Architect.js

Large projects to build ? Take an architect !

Architect will help you to makes your dream a reality by providing solid schema and models from the constraints you shared with him.

This project aims to produce a real-time data validation to make sure everything stays correct at any time.

Installation

npm install architect.js --save

Usage

By default architect.js uses Joi library for validation but is extensible to any validation library via a custom adapter.

Validation descriptor is used by the validation adapter to instanciate the validator. So architect.js validation features are just limited to the validation backend capabilities.

Schema

The schema layer takes your constraints as input and help you to ensure they are respected along your app runs/grows.

Validation

import {Schema} from 'architect.js'
// Let's choose a cat to the pet shop with our architect

const catValidator = new Schema({
	name: {
		_type: "string",
		invalid: ["kitty", "felix"] // this names really sucks for a cat ...
	},
	age:  "number",
	paws: {
		_type: "number",
		min: 0,
		max: 4  // Until the science change it ...
	},
	colors: {
		_type: "array",
		items: [{
			_type: "string",
			valid: ["white", "black", "red"] // Please, find me the red one !
		}],
		min: 1,
		max: 3
	}
});

const cats = [
	{
		name:   "felix",
		age:    2,
		paws:   4,
		colors: ["black", "white"]
	},
	{
		name:   "hulk",
		age:    5,
		paws:   3,
		colors: ["green"]
	},
	{
		name:   "snowball",
		age:    1,
		paws:   4,
		colors: ["white"]
	}
];

const myNewCat = cats.find((cat) => catValidator.validate(cat) === true);

console.log("My new cat is:", myNewCat);
/*
{
	name:  "snowball",
	age:   1,
	paws:  4,
	color: "white"
}
*/

So my new cat is snowball, because felix's name sucks and hulk is green.

Okay! nothing new here, just a schema validation module, but...

const snowball = catValidator.proxify(myNewCat);

// Let colorize snowball in yellow (don't use toxic products to do so)

try {
	snowball.colors = ["yellow"];
} catch (e) {
	console.error("Can't paint snowball in yellow"); // Throws an error, as i specified that i only want white, black or red cat.
}


// Let's try red ?

snowball.colors = ["red"];

console.log("snowball's color is now:", snowball.colors); // => ['red']

// oh yeah, a cat from hell !
// let's try making it's paws blue !

try {
	snowball.colors.push("blue"); // Yeah, we also validate incoming data
} catch (e) {
	console.error("Can't paint snowball's paws in blue"); // Throws an error, as i specified that i only want white, black or red cat.
}

// you can now even try by cutting/grafting paws :D

And now ? first, we have a red cat (which is so cool!), and our architect did a great job !

/!\ No kittens were actually abused during this demonstration.

Validation is not shiny enough ? see, below:

Casting

Snowball is now a beautiful red cat. Let's try some modification on it.

// What if i try to change it's age like it ?
/*
For those who where sleeping, catValidator.age is "number"
*/

try {
	snowball.age = "2";
} catch (e) {
	// What ? no error thrown ? your validation sucks man !
}

// calm down ! every incoming value is type-casted (as far as the validation library can), even for dates, etc...

console.log("Snowball's age is:", snowball.age); // => 2
console.log("Snowball's age is of type:", typeof snowball.age); // => number

Proxying

Okay, we proxified a cat, but is it still a cat or is it something weird containing a cat (like Schrödinger box, huh ?)?

Let's see it:

class Cat {}

const shrodinger = catValidator.proxify(new Cat());

console.log("shrodinger constructor is:", shrodinger.constructor.name); // => Cat
console.log("is shrodinger instance of cat ?", shrodinger instanceof Cat); // => true

The magic happens thanks to new amazing ES6 Proxy classes.

Now you know ! let's use and abuse it for your own safety.

Retrieve the full example script here:

./node_modules/.bin/babel-node examples/cat.js

Model

Coming soon, it's beer time...