# Redux Motive 
[](https://unpkg.com/redux-motive/dist/)
[](https://npmjs.com/package/redux-motive)
[](https://travis-ci.org/loklaan/redux-motive)
[](https://codecov.io/gh/loklaan/redux-motive)
Simplify writing action creators, reducers and effects - without breaking redux.
```js
const { reducer, ...actionCreators } = ReduxMotive({
config: {},
sync: {
// Sync function, combines Action Creator and Reducer
addTodo (state, todo) {
return assign({}, state, { todos: [ ...state.todos, todo ] })
},
},
async: {
// Async function, combines Action Creator and Effect
async createTodo (motive, text, isDone) {
const todo = await api('/todo', {text, isDone})
motive.addTodo(todo)
}
},
})
```
## Install
```shell
yarn add redux-motive
```
#### Requirements
Add `redux-thunk` to your store's middleware. _See [`redux-thunk` docs][redux-thunk] for more details._
```shell
yarn add redux-thunk
```
```js
import thunk from 'redux-thunk'
const store = createStore(reducers, applyMiddleware(thunk))
```
## Preamble
In UI development, our **motive**'s for using redux are predictable.
1. **Reduce an Action** to change the state _now_, to rerender the UI _soon_.
2. **Reduce the lifecycle of side effects**, from an Action, to change state _over time_, to rerender the UI as the _side effects progress_.
Redux is great for splitting data-flow concerns into small concepts, but it can introduce indirection to a developers code, and at times this becomes the source of errors.
Motive removes indirection, by combining the purpose of a data-flow function to be both an Action Creator and a Reducer, or an Action Creator and an Effect.
## Comparison
Generate action creators and a reducer with **Motive**.
```js
const { reducer, ...actionCreators } = ReduxMotive({
sync: {
// Sync function, combines Action Creator and Reducer
addTodo (state, todo) {
return assign({}, state, { todos: [ ...state.todos, todo ] })
},
},
async: {
// Async function, combines Action Creator and Effect
async createTodo (motive, text, isDone) {
const todo = await api('/todo', {text, isDone})
motive.addTodo(todo)
}
},
})
```
Write action types, action creators and reducers with **common redux boilerplate**.
```js
const ADD_TODO = '@@MOTIVE/ADD_TODO'
const CREATE_TODO_START = '@@MOTIVE/CREATE_TODO_START'
const CREATE_TODO_END = '@@MOTIVE/CREATE_TODO_END'
const CREATE_TODO_ERROR = '@@MOTIVE/CREATE_TODO_ERROR'
const reducer = (state, action) => {
switch (action.type) {
case ADD_TODO:
return assign({}, state, { todos: [ ...state.todos, todo ] })
case CREATE_TODO_START:
return assign({}, state, { progressing: true })
case CREATE_TODO_END:
return assign({}, state, { progressing: false })
case CREATE_TODO_ERROR:
return assign({}, state, { error: action.payload, progressing: false })
}
}
const actionCreators = {
addTodo (todo) {
return { type: ADD_TODO, payload: { todo } }
},
createTodo (text, isDone) {
return (dispatch) => {
dispatch({ type: CREATE_TODO_START })
api('/todo', {text, isDone})
.then(todo => {
dispatch(actionCreators.addTodo(todo))
dispatch({ type: CREATE_TODO_END })
})
.catch(err => {
dispatch({ type: CREATE_TODO_ERROR, payload: err })
})
}
}
}
```
#### Summary
Inferring common redux patterns into `ReduxMotive` allows for _less_ coding.
* Action Creators often pass their params to Reducers in the Action; `ReduxMotive` always does behind the scenes.
* The progress of an effect's _lifecycle_ in `ReduxMotive` is reduced to state at common stages: _start, end or error_.
* Dispatching actions from the end of effects is guaranteed; `ReduxMotive` provides `dispatch`-bound Action Creators in an effect's first parameter.
## API
### *`ReduxMotive( { config, sync, async } )`*
The returned object can be used to provide a `reducer` to the Redux.
Additionally, every function configured for `sync` and `async` are accessible as dispatchable Action Creators.
```js
const motive = ReduxMotive({
config: {}
sync: {
todo () {},
},
async: {
async fetchTodo () {}
}
});
console.log(motive);
// {
// reducer, Reducer function, wrapping all configured sync fns
// todo, An Action Creator generated from sync.todo
// fetchTodo An Action Creator generated from async.fetchTodo
// }
```
#### Configuring
# config
> _Initial state, default handlers for state/end/error, and optional prefix for action types._
```js
ReduxMotive({
// Default config values
config: {
prefix: '',
initialState: {},
handlers: {
start: (state) => assign({}, state, { progressing: true }),
end: (state) => assign({}, state, { progressing: false }),
error: (state, error) => assign({}, state, { progressing: false, error })
},
}
})
```
# sync
> _A collection of functions that combine the principles of an Action Creator and a **Reducer**._
They should:
1. Always return new state
2. Should not call any "side effects"
```js
const { todo } = ReduxMotive({
sync: {
todo (state, isDone) {
return { ...state, isDone }
}
}
})
dispatch( todo(true) )
```
# async
> _Combination of an Action Creator and an **Effect**._
Function that is given a **`motive`** Object and any additional arguments from the generated Action Creator.
Expected to dispatch new Actions from invoke side effects (like server API calls).
Should return a Promise. The `async` function keyword can be used.
**`motive`** Object
* `dispatch`
* `getState`
* Action Creators returned by `ReduxMotive`, bound to `dispatch`
```js
ReduxMotive({
// ...
async: {
async fetchTodo (motive) {
const todo = await api();
motive.todo(todo.isDone)
}
}
})
```
**Lifecycles for an Async Function**
Refer to the [Comparison](#comparison) for when 'lifecycle' stages are actioned and reduced.
The stages can be overridden:
* In the `config`
* Per (asynchronous) function
```js
ReduxMotive({
config: {
handlers: { /* ... */ }
},
async: {
fetchTodo: {
handlers: {
start (state) { /* ... */ },
end (state) { /* ... */ },
error (state) { /* ... */ }
},
async effect (motive) {
const todo = await api();
motive.todo(todo.isDone)
}
}
}
})
```
#### Action Types
Action types for each Action Creators are available as properties, which is useful when attempting to match the types in a explicit way.
```js
console.log(motive.todo.ACTION_TYPE)
// @@MOTIVE//TODO_SYNC
console.log(motive.fetchTodo.ACTION_TYPE_START)
// @@MOTIVE//SYNC_TODO_START
console.log(motive.fetchTodo.ACTION_TYPE_END)
// @@MOTIVE//SYNC_TODO_END
console.log(motive.fetchTodo.ACTION_TYPE_ERROR)
// @@MOTIVE//SYNC_TODO_ERROR
```
> _You don't need to use these if you're dispatching the generated Action Creators._
## Alternatives & inspirations
_Library_ | _Description_
--- | ---
[redux-schemas][redux-schemas] | Similar redux util library, making different API choices, but with more utility.
[freactal][freactal] | Unidirection store for React, with a concise api for async actions and selectors.
## License
Licensed under the MIT License, Copyright © 2017-present Lochlan Bunn.
[redux-thunk]: https://github.com/gaearon/redux-thunk
[freactal]: https://github.com/FormidableLabs/freactal
[redux-schemas]: https://github.com/iamtommcc/redux-schemas