Add transform methods for [de]serializing resource attributes

[pixelhandler]

The application serializer has methods for [de]serializing the date values between client and server. An attribute that is setup as a 'date' type also has a built in transform method to serialize and deserialize the date value. Typically the JSON value for a Date object is communicated in ISO format, e.g. "2015-08-25T22:05:37.393Z".

The TransformsMixin defines serializeDateAttribute and deserializeDateAttribute. Any valid type can be added to your app, just generate a transforms mixin and define other types if needed. Or when you generate a resource add the type specific methods or attribute name specific methods on the serializer prototype (class) for your resource.

The methods use a naming convention '[de]serialize' + 'AttrName' or 'TypeName' + 'Attribute'; so to add a specific method to transform a name value for an author resource add two methods:

import ApplicationSerializer from './application';

export default ApplicationSerializer.extend({
  serializeNameAttribute(value) {
    return value.split('written by: ')[1];
  },
  deserializeNameAttribute(value) {
    return 'written by: ' + value;
  },
});

Or, to handle a date type transform differently than the default to/from ISO format transformation:

import ApplicationSerializer from './application';

export default ApplicationSerializer.extend({
  serializeDateAttribute(date) {
    return /* serialized format from your resource attribute value, for use on your API server */;
  },
  deserializeDateAttribute(date) {
    return /* deserialized format from your API server, for use in your client app*/;
  },
});

You can add your own transform methods based on the type of the attribute or based on the name of the attribute, the transform methods based on the name of the attribute will be called instead of any transform methods based on the type of the attribute.