Modular Application Framework

For Node.js

Description

MAF allows for easy integration of various modules. Some common features of any web application are already wrapped into MAF modules and are shipped with the package. These can then be molded together into an application with user-made modules.

Setup

• To use MAF first install it from the NPM

  npm install @jakub21/maf

• Import it in your entry point file (ex. index.js)

  const maf = require('@jakub21/maf');

• Create config instance. The default configuration is loaded from inside the package, so if you don't need to overwrite anything you don't have to provide any file.

  let config = new maf.Config();
  config.loadFile('./config.yml'); // optional

• Create an app that will manage all modules.

  let config = new maf.Application(config);

• Load a builtin module. This loads an express module with functional http server inside. If you ever need it, this method will return the module instance. Some builtins require additinal parameters.

  app.builtin('express');

• Load your own module. You can pass parameters and just like before, this method will return the module instance. The path is relative to your entry point script.

  let banana = app.module('./banana.js', 235, 'yellow');

Creating your own modules

• Each module has to inherit from MafModule class. The file it is located in must expose the class as the only export.

  let {MafModule} = require('@jakub21/maf');
  
  module.exports = class Banana extends MafModule {...}

• Constructor receives the Application instance as the first parameter. You are free to add more.

  constructor(app, weight, color) {...}

• The first thing you do in the constructor should be a super call with the above mentioned Application instance and a module name. The name has no formal constrains but to keep the framework convention you are encouraged to use lowercase letters only. The name is used as config scope and logs issuer.

  constructor(app, weight, color) {
    super(app, 'banana');
  }

• Log entries are added to default app logger with the log method. See logging section for more details.

  this.log(`Color is ${color} and weight is ${weight}g`);

  With the default settings this produces the following entry:

  [09:34:21] <banana> Color is yellow and weight is 235g

Configuration

Logging

Inter-module integration

Builtins