agent-reducer

agent-reducer is a model container for Javascript apps.

It helps you write applications with a micro mvvm pattern and provides a great developer experience, you can see details here.

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Basic usage

Let's have some examples to learn how to use it.

The example below is a counter, we can increase or decrease the state.

import { 
    effect, 
    Flows,
    create, 
    act, 
    strict, 
    flow, 
    Model 
} from "agent-reducer";

describe("basic", () => {
  // a class model template for managing a state
  class Counter implements Model<number> {
    // state of this model
    state: number = 0;

    // a method for generating a next state
    increase() {
      // keyword `this` represents model instance, like: new Counter()
      return this.state + 1;
    }

    decrease() {
      const nextState = this.state - 1;
      if (nextState < 0) {
        // use another method for help
        return this.reset();
      }
      return nextState;
    }

    reset() {
      return 0;
    }
  }

  test("call method from agent can change state", () => {
    // 'agent' is an avatar object from model class,
    // call method from 'agent' can lead a state change
    const { agent, connect, disconnect } = create(Counter);
    connect();
    // 'increase' method is from 'agent',
    // and returns a new state for model.
    agent.increase();
    // model state is changed to 1
    // We call these state change methods 'action methods'.
    expect(agent.state).toBe(1);
    disconnect();
  });

  test("only the method get from agent object directly, can change state", () => {
    const actionTypes: string[] = [];
    const { agent, connect, disconnect } = create(Counter);
    connect(({ type }) => {
      // record action type, when state is changed
      actionTypes.push(type);
    });
    // 'decrease' method is from 'agent',
    // and returns a new state for model.
    agent.decrease();
    // model state is changed to 0
    expect(agent.state).toBe(0);
    // the 'reset' method called in 'decrease' method,
    // it is not from 'agent',
    // so, it can not lead a state change itself,
    // and it is not an action method in this case.
    expect(actionTypes).toEqual(["decrease"]);
    disconnect();
  });
});
    

The operation is simple:

1. create agent object
2. connect
3. call method from agent object
4. the method called yet can use what it returns to change model state (this step is automatic)
5. disconnect

It works like a redux reducer, that is why it names agent-reducer.

Let's see a more complex example, and we will use it to manage a filterable list actions.

import { 
    effect, 
    Flows,
    create, 
    act, 
    strict, 
    flow, 
    Model 
} from "agent-reducer";

describe("use flow", () => {
  type State = {
    sourceList: string[];
    viewList: string[];
    keyword: string;
  };

  const remoteSourceList = ["1", "2", "3", "4", "5"];

  class List implements Model<State> {
    state: State = {
      sourceList: [],
      viewList: [],
      keyword: "",
    };

    // for changing sourceList,
    // which will be used for filtering viewList
    private changeSourceList(sourceList: string[]): State {
      return { ...this.state, sourceList};
    }

    // for changing viewList
    private changeViewList(viewList: string[]): State {
      return { ...this.state, viewList };
    }

    // for changing keyword,
    // which will be used for filtering viewList
    changeKeyword(keyword: string): State {
      return { ...this.state, keyword };
    }

    // fetch remote sourceList
    // `flow` decorator can make a flow method,
    // in flow method, keyword `this` is an agent object,
    // so, you can call action method to change state.
    @flow()
    async fetchSourceList() {
      // fetch remote sourceList
      const sourceList = await Promise.resolve(remoteSourceList);
      // keyword `this` represents an agent object in flow method,
      // `changeSourceList` is from this agent object,
      // and it is marked as an action method,
      // so, it can change state.
      this.changeSourceList(sourceList);
    }

    // effect of action methods: changeSourceList, changeKeyword for filtering viewList.
    // `effect` decorator makes an effect method,
    // the effect method can be used for listening the state change from action methods.
    // effect method is a special flow method, it can not be called manually.
    // We can add a flow mode by using `flow` decorator with effect,
    // now, we have told the effect method works in a debounce mode with 100 ms
    @flow(Flows.debounce(100))
    @effect(() => [
      // listen to action method `changeSourceList`
      List.prototype.changeSourceList,
      // listen to action method `changeKeyword`
      List.prototype.changeKeyword,
    ])
    private effectForFilterViewList() {
      const { sourceList, keyword } = this.state;
      // filter out the viewList
      const viewList = sourceList.filter((content) =>
        content.includes(keyword.trim())
      );
      // use action method `changeViewList` to change state
      this.changeViewList(viewList);
    }
  }

  test("flow method is used for composing action methods together to resolve more complex works", async () => {
    const { agent, connect, disconnect } = create(List);
    connect();
    // use flow to fetch remote sourceList
    await agent.fetchSourceList();
    expect(agent.state.sourceList).toEqual(remoteSourceList);
    disconnect();
  });

  test('effect method can listen to the state change of action methods',async ()=>{
    const { agent, connect, disconnect } = create(List);
    connect();
    // use flow to fetch remote sourceList
    await agent.fetchSourceList();
    // change sourceList, the effect method `effectForFilterViewList` will start after 100 ms
    expect(agent.state.sourceList).toEqual(remoteSourceList);
    // change keyword,
    // the effect method `effectForFilterViewList` will cancel itself,
    // then start after 100 ms
    agent.changeKeyword('1');
    await new Promise((r)=>setTimeout(r,110));
    // effect `effectForFilterViewList` filter out the viewList
    expect(agent.state.sourceList).toEqual(remoteSourceList);
    expect(agent.state.viewList).toEqual(['1']);
    disconnect();
  })
});

The example above uses decorators like @flow and @effect to make a list manage model, which can fetch list from remote service and filter by keywords.

Share state change synchronously

agent-reducer stores state, caches, listeners in the model instance, so you can share state change synchronously between two or more different agent objects from the same model instance.

import {
    create,
    Action,
    Model
} from 'agent-reducer';

describe('update by observing another agent',()=>{

    // this is a counter model,
    // we can increase or decrease its state
    class Counter implements Model<number> {

        state = 0;  // initial state

        // consider what the method returns as a next state for model
        stepUp = (): number => this.state + 1;

        stepDown = (): number => this.state - 1;

        step(isUp: boolean):number{
            return isUp ? this.stepUp() : this.stepDown();
        }

    }

    const counter = new Counter();

    test('an agent can share state change with another one, if they share a same model instance',()=>{
        // we create two listeners `dispatch1` and `dispatch2` for different agent reducer function
        const dispatch1 = jest.fn().mockImplementation((action:Action)=>{
            // the agent action contains a `state` property,
            // this state is what the model state should be now.
            expect(action.state).toBe(1);
        });
        const dispatch2 = jest.fn().mockImplementation((action:Action)=>{
            expect(action.state).toBe(1);
        });
        // use create api,
        // you can create an `Agent` object from its `Model`
        const reducer1 = create(counter);
        const reducer2 = create(counter);
        // before call the methods,
        // you need to connect it first,
        // you can add a listener to listen the agent action,
        // by using connect function
        reducer1.connect(dispatch1);
        reducer2.connect(dispatch2);
        // calling result which is returned by method `stepUp` will be next state.
        // then reducer1.agent will notify state change to reducer2.agent.
        reducer1.agent.stepUp();

        expect(dispatch1).toBeCalled();     // dispatch1 work
        expect(dispatch2).toBeCalled();     // dispatch2 work
        expect(counter.state).toBe(1);
    });

});

This example may not easy for understanding, but consider if we use this feature in a view library like React, we can update state synchronously between different components without props or context， and these components will rerender synchronously. You can use it easily with its React connnector use-agent-reducer.

Connector

• use-agent-reducer

Document

If you want to learn more, you can go into our document for more details.