of the reponse service: string, options?: IFetchOptions Promise<any>
clearCache Clears all the cache, or just the one of a specific service service?: string Promise<void>
setOptions Sets or update the API options of the wrapper options: IAPIOptions void
setServices Sets or update your services definitions services: IAPIServices void
setCacheDriver Sets or update your custom cache driver, see using your own driver for caching driver: IAPIDriver void

API options

These are the global options for the wrapper. Some of them can be overriden at the service definition level, or with the option parameter of the fetch method. Only fetchMethod, domains and prefixes are required.

Key Type Description Example
fetchMethod function read more here Required, a spec compliant function an imported fetch polyfill
domains { default: string, [key: string]: string } Required, full URL to your domains domains: {default: 'http://myapi.tld', staging: 'http://staging.myapi.tld' },
prefixes { default: string, [key: string]: string } Required, prefixes your API uses, default is required, leave it blank if you don't have any { default: '/api/v1', apiV2: '/api/v2' }
encodeParameters boolean Optional, automatically encodes UTF8 chars in queryParameters & pathParameters true (defaults to false)
middlewares APIMiddleware[] Optionnal middlewares, see middlewares [authFunc, trackFunc]
responseMiddleware ResponseMiddleware Optionnal middleware to alter your API responses, see middlewares alterFunction
debugAPI boolean Optional, enables debugging mode, printing what's the wrapper doing true (defaults to false)
printNetworkRequests boolean Optional, prints all your network requests true (defaults to false)
disableCache boolean Optional, completely disables caching (overriden by service definitions & fetch's option parameter) true (defaults to false)
cacheExpiration number Optional default expiration of cached data in ms (overriden by service definitions & fetch's option parameter) 5 * 60 * 1000
cachePrefix string Optional, prefix of the keys stored on your cache, defaults to offlineApiCache 'myOwnCache' (defaults to APIPelineCache)
ignoreHeadersWhenCaching boolean Optional, your requests will be cached independently from the headers you sent. true (defaults to false)
capServices boolean Optional, enable capping for every service, defaults to false, see limiting the size of your cache true (defaults to false)
capLimit number Optional quantity of cached items for each service, see limiting the size of your cache 100 (defaults to 50)

Services options

These are the options for each of your services, the only required key is path. Default values are supplied for the others.

Key Type Description Example
path string Required path to your endpoint, see path and query parameters article/:articleId
expiration number Optional time in ms before this service's cached data becomes stale, defaults to 5 minutes 5 * 60 * 1000
method GET Optional HTTP method of your request, defaults to GET OPTIONS...
domain string Optional specific domain to use for this service, provide the key you set in your domains API option staging
prefix string Optional specific prefix to use for this service, provide the key you set in your prefixes API option apiV2
middlewares APIMiddleware[] Optional array of middlewares that override the ones set globally in your middlewares API option, see middlewares [serviceSpecificMiddleware]
responseMiddleware ResponseMiddleware Optionnal middleware to alter your API responses that override the one set globally in your middlewares API option, see middlewares alterFunction
disableCache boolean Optional, disables the cache for this service (override your API's global options) true (defaults to false)
capService boolean Optional, enable or disable capping for this specific service, see limiting the size of your cache true (defaults to false)
capLimit number Optional quantity of cached items for this specific service, defaults to 50, see limiting the size of your cache 42 (defaults to 50)
ignoreHeadersWhenCaching boolean Optional, your requests will be cached independently from the headers you sent. true (defaults to false)
rawData boolean Disables JSON parsing from your network requests, useful if you want to fetch XML or anything else from your api true (defaults to false)

Fetch options

The options parameter of the fetch and fetchHeaders method overrides the configuration you set globally in your API options, and the one you set for your services definitions. For instance, this is a good way of making very specific calls without having to declare another service just to tweak a single option.

Important notes :

  • All of these are optional.
  • All the keys of services options can be overriden here ! You could disable caching just for a single call for example, but still having it enabled in your service's definition.
Key Type Description Example
pathParameters { [key: string]: string } Parameters to replace in your path, see path and query parameters { documentId: 'xSfdk21' }
queryParameters { [key: string]: string } Query parameters that will be appended to your service's path, , see path and query parameters { refresh: true, orderBy: 'date' }
headers { [key: string]: string } HTTP headers you need to pass in your request { 'User-Agent': 'My very own agent' }
middlewares APIMiddleware[] Optional array of middlewares that override the ones set globally in your middlewares API option and in your service's definition, , see middlewares [superSpecificMiddleware]
responseMiddleware ResponseMiddleware Optionnal middleware to alter your API responses that override the one set globally in your middlewares API option and in your service's definition, see middlewares alterFunction
fetchOptions any Optional, any value passed here will be merged into the options of react-native's fetch method so you'll be able to configure anything not provided by the wrapper itself { body: 'user_email=hey@itsme.org' } (POST request example)

Path and query parameters

The URL to your endpoints are being constructed with your domain name, your optional prefix, and your optional pathParameters and queryParameters.

  • The pathParameters will replace the parameters in your service's path. For instance, a request fired with this path : /documents/:documentId, and these pathParameters : { documentId: 'xSfdk21' } will become /documents/xSfdk21.

  • The queryParameters are regular query string parameters. For instance, a request fired with this path : /weather and these queryParameters : { days: 'mon,tue,sun', location: 'Paris,France' } will become /weather?days=mon,tue,sun&location=Paris,France.

💡 Pro-tip : Both query and path parameters can be undefined, in this case they simply won't be processed when generating your route. You don't have to create an intermediate variable holding your options to handle whether or not your variables are defined.

Limiting the size of your cache

Learn more about enabling capping in the documentation

Middlewares

Check out middlewares documentation and examples

Using your own driver for caching

💡 You can now use SQLite instead of AsyncStorage without additional code !

Check out drivers documentation and how to enable the SQLite driver

Types

Every API interfaces can be seen here so you don't need to poke around the parameters in your console to be aware of what's available to you :)

💡 These are Typescript defintions, so they should be displayed in your editor/IDE if it supports it.