Express: How to implement the JSON API - json

Question

I have a very basic express server which simply offers model-data via mongoose for webapps. So now since in my Framework (ember) the JSON-API is the new default adapter for requesting model-data, Im wondering how to implement a response for my route in a way which respects the JSON API specification.
My current route in express looks like that.
router.get('/:id', function(req, res, next) {
postModel.find({ //Mongoose functions
_id: req.params.id
}, function(err, doc) {
res.json({ //returning the doc
data: doc //within 'doc', the 'type'-key must be added
});
});
});
I have to include a key for the "type" in each responded object so the responding object will looks like that:
{
data:{
type:"post",
id:"123",
title:"test"
}
}

Answer 1

Here is a better answer. My request handler in express:
router.get('/:id', function(req, res, next) {
Lookup.findById(req.params.id, function(err, result) {
if (err) {
res.send({
error: err
});
} else {
res.send(to_jsonapi(result, 'lookup'));
}
});
});
This calls a utility function which converts the mongoose result into a valid jsonapi result. You just need to call it with the result plus the 'type' value.
function to_jsonapi(result, type) {
datajson = [];
if (Array.isArray(result)) {
result.forEach(function(item) {
datajson.push({
"type": type,
"id": item._id,
"attributes": item
});
});
} else if (typeof result === "object") {
// Happens when there is only one item
datajson.push({
"type": type,
"id": result._id,
"attributes": result
});
} else {
datajson.push({
"type": type
});
}
return {
"data": datajson
};
}
This is not perfect yet but should get you down the road!

Answer 2

I am just running in to this same problem. There is an ember-mongoose npm package but I have not used it yet. The way they solve the problem is actually back in the ember-data side by extending the DS.RESTAdapter. There they overwrite the findQuery function.
findQuery: function(store, type, query) {
var data = { query: query };
return this.ajax(this.buildURL(type.typeKey), 'POST', { data: data });
}
This is not that elegant though since it requires a customization for every data type. You can see the example here.
Hope it helps.

Answer 3

Try using lean()
router.get('/:id', function(req, res, next) {
postModel
.find({_id: req.params.id})
.lean()
.then( docs => {
_.each( docs, doc => {
doc.type = "post";
});
res.json(data: docs);
});
});

Answer 4

If you are implementing jsonapi on server side because it will be then automatically parsed by your Ember.js Data, then I would suggest to look at different Serializers which Ember.js provides. It will solve the problem. Because it's the job of the client to parse the data in whatever way Backend provides, not that we have to make our backend compatible with clients :)