Author: Robert Bruce
gobox is designed to streamline the creation of new type directories for applications. Most projects necessitate a type directory, often requiring database storage. gobox offers an efficient framework for generating new types equipped with DynamoDB methods, facilitating straightforward and declarative inter-type relationships.
The core functionality (plus examples and tests) are in the dynamo package, which simplifies the creation of new types integrated with DynamoDB methods. It also enables easy, declarative relationships between these types.
At the foundation is the Row type, essential for all types destined for DynamoDB storage. It should contain highly-available fields, as well as any fields that relate to the access-patterns of this type. By embedding the Row type into other types, it provides basic CRUD operations on any data type, representing the essential data types of your application.
To interrelate Row types, the package offers three Link types: MonoLink, DiLink, and TriLink.
MonoLink, an augmentation of the Row type, segregates slices of data that relate to the base Row type into their own separate database partitions, using an Entity0 base entity. With keys derived from the Row type’s keys, accessing MonoLink data is straightforward when using the FindLinks helpers of the dynamo package. Since MonoLinks' keys are derrived from the keys of a base type, they can usually be fetched concurrently and/or independently of each other, making your dynamo queries smaller and more specific/targeted.
DiLink expands on MonoLink by adding an Entity1 base entity, linking two Row types. It fosters a many-to-many relationship, interconnecting two Row instances. The presence of a DiLink row signifies a relationship between two Row types. Its keys, derived from the entities’ keys, simplify access to DiLink data from either Row type, with helper functions for loading potential Entity0s or Entity1s.
TriLink is an extension of DiLink, incorporating an Entity2 base entity. This allows for querying and relating three Row types with a single row. The TriLink is valuable for interrelating three Row types in scenarios where such a relationship is beneficial. I considered extrapolating this pattern, but stopped because I felt the TriLink was sufficiently "relational" and more types also means more maintenance.
gobox is designed to be utilized as a library component within your projects, rather than as a standalone application. To guide you in implementing gobox's features, we have provided a comprehensive suite of tests. These tests not only assure the functionality of the library but also serve as practical examples.
In the tests, you'll find various types implementing the tools and functionalities offered by gobox. These examples illustrate how to effectively use the Row, MonoLink, DiLink, and TriLink types, among other features. By studying these tests, you can gain insights into how to integrate and leverage the capabilities of gobox in your own applications.
We recommend examining these tests to familiarize yourself with the library's usage patterns and to see the implementation of its key components in action.