by Michael Hackstein

@mchacki

Rapid API Development ArangoDB Foxx

Michael Hackstein @mchacki

• Member of ArangoDB Core Team

• web front-end

• graph features

• Organizer of cologne.js

• Master’s Degree(spec. Databases andInformation Systems)

Classical Web Applications

Application Logic

Single Page Web Applications

Application Logic

The Idea

• What if we could talk to the database directly?

• It would only need an API

• What if we could define this API in JavaScript?

Single Page Web Applications

This doesn‘t mean its a Rails/… Killer

Client Server DB

Client Server (optional)

DB with Foxx

What is ?• a multi-model database (document store & graph database)

• is open source and free (Apache 2 license)

• offers convenient queries (via HTTP/REST and AQL)

• offers high performance and is memory efficient

• uses JavaScript throughout (V8 built into server)

• doubles as a web and application server (Foxx)

• offers many drivers for a wide range of languages

• is easy to use with web frontend and good documentation

• enjoys good professional as well as community support

• and recently added sharding in Version 2.0.

/\ (~( ) ) /\_/\ ( _-----_(@ @) ( \ / /|/--\|\ V " " " "

• … a feature of ArangoDB since 1.4

• … an easy way to define REST APIs on top of ArangoDB

• … a toolset for developing your single page web application

• … not requiring any special code on the client side – use it with Angular, Backbone, Ember,…

Foxx is…

Why another solution?

• ArangoDB Foxx is streamlined for API creation – not a Jack of all trades

• There‘s no communication overhead between (serverside) application and database

• It is designed for front end developers: Use JavaScript, you already know that

Foxx.Controller

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");

controller = new Foxx.Controller(appContext);

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");

controller = new Foxx.Controller(appContext);

controller.get("/users", function(req, res) {});

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");

controller = new Foxx.Controller(appContext);

controller.get("/users", function(req, res) { res.json({ hello: "world" });});

Parameterize the routes

• You may want a route like `users/:name`…

• …and then access the value of `name` easily

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx"); !controller = new Foxx.Controller(appContext); !controller.get("/users", function(req, res) { res.json({ hello: "world" }); });

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx"); !controller = new Foxx.Controller(appContext); !controller.get("/users ", function(req, res) { res.json({ hello: "world" }); });

/:name

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx"); !controller = new Foxx.Controller(appContext); !controller.get("/users ", function(req, res) { res.json({ hello: "world" }); });

req.params("name");

/:name

• In your Foxx.Controller you describe your routes

• But your application can consist of multiple Foxx.Controllers

• … and you also want to deliver assets and files

Manifest.json

{ "name": "my_website", "version": "1.2.1", "description": "My Website with a blog and a shop", "thumbnail": "images/website-logo.png", ! "controllers": { "/blog": "apps/blog.js", "/shop": "apps/shop.js" }, ! "assets": { "application.js": { "files": [ "vendor/jquery.js", "assets/javascripts/*" ] } } }

{ "name": "my_website", "version": "1.2.1", "description": "My Website with a blog and a shop", "thumbnail": "images/website-logo.png", ! "controllers": { "/blog": "apps/blog.js", "/shop": "apps/shop.js" }, ! "assets": { "application.js": { "files": [ "vendor/jquery.js", "assets/javascripts/*" ] } } }

{ "name": "my_website", "version": "1.2.1", "description": "My Website with a blog and a shop", "thumbnail": "images/website-logo.png", ! "controllers": { "/blog": "apps/blog.js", "/shop": "apps/shop.js" }, ! "assets": { "application.js": { "files": [ "vendor/jquery.js", "assets/javascripts/*" ] } } }

More

• Define a setup and teardown function to create and delete collections

• Define lib to set a base path for your require statements

• Define files to deliver binary data unaltered

Documentation as a first class citizen

Annotate your Routes

• For Documentation

• But it is also used for validation

controller.get("/users/:name", function(req, res) { res.json({ hello: req.params("name"); }); });

controller.get("/users/:name", function(req, res) { res.json({ hello: req.params("name"); }); }) .pathParam("name", { description: "Name of the User", dataType: "string" });

;

controller.get("/users/:name", function(req, res) { res.json({ hello: req.params("name"); }); }) .pathParam("name", { description: "Name of the User", dataType: "string" });

/** What's my name? * * This route knows it. */

Automatically generate Swagger Docs

Foxx.Repository and Foxx.Model

Domain Models Persistence

Foxx.Model Foxx.Repository

Foxx.Model Foxx.Repository

• Representation of the data • Convenience Methods • Validation

• Save and Retrieve Data • Simple Queries • Define your own queries

Why this separation?• It doesn‘t violate the SRP like ActiveRecord

• In a lot of cases you can use the standard Repository or Model and don‘t need your own

• It‘s great for testing

• You can mock the collection and the model prototype to test your Repository

• You don‘t need to mock anything to test your model

Foxx.Model

• The constructor takes a hash of attributes

• Access the attributes with get, set and has

• The forDB will be used to write the data into the database

• Use forClient to prepare the data for delivery

Foxx.Repository

• The constructor takes an arangodb-collection and the prototype of the model

• save for example expects an instance of the model

• firstExample finds a suitable dataset and returns it as an instance of the model

• Other methods: remove, replace, update…

You need more?

• Use Foxx.Repository.extend and Foxx.Model.extend to inherit from the prototype

• Add your own methods

• Your extensions live in separate files

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");!!MyRepository = Foxx.Repository.extend({

});!!exports.Repository = MyRepository;

byName: function (name) {! return this.byExample({! name: name! });! }

Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");!!MyRepository = Foxx.Repository.extend({

});!!exports.Repository = MyRepository;

Thanks

• Please try ArangoDB Foxx

• www.arangodb.org

• We to get feedback

Contact

• I am mchacki everywhere:

• mchacki@arangodb.org

• @mchacki on Twitter

• mchacki on Github

Thanks

• First Slide version by Lucas Dohmen

• Database icon designed by Romeo Barreto from The Noun Project

• Logos from Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Django, AngularJS, Backbone, Ember and Symfony from the respective projects

• All other icons are from Font Awesome