BaseModel Instances #

This section covers the BaseModel Instance interface. On the Model Instances page you can compare instance types.

Related reading:

• BaseModel Static API
• BaseModel Store API

Upgrading to a FeathersModel #

You can use the useFeathersInstance utility in a Model Function to add FeathersModel instance methods to your BaseModel instances.

Instance Properties #

BaseModel instances have a few non-enumerable properties added to them for convenience. Because they are non-enumerable, they will never be accidentally serialized into an API request. This prevents validation errors from happening due to extra, not-allowed attributes showing up in the request.

Object.defineProperty(data, 'myProp', {
  enumerable: false
  configurable: true,
  value: 5
})

return data as typeof data & { myProp: number }

Here's an overview of the properties on each BaseModel instance

__Model #

__Model gives you direct access to the Model Function that was used to create this instance.

import { Task } from '../models/task'

// Directly use the task model
const task1 = Task({ description: 'Do the dishes' })

// Access the Task model from a task instance
const task2 = task1.__Model({ description: 'Dance'})

__modelName #

__modelName is the name option that was provided when creating the Model Function.

const task = Task({ description: 'Do the dishes' })

console.log(task.__modelName) // --> 'Task'

__idField #

__idField is the name of the idField that's configured on the Model Function.

const task = Task({ description: 'Do the dishes' })

console.log(task.__idField) // --> `id`

__tempId #

__tempId is a temporary id string that will be automatically added for any instances created without an idField.

// without an id
const task = Task({ description: 'Do the dishes' })

console.log(task.__tempId) // --> `5e63c3a5e4232e4cd0274ac2`

// with an id
const task = Task({ id: 1, description: 'Do the dishes' })

console.log(task.__tempId) // --> undefined

__isClone #

__isClone will be true if the instance was created by calling .clone() on another instance.

// regular instances
const task = Task({ description: 'Do the dishes' })
console.log(task.__isClone) // --> false

const clone = task.clone()
console.log(clone.__isClone) // --> true

const committed = task.commit()
console.log(committed.__isClone) // --> false

Storage Methods #

Each instance comes with two methods for adding and removing the instance from the store.

addToStore() #

The addToStore method adds the instance to the appropriate storage interface inside of the Model.store. If the instance has an idField, it will be added to the items storage, otherwise it will be added to the temps storage.

import { Task } from '../models/task'

// Added to `items` since it has an idField
const task = Task({ id: 5, description: 'Do the Dishes' })

// Added to `temps` since it has no idField
const task = Task({ description: 'Do the Dishes' })

Thanks to Model Functions, we no longer have to call .addToStore() to make an instance reactive. Create an instance and it is automatically ready to bind to a template. Let there be much rejoicing!

import { Task } from '../models/task'

// Reactive Vue Object
const task = Task({ description: 'Do the Dishes' })

removeFromStore() #

You can manually remove an instance from the store by calling .removeFromStore(). This will remove the instance from either the item storage or the temp storage. It does not remove the data from the server. (BaseModel instances are not connected to the server.)

// Instance is not yet in the store
const task = Task({ description: 'Do the Dishes' })

// Instance is added to the store store
task.addToStore()

// Instance is no longer in the store.
task.removeFromStore()

Clone Methods #

Model instance "clone and commit" is one of the best patterns in Feathers-Pinia for keeping store code lean and clean.

clone(params) #

The .clone() method creates a deep copy of the record and stores it on store.copiesById. This allows you to make changes to the clone and not update the original until you commit or save the data.

const task = Task({ id: 1, description: 'Do something!' })
const clone = task.clone()
clone.description = 'Do something else!'
clone.commit() // --> Update the original item in the store.
console.log(task.description) // --> 'Do something else!'
console.log(clone.description) // --> 'Do something else!'

Calling clone() at any time will copy the data from the original to the clone, essentially performing a reset.

At some point in the future, Pinia will have support for Vuex's strict mode. Strict mode throws errors when store changes occur outside of actions. Since strict mode doesn't exist in Pinia, yet, all clones are kept in Model.store.clonesById. Changing a clone won't currently throw an error since there's no strict mode. Once Pinia supports strict mode, Feathers-Pinia will be updated to keep copies outside of the store by default.

commit(params) #

Calling instance.commit() will merge any changes from the clone onto the original record.

const task = Task({ id: 1, description: 'Do something!' })
const taskCopy = task.clone()
taskCopy.description = 'Do something else!'
taskCopy.commit() // --> Update the data in the store.
console.log(task.description) // --> 'Do something else!'
console.log(taskCopy.description) // --> 'Do something else!'

reset(params) #

To reset a clone to match the original instance, call clone.reset().

const task = Task({ id: 1, description: 'Do something!' })
const taskCopy = task.clone()
taskCopy.description = 'Do something else!'
taskCopy.reset() // --> Resets the record to match the one in the store.
console.log(task.description) // --> 'Do something!'
console.log(taskCopy.description) // --> 'Do something!'