# EventStream

<img src=https://secure.travis-ci.org/dominictarr/event-stream.png?branch=master>

[Streams](http://nodejs.org/api/streams.html "Stream") are nodes best and most misunderstood idea, and 
_<em>EventStream</em>_ is a toolkit to make creating and working with streams <em>easy</em>.  

Normally, streams are only used of IO,  
but in event stream we send all kinds of objects down the pipe.  
If your application's <em>input</em> and <em>output</em> are streams,  
shouldn't the <em>throughput</em> be a stream too?  

The *EventStream* functions resemble the array functions,  
because Streams are like Arrays, but laid out in time, rather than in memory.  

<em>All the `event-stream` functions return instances of `Stream`</em>.

Stream API docs: [nodejs.org/api/streams](http://nodejs.org/api/streams.html "Stream")

NOTE: I shall use the term <em>"through stream"</em> to refer to a stream that is writable <em>and</em> readable.  

###[simple example](https://github.com/dominictarr/event-stream/blob/master/examples/pretty.js):

``` js

//pretty.js

if(!module.parent) {
  var es = require('event-stream')
  es.pipeline(                         //connect streams together with `pipe`
    process.openStdin(),              //open stdin
    es.split(),                       //split stream to break on newlines
    es.map(function (data, callback) {//turn this async function into a stream
      callback(null
        , inspect(JSON.parse(data)))  //render it nicely
    }),
    process.stdout                    // pipe it to stdout !
    )
  }
```
run it ...

``` bash  
curl -sS registry.npmjs.org/event-stream | node pretty.js
```
 
[node Stream documentation](http://nodejs.org/api/streams.html)

## through (write?, end?)

Reemits data synchronously. Easy way to create syncronous through streams.
Pass in an optional `write` and `end` methods. They will be called in the 
context of the stream. Use `this.pause()` and `this.resume()` to manage flow.
Check `this.paused` to see current flow state. (write always returns `!this.paused`)

this function is the basis for most of the syncronous streams in `event-stream`.

``` js

es.through(function write(data) {
    this.emit('data', data)
    //this.pause() 
  },
  function end () { //optional
    this.emit('end')
  })

```

##map (asyncFunction)

Create a through stream from an asyncronous function.  

``` js
var es = require('event-stream')

es.map(function (data, callback) {
  //transform data
  // ...
  callback(null, data)
})

```

Each map MUST call the callback. It may callback with data, with an error or with no arguments, 

  * `callback()` drop this data.  
    this makes the map work like `filter`,  
    note:`callback(null,null)` is not the same, and will emit `null`

  * `callback(null, newData)` turn data into newData
    
  * `callback(error)` emit an error for this item.

>Note: if a callback is not called, `map` will think that it is still being processed,   
>every call must be answered or the stream will not know when to end.  
>
>Also, if the callback is called more than once, every call but the first will be ignored.

## mapSync (syncFunction)

Same as `map`, but the callback is called synchronously. Based on `es.through`

## split (matcher)

Break up a stream and reassemble it so that each line is a chunk. matcher may be a `String`, or a `RegExp` 

Example, read every line in a file ...

``` js
  es.pipeline(
    fs.createReadStream(file, {flags: 'r'}),
    es.split(),
    es.map(function (line, cb) {
       //do something with the line 
       cb(null, line)
    })
  )

```

`split` takes the same arguments as `string.split` except it defaults to '\n' instead of ',', and the optional `limit` paremeter is ignored.
[String#split](https://developer.mozilla.org/en/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String/split)

## join (seperator)

create a through stream that emits `seperator` between each chunk, just like Array#join.

(for legacy reasons, if you pass a callback instead of a string, join is a synonym for `es.wait`)

## replace (from, to)

Replace all occurences of `from` with `to`. `from` may be a `String` or a `RegExp`.  
Works just like `string.split(from).join(to)`, but streaming.


## parse

Convienience function for parsing JSON chunks. For newline seperated JSON,
use with `es.split`

``` js
fs.createReadStream(filename)
  .pipe(es.split()) //defaults to lines.
  .pipe(es.parse())
```

## stringify

convert javascript objects into lines of text. The text will have whitespace escaped and have a `\n` appended, so it will be compatible with `es.parse`

``` js
objectStream
  .pipe(es.stringify())
  .pipe(fs.createWriteStream(filename))
```

##readable (asyncFunction) 

create a readable stream (that respects pause) from an async function.  
while the stream is not paused,  
the function will be polled with `(count, callback)`,  
and `this`  will be the readable stream.

``` js

es.readable(function (count, callback) {
  if(streamHasEnded)
    return this.emit('end')
  
  //...
  
  this.emit('data', data) //use this way to emit multiple chunks per call.
      
  callback() // you MUST always call the callback eventually.
             // the function will not be called again until you do this.
})
```
you can also pass the data and the error to the callback.  
you may only call the callback once.  
calling the same callback more than once will have no effect.  

##readArray (array)

Create a readable stream from an Array.

Just emit each item as a data event, respecting `pause` and `resume`.

``` js
  var es = require('event-stream')
    , reader = es.readArray([1,2,3])

  reader.pipe(...)
```

## writeArray (callback)

create a writeable stream from a callback,  
all `data` events are stored in an array, which is passed to the callback when the stream ends.

``` js
  var es = require('event-stream')
    , reader = es.readArray([1, 2, 3])
    , writer = es.writeArray(function (err, array){
      //array deepEqual [1, 2, 3]
    })

  reader.pipe(writer)
```

## pipeline (stream1,...,streamN)

Turn a pipeline into a single stream. `pipeline` returns a stream that writes to the first stream
and reads from the last stream. 

Listening for 'error' will recieve errors from all streams inside the pipe.

> `connect` is an alias for `pipeline`.

``` js

  es.pipeline(                         //connect streams together with `pipe`
    process.openStdin(),              //open stdin
    es.split(),                       //split stream to break on newlines
    es.map(function (data, callback) {//turn this async function into a stream
      callback(null
        , inspect(JSON.parse(data)))  //render it nicely
    }),
    process.stdout                    // pipe it to stdout !
    )
```

## pause  () 

A stream that buffers all chunks when paused.


``` js
  var ps = es.pause()
  ps.pause() //buffer the stream, also do not allow 'end' 
  ps.resume() //allow chunks through
```

## duplex (writeStream, readStream)

Takes a writable stream and a readable stream and makes them appear as a readable writable stream.

It is assumed that the two streams are connected to each other in some way.  

(This is used by `pipeline` and `child`.)

``` js
  var grep = cp.exec('grep Stream')

  es.duplex(grep.stdin, grep.stdout)
```

## child (child_process)

Create a through stream from a child process ...

``` js
  var cp = require('child_process')

  es.child(cp.exec('grep Stream')) // a through stream

```

## wait (callback)

waits for stream to emit 'end'.
joins chunks of a stream into a single string. 
takes an optional callback, which will be passed the 
complete string when it receives the 'end' event.

also, emits a simgle 'data' event.

``` js

readStream.pipe(es.join(function (err, text) {
  // have complete text here.
}))

```