react-redux-universal-resolver

Yet another ~~isomorphic~~ universal redux based async resolver for React.

This project is NOT production ready and might never would be.

Motivation

I was playing with different approaches to handle data fetching in redux base application both on server and client. There are solutions available. But I've decided to write my own to get a better understanding of universal applications.

General idea is well describe in redux docs:

On Server

• You somehow "extract" each piece of data required for container components to be rendered based current route. Usually by filtering components that expose static fetchData method.
• Prefetch each piece "in parallel" on server. Save collected data to store.
• Serialize state and save string in global variable say window.__INITIAL_STATE__.
• Render components, wrap with html (doctype etc), and send response to client.

On Client

• Create store using window.__INITIAL_STATE__ as initial data.
• Later
  • Either Use componentDidMount hook to check if data was loaded. If not run data fetching process.
  • Or listen to history change events and orchestrate data fetching process the same way it was done on server.

It all sounds like a lot of boilerplate code to write. And in fact it is. That's why there are almost a hundred of "boilerplate" projects available. Each of which utilize some data fetching package.

Basic Requirements

• Provide HOC that allows
  • Specify data requirements for component.
  • Provide custom mapping to fetching params based on current state and own component props on client.
  • Provide custom mapping to fetching params based on current state and router props on server.
  • Render another component when data is fetching (in-place loader indicators).
  • Render another component when data fetch failed (error message).
• Reduce serverside data prefetching to a single function call.
• Eliminate
  • Requirement for manual componentDidMount implementation.
  • Manual clientside fetching orchestration.
• Use redux store as the only source of state.
• Tests :lol:.

Installation

Assuming you have node and npm installed (not publish yet)

npm install --save react-redux-universal-resolver

Docs

• API
• resolver(mapParamsToPromises, [mapStateToParams], [mapRouteToParams], [options])
• resolveOnServer(components, state, routeProps, dispatch)
• Usage

Similar Projects

• ReduxAsyncConnect. Provides @asyncConnect decorator and ReduxAsyncConnect component to orchestrate data loading. Uses redux to manage state.
• react-resolver. Provides @resolve decorator. Not redux based.
• redial. Provides @provideHooks decorator. Not redux based.