Option to Omit Sub-Collections from Queries

[elersong]

Description

There are scenarios where certain queries need to omit sub-collections, particularly when the data is being ingested by a third party. Providing a configuration option to disable sub-collection initialization on a per-request basis would be valuable.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Perform a query using Fireorm that returns documents with sub-collections.
2. Attempt to omit sub-collections from the query results without additional processing.

Expected Behavior

Ability to configure queries to exclude sub-collections from the results, either on a per-request basis or as a global setting.

Actual Behavior

Currently, sub-collections are always initialized, and developers must manually remove them if not needed.

Acceptance Criteria

• Implement a configuration option to disable sub-collection initialization on a per-request basis.
• Ensure the feature is optional and enabled by default.
• Consider adding a global setting to disable sub-collection initialization for the entire project.

Additional Context

• May 21, 2020: Initial issue raised about the need to omit sub-collections from certain queries.
• June 6, 2020: Discussion on the feasibility and design of the proposed feature, including the possibility of a project-wide toggle.

Proposed API Changes

1. Per-Request Configuration:

   • Add an optional parameter to query methods to disable sub-collection initialization.
   • Example:

     getRepository(Product).findById('1234', { initializeSubcollections: false });

2. Global Configuration:

   • Introduce a global setting in the Fireorm initialization to disable sub-collection initialization for all queries.
   • Example:

     initialize({ initializeSubcollections: false });

3. Default Behavior:

   • Ensure that sub-collection initialization is enabled by default to maintain backward compatibility.
   • Allow developers to override this behavior per query or for the entire project as needed.

4. Implementation Considerations:

   • Ensure the implementation is clean and does not introduce significant overhead or complexity.
   • Provide clear documentation on how to use the new configuration options.

Example Usage

// Disable sub-collections for a specific query
const product = await getRepository(Product).findById('1234', { initializeSubcollections: false });

// Disable sub-collections globally
initialize({ initializeSubcollections: false });

Original Issue