Have option to use either: ngResource or js-data model layer

[Toub]

As mentioned in #16 "Bower dependencies", we should introduce an abstraction layer such as js-data.

The basic:

• add bower dependency: js-data-angular

• load the module 'js-data' in client app.js

• configure the default behavior (by default use http://www.js-data.io/docs/dshttpadapter):

  DSProvider.defaults.basePath = '/api';
  DSProvider.defaults.idAttribute = '_id'; // for mongo-db

• define resources and relations-ships:

  DS.defineResource{
  name: 'users'
  });

• use it anywhere:

  DS.findAll('users').then(function (users) {
  $scope.users = users;
  });

The entities are cached by default so I love to use it in combination with web sockets to synchronize the cached collection with the server.

It could be a good idea to write a custom adapter to cover this case.

[ericmdantas]

Just as a reference for others, here's a good video about it.

[ericmdantas]

Just a question:

By using js-data, we'd still have the model for forms, right? Like the todo.model.js.

[jgodi]

Yes, you can see it here. http://www.js-data.io/v1.8.0/docs/js-data-angular

For me I can live without this js-data. I use Ember Data in a project and it over complicates things more so then some applications need. Would be nice for this to be an opt-in feature rather in a core feature.

[Toub]

You don't have to define all properties of your model, but you can: http://www.js-data.io/v1.8.0/docs/dsdefineresource

Here is how you can validate the model: http://www.js-data.io/v1.8.0/docs/schemata--validation

Maybe that jgodi is right, and that the user should be able to choose if using js-data, ngresource, restangular...

But the good of js-data is the abstraction layer so you can do powerfull things or change the way you store your data without impact on your services and controllers.

[ericmdantas]

For some reason the links are broken to me, I'll take a look when I get home.

But I agree with the opt thing.

For now, we could leave it between ngResource and js-data.

[ericmdantas]

Droping from core.