Values

datamill offers a fluent API for dealing with values of various types. A primary feature offered by this API is the ability to easily cast between different types. Consider for example HTTP request URI parameters:

    rb.ifMethodAndUriMatch(Method.GET, "/users/{id}", request ->
        request.uriParameter("id").asLong() == 0 ? 
            request.respond().ok() : 
            request.respond().notFound()));

Here, the request URI parameter "id", retrieved using request.uriParameter("id") returns a foundation.stack.datamill.values.Value, the main interface for the values API. This URI parameter, as with all URI parameters, is originally a string value. But notice that it is easily converted into a long value using the asLong() method. There is a method to quickly cast to all the primitive types. Another example of where values are returned is when you access database row data:

    dbClient.select(outline.propertyNames()).from(outline.pluralName()).where()
        .eq(outline.name(outline.members().getId()), request.uriParameter("id").asLong())
    .map(row -> row.column(outline.name(outline.members().isActive())).asBoolean())
    .flatMap(active -> active ? 
         r.respond.ok("Active") :
         r.respond.ok("Not Active"))));

Note that when we retrieve the value of the "active" column using row.column(outline.name(outline.members().isActive())), we get back a value, which we cast to a boolean with a call to asBoolean(). In this case, the database type may have originally been a boolean, or it may have been an integer type - by using asBoolean(), we can perform the cast safely and easily. In any location where the ability to perform this easy casting is appropriate, Values are used within the framework.