Introduction

Objectize is an easy-to-use and intelligent object mapping library for Node. Objectize can automatically maps HTTP(s) request data including query, parameters and body to an object.

• Objectize interface aims to require very minimal code to achieve the most common cases, basic installation and configuration less to only two steps
• Integrate perfectly with Express.js framework
• Organize HTTP request data (Cookie, IP Address, Params)

Installation

npm install objectize

Request library (without Express Framework)

var objectize = require('objectize')();

With Express Framework

var objectize = require('objectize')(app);

Features

1. Simpler Code, a easy-to-use data mapping API(s)
2. Automatically handles GET query, parameters, POST body/multipart data
3. Easy to integrate with Web Frameworks
4. Easy to extend and reuse
5. Model (Data Mapping) structure is flexible
6. Filtering unnecessary request data by model-mapper class

Sample Code

File: sample.js

var TYPE = require('objectize')().TYPES;
var model = function model() {
    this.required = {
        name					: TYPE.STRING,
        uid						: TYPE.SHA1
    }
    this.reference = {
    	uid						: 'name'
    }
};
module.exports = model;

File: test.js (Integrated with Express.JS Framework)

objectize.use('/:name', function(req, res, args, end){
	res.send(objectize.map(args, sample));
	end();
});

Example: http://127.0.0.1:5000/john

{
    "name": "John",
    "uid": "06c884c70d3d783563781f20fe9849ef916480d9"
}

As mentioned, Objectize can automatically filter unnecessary request data. http://127.0.0.1:5000/john?lastname=Eaton request will return the same result because the model doesn't have lastname field.

Model

Sections

| Name | How to | Description | |-----------|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Required | this.required = {} | required param keys and value type are assigned here | | Optional | this.optional = {} | optional param keys and value type are assigned here | | Defaults | this.defaults = {} | initialization values will assigned here, a request data will replace the default value that with the same param key if duplicated | | Privilege | this.privilege = {} | same as defaults fields, except that no request data can replace privilege data | | Reference | this.reference = {} | Reference Field is required if CLONE, SHA1, MD5, DATE Model.Types is used | | Functions | this.functions = {} | Functions Field is required if TYPE.FUNCTION is used. |

Types

| Name | Type | Description | |----------|---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | BINARY | TYPE.BINARY | Multipart images, document files, a temporary file path will be returned once the file is uploaded | | NUMBER | TYPE.NUMBER | Either float or integer type value is accepted | | INTEGER | TYPE.INTEGER | Any integer-type value | | FLOAT | TYPE.FLOAT | Any float-type value | | STRING | TYPE.STRING | Any string-type value | | EMAIL | TYPE.EMAIL | Any email format string | | MD5 | TYPE.MD5 | Mapper will automatically convert input string to md5 string | | SHA1 | TYPE.SHA1 | Mapper will automatically convert input string to sha1 string | | BOOLEAN | TYPE.BOOLEAN | Only bool-type value (true, 'true', false, 'false') | | ARRAY | TYPE.ARRAY | Array-type data (eg. [1,2,'testing']) | | OBJECT | TYPE.OBJECT | Object-type data | | JSON | TYPE.JSON | JSON data | | GENERATE | TYPE.GENERATE | Mapper will automatically generate an uuid string to the assigned field | | NOW | TYPE.NOW | Mapper will automatically generate a current-time Date Object | | DATE | TYPE.DATE | Mapper will automatically generate a Date Object by (time+/-n[u]) format string For example, time+2d (current time + 2 days), time-5m (current time - 5 mins), time+1s (current time + 1 sec) | | IP | TYPE.IP | Mapper will automatically assign user/guest IP to the field | | CLONE | TYPE.CLONE | Mapper will clone the reference's data to the assigned field | | FUNCTION | TYPE.FUNCTION | Mapper will retrieve the return value of the function |

Advanced

Defaults and Privilege

With Objectize, you can assign a value to defaults / privilege section by a function.

this.defaults = {
	currentDateTime: function() {
		return new Date();
	}
}

Required and Optional (Reference)

Using reference system is simple. For an example, if you want to clone a value in different name field, you can do the following

this.required = {
	name: TYPE.STRING,
	copyname: TYPE.CLONE,
}
this.reference = {
	copyname: 'name'
}

The sole thing you require to do is assign 'copyname' with TYPE.CLONE type and determine the reference key to field 'name' in the reference section.

{
    "name": "John",
    "copyname": "John"
}

Same concept as well applied to SHA1, MD5, DATE Model Types.

Required and Optional (Function)

As same as defaults / privilege function but with more features.

this.required = {
	firstname: TYPE.STRING,
	lastname: TYPE.STRING,
	reg_date: TYPE.FUNCTION
}
this.functions = {
	reg_date: function() {
		return new Date().getTime();
	}
}

The output data will look like this.

{
    "firstname": "John",
    "lastname": "Raymond",
    "reg_date": 2002349203
}

For more advanced usage, you can do the following

this.required = {
	firstname: TYPE.STRING,
	lastname: TYPE.STRING,
	reg_date: TYPE.FUNCTION,
	fullname: TYPE.FUNCTION
}
this.functions = {
	reg_date: function() {
		return new Date().getTime();
	},
	fullname:['firstname', 'lastname', function(firstname, lastname) {
		return firstname + ' ' + lastname;
	}]
}

The Mapper will automatically grab the firstname, and lastname to the function. [keys, function(args)]

{
    "firstname": "John",
    "lastname": "Raymond",
    "reg_date": 2002349203,
    "fullname": "John Raymond"
}

Why is Objectize so useful?

Objectize can immediately turns a input data to a valuable and usable data that could be stored in database. Below are two solutions of user register API that store user data to RethinkDB NoSQL.

Solution 1: Without Objectize

app.post('/signup', function(req, res) {
	async.parallel([
		function(callback) {
			var body = '';
			req.on('data', function(chunk) {
				body += chunk.toString();
			});
			req.on('end', function() {
				callback(null, querystring.parse(body) || {});
			});
		}
	], 
	function(err, results) {
		var params = results[0];
		var data = {};
		var emailRegex = /^(([^<>()[\]\\.,;:\s@\"]+(\.[^<>()[\]\\.,;:\s@\"]+)*)|(\".+\"))@((\[[0-9]{1,3}\.[0-9]{1,3}\.[0-9]{1,3}\.[0-9]{1,3}\])|(([a-zA-Z\-0-9]+\.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}))$/;
		var sendError = function() {
			res.send(JSON.stringify({success:false}));
		}
		var sha1 = function(str) {
			var shasum = crypto.createHash('sha1');
			shasum.update(str);
			return shasum.digest('hex');
		}
		if (params.email && emailRegex.test(params.email)) {
			data.email = params.email;
			data.userid = sha1(params.email);
		} else {
			sendError();
		}
		if (params.password && params.password.length > 0) {
			data.password = params.password;
		} else {
			sendError();
		}
		data.reg_date = new Date();
		r.table('account').insert(data).run().then(function(result) {
			data.success = true;
			res.send(JSON.stringify(data));
		});
	});
	
});

Solution 2: With Objectize

signup.js (model)

var model = function model() {
    this.required = {
        email		: TYPE.EMAIL,
        userid		: TYPE.SHA1,
        password	: TYPE.STRING,
        reg_date	: TYPE.NOW
    }
    this.reference = {
    	userid		: 'email'
    }
};
module.exports = model;

app.js

objectize.post('/signup', function(req, res, args, end) {
	var data = objectize.map(args, signup) || this.drop({success:false});
	this.do(function() {
		r.table('account').insert(data).run().then(function(result) {
			data.success = true;
			res.send(data);
		});	
	});
	end();
});

Contributing

You want to contribute? Great! That would be awesome! Pull requests are always welcome.