RTK Query Entity API

Wrapper utilities for CRUD operations in REST APIs entities using RTK Query.

Getting started

1. Install the package:

npm i @ronas-it/rtkq-entity-api

2. Create base query with your API configuration, for example using Axios:

import axios from 'axios';
import { createApiCreator, createAxiosBaseQuery } from '@ronas-it/rtkq-entity-api';

const axiosBaseQuery = createAxiosBaseQuery({
  getHttpClient: () => axios.create({ baseURL: 'https://your-api-url.com' }),
});

export const createAppApi = createApiCreator({
  baseQuery: axiosBaseQuery,
});

3. Describe your entity class by extending BaseEntity:

import { BaseEntity } from '@ronas-it/rtkq-entity-api';

export class User extends BaseEntity {
  name: string;

  @Expose({ name: 'phone_number' }) // APIs support of class-trasformer decorators
  phoneNumber: string;

  constructor(model: Partial<User>) {
    super(model);
    Object.assign(this, model);
  }
}

4. Generate your entity API with this creator:

import { createEntityApi } from '@ronas-it/rtkq-entity-api';
import { createAppApi } from 'your-project/utils';
import { User, UserEntityRequest, UserSearchRequest } from 'your-project/models';

export const usersApi = createEntityApi({
   // Mandatory params
   entityName: 'user', // An entity name. Must by unique
   entityConstructor: User, // The entity model class constructor defined above
   baseEndpoint: '/users', // Endpoint, relative to base URL configured in the API creator
   // Optional params
   baseApiCreator: createAppApi, // The APIs creator from above that shares configuration for new APIs
   omitEndpoints: ['create', 'update', 'delete'], // Array to specify unimplemented endpoints
   entityGetRequestConstructor: UserEntityRequest // Request constructor for 'get' endpoint. Defaults to EntityRequest
   entitySearchRequestConstructor: UserSearchRequest, // Request constructor for 'search' endpoint. Defaults to PaginationRequest
});

5. Done! Now you can use the api you created as usual one created by RTK Query.

Overview

APIs created by createEntityApi behave as usual ones created by createApi from RTK Query. Below is the overview of endpoints and utils they provide.

Endpoints

Generated entity APIs provide the following endpoints:

1. create - this mutation performs a POST /{baseEndpoint} request to create an entity. Accepts Partial data of entity instance you passed in entityConstructor when calling createEntityApi.

2. get - query that requests GET /{baseEndpoint}/{id} to fetch single entity data. Accepts request params described by entityGetRequestConstructor

3. search - a query that requests GET /{baseEndpoint} to get entities list with pagination. Accepts request params described by entitySearchRequestConstructor and returns entitySearchResponseConstructor extending PaginationRequest and PaginationResponse respectively.

4. searchPaginated - this query behaves similar to search, but accumulates data from newly requested pages. This query can be used with useSearchPaginatedInfiniteQuery hook to implement infinite scrolling lists. It supports loading data in both directions using fetchNextPage and fetchPreviousPage callbacks, and provides other useful props.

5. update - this mutation performs PUT /{baseEndpoint}/{id} request to update entity data. Accepts Partial data of entity instance with mandatory id. By default successful call of update mutation for some entity will patch it's state in all queries where it presented. No further refetch needed. State patch is done my simple merge existing data with updated one.

6. delete - a mutation that deletes entities using DELETE/{baseEndpoint}/{id} request. Accepts entity ID to delete. On success this mutation will remove the entity from all queries where it was presented without refetching them.

Utils

In addition to existing RTKQ utils, API instances created by createEntityApi have the following utils in yourApi.util:

1. fetchEntity - util fetches single entity data using GET /{baseEndpoint}/{id} with optional params. May be useful in combination with other utilities when customizing onQueryStarted behavior. Example:

// In some mutation in 'someItemApi':
async onQueryStarted(_, { queryFulfilled, dispatch }) {
  // Wait for mutation to success:
  const { data: createdEntity } = await queryFulfilled;

  // Fetch extended entity data:
  const someExtendedRequest = { id: createdEntity.id, relations: ['photos'] };
  const fullEntity = await someItemApi.util.fetchEntity(
    createdEntity.id,
    someExtendedRequest,
    { dispatch }
  );

  // Prefill 'get' query for certain params:
  someItemApi.util.upsertQueryData('get', someExtendedRequest, fullEntity);
}

2. patchEntityQueries - this utility patches data of an entity in all queries where it is present.

// Some `markAsFavorite` mutation in some `someItemApi`:
markAsFavorite: builder.mutation<void, number>({
  query: (id) => ({
    method: 'put',
    url: `items/${id}/favorite`
  }),
  async onQueryStarted(id, apiLifecycle}) {
    // Perform optimistic entity state patch:
    await someItemApi.util.patchEntityQueries(
      { id, isFavorite: true }, // Change `isFavorite` in all occurrences entity in
      apiLifecycle,
      {
        shouldRefetchEntity: false, // Configure whether entity data should be refetched before patch
        tags: [{ type: 'item', id: 'favorites' }] // Optionally, pass custom tags of queries to patch
      }
    );
  }
})

3. clearEntityQueries - this util can be used to remove some entity data from queries it is presented. Can be useful to perform pessimistic/optimistic deletion. Example of use:

// Some `removeFromFavorite` mutation in some `someItemApi`:
removeFromFavorite: builder.mutation<void, number>({
  query: (id) => ({
    method: 'delete',
    url: `items/${id}/favorite`
  }),
  async onQueryStarted(id, apiLifecycle}) {
    // Wait for mutation to success
    await apiLifecycle.queryFulfilled;

    // Perform optimistic entity state patch:
    await someItemApi.util.clearEntityQueries(
      id, // Item ID that was affected
      apiLifecycle,
      {
        tags: [{ type: 'item', id: 'favorites' }] // Remove entity from favorite lists
      }
    );
  }
})

4. handleEntityUpdate - this util uses patchEntityQueries under hood and intended to be used in onQueryStarted callback to perform optimistic/pessimistic update of entity data in queries connected by tags. Example:

// Some `markAsFavorite` mutation in some `someItemApi`:
markAsFavorite: builder.mutation<void, number>({
  query: (id) => ({
    method: 'put',
    url: `items/${id}/favorite`
  }),
  async onQueryStarted(id, apiLifecycle}) {
    // Perform optimistic entity update:
    await someItemApi.util.handleEntityUpdate({ id, isFavorite: true }, apiLifecycle, { optimistic: true });

    // Or perform pessimistic entity update for specific tags:
    await someItemApi.util.handleEntityUpdate({ id, isFavorite: true }, apiLifecycle);
  }
})

5. handleEntityDelete - this util uses clearEntityQueries internally and intended to be used in onQueryStarted callback to perform optimistic/pessimistic entity delete from search-like queries connected by tags. Example:

// Some `removeFromFavorite` mutation in some `someItemApi`:
removeFromFavorite: builder.mutation<void, number>({
  query: (id) => ({
    method: 'delete',
    url: `items/${id}/favorite`
  }),
  async onQueryStarted(id, apiLifecycle}) {
    // Perform optimistic entity delete:
    await someItemApi.util.handleEntityDelete(arg, apiLifecycle, { optimistic: true });
    // Perform delete pessimistically for specific tags:
    await someItemApi.util.handleEntityDelete(arg, apiLifecycle, { tags: [{ type: 'item', id: 'favorites' }] });
  }
})

Store Utils

1. createStoreInitializer - utility that creates a function, initializing a store for an application. It takes as arguments: rootReducer, middlewares(array), and enhancers(array). This util also contains a helper type AppStateFromRootReducer<TRootReducer> for creating the type AppState. Example:

// Create the AppState type with the help of AppStateFromRootReducer
export type AppState = AppStateFromRootReducer<typeof rootReducer>;

// Root reducer - an object with the app's different reducers
const rootReducer = {
  [authApi.reducerPath]: authApi.reducer,
};

// Array of the app's middlewares
const middlewares = [authApi.middleware];

const initStore = createStoreInitializer({
  rootReducer: rootReducer as unknown as Reducer<AppState>,
  middlewares,
  // Array of the app's enhancers
  enhancers: [...reactotronEnhancer],
});

export const store = initStore();

2. storeActions.init - a Redux action created for performing actions at the start of the application's lifecycle. It should be dispatched on mount of root application component App:

import { store } from '@your-app/mobile/shared/data-access/store';
import { storeActions } from '@ronas-it/rtkq-entity-api';
import { ReactElement } from 'react';

function App(): ReactElement {
   const dispatch = useDispatch();

   useEffect(() => {
      dispatch(storeActions.init());
   }, []);

...
}

function Root(): ReactElement {
   return (
     <Provider store={store}>
        <App />
     </Provider>
   );
}

And then it can be used in some side effect, for example:

userSettingsListenerMiddleware.startListening({
  actionCreator: storeActions.init,
  effect: async (_, { dispatch }) => {
    const language = await appStorageService.language.get();

    language && dispatch(userSettingsActions.setSystemLanguage(language as LanguageCode));
  },
});

React Native Utils

1. setupRefetchListeners is designed for use with React Native applications to automatically refetch data when the app regains focus or reconnects to the internet. It should be in a root component. Before using this utility it's necessary to install @react-native-community/netinfo.

npm i @react-native-community/netinfo

Example

import { addEventListener, fetch } from '@react-native-community/netinfo';
import { setupRefetchListeners } from '@ronas-it/rtkq-entity-api';
import ReactNative from 'react-native';
import { useDispatch } from 'react-redux';

function App(): ReactElement {
   const dispatch = useDispatch();

   useEffect(() => {
      const unsubscribeRefetchListeners = setupRefetchListeners(
        dispatch,
        { refetchOnFocus: true, refetchOnReconnect: true },
        { addEventListener, fetch },
        ReactNative,
      );

      return unsubscribeRefetchListeners;
   }, []);

   ...
}

Warning: setupRefetchListeners works only in React Native applications. For web development it's necessary to use setupListeners from Redux Toolkit.