coleman-dispatcher

Yet another Flux dispatcher for Javascript-based apps. This is a wannabe-clean mix of the Backbone.Events module, based on Yahoo's Dispatchr interface, and inspired by backbone-dispatcher.

Install

Install it using the command npm install coleman-dispatcher.

In case you're not using ES2015 and/or a transipiler on your side, the package comes with browserify included (as a dev dependency). To transpile it as ES5, the right command to run is npm run generate-es5: you'll find the file in the dist folder.

The tests are run using npm test (it will run ESLint, and then karma & PhantomJS), while the lint is available using npm run lint.

Why this name

Why coleman-dispatcher? Because I had to find a name for it and all of the c00ler/most appropriate names are already used. So I ended up on Wikipedia looking for something related, more or less, and I've found the tragic but amazing story of Vince Coleman, a train dispatcher who spent his last moments on a morse code machine requiring to stop all the trains going to Halifax since a huge explosion was expected nearby, caused by collision between a munitions ship and a vassel. A fucking awesome train/morse/dispatcher hero.

What it is

With the last additions, this package evolved from an object with some useful functions, to an ES2015 class. It is instantiated in index.js though, so it'll basically (not 100% accurate, I know) remain a collection of useful functions with a nice defined scope.

Still to add, at some point:

• Caching stores and/or callbacks
• Provide a way to (automatically) clean up the callbacks

Feel free to ask if you have any trouble using this, if you think I've fucked up something, or you'd just like to say hi and/or get a free hug :)

Public interface

registerStore(store)

Your Collection/store file, let's say TrainStore.js, might look like this:

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');

var TrainStore = Backbone.Collection.extend({
  url: '/api/trains',
  model: Train,
  initialize: function initialize() {
    Dispatcher.registerStore(this);
  },
  onEventDispatched: function(payload, eventName, done, error) {
    // Single callback. Keep on reading for more info!
  }
});

When this collection gets initialized, it'll call the registerStore function which is in charge of setting up the proper events callbacks, based on how the store class and the callbacks are structured, using store itself as a context (Yeah Backbone.Events autobind!).

There are two ways to register callbacks: using an hash, or with a single callback.

handlersHashName = 'handlers';

The value of this property is used to retrieve the event callbacks' hash on the registered store so the proper bindings can be done. By default, its value is handlers.

callbackName = 'onEventDispatched';

If no object with the handlersHashName's value as a key is found, coleman-dispatcher will fallback to a single default callback, defined by callbackName's value (by default, that is onEventDispatched). You may want to use this rather than the hash solution shown above, especially if you're used to the Facebook way of working with actions and their callbacks.

registerCallback(eventName, store, callbackFn)

Under the hood, registerStore will call registerCallback with a proper set of arguments. Even if it's a low-level function, I've left this publicly exposed as it may be helpful in some cases.

Please note none of the three arguments here have a default, you have to explicitly provide them.

dispatch(eventName[, payload])

To trigger an event, the dispatch function must be called. payload is optional.

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');
var TrainConstants = require('actions/TrainConstants');

var ActionTypes = TrainConstants.ActionTypes;

module.exports = {
  fetchTrains: function fetchTrains() {
    Dispatcher.dispatch(ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH);
  },
  stopTrain: function stopTrain(id) {
    Dispatcher.dispatch(ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP);
  }
};

dispatch(eventName[, payload[, options])

To trigger an event, the dispatch function must be called. payload and options are optional. options can have as keys:

• waitFor: It waits for this action name's callbacks to be executed before triggering eventName
• async: If true, it'll pass a done and error callbacks to all the attached waitFor's callbacks thru dispatch. In order to execute eventName action, the done() has to be explicitly called. (default: false)
• error: Optional, used only if async is true. It's executed whenever the error callback sent thru the dispatch function is invoked

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');
var TrainConstants = require('actions/TrainConstants');

var ActionTypes = TrainConstants.ActionTypes;

module.exports = {
  fetchTrains: function fetchTrains() {
    Dispatcher.dispatch(ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH);
  },
  stopTrain: function stopTrain(id) {
    Dispatcher.dispatch(ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP, {}, {
      waitFor: ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH,
      async: true,
      error: function() {
        // Something terribly wrong has just happened in one of the waitFor's handlers.
      }
    });
  }
};

With the code above, ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP will not be invoked until any of ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH's callbacks will execute the done() callback passed to the handlers.

ActionsCallback(payload, actionName[, doneCb[, errorCb]])

All the callbacks, no matter how have been registered, will get:

• the action's payload (if there's any)
• the action name
• the done callback
• the error callback

The two callbacks are sent out only if the action has been dispatched using options.async = true. In this case, whenever appropriate, doneCB() has to be explicitly called in order to let the action waiting to be executed as well. Extending the example above with the Store side, let's say we'd like to execute handleStopTrain as soon as the TrainStore collection is done fetching trains from the depot, erm, the server.

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');
var TrainActions = require('actions/TrainActions');
var ActionTypes = TrainActions.ActionTypes;

var TrainStore = Backbone.Collection.extend({
  url: '/api/trains',
  model: Train,
  handlers: [
    {
      action: ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH,
      callback: function handleFetchTrain(payload, eventName, doneCb, errorCb) {
        this.fetch({
          success: function() {
            if (doneCb) {
              doneCb();
            }
          },
          error: function() {
            if (errorCb) {
              errorCb();
            }
          }
        });
      }
    },
    {
      action: ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP,
      callback: function handleStopTrain(payload) {
        var trainToStop = this.findWhere({
          trainId: payload.id
        });
        if (trainToRun){
          myTrain.set({
            isRunning: false
          });
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  initialize: function initialize() {
    Dispatcher.registerStore(this);
  }
});

Extended examples of registering a Store using the hash

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');
var TrainActions = require('actions/TrainActions');
var ActionTypes = TrainActions.ActionTypes;

var TrainStore = Backbone.Collection.extend({
  url: '/api/trains',
  model: Train,
  handlers: [
    {
      action: ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH,
      callback: function handleFetchTrain() {
        this.fetch();
      }
    },
    {
      action: ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP,
      callback: function handleStopTrain(payload) {
        var trainToStop = this.findWhere({
          trainId: payload.id
        });
        if (trainToRun){
          myTrain.set({
            isRunning: false
          });
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  initialize: function initialize() {
    Dispatcher.registerStore(this);
  }
});

Since we used the default handlersHashName value (that is, handlers), the code above would attach handleFetchTrain callback function to the ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH event, and handlerStopTrain is triggered when the ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP event is fired instead. Please notice the this inside the callback functions always refers to the Store/Collection/Model where the callback is defined.

Hash using strings as callbacks

If you prefer to have a cleaner hash, you may also define the callback as a string: coleman will call the corresponding store function with such a name. Quick example:

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');
var TrainActions = require('actions/TrainActions');
var ActionTypes = TrainActions.ActionTypes;

var TrainStore = Backbone.Collection.extend({
  url: '/api/trains',
  model: Train,
  handlers: [
    {
      action: ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH,
      callback: 'handleFetchTrain',
    {
      action: ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP,
      callback: 'stopThatTrain'
    }
  ],
  initialize: function initialize() {
    Dispatcher.registerStore(this);
  },
  handleFetchTrain: function handleFetchTrain() {
    this.fetch();
  },
  stopThatTrain: function stopThatTrain() {
    var trainToStop = this.findWhere({
      trainId: payload.id
    });
    if (trainToRun){
      myTrain.set({
        isRunning: false
      });
    }
  }
});

Strings, strings everywhere

Another way of declaring handlers is:

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');
var TrainActions = require('actions/TrainActions');
var ActionTypes = TrainActions.ActionTypes;

var TrainStore = Backbone.Collection.extend({
  url: '/api/trains',
  model: Train,
  handlers: {
    'TRAIN_FETCH': 'handleFetchTrain',
    'TRAIN_STOP': 'stopThatTrain'
  },
  initialize: function initialize() {
    Dispatcher.registerStore(this);
  },
  handleFetchTrain: function handleFetchTrain() {
    this.fetch();
  },
  stopThatTrain: function stopThatTrain() {
    var trainToStop = this.findWhere({
      trainId: payload.id
    });
    if (trainToRun){
      myTrain.set({
        isRunning: false
      });
    }
  }
});

ES6. ES2015. Whatever... The fancy one

You like ES2015? Me too, lately. I've got you covered as well.

import Backbone from 'backbone';
import Dispatcher from 'coleman-dispatcher';
import { ActionTypes } from 'actions/TrainActions';

class TrainStore extends Backbone.Collection {
  constructor() {
    super();
  }

  url() {
    return '/api/trains';
  }

  get model() {
    return Train;
  }

  handlers() {
    return {
      [ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH]() {
        'use strict';

        this.fetch();
      },
      [ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP](payload) {
        'use strict';

        var trainToStop = this.findWhere({
          trainId: payload.id
        });
        if (trainToRun){
          myTrain.set({
            isRunning: false
          });
        }
      }
    };
  }

  initialize() {
    Dispatcher.registerStore(this);
  }
}

let trainStore = new TrainStore();
export default trainStore;

This basically works exactly as before. But it's a more compact syntax.

One single callback to rule 'em all

This code would work exactly as the code above:

var Backbone = require('backbone');
var Dispatcher = require('coleman-dispatcher');
var TrainConstants = require('constants/TrainConstants');
var ActionTypes = TrainConstants.ActionTypes;

var TrainStore = Backbone.Collection.extend({
  url: '/api/trains',
  model: Train,
  onEventDispatched: function onEventDispatched(payload, eventName){
    switch(eventName){
      case ActionTypes.TRAIN_FETCH:
        this.fetch();
      break;
      case ActionTypes.TRAIN_STOP:
        var trainToStop = this.findWhere({
          trainId: payload.id
        });
        if (trainToRun){
          myTrain.set({
            isRunning: false
          });
        }
      break;
    }
  },
  initialize: function initialize() {
    Dispatcher.registerStore(this);
  }
});

Again: no need to bind the store to the callback, it's already taken care of. I'm basically a good guy. I love you all.