Details on FoxxModel

The model doesn’t know anything about the database. It is just a representation of the data as an JavaScript object. You can add and overwrite the methods of the prototype in your model prototype via the object you give to extend. In your model file, export the model as model.

var Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");

var TodoModel = Foxx.Model.extend({
  // ...
});

exports.model = TodoModel;

A Foxx Model can be initialized with an object of attributes and their values.

There’s also the possibility of annotation: If you extend the model with a schema property, the model’s attributes will be validated against it.

You can define attributes in the schema using the bundled joi library. For more information on the syntax see the official joi documentation.

var Foxx = require("org/arangodb/foxx");
var joi = require("joi");

var PersonModel = Foxx.Model.extend({
  schema: {
      name: joi.string().required(),
      age: joi.number().integer(),
      active: joi.boolean().default(true)
  }
});

exports.model = PersonModel;

You can also use joi.object schemas directly:

var PersonModel = Foxx.Model.extend({
  schema: joi.object().keys({
    name: joi.string().required(),
    age: joi.number().integer(),
    active: joi.boolean().default(true)
  })
});

This has two effects: On the one hand it provides documentation. If you annotated your model, you can use it in the bodyParam method for documentation. On the other hand it will influence the behavior of the constructor: If you provide an object to the constructor, it will validate its attributes and set the special errors property. This is especially useful if you want to to initialize the Model from user input. On the other hand it will set the default value for all attributes that have not been set by hand. An example:

var person = new PersonModel({
  name: "Pete",
  admin: true
});

person.attributes // => { name: "Pete", admin: true, active: true }
person.errors // => {admin: [ValidationError: value is not allowed]}

The following events are emitted by a model:

• beforeCreate
• afterCreate
• beforeSave
• afterSave
• beforeUpdate
• afterUpdate
• beforeRemove
• afterRemove

Equivalent events will also be emitted by the repository handling the model.

Model lifecycle:

var person = new PersonModel();
person.on('beforeCreate', function() {
  var model = this;
  model.fancyMethod(); // Do something fancy with the model
});
var people = new Repository(appContext.collection("people"), { model: PersonModel });

people.save(person);
// beforeCreate()
// beforeSave()
// The model is created at db
// afterSave()
// afterCreate()

people.update(person, data);
// beforeUpdate(data)
// beforeSave(data)
// The model is updated at db
// afterSave(data)
// afterUpdate(data)

people.remove(person);
// beforeRemove()
// The model is deleted at db
// afterRemove()

Extend

FoxxModel#extend(instanceProperties, classProperties)
Extend the Model prototype to add or overwrite methods. The first object contains the properties to be defined on the instance, the second object those to be defined on the prototype.

Initialize

new FoxxModel(data)
If you initialize a model, you can give it initial data as an object.

Examples

instance = new Model({
  a: 1
});

Get

FoxxModel#get(name)
Get the value of an attribute

Examples

instance = new Model({
  a: 1
});
<br />
instance.get("a");

Set

FoxxModel#set(name, value)
Set the value of an attribute or multiple attributes at once

Examples

instance = new Model({
  a: 1
});
<br />
instance.set("a", 2);
instance.set({
  b: 2
});

Has

FoxxModel#has(name)
Returns true if the attribute is set to a non-null or non-undefined value.

Examples

instance = new Model({
  a: 1
});
<br />
instance.has("a"); //=> true
instance.has("b"); //=> false

isValid

model.isValid
The isValid flag indicates whether the model’s state is currently valid. If the model does not have a schema, it will always be considered valid.

Errors

model.errors
The errors property maps the names of any invalid attributes to their corresponding validation error.

Attributes

model.attributes
The attributes property is the internal hash containing the model’s state.

forDB

FoxxModel#forDB()
Return a copy of the model which can be saved into ArangoDB

forClient

FoxxModel#forClient()
Return a copy of the model which you can send to the client.