Array Resources

Overview

An Array Resource is a flexible resource that can be backed by an array of hashes or an array of Active Record objects. It is not constrained to an Active Record model and allows dynamic data handling.

Related field

The Array Resource can be used in conjunction with the Array field to manage structured array data in your resources.

For more details on using the Array field, including examples and hierarchy of data fetching, check out the Array Field documentation.

This integration allows for seamless configuration of dynamic or predefined array-based data within your application.

⚠️ Limitations

Sorting

• The array resource does not support sorting.

Performance Considerations

• When dealing with large datasets, you might experience suboptimal performance due to inherent architectural constraints.
• Caching Recommendation:
  • It is advisable to implement caching mechanisms as a viable solution to ameliorate these performance bottlenecks.
  • Note: These caching mechanisms should ideally be integrated into the methods that fetch data, such as the def records method.

Please note that these caveats are based on the current implementation and may be subject to revisions in future releases.

Creating an Array Resource

Generate an Array Resource using the --array flag:

bin/rails generate avo:resource Movie --array

This sets up a resource designed to work with an array of data.

Defining the records Method

The records method serves as the fallback source for data in the resource. It returns an array of hashes or Active Record objects.

Example

def records
  [
    {
      id: 1,
      name: "The Shawshank Redemption",
      release_date: "1994-09-23"
    },
    {
      id: 2,
      name: "The Godfather",
      release_date: "1972-03-24",
      fun_fact: "The iconic cat in the opening scene was a stray found by director Francis Ford Coppola on the studio lot."
    },
    {
      id: 3,
      name: "Pulp Fiction",
      release_date: "1994-10-14"
    }
  ]
end

Defining Fields

Array Resources use fields like any other Avo resource. Here’s an example for a Movie resource:

class Avo::Resources::Movie < Avo::Resources::ArrayResource
  def records
    [
      {
        id: 1,
        name: "The Shawshank Redemption",
        release_date: "1994-09-23"
      },
      {
        id: 2,
        name: "The Godfather",
        release_date: "1972-03-24",
        fun_fact: "The iconic cat in the opening scene was a stray found by director Francis Ford Coppola on the studio lot."
      },
      {
        id: 3,
        name: "Pulp Fiction",
        release_date: "1994-10-14"
      }
    ]
  end

  def fields
    main_panel do
      field :id, as: :id
      field :name, as: :text
      field :release_date, as: :date
      field :fun_fact, only_on: :index, visible: -> { resource.record.fun_fact.present? } do
        record.fun_fact.truncate_words(10)
      end

      sidebar do
        field :fun_fact do
          record.fun_fact || "There is no register of a fun fact for #{record.name}"
        end
      end
    end
  end
end