Add utilities for making MVPs easier to write. See attachment for details.
chat-SDK-JS Utilities.zip

Using name hook is difficult to identify the functions are used by cloud or client. To be consistent with core sdk, use name cloud.

Please also remember to update https://github.com/skygear-demo/cloud-chat-demo-js

Refs #28 by @akiroz

Tasks

• Consider can we have something similar with iOS and Android SDK?
• Add it to JS SDK, update API doc
• Add it to Quick Start and Guide

Proposal by @akiroz

import skygearChat from 'skygear-chat';

// http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36871299/how-to-extend-function-with-es6-classes
class ExtensibleFunction extends Function {
  constructor(f) {
    return Object.setPrototypeOf(f, new.target.prototype);
  }
}

// TypingIndicator.js
export default class extends ExtensibleFunction {
  constructor(conversation, debounceTime = 3000) {
    super(() => {
      if(this.debounceTimer) {
        this.startTyping();
      } else {
        this.resetTimer();
      }   
    }); 
    this.conversation = conversation;
    this.debounceTime = debounceTime;
    this.debounceTimer = null;
  }
  startTyping() {
    this.debounceTimer = setTimeout(
      this.stopTyping,
      this.debounceTime
    );  
    skygearChat.sendTypingIndicator(
      this.conversation, 'begin'
    );  
  }
  resetTimer() {
    clearTimeout(this.debounceTimer);
    this.debounceTimer = setTimeout(
      this.stopTyping,
      this.debounceTime
    );  
  }
  stopTyping() {
    this.debounceTimer = null;
    skygearChat.sendTypingIndicator(
      this.conversation, 'finished'
    );  
  }
}

Usage

import TypingIndicator from 'TypingIndicator.js';
const typing = new TypingIndicator(currentConversation);
<input type=text onChange=typing />

get_messages lambda throws exception because getMessages() gives wrong paramater.

Expected Behaviour:
getMessages() should not receive an error from get_messages lambda.

sendTypingIndicator(conversation, state)

vs

subscribeTypingIndicator() / subscribeAllTypingIndicator(), the callback return "event"

Either call it state, or event, we should align it!

The create event should be emitted for new conversations, got update instead.

Instead of sendTypingIndicator, we can just have a utility function to listen to any text input DOM element and watch it?

Would be related with UI Kit.

when createDirectConversation() is called with one argument (the user), it throws "can't read property toJSON of undefined".

Workaround: createDirectConversation(user, null);

• Support automaticallyMarkMessageAsDelivered
  Similar to http://cocoadocs.org/docsets/SKYKitChat/0.0.1/Classes/SKYChatExtension.html#//api/name/markDeliveredMessages:completion:NS_SWIFT_NAME:

Be able to subscribe to conversation name, member and unread count changes.

Expected:

public getUnreadCount(): Promise<number>
getUnreadCount return the total unread message count of current user

Actual:

public getUnreadCount(): Promise<Object>
returns the total unread count of conversations and messages of the current user
when there are no conversations, returns this:

{
  conversation: 0,
  message: null
}

object is returned by chat:total_unread lambda.

The main field in package.json should be dist/index.js not index.js.
Applies to current version (0.1.0) on npm.

Two features:

1. Handle initial fetch of message, subscribe to message event together, to provide a data model for message list for a conversion, and a proxy for relevant message event.

2. Handle offline cache of message history.

Good if we could include the Chat SDK as a minified external script through CDN.

The reciept -> read_at date is set in the database after calling markAsRead().

If user passed a date object to fetch message api, use beforeTime. If user pass string to the api, fetch messages by before message id.

Currently the unread_count attribute is only available in the UserConversation record.
This should be available in Conversation records returned by getConversaton().

Platform: React-Native

import skygear from 'skygear/react-native';
import skygearChat from 'skygear-chat';

skygear.config({...}).then(() => {
  skygearChat.createDirectConversation(...);  // I would get api key not configured error here
});

I think the reason is that, skygear-chat import skygear from 'skygear', while the app import skygear from 'skygear/react-native', so they are two separate skygear containers.

When calling markAsLastMessageRead, it calls _getUserConversation method.
However, _getUserConversation always throws no conversation found error.

Couldn't use skygear chat when both Skygear CDN and Skygear Chat CDN are included in the app.

Maybe it is due to the standalone value of Broswerify, as it is "skygear" and it duplicates with the skygear JS SDK.

To design the persistent store layer to support both web, ionic and react-native

Deliverables:

• The libraries for web, ionic and react-native

Currently addAdmins() will refuse to add the user if they are not already a participant.
It should automatically make the user a participant.

• Update message query and save API, call completion handler for cached result
• Update cached appropriate api (CUD)

v4: https://travis-ci.org/SkygearIO/chat-SDK-JS/jobs/277261007
v5: https://travis-ci.org/SkygearIO/chat-SDK-JS/jobs/277261006

Currently the last_message transient include is only available in the UserConversation record returned by getUserConversations().

This should be available in Conversation records returned by getConversaton().

I think much more of the client logic can be encapsulated into the SDK.... It's currently extremely hard to use.
IMO, the SDK's API should be based on ease of use and not ease of implementation..... :(

Things like "list of conversations that belongs to the current user" and "current conversation" should be part of the SDK, it's unlikely that a chat app will not have a list of chats or more than 1 current chat.

Some APIs are quite chaotic like: userConversation.$transient.conversation.$transient.last_message.body it almost seem like a hack / workaround.

skygear.config is overwritten when the chat sdk is loaded using CDN

As a chat SDK, the correct typing event should be automatically sent based on input onChange events. The debounce logic should be part of the SDK IMHO.

Currently when we call getUserConversations, we can specify includeLastMessage: boolean, page: number, pageSize: number using positional argument.

The problem is, when I just want to specify "pageSize", I have to specify"includeLastMessage" and "page" as well although I just want to leave them as default.

For example, if I want to set the pageSize as 20, then I have to call getUserConversations(true, 1, 20).

Can we explore the use of option here to avoid the confusion?

index.js requires underscore but is not listed in package.json.
Applies to current version (0.1.0) on npm.

UserConversation Records retreved from getUserConversations() does not have the key last_read_message or inside the $transient object.

Not sure if this is a back-end bug or SDK misuse of lambda, leave it here for now.

leave conversation:

get user conversations:

the conversation still exists:

Currently it assume the object is browser file object. Which is not always true, developer may want to provide an skygear.asset with base64 or custom contentType.

This API should only return conversations that the user is actually part of.
Currently you'll get many of other people's conversations....

subscribe will listen on all conversation events.... That's rarely what we want in practice, it should filter out messages for a specific conversion just like subscribeTypingIndicator.