Meteor.publish("thing", function(options) {
return Collection.find({}, {fields: {anArray: 0}})
})
I exclude "anArray" because it contains userids not meant to be seen by each user. However it could contain the logged in user itself, in which case the user needs to know it.
Collection = new Mongo.Collection("thing", {
transform: function(document) {
_.each(document.anArray, function(item) {
item = true
})
return document
}
})
Above I try to transform the collection(simplified) but because the "anArray" is excluded, "anArray" is simply not defined.
How can I let the user know he is in "anArray" without compromising all other users in "anArray"? (I tried to do that in the transform.)
You can use the package I developed, meteor-middleware. It provides a nice pluggable API for this. So instead of just providing a transform, you can stack them one on another. This allows for code reuse, permissions checks (like removing or aggregating fields based on permissions), etc.
For example, for your particular problem, you could do (in CoffeeScript):
thing = new PublishEndpoint 'thing', (options) ->
Collection.find {}
class HideAnArrayMiddleware
added: (publish, collection, id, fields) =>
fields.anArray = _.intersection fields.anArray, [publish.userId] if fields.anArray
publish.added collection, id, fields
changed: (publish, collection, id, fields) =>
fields.anArray = _.intersection fields.anArray, [publish.userId] if fields.anArray
publish.changed collection, id, fields
thing.use new HideAnArrayMiddleware()
As described in this answer, here is how you access document fields before publishing them:
// server: publish the rooms collection
Meteor.publish("rooms", function () {
var self = this;
var handle = Rooms.find({}).observeChanges({
added: function(id, fields) { self.added("rooms", id, fields); },
changed: function(id, fields) { self.changed("rooms", id, fields); },
removed: function(id) { self.added("rooms", id); },
}
});
self.ready();
self.onStop(function () { handle.stop(); });
});
In your case, maybe you can do something like this:
added: function(id, fields) {
if (fields.anArray)
if (fields.anArray.indexOf(self.userId) !== -1)
fields.anArray = [self.userId];
else
delete fields.anArray;
self.added("rooms", id, fields);
},
You'll also have to take care of the changed function in a similar way.
It's not possible to include or exclude elements of an array, so your best bet is to define an explicit Boolean field in the document for the user being in the array.
Also, because transforms on the server are ignored (please vote for this issue), you'll have to set that field in the database if it's dynamically computed. Similar SO questions: 1, 2, 3.
An alternative is to define a non-database-backed collection. Have a look at the counts-by-room example.
Related
Clearly, I am doing something wrong with ReactiveVar because I cannot get it to work as I expect it should.
I am trying to set the value of an ReactiveVar by calling a Meteor.call method which returns the list of usernames. But it does not update when the usernames get changed in another part of the app.
I tried both:
Template.qastatistics.created = function () {
this.trackUsernames = new ReactiveVar(false);
var instance = Template.instance();
Meteor.call('trackUsernames', function (err, data) {
instance.trackUsernames.set(data);
});
};
and:
Template.qastatistics.helpers({
users: function () {
var usernames,
instance = Template.instance();
if (instance.trackUsernames.get() === false) {
Meteor.call('trackUsernames', function (err, data) {
instance.trackUsernames.set(data);
});
}
usernames = instance.trackUsernames.get();
...
But neither updates the list of usernames when these change in the database.
Is this even possible with ReactiveVars or have I completely misunderstood them?
EDIT: The usernames I mention are not from Meteor.users collection, but rather a distinct call from another collection that has usernames in it.
Fist of all I would use the onCreated function instead of defining created. That's a little more extendable and it's the new API. created is just kept around for backwards compatibility.
About your problem. You are right, you seem to have misunderstood what ReactiveVars do. They are a reactive data source. That means that when you call myReactiveVar.get in some Tracker.autorun (aka. reactive computation), the computation will rerun whenever myReactiveVar.set is called.
You got the first part right. Spacebars helpers always run inside their own computation. What you got wrong is thinking that a method call is a reactive action. That means, that you could call trackUsernames and set the trackUsernames ReativeVar again and the value in your template would update itself. But a method is only run once. It doesn't do anything fancy with reactivity.
A method call only transfers data once. When you publish a set of documents (like all users) on the other hand, they will be updated dynamically. Whenever a change happens inside that set of published documents, it will be synced to the client. So in general, it's a better idea to use publications and subscriptions to sync data reactively. If you'd want to use a method for the same thing you'd need to do some kind of polling (so your back in the stone-age again).
The easiest way to implement what you are trying to do is to use Meteor.users.find().fetch(). As it says in the docs fetch registers dependencies for all the documents you are fetching if it's being called from within a reactive computation.
First you'll need to properly set up your publications, so that users can see other users usernames. I'll leave that to you. Then you need to reimplement your helper
Template.qastatistics.helpers({
users: function () {
var usernames = _.pluck(Meteor.users.find().fetch(), 'username');
...
Thanks to suggestions from #kyll, I managed to get what I wanted by publishing the data I need:
server:
cope.publish.usernamesID = Random.id();
Meteor.publish("itemsusernames", function () {
self = this;
var initializing = true;
var handle = Items.find().observeChanges({
added: function (id) {
!initializing && self.changed(
"itemsusernames",
cope.publish.usernamesID,
Items.distinct("p4User"));
},
changed: function (id) {
!initializing && self.changed(
"itemsusernames",
cope.publish.usernamesID,
Items.distinct("p4User"));
},
removed: function (id) {
!initializing && self.changed(
"itemsusernames",
cope.publish.usernamesID,
Items.distinct("p4User"));
}
});
initializing = false;
self.added("itemsusernames", cope.publish.usernamesID, Items.distinct("p4User"));
self.ready();
self.onStop(function () {
handle.stop();
});
});
client:
users: function () {
var usernames = [],
oUsernames = ItemsUsernames.find().fetch();
if (!oUsernames[0]) return [];
usernames = $.map(oUsernames[0], function (value, index) {
if (!isNaN(index)) {
return [value];
}
});
...
And ofcourse: ItemsUsernames = new Mongo.Collection("itemsusernames");
hope my first question here is not a stupid one.
Lets say we want to build a chat application with meteor, with logedin and anonymous users. The chat should be filled like that:
var post = {
userId: user._id, // is empty if anonymous user
submitted: new Date().getTime(),
text: chat_message
});
var postId = Posts.insert(post);
The publication could looks like this to make sure that the userId is not transfered
Meteor.publish('getTheChat', function() {
return Post.find({}, {fields: {userId: false});
});
But is there a way to add a field in the returned collection dynamically?
The userId should not be published but a status like "Your_Post","another_logedin_user" or "an_anonymous_user". By having that, I could include some css, so the chat looks a little bit more like WhatsApp or iMessage.
The logic inside the publish method could be something like
if (userId == this.userId) {
status = "Your_Post";
} else if (userId != null) {
status = "another_logedin_user";
} else {
status = "an_anonymous_user";
}
You see, the publication should include different values when called from different users. Is there a way in Meteor.publish?
Thanks for any insight or suggestions
Thank you both for your ideas! But as I had to find out (just for my inward peace) how it is possible inside the publish method server sided, I came, with the help of David's link, to this solution -maybe it will help someone later:
Meteor.publish('getTheChat', function(postId) {
var currentUserId = this.userId;
var ownerUserId = Posts.findOne({'_id':postId}).userId;
var findOptions = {}; // in my final coding these differ for 'chat room owners' and 'normal users'
var transform = function(post) {
if (currentUserId && post.userId == currentUserId) {
post.userId = "posted by you";
} else if (post.userId == null) {
post.userId = "anonym posted";
} else if (post.userId == ownerUserId) {
post.userId = "posted by owner";
} else {
post.userID = "posted by another loged in";
return post;
};
var self = this;
var handle = Posts.find(findOptions).observe({
added: function (document) {
self.added('posts', document._id, transform(document));
},
changed: function (newDocument, oldDocument) {
self.changed('posts', document._id, transform(newDocument));
},
removed: function (oldDocument) {
self.removed('posts', oldDocument._id);
}
});
self.ready();
self.onStop(function(){
handle.stop();
});
By having this I am finally able to overwrite values dynamically.
It looks like you need to add a transform on your Posts collection. You can do this in your publish function (as seen here), but server-side transforms are computationally inefficient and tricky to write. Though they are necessary in cases where only the server could perform the action - e.g. signed URLs. In your case, I'd recommend a standard collection transform which is a filter applied after the documents are fetched.
Unfortunately, this kind of transform would require the userId on the client. I've never seen a case where simply publishing a id could cause a security issue. If you believe this is the case with your app, I'm very interested to know why. If you can overcome this restriction, keep reading...
You can read about transforms in the documentation on collections, and you can see an example on evented mind. Personally I like to use the collection-helpers package for this.
If you try collection-helpers, your transform could look like:
Posts.helpers({
status: function() {
if (this.userId === Meteor.userId()) {
return 'Your_Post';
} else if (this.userId != null) {
return 'another_logedin_user';
} else {
return 'an_anonymous_user';
}
}
});
And then you could use it in your template like:
{{#each posts}}
<p>{{text}} - <span class='status'>{{status}}</span></p>
{{/each}}
Of course, you can also use template helpers to achieve the same result but transforms are more easily reusable across your application.
Sadly, this has been a huge issue for me too, and I am sorry to say, it is not technically possible to just add a field on the publisher's query and use it conveniently in your view. BUT, I have a solution that may work for you. It will also give you an idea of how complex it can become as soon as you want to keep some reactive data private in Meteor.
Server side:
First, create two different publishers: one for the current user's posts, one for all the others:
Meteor.publish('getTheOthersChat', function() {
return Post.find({$ne:{userId: this.userId}}, {fields: {userId: false});
});
Meteor.publish('getTheOwnChat', function() {
return Post.find({userId: this.userId});
});
Client/router side:
Then, subscribe to both of these: what this will do is include the post's userId only when it is the own user's id. If not, it'll be undefined.
Then, we still need to identify the case "anonymously posted" vs "posted by user". For this, you can add another field during the post creation, for example is_anonymous, which you then set to true or false depending on the case if the user is logged in or not. The check would then be:
if (userId) {
status = "Your_Post";
} else if (is_anonymous === false) {
status = "another_logedin_user";
} else {
status = "an_anonymous_user";
}
This solution should work. I know, it is sad to have to come to this kind of means. It makes Meteor look clunky and impractical for tasks that should be dead easy. Such a shame for such a cool framework!
Meteor Collections have a transform ability that allows behavior to be attached to the objects returned from mongo.
We want to have autopublish turned off so the client does not have access to the database collections, but we still want the transform functionality.
We are sending data to the client with a more explicit Meteor.publish/Meteor.subscribe or the RPC mechanism ( Meteor.call()/Meteor.methods() )
How can we have the Meteor client automatically apply a transform like it will when retrieving data directly with the Meteor.Collection methods?
While you can't directly use transforms, there is a way to transform the result of a database query before publishing it. This is what the "publish the current size of a collection" example describes here.
It took me a while to figure out a really simple application of that, so maybe my code will help you, too:
Meteor.publish("publicationsWithHTML", function (data) {
var self = this;
Publications
.find()
.forEach(function(entry) {
addSomeHTML(entry); // this function changes the content of entry
self.added("publications", entry._id, entry);
});
self.ready();
});
On the client you subscribe to this:
Meteor.subscribe("publicationsWithHTML");
But your model still need to create a collection (on both sides) that is called 'publications':
Publications = new Meteor.Collection('publications');
Mind you, this is not a very good example, as it doesn't maintain the reactivity. But I found the count example a bit confusing at first, so maybe you'll find it helpful.
(Meteor 0.7.0.1) - meteor does allow behavior to be attached to the objects returned via the pub/sub.
This is from a pull request I submitted to the meteor project.
Todos = new Meteor.Collection('todos', {
// transform allows behavior to be attached to the objects returned via the pub/sub communication.
transform : function(todo) {
todo.update = function(change) {
Meteor.call('Todos_update', this._id, change);
},
todo.remove = function() {
Meteor.call('Todos_remove', this._id);
}
return todo;
}
});
todosHandle = Meteor.subscribe('todos');
Any objects returned via the 'todos' topic will have the update() and the remove() function - which is exactly what I want: I now attach behavior to the returned data.
Try:
let transformTodo = (fields) => {
fields._pubType = 'todos';
return fields;
};
Meteor.publish('todos', function() {
let subHandle = Todos
.find()
.observeChanges({
added: (id, fields) => {
fields = transformTodo(fields);
this.added('todos', id, fields);
},
changed: (id, fields) => {
fields = transformTodo(fields);
this.changed('todos', id, fields);
},
removed: (id) => {
this.removed('todos', id);
}
});
this.ready();
this.onStop(() => {
subHandle.stop();
});
});
Currently, you can't apply transforms on the server to published collections. See this question for more details. That leaves you with either transforming the data on the client, or using a meteor method. In a method, you can have the server do whatever you want to the data.
In one of my projects, we perform our most expensive query (it joins several collections, denormalizes the documents, and trims unnecessary fields) via a method call. It isn't reactive, but it greatly simplifies our code because all of the transformation happens on the server.
To extend #Christian Fritz answer, with Reactive Solution using peerlibrary:reactive-publish
Meteor.publish("todos", function() {
const self = this;
return this.autorun(function(computation) {
// Loop over each document in collection
todo.find().forEach(function(entry) {
// Add function to transform / modify each document here
self.added("todos", entry._id, entry);
});
});
});
Is there a way to store subscriptions of the same server collection in a different minimongo collection?
If not is there any best practice to work around?
I do have a summary table having 50k datasets with a lot of details in the documents.
// Server
var collection = new Meteor.Collection("collection");
Meteor.publish("detail", function (id) {
return collection.find({_id: id});
});
// A pager that does not include the data (fields:{data:0})
Meteor.publish("master", function (filter, sort, skip, limit) {
return collection.find({name: new RegExp("^" + filter + "|\\s" + filter, "i")}, {limit: limit, skip: skip, sort: options, fields: {data: 0}});
});
// Client
var collection = new Meteor.Collection("collection");
Deps.autorun(function () {
Meteor.subscribe("master",
Session.get("search"),
Session.get("sort"),
Session.get("skip"),
Session.get("limit")
);
Meteor.subscribe("detail", Session.get("selection"));
});
Problem above: both subscriptions are feed into the same collection.
This does not work well if the results of the finds are stored in the same local collection.
Having a local collection with the name of the subscription/publish would be great.
// Client
var detail = new Meteor.Collection("detail"),
master = new Meteor.Collection("master");
Any Ideas?
If you want your client side collection to have a different name from the server side collection you can not just return a collection cursor. This can be done in the publish function though like this:
Meteor.publish("details", function (id) { //details here matches the subscribe request
var self = this;
self.added( "details", id, collection.findOne({_id: id}); //details here tells the client which collection holds the data
self.ready();
});
This will not be reactive but can be made that way by using observe as in the counts by room example at http://docs.meteor.com which is explained in detail here How does the messages-count example in Meteor docs work?.
While this answers your question of how to get a specific name for a collection without having that collection on the server. I think you probably get what you want more easily with a publish function more like this:
Meteor.publish("master", function (filter, sort, skip, limit, id) {
return [
collection.find({name: new RegExp("^" + filter + "|\\s" + filter, "i")}, {limit: limit, skip: skip, sort: options, fields: {data: 0}})
, collection.find( id , {fields: {data: 1}} )
];
});
Then subscribe on client:
Deps.autorun(function () {
Meteor.subscribe("master",
Session.get("search"),
Session.get("sort"),
Session.get("skip"),
Session.get("limit"),
Session.get("selection")
);
});
Then even though all your data is in one collection you can have a reactive cursor to your selected id with the data included. Query from the client like this:
collection.find( Session.get("selection") );
If I do this, all is good with my itemRef:
itemRef.child('appreciates').set(newFlag);
itemRef.child('id').set(newId);
other properties of itemRef remain BUT child_changed is called twice
If I do this:
itemRef.set({appreciates:newFlag,id:newId});
child_changed is called only once but my other properties are destroyed.
Is there a workaround besides the clumsy one of repopulating the entire reference object?
Thanks,
Tim
The Firebase update() function will allow you to modify some children of an object while leaving others unchanged. The update function will only trigger one "value" event on other clients for the path being written no matter how many children are changed.
In this example, you could do:
itemRef.update({appreciates:newFlag,id:newId});
Documentation for update() is here.
You can create a rule that will prevent overwrites if data already exists.
Reproduced here from Firebase docs Existing Data vs New Data
// we can write as long as old data or new data does not exist
// in other words, if this is a delete or a create, but not an update
".write": "!data.exists() || !newData.exists()"
Now .update takes care of it, you can change existing data or add new one without affecting the rest of data you already had there.
In this example, I use this function to set a product as sold, the product has other variables with data and may or may not have sold or sellingTime but it doesn't matter cos if it doesn't exist will create them and if it does, will update the data
var sellingProduct = function(id){
dataBase.ref('product/'+id).update({
sold:true,
sellingTime: Date.now(),
}).then (function(){
alert ('your product is flaged as sold')
}).catch(function(error){
alert ('problem while flaging to sold '+ error)
})
}
Though you can use update, you can also use set with merge option set to true:
itemRef.set({ appreciates:newFlag, id:newId }, { merge: true });
This will create a new document if it doesn't exists and update the existing if it does.
I've been trying to do this having a structure like the following:
The problem I was having was when running say set on specific fields such as name, description and date all of the other child nodes would then be removed with the following:
return (dispatch) => {
firebase.database().ref(`/gigs/${uid}`)
.set({ name, description, date })
.then(() => {
dispatch({ type: GIG_SAVE_SUCCESS });
Actions.home({ type: 'reset' });
});
};
Leaving only the name, description and date nodes but using the following the specific nodes are updated without removing the other child nodes i.e. members, image etc:
return (dispatch) => {
var ref = firebase.database().ref(`/gigs/${uid}`);
ref.child('name').set(name)
ref.child('description').set(description)
ref.child('date').set(date)
.then(() => {
dispatch({ type: GIG_SAVE_SUCCESS });
Actions.home({ type: 'reset' });
});
};