The updating of the cache sounds to me like this:

1. if we have the info in cache, just supply the info without a HTTP GET
2. if we don't have the info in cache, return a different Msg that
encapsulates the msg that requested the original information and the info
required for the cache update.

Here is a quick update of the code I've previously posted to include this
caching mechanism.

https://gist.github.com/pdamoc/d492ab58023926cd4d4950f12e5e170d




On Tue, May 31, 2016 at 10:05 PM, James Wilson <[email protected]> wrote:

> The key part that's not coded in the gist is the use of a cache/global
> state object, however I think I  see what you're getting at - pass back up
> the chain a Req object, say, and at the top we can turn it into a Cmd
> using, say, some top level global state as well as whatever other data we
> need. This may lead to a request being made to the server or it may not.
>
> The other part of the puzzle is actually updating the cache when a request
> is made. Req.toCmd for instance could return an updated GlobalState so that
> it's able to cache "pending" states on values (so that we can avoid
> duplicating requests). To update the cache when the response actually comes
> in we could have toCmd return a Cmd.batch of 2 commands, one that will
> fail/succeed and send a message to the component that initiated the Req,
> and one that will send a message aimed at the top level cache itself.
>
> Thanks Peter, I'll definitely mull over this!
>
> On Tuesday, 31 May 2016 19:45:42 UTC+1, Peter Damoc wrote:
>>
>> ADT in Elm is one of its most powerful weapons.
>>
>> You could encapsulate your requests in a type and use this type at top
>> level to fulfill them.
>>
>> For example: instead of returning Cmd msg you return some Req msg that
>> can be turned into a Cmd msg at top level based on some context
>> information.
>>
>> Here is a gist with a skeleton of how I view this implemented:
>> https://gist.github.com/pdamoc/a47090e69b75433efa60fe4f70e6a06a
>>
>> I've sent the base of the URL as a simple String in `Req.toCmd` but you
>> can imagine a more complex type holding all kind of information (e.g.
>> cache, auth, etc ) .
>> Also, I've kept the type of the Req simple (only saved the rest of the
>> URL based on the user and the request) but one could use it to store all
>> the info needed when you will turn the Req into a Cmd.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, May 31, 2016 at 7:29 PM, James Wilson <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> In Elm, each component basically has its own internal state (which is
>>> actually all just a slice of one global model). In my app, I also want
>>> global state that is independant of any components; for example a
>>> clientside cache of various API responses (asset details - there could be
>>> many thousands, user authentication status).
>>>
>>> I want any component to be able to call methods that make use of this
>>> global state. For example, a method to obtain details for items in the
>>> current view might first look at the global state to see if these items are
>>> cached. If they arent, the call would provide a Cmd to be issued that gets
>>> the items (and puts them in the cache), while simultaneously updating the
>>> state to indicate that they are being loaded (so that the same request
>>> again from another component doesnt trigger another call to the backend).
>>> If they are cached, they can be easily returned from there. A first shot at
>>> a signature might look something like:
>>>
>>> getItem : GlobalState -> ID -> Tag -> (GlobalState, Cmd msg)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> However we could partially apply functions that exist on some
>>> globalState instantiation to hdie the initial state being passed in and end
>>> up with:
>>>
>>> state.items.getItem : ID -> Tag -> (GlobalState, Cmd msg)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The downside of this approach is that I have to thread this state
>>> through multiple calls that might make use of it, and thread it back up
>>> explicitly through the update functions to get it back to the top. At the
>>> top we'd then have something like (excuse any mistakes!):
>>>
>>> update msg model = case msg of
>>>    SubMsg m ->
>>>      let (newSubModel, subCmds, newGlobalState) = SubComponent.update m
>>> model.subModel
>>>      in ({ model | state = newGlobalState, subModel = newSubModel}, Sub.map
>>> SubMsg subCmds)
>>>    ...
>>>
>>>
>>> An alternative approach is to hold this global state in an effect
>>> manager, and so in the app you'd end up using the Cmd/Sub mechanism to ask
>>> for things from the state and internally initiate API requests to update
>>> the state as necessary. We'd end up with an API more like:
>>>
>>> getItem : ID -> Tag -> Cmd msg
>>>
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> state.items.getItem : ID -> Tag -> Cmd msg
>>>
>>>
>>> where the returned Cmd would either lead to an item being sent to the
>>> component immediately via a cache (where Tag is a Msg type the component
>>> knows about) or after it was obtained via some backend. This would make all
>>> retrieving of state async but seems to simplify the interface (perhaps at
>>> the cost of more complexity in implementing the effect manager).
>>>
>>> Which approach do people think is best for working with global state
>>> (neither is an option if you have a better way!)? Do you get away with not
>>> needing this kind of thing (and if so, how)? I'd love to hear back,
>>> especially from those that have had experience building larger apps in Elm!
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> There is NO FATE, we are the creators.
>> blog: http://damoc.ro/
>>
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