Passing scope variable to http post

[ravivit9]

Hello,

Now I am able to get the drop down values from mysql db via php using url http post method. Only issue is how to pass dynamic parameter i.e. passing a scope variable's value to the middleware program in this case to php.

I have hard coded the user id within the form declaration using "parameter" but I would like to use a scope variable (without $scope in the below syntax).

For example:
"parameter": { "id" : "CURRENT_USER_ID"} // Where CURRENT_USER_ID is a scope variable.

{
  "key": "org_id",
  "type": "strapselectdynamic",
  "options": {
    "http_post": {
      "url" : "app/server/profiledata/my_organisations.php",
      "parameter": { "id" : "416d0817-43fb-11e4-9e1f-f04da275143b"}
    }
  },
  "placeholder": "Select Organisation Name",
  "htmlClass":"col-lg-4 col-md-4"
}

[nicklasb]

In my view, there are three ways if you want to sent something from the server:

1. Use a substitution string or set that value manually.
2. Have the server use session information to set the id property.
3. Do not do it this way. The server should already know who the current user is through the session cookies.

I would choose the third way, as something as "my_organizations.php" only should be called by the current user.

If you would want to list the organizations for a specified user, then you should call it "user_organizations.php", and then you'd probably set the id as some consequence of a UI action, and then that would be natural to use alternative 1.

[nicklasb]

Well, there is a forth, and quite ugly way, and that is to generate literal Javascript notation on the server and eval() it on the client. I would not recomment that, though.

[ravivit9]

Thanks for the insights.

Use Case 1: As a logged in user I should be able to list my own organisations in the Edit Profile screen. Note: For this I may be able to use Option 2, but will have to try it.

Use Case 2: As a logged in user I should be able to view other user's profile summary page where all the profile details displayed. One of the section would be displaying list of organisations either in a table format or icons only.
Note: In this case I will have to pass the target user id as a "parameter" to the backend to get all the target user's organisations. If the user clicks MyProfile menu would action the same php script but this time UI will be passing current user id instead of target user id, this is one of the reason why I am not using SESSION based user id.

Renaming .php script should be fine but end of the day the .php file need to know to which user it needs to pull the list of organisation either for the current user or target user. So the .php file shouldn't be knowing which user is being passed but simply accepts any user id passed to it.

[nicklasb]

Ok. Then I would rename my_organizations.php to user_organizations.php
If you are listing other users' profiles, and that list comes from the server, it must know their user ids. Hence the server should be able to populate those form parameters in all cases.

BUT, there are more stuff one might want to provide(language settings and other stuff), so how about these ideas:

• add a general callback property of dynamic-select that can be set to a $scope-function. an hence gets all the options and has $scope knowledge. Instead of "async" or "callback", perhaps "global callback", or something?
• add a "global options"-property to dynamic-select that is always merged with the options. That way the general options could be set knowing the $scope data.

[nicklasb]

Perhaps this is better:
Instead of a general callback, one could have a "callback-map" property.

Then the appropriate callback could be accessed via its name instead, and a string reference is obviously easy to provide via JSON.

I am also then thinking that "async" and "callback" would use that functionality in one way, and http_get/http_post in another,

• "async" and "callback" would expect the callback to return a promise or the actual lookup array as they are now.
• "http_get" and "http_post" would provide its options, and just expect the callback to return a new and improved options structure.

When thinking about it, this is far more elegant. Also, one could continue to support absolute references from literal object notation:
If "callback" is a string, find function through the map, if it is a direct reference to a function, use that function.

[ravivit9]

Do we have a "callback-map" property? If yes do we have an example of it. Or if allowed to reference scope level factory function by name which returns the JSON value/text array, then that is the most convenient way.

[nicklasb]

I was proposing that a callback map be added.

By name: Well that is also a way to do it. The only problem would be to that I don't think the add-on(or schema-form) knows what the user scope is, it works in its own scope, it would have to have a property added for that, but then again that would apply to the callback map as well.
Also, I am not sure that all callbacks will always reside in the same scope. But that would be quite likely, I guess. And if one would need an other scope be called, it could be done using a proxy function.

I will check if there is some way the dynamic-select controller(StrapSelectController) can find the schema-form scope.

[ravivit9]

Thanks for considering.

For now I will find some workaround how I handle the user id manipulation. But it would be nice to have scope level function name reference on form item level.

[nicklasb]

Well, I have realized I will face the same issue in a couple of weeks, so its kind of something I need to solve anyway.

Yes, the only problem I see it that it that it might have to go through angular-schema-form. And that it could be considered wrong in some way I don't know to access the user scope like that.

[nicklasb]

Hm. The user scope is the $scope.$parent.$parent.$parent.$parent-scope (!) of the dynamic-select controller. I am:

1. Not sure that is always the case.
2. Certainly not sure that one is supposed to traverse parent scopes like that in Angular.

[ravivit9]

One way (sort of expensive) achieving this is to declare user function at $rootScope.myFunc level within user controller which attaches the myFunc at $rootScope hierarchy, then within schema-form or within schema-form-dynamic-select this function can be accessed and executed. This doesn't bubble up through all the way to root scope as it's going to be on straight access to the $rootScope and you have the function there.

Only thing is it needs to be documented that the function need to be attached to $rootScope instead of $scope. Otherwise not many users would prefer to attach function to root level.

How this sounds?

[nicklasb]

I will take it up with the schema-form people, perhaps there is a more elegant solution, it seems that this shouldn't be the first time stuff like this happens.

[ravivit9]

If you look "Angularjs Schema Form Kitchen Sink Example". Please note there is an onChange property which invokes scope level log() function I believe this is user scope level function called "log".

        "items": [
          {
            "key": "name",
            "placeholder": "Check the console",
            "onChange": "log(modelValue)",
            "feedback": "{'glyphicon': true, 'glyphicon-ok': hasSuccess(), 'glyphicon-star': !hasSuccess() }"
          }

]

[nicklasb]

Hm. I saw that there is an evalInParentScope function. That is probably how they do it.
Anyway, if they have it in their example, I suppose that it must be OK to use the same functionality in dynamic select.

I will try doing it that way instead.

[nicklasb]

Good catch, by the way!