Suggestion: Data.js as an extension to Underscore

[michael]

Just wanted to propose Data.js as an extension to Underscore (in case you see it fit for being mentioned in the docs).

http://substance.io/#michael/data-js http://github.com/michael/data

[dvv]

@michael: you might want to check [dvv/underscore-data] for adding support of mongodb-styled queries and translation of vanilla URL querystrings to structured queries (RQL === Resource Query Language)

[michael]

@dvv: Neat! Data.js Queries are inspired by Freebase's MQL. The features are limited yet. For the moment I solve complex querying tasks by specifying multiple queries. Those are executed independently on the server, the results are combined and sent back as a subgraph, containing matched nodes.

Fetching a project along with the associated tasks would look like so:

graph.fetch([
  {type: "/type/project", _id: projectId},
  {type: "/type/task", project: projectId}
], function(err, nodes) {} );

However improving query capabilities is something I'm really interested in. I'll definitely consider your approaches! You're welcome to contribute if you're interested. Also I think adding MongoDB as a backend would be reasonable, as their dynamic query interface should be easy to delegate to. Nevertheless for now I'll concentrate on CouchDB support, as for my projects it's a better fit, though I'd appreciate if someone's up to contributing a MongoAdapter. :)

[michael]

I don't think that RQL would be useful though, as with Data.js HTTP is completely hidden from the interface. You can easily switch to web-sockets as the transport mode, while the interface stays the same. Thus, I guess I'll stick with JSON-based query objects and take some inspiration from Mongo.

[dvv]

Very well. I never meant RQL is for HTTP, no. Just a convenient way to serialize nested queries to a form which is native to web developers: e.g. (a=b|c!=d)&e<f. In gets parsed to JS object (I guess you mean those saying "JSON-based query objects") which then can be mapped to any form of query terms. E.g. to mongo search directives. Which in turn is well-designed and quite common to be reused in another, non-mongodb, data stores.

[jashkenas]

Sure thing -- added a link. That's some truly fantastic documentation on Substance.

[michael]

Highly inspired by your documentation work, though. :) Thanks for being added.

@dvv Thanks, will consider this. I prefer using JS objects because they can be easily manipulated programmatically. I'd then see RQL support implemented as a higher level DSL that maps to a corresponding JS query object.