Two-way data binding for a Meteor app - javascript

I've built an app that is form-based. I want to enable users to partially fill out a form, and then come back to it at a later date if they can't finish it at the present. I've used iron router to create a unique URL for each form instance, so they can come back to the link. My problem is that Meteor doesn't automatically save the values in the inputs, and the form comes up blank when it is revisited/refreshes. I tried the below solution to store the data in a temporary document in a separate Mongo collection called "NewScreen", and then reference that document every time the template is (re)rendered to auto fill the form. However, I keep getting an error that the element I'm trying to reference is "undefined". The weird thing is that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I've tried setting a recursive setTimeout function, but on the times it fails, that doesn't work either. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Or, if I'm going about this all wrong, feel free to suggest a different approach:
Screens = new Meteor.Collection('screens') //where data will ultimately be stored
Forms = new Meteor.Collection('forms') //Meteor pulls form questions from here
NewScreen = new Meteor.Collection('newscreen') //temporary storage collection
Roles = new Meteor.Collection('roles'); //displays list of metadata about screens in a dashboard
//dynamic routing for unique instance of blank form
Router.route('/forms/:_id', {
name: 'BlankForm',
data: function(){
return NewScreen.findOne({_id: this.params._id});
}
});
//onRendered function to pull data from NewScreen collection (this is where I get the error)
Template.BlankForm.onRendered(function(){
var new_screen = NewScreen.findOne({_id: window.location.href.split('/')[window.location.href.split('/').length-1]})
function do_work(){
if(typeof new_screen === 'undefined'){
console.log('waiting...');
Meteor.setTimeout(do_work, 100);
}else{
$('input')[0].value = new_screen.first;
for(i=0;i<new_screen.answers.length;i++){
$('textarea')[i].value = new_screen.answers[i];
}
}
}
do_work();
});
//onChange event that updates the NewScreen document when user updates value of input in the form
'change [id="on-change"]': function(e, tmpl){
var screen_data = [];
var name = $('input')[0].value;
for(i=0; i<$('textarea').length;i++){
screen_data.push($('textarea')[i].value);
}
Session.set("updateNewScreen", this._id);
NewScreen.update(
Session.get("updateNewScreen"),
{$set:
{
answers: screen_data,
first: name
}
});
console.log(screen_data);
}

If you get undefined that could mean findOne() did not find the newscreen with the Id that was passed in from the url. To investigate this, add an extra line like console.log(window.location.href.split('/')[window.location.href.split('/').length-1], JSON.stringify(new_screen));
This will give you both the Id from the url and the new_screen that was found.
I would recommend using Router.current().location.get().path instead of window.location.href since you use IR.
And if you're looking for two way binding in the client, have a look at Viewmodel for Meteor.

Related

How to use the Firebase real time database for web application

In my website I'm Showing my database after user has given the database name, Is there any way I can constantly update the web shown databasebase without refreshing the page . I've tried using setInterval but it's not working for some reason .
function c(){
setInterval(beta, 1000);
}
function beta(){
var d = document.getElementById("opopo").value;
var firebaseRefff= firebase.database().ref('LOCATION/'+d);
firebaseRefff.on('child_added', snap=> {
var slot=snap.getKey();
var alloted=snap.child("ALLOTED").val();
var date=snap.child("DATE").val();
var limit=snap.child("LIMIT").val();
var time=snap.child("TIME").val();
$("table tbody").append(""+slot+""+alloted+""+date+""+limit+""+time+"Null");
});
}
You do not need, and should not use, setInterval to trigger the queries. What you have in your beta() function looks pretty good.
firebaseRefff.on('child_added', snap => {}) means "whenever a child is added under this location, trigger the callback function (empty in my example) with the parameter 'snap'". It will also be called once, initially, for each child that is already at that database reference location.
You need to make sure you've called beta() once to setup this trigger.
If you're still having problems, you might want to insert logging to make sure beta() is being called, what the full reference path is, if the callback is ever triggered, and if your jquery string is correct.

knockout: Trouble removing a newly added item

I'm trying to learn how to use KnockOut... never have before and I've been thrown into the fire on a site already using it. Everything here works fine:
function MasterViewModel() {
var self = this;
self.Supervisors = ko.mapping.fromJS(#Html.Raw(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(Model.Supervisors)));
self.AddSupervisor = function(request) {
var request = new Supervisor({
FullName: $('#SupervisorId option:selected').text(),
SupervisorId: $('#SupervisorId option:selected').val()
});
self.Supervisors.push(request);
// do server side call here
}
self.RemoveSupervisor = function(request) {
if (request.SupervisorID() > 0)
{
self.Supervisors.remove(request);
// do server side call here
}
}
}
Well. Everything almost works fine:
The initial data from the server loads and displays perfectly
I can remove existing items (that came from the server on the original page load)
I can add new items
But, when I try to remove an item that I just added, I get this:
Uncaught TypeError: request.SupervisorID is not a function
SupervisorId is a dropdown. The AddSupervisor call is made from a button. I can show the HTML if needed. Also, although I may not need this if:
if (request.SupervisorID() > 0)
Even without it, I am going to need the ID of the supervisor that was added.
I'm guessing the server side isn't case-sensitive, and is loading data with SupervisorID. When you add a new one, you're creating it with SupervisorId (lowercase d). The server must be accepting of that. JavaScript isn't.
You need to either change the newly created users to use SupervisorID, or have the RemoveSupervisor function use SupervisorId - whichever change makes more sense in your overall structure.

Can't overwrite object saved with rhaboo in javascript

I'm trying to save an object with rhaboo in javascript. The first time after initialising it is working but when I'm trying to save it again it gives me the
rhaboo.min.js:1 Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'refs' of undefined error. I pinned down the error to the line where I save the keyArray with notes.write('presentationNotes', keyArray);
How I get the error in detail:
I open my webapplication with a clean localStorage (nothing is saved) and rhaboo gets initialised. After that I navigate to a document and open the notes-div with the notes-button. I write something in the notes-area and hit the notes-submit button to save the notes with rhaboo to localStorage. I do the same for a second document. For now everything works. Both notes get saved correctly so that I have an object like this:
keyArray = {activeDoc1: ['note1', 'note2'], activeDoc2: ['note1', 'note2']}
saved in rhaboo in notes.presentationNotes. Then I reload my webapplication and rhaboo is already initialised. I navigate to the documents as before and check if I can load the saved notes. This works as expected but when I try to hit the notes-submit button again it gives me the aforementioned error. What am I doing wrong?
var notes = Rhaboo.persistent('Presentation Notes');
$(document).ready(function(event) {
var keyArray, activeDoc;
if (!notes.initialised) {
notes.write('initialised', true);
notes.write('presentationNotes', {});
console.log('Rhaboo Initialised');
keyArray = {};
} else {
console.log('Rhaboo already initialised');
keyArray = notes.presentationNotes;
console.log('notes.presentationNotes onLoad = ');
console.log(notes.presentationNotes);
}
//Notes open
$(document).on('click', '#notes-button', function() {
$('.notes-div').show();
activeDoc = $('.node.active').attr('id');
if (notes.presentationNotes[activeDoc] != null) {
//Iterate notes
$.each(notes.presentationNotes[activeDoc], function(index, value) {
$('#notes-area').append(value + '\n');
});
}
});
//Notes save
$(document).on('click', '#notes-submit', function() {
$('.notes-div').hide();
var str = $('#notes-area').val();
var array = str.split("\n");
keyArray[activeDoc] = array;
//Save notes
notes.write('presentationNotes', keyArray);
//Clear textarea
$('#notes-area').val('');
});
}
Without the HTML I haven't been able to try this, so I'm just guessing here, but I suspect your problem will go away if you stop using keyArray and activeDoc. The whole point of rhaboo is that it is not a place to store your data. It IS your data.
I see no transient data in your program, i.e., no data which you actively want to delete when the user goes away and comes back. All the data is supposed to be persistent, therefore it should all be under the Rhaboo.persistent.
That's the philosophy, but to be more specific, I think your problem is here:
keyArray[activeDoc] = array;
When I wonder what keyArray is is find:
keyArray = notes.presentationNotes;
so the earlier line actually says:
notes.presentationNotes[activeDoc] = array;
but it says on the tin that that should read:
notes.presentationNotes.write(activeDoc, array);
The upshot is that that the hooks that make rhaboo work have not been inserted into array, as notes.presentationNotes.write would have done.
When you next said:
notes.write('presentationNotes', keyArray);
it meant:
notes.write('presentationNotes', notes.presentationNotes).
which is clearly not what you meant. Rhaboo doesn't suspect that array has no hooks yet because it can see that notes.presentationNotes does have hooks.
I also forget to use write sometimes, and it really bugs me that JS offers no way to hook into the creation of a NEW key within an object X, no matter what you've done to X. Without that limitation, there'd be no need for write and it could be foolproof.

Meteor Leaderboard example: resetting the scores

I've been trying to do Meteor's leaderboard example, and I'm stuck at the second exercise, resetting the scores. So far, the furthest I've got is this:
// On server startup, create some players if the database is empty.
if (Meteor.isServer) {
Meteor.startup(function () {
if (Players.find().count() === 0) {
var names = ["Ada Lovelace",
"Grace Hopper",
"Marie Curie",
"Carl Friedrich Gauss",
"Nikola Tesla",
"Claude Shannon"];
for (var i = 0; i < names.length; i++)
Players.insert({name: names[i]}, {score: Math.floor(Random.fraction()*10)*5});
}
});
Meteor.methods({
whymanwhy: function(){
Players.update({},{score: Math.floor(Random.fraction()*10)*5});
},
}
)};
And then to use the whymanwhy method I have a section like this in if(Meteor.isClient)
Template.leaderboard.events({
'click input#resetscore': function(){Meteor.call("whymanwhy"); }
});
The problem with this is that {} is supposed to select all the documents in MongoDB collection, but instead it creates a new blank scientist with a random score. Why? {} is supposed to select everything. I tried "_id" : { $exists : true }, but it's a kludge, I think. Plus it behaved the same as {}.
Is there a more elegant way to do this? The meteor webpage says:
Make a button that resets everyone's score to a random number. (There
is already code to do this in the server startup code. Can you factor
some of this code out and have it run on both the client and the
server?)
Well, to run this on the client first, instead of using a method to the server and having the results pushed back to the client, I would need to explicitly specify the _ids of each document in the collection, otherwise I will run into the "Error: Not permitted. Untrusted code may only update documents by ID. [403]". But how can I get that? Or should I just make it easy and use collection.allow()? Or is that the only way?
I think you are missing two things:
you need to pass the option, {multi: true}, to update or it will only ever change one record.
if you only want to change some fields of a document you need to use $set. Otherwise update assumes you are providing the complete new document you want and replaces the original.
So I think the correct function is:
Players.update({},{$set: {score: Math.floor(Random.fraction()*10)*5}}, {multi:true});
The documentation on this is pretty thorough.

Variable not updating in script string, yet it updates

Very confused here.
I have a search box which reads a list of school names from my database. When I select a school, the id (from the db) gets put in a hidden textbox.
I also have a search box which reads a list of courses from my database. However, I made the query so that it only reads the courses from the selected school.
It does that, in theory.
I was planning to pass the school id, which I grab from the hidden box, to the search script which in turn passes it to my database query. However, the variable I put my school id in doesn't seem to be updating.. yet it does. Let me explain.
I come on the page. The school for my test account has id 1. The id number in my hidden box is indeed 1. I search for a school which I know has some courses assigned to it: the id number in the box changes to 3.
I have a JS variable called school_id which I declared outside of my $(document).ready. I assume that means it's global (that's what I got taught even though SO told me once it isn't really the correct way to do this. Still have to look into that). I wrote a function which updates this variable when the school search box loses focus:
$("#school").blur(function() {
school_id = $("#school_id").val();
});
A quick javascript:alert(school_id); in my browser bar also shows the updated variable: it is now 3 instead of 1.
Onto the search script part of my page (excerpt of the script):
script:"/profiel/search_richting?json=true&limit=6&id=" + school_id + "&"
As you can see, I pass the school_id variable to the script here. However, what seems to be happening is that it always passes '1', the default variable when the page loads. It simply ignores the updated variable. Does this string get parsed when the page loads? In other words, as soon as the page loads, does it actually say &id=1? That's the only idea I can come up with why it would always pass '1'.
Is there a way to make this variable update in my script string? Or what would be the best way to solve this? I'm probably missing out on something very simple here again, as usual. Thanks a lot.
EDIT
Updated per request. I added a function getTheString as was suggest and I use the value of this function to get the URL. Still doesn't work though, it still seems to be concatenating before I get a chance to update the var. HOWEVER, with this code, my ajax log says id:[object HTMLInputElement], instead of id:1. Not sure what that means.
<script type="text/javascript">
var school_id;
$(document).ready(function() {
$("#school").blur(function() {
school_id = $("#school_id").val();
});
// zoekfunctie
var scholen = {
script:"/profiel/search_school?json=true&limit=6&",
varname:"input",
json:true,
shownoresults:false,
maxresults:6,
callback: function (obj) { document.getElementById('school_id').value = obj.id; }
};
var as_json = new bsn.AutoSuggest('school', scholen);
var richtingen = {
script: getTheString(),
varname:"input",
json:true,
shownoresults:true,
maxresults:6
};
var as_json2 = new bsn.AutoSuggest('studierichting', richtingen);
});
function getTheString() {
return "/profiel/search_richting?json=true&limit=6&id=" + school_id + "&";
}
</script>
This is because the URL is static, it is not updated as the ID changes.
You should update the URL as part of the code you wrote to get the ID:
$("#school").blur(function() {
school_id = $("#school_id").val();
// update URL here ...
});
Aren't you concatenating script:"/profiel/search_richting?json=true&limit=6&id=" + school_id + "&" before the event is fired and the var updated?
Okay. So the problem was my third party plug-in instead of the code I wrote. I fixed this by editing the code of the autoSuggest plugin so it now includes my id field in the AJAX request.
var url = this.oP.script+this.oP.varname+"="+encodeURIComponent(this.sInp)+"&id="+ $("#school_id").val();
Thanks to everyone who tried to help me out!

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