Step 3: Storage
How can an app read, write and delete data?
REST API (with CORS)
HTTP verbs: GET, PUT, DELETE
A few rules and required formatting for e.g. directory listings
- Important to keep it simple!
- Stay agnostic of technology
- Make it easy to implement on the server-side
Create/update
PUT /basti/testing/testfile.txt HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Bearer 1a2b3c4d5e
Content-Type: text/plain
Ohai, Hamburg!
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Status: 200 OK
Content-Length: 0
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:27:23 GMT
...
Read file
GET /basti/testing/testfile.txt HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Bearer 1a2b3c4d5e
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Length: 14
Content-Type: text/plain
Etag: "1C6NMyI94YVNaYqXlOJCfW"
...
Ohai, Hamburg!
Read directory
GET /basti/testing/ HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Bearer 1a2b3c4d5e
- Pretty much the only custom thing regarding our HTTP usage
- Contains a JSON-LD context (moar standards!)
- JSON-LD is a suite of W3C specs (went Rec not too long ago)
- Used to make sense of linked data on the Web
Delete file
DELETE /basti/testing/testfile.txt HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Bearer 1a2b3c4d5e
HTTP/1.1 204 No Content
Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *
Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, PUT, DELETE
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:03:00 GMT
...
- For the people who don't know it: this is what CORS headers look like
- Very simple spec, basically just headers like these and OPTIONS requests
Part 3: remoteStorage.js
- Reference JavaScript client library
- Integrate remoteStorage in JS apps
- Water
- Check time
Quick facts
-
Offline-first
Use apps offline, sync when back online. Store data before
connecting storage.
-
IndexedDB, localStorage, in-memory caching backends
Works in all modern browsers, and private browsing mode (and node.js)
-
Promises all over the place
Let's hope they get fulfilled.
-
Still young and kind of dirty
Plz halp!
- Most libs I've seen neglect private mode, can break badly in a
number of ways
- We could use some help from experienced JS folks
Integrate remoteStorage in JavaScript apps
- Usually via this connect widget (but not required)
- This could use some serious design love (esp. mobile)
- Contribute and get your work in front of a ton of people!
Demo time!
This better be working, or I look like an idiot.
How do I use it?
When in doubt, consult API docs and/or ask on IRC (#remotestorage on
Freenode)!
Configure and connect
- This gives your remoteStorage instance access to the data and lets
users connect their storage
Option 1: Use existing data module
Option 1: Use existing data module
Option 2: Create your own module or extend one
... and if it makes sense, share it!
- One module per category/base directory
- Makes it possible for different apps to use the same data
- E.g. enter tasks in one app, track time on them in another one
Defining a module
Gives us:
Defining data types
Use JSON Schema to define object types (plus validations for free)
- JSON Schema is pretty awesome on its own! You should check it out in any case.
Storing objects
Use the defined data type to store objects
- This is where you can do much more complicated stuff, e.g. create
thumbnails (insert canvas, resize, etc.)
Linked Data
remoteStorage.js automatically adds a JSON-LD context:
Unfortunately links not pointing to spec/schema yet. (Wanna help?)
- This is what ends up on the server and your the local cache
- Handled in the background
- Unfortunately not linking to anything yet :(
Sry, kind of beta
Common data modules are the least developed part of the project. Could
use your help!
Not mandatory, but super useful.
- The data modules that is, not BaseClient
- E.g. shared functionality, moving to ES6 modules, etc.
Handling incoming changes
Coming soon
-
Better/more modules
It's on top of the list
-
Encryption
Optionally encrypt contents of a module/basedir
-
Dropbox and Google Drive support
Use remoteStorage.js to connect to all of Dropbox, GDrive and
remoteStorage!
- Not sure you want to use a service with Condie Rice on the board, but...
Where to go from here?
- So that's it for my talk.
- Where to go from here?
Links
- Check out the protocol
- Check out the library
- Give feedback, report issues (tell us what's bad)
- Get hacking
- Get designing (e.g. widget, in front of a lot of people)
- Help improve docs (every character counts)
- Use protocol as base for your own archticture/product
- Wanna earn some (not much) money? (best for e.g. student hackers)
- Let's go for a beer (or a coffee or sth), core team in Berlin during next 2 weeks
- Unhosted Unconference
Thanks!
Sebastian Kippe – @skddc
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