How to use JPA annotations in a kotlin/multiplatform project? - jpa

I want to implement a project using kotlin/multiplatform consisting of a backend on the jvm and a web-app in js. The structure would be like this:
root
|- webapp (kotlin/js using kotlin-react)
|- shared (kotlin/multiplatform for shared data)
|- server (kotlin/jvm using micronauts)
The data classes used by the applications belong in the shared project, but to use jpa I need jvm-annotations.
A solution would be to not use kotlin data-classes and inherit in the jvm. I also tried to implement the jpa annotations using the experimental #OptionalExpectation but that went nowhere since:
they require non-annotation-types when used with typealias which can't be implemented with #OptionalExpectation.
let the multiplatform-annotations inherit from the multiplatform-annotations isn't possible since kotlin doesn't yet support annotation inheritance.
Should I refrain from using the data-class feature and use inheritance or is there a more elegant way?

I think in general model classes shouldn't be shared between different applications, with one of the the exceptions being applications that use the same data source.
If you want to share data structures between the Server and the Web app I would suggest creating DTO classes specifically for that.
A Data Transfer Object is an object that is used to encapsulate data, and send it from one subsystem of an application to another.

Related

Can I use Spring Data JPA #Entity and Spring Data GemFire #Region together on the same POJO?

When I try to use the same POJO for Spring Data JPA integration with Spring Data GemFire, the repository always accesses the database with the POJO. But I want the repository to access data from GemFire, even though I added annotations #EnableGemfireRepositories and #EnableEntityDefinedRegions.
I think it is because I added the #Entity and #Region together on the same POJO class.
Please help fix and let me know if I can do so? Do I need to separate it into 2 POJO classes working for database and GemFire?
Thanks
No, you do not need 2 separate POJOs. However, you do need 2 separate Repository interface definitions, 1 for JPA and a 2nd for GemFire. I have an example of such an implementation here, in the repository-example.
In the contacts-core module, I have an example.app.model.Contact class that is annotated with both JPA's #Entity annotation as well as SDG's #Region annotation in addition to other annotations (e.g. Jackson).
I then create 2 Repository interfaces in the repository-example module, 1 for JPA, which extends o.s.d.jpa.repository.JpaRepository, and another for GemFire, which extends o.s.d.gemfire.repository.GemfireRepository. Notice too that these Repositories are separated by package (i.e. example.app.repo.jpa vs. example.app.repo.gemfire) in my example.
Keep in mind, Spring Data enforces a strict policy mode which prevents ambiguity if the application Repository definition (e.g. ContactRepository) is generic, meaning that the interface extends 1 of the common Spring Data interfaces: o.s.d.repository.Repository, o.s.d.repository.CrudRepository or perhaps o.s.d.repository.PagingAndSortingRepository, and the interface resides in the same package as the "scan" for both JPA and GemFire. This is the same for any Spring Data module that supports the Repository abstraction, including, but not limited to, MongoDB and Redis.
You must be very explicit in your declarations and intent. While it is generally not a requirement to extend store-specific Repository interface definitions (e.g. o.s.d.gemfire.repository.GemfireRepository), and rather extend a common interface (e.g. o.s.d.repository.CrudRepository), it is definitely advisable to put your different, per store Repository definitions in a separate package and configure the scan accordingly. This is good practice to limit the scan in the first place.
Some users are tempted to want a single, "reusable" Repository interface definition per application domain model type (e.g. Contact) for all the stores they persist the POJO to. For example, a single ContactRepository for both JPA and GemFire. This is ill-advised.
This stems from the fact that while most stores support basic CRUD and simple queries (e.g. findById(..)), though not all (so be careful), not all stores are equal in their query capabilities (e.g. JOINS) or function (e.g. Paging). For example, SDG does not, as of yet, support Paging.
So the point is, use 1 domain model type, but define a Repository per store clearly separated by package. Then you can configure the Spring Data Repository infrastructure accordingly. For instance, for JPA I have a configuration which points to the JPA-based ContactRepository using the ContactRepository class (which is type-safe and better than specifying the package by name using the basePackages attribute). Then, I do the same for the GemFire-based ContactRepository here.
By following this recipe, then all is well and then you can inject the appropriate Repository (by type) into the service class that requires it. If you have a service class that requires both Repositories, then you must inject them appropriately, for example.
Hope this helps!

Exposed domain model in Java microservice architecture

I'm aware that copying entity classes and properties into DTOs is considered anti-pattern, so by Exposed domain model pattern the same #Entity can be used as both database entity class, and DTO for service and MVC layer. (see here https://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/93511/data-transfer-objects-vs-entities-in-java-rest-server-application)
But suppose we have microservice architecture where the same set of properties is used as entity in one project with persistence, and as DTO in another project which uses the first one as a service. What's the proposed pattern in such a situation?
Because the second project doesn't need #Entity related functionality, and if we put that class in shared library, it will be tied unnecessary to JPA specific APIs and libraries. And the alternative is to again use separate DTO classes anti-pattern.
When your requirements for a DTO model exactly match your entity model you are either in a very early stage of the project or very lucky that you just have a simple model. If your model is very simple, then DTOs won't give you many immediate benefits.
At some point, the requirements for the DTO model and the entity model will diverge though. Imagine you add some audit aspects, statistics or denormalization to your entity/persistence model. That kind of data is usually never exposed via DTOs directly, so you will need to split the models. It is also often the case that the main driver for DTOs is the fact that you don't need all the data all the time. If you display objects in e.g. a dropdown you only need a label and the object id, so why would you load the whole entity state for such a use case?
The fact that you have annotations on your DTO models shouldn't bother you that much, what is the alternative? An XML-like mapping? Manual object wiring?
If your model is used by third parties directly, you could use a subclassing i.e. keep the main model free of annotations and have annotated subclasses in your project that extend the main model.
Since implementing a DTO approach correctly, I created Blaze-Persistence Entity Views which will not only simplify the way you define DTOs, but it will also improve the performance of your queries.
If you are interested, I even have an example for an external model that uses entity view subclasses to keep the main model clean.
Thank you for the answers, but emphasize in the question is on microservice (MS) architecture and reusing defined entity POJOs from one MS in another as POJOs. From what I've read on microservices it's closely related to another question - should MSs share any common functionality and classes at all, or be completely independent? It seems there is no definite agreement on it, and also no definite answer, or widely accepted pattern, to this.
From my recent experience here is what I adopted, and it works well so far.
Have common functionality across MSs - yes, in form of a commons project added as dependency to all MSs, with its dependencies set as optional. Share entity classes (expose them in commons) - no.
The main reason is that entity classes are closely related to data store for particular MS. And as the established rule is that MSs shouldn't share data stores, then it makes sense not to share entity classes for those data stores. It helps MSs to be more independent, and freedom to manage their data store in their own way. It means some more typing to add additional DTO classes and conversion between them, but it's a trade-off worth taking to retain MS independence. Reasons Christian Beikov and Maksim Gumerov mentioned apply as well.
What we do share (put in commons) are some common functionality and helper classes (for cloud, discovery, error handling, rest and json configuration...), and pure DTOs, where T is transfer between MSs (rest entities or message payloads).

Models Pattern in MVC

Is it a good practise to storage Models in this schema in solution?
Models folder, where I have POCO classes (or objects with EF Data Annotations) and main file MyDbContext.cs
ViewModels folder, where I storage all of ViewModels.
In ViewModels folder I have every single viewmodel class in separate XXX.cs file.
Should I do the same thing with Models folder and objects in this model? I mean, no one big file AccountModel.cs, but separate User.cs, ExternalUserProfiles.cs etc.
And at least question - when I have to use EF Fluent API with POCO pattern instead of Data Annotations EF?
Regards.
Is it a good practise to storage Models in this schema in solution?
Yes it is, when the project grows large you can go further and replace each folder with a separate assembly.
Should I do the same thing with Models folder and objects in this model?
I recommend this too, this way you will have a parallel hierarchy and a better organization. As for MyDBContext I usually move that to the data access assembly but you can keep it with the domain model if you want and move it only when the data access layer get huge.
when I have to use EF Fluent API with POCO pattern instead of Data Annotations EF?
You can use whatever you feel comfortable with. The only downside of using Data Annotations is that it is tightly coupled to the actual domain objects. Another things is that Fluent API is capable of doing things not achievable with Data Annotations and allows better separation of concerns.
You can even use both of them at the same time, just use the best tool for job.

Integration tests in Scala when using compagnons with Play2? -> Cake pattern?

I'm working on my first Scala application, where we use an ActiveRecord style to retrieve data from MongoDB.
I have models like User and Category, which all have a companion object that uses the trait:
class MongoModel[T <: IdentifiableModel with CaseClass] extends ModelCompanion[T, ObjectId]
ModelCompanion is a Salat class which provide common MongoDB crud operations.
This permits to retrieve data like this:
User.profile(userId)
I never had any experience with this ActiveRecord query style. But I know Rails people are using it. And I think I saw it on Play documentation (version 1.2?) to deal with JPA.
For now it works fine, but I want to be able to run integration tests on my MongoDB.
I can run an "embedded" MongoDB with a library. The big deal is that my host/port configuration are actually kind of hardcoded on the MongoModel class which is extended by all the model companions.
I want to be able to specify a different host/port when I run integration tests (or any other "profile" I could create in the future).
I understand well dependency injection, using Spring for many years in Java, and the drawbacks of all this static stuff in my application. I saw that there is now a scala-friendly way to configure a Spring application, but I'm not sure using Spring is appropriate in Scala.
I have read some stuff about the Cake pattern and it seems to do what I want, being some kind of typesafe, compile-time-checked spring context.
Should I definitely go to the Cake pattern, or is there any other elegant alternative in Scala?
Can I keep using an ActiveRecord style or is it a total anti-pattern for testability?
Thanks
No any static references - using Cake pattern you got 2 different classes for 2 namespaces/environments, each overriding "host/port" resource on its own. Create a trait containing your resources, inherit it 2 times (by providing actual information about host/port, depending on environment) and add to appropriate companion objects (for prod and for test). Inside MongoModel add self type that is your new trait, and refactor all host/port references in MongoModel, to use that self type (your new trait).
I'd definitely go with the Cake Pattern.
You can read the following article with show an example of how to use the Cake Pattern in a Play2 application:
http://julien.richard-foy.fr/blog/2011/11/26/dependency-injection-in-scala-with-play-2-it-s-free/

Sending persisted JDO instances over GWT-RPC

I've just started learning Google Web Toolkit and finished writing the Stock Watcher tutorial app.
Is my thinking correct that if one wants to persist a business object (like a Stock) using JDO and send it back and forth to/from the client over RPC then one has to create two separate classes for that object: One with the JDO annotations for persisting it on the server and another which is serialisable and used over RPC?
I notice the Stock Watcher has separate classes and I can theorise why:
Otherwise the gwt compiler would try
to generate javascript for everything
the persisted class referenced like
JDO and com.google.blah.users.User, etc
Also there may be logic on the server-side
class which doesn't apply to the client
and vice-versa.
I just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. I don't want to have to create two versions of all my business object classes which I want to use over RPC if I don't have to.
The short answer is: you don't need to create duplicate classes.
I recommend that you take a look from the following google groups discussion on the gwt-contributors list:
http://groups.google.com/group/google-web-toolkit-contributors/browse_thread/thread/3c768d8d33bfb1dc/5a38aa812c0ac52b
Here is an interesting excerpt:
If this is all you're interested in, I
described a way to make GAE and
GWT-RPC work together "out of the
box". Just declare your entities as:
#PersistenceCapable(identityType =
IdentityType.APPLICATION, detachable
= "false") public class MyPojo implements Serializable { }
and everything will work, but you'll
have to manually deal with
re-attachment when sending objects
from the client back to the server.
You can use this option, and you will not need a mirror (DTO) class.
You can also try gilead (former hibernate4gwt), which takes care of some details within the problems of serializing enhanced objects.
Your assessment is correct. JDO replaces instances of Collections with their own implementations, in order to sniff when the object graph changes, I suppose. These implementations are not known by the GWT compiler, so it will not be able to serialize them. This happens often for classes that are composed of otherwise GWT compliant types, but with JDO annotations, especially if some of the object properties are Collections.
For a detailed explanation and a workaround, check out this pretty influential essay on the topic: http://timepedia.blogspot.com/2009/04/google-appengine-and-gwt-now-marriage.html
I finally found a solution. Don't change your object at all, but for the listing do it this way:
List<YourCustomObject> secureList=(List<YourCustomObject>)pm.newQuery(query).execute();
return new ArrayList<YourCustomObject>(secureList);
The actual problem is not in Serializing the Object... the problem is to Serialize the Collection class which is implemented by Google and is not allowed to Serialize out.
You do not have to create two versions of the domain model.
Here are two tips:
Use a String encoded key, not the Appengine Key class.
pojo = pm.detachCopy(pojo)
...will remove all the JDO enhancements.
You don't have to create separate instances at all, in fact you're better off not doing it. Your JDO objects should be plain POJOs anyway, and should never contain business logic. That's for your business layer, not your persistent objects themselves.
All you need to do is include the source for the annotations you are using and GWT should compile your class just fine. Also, you want to avoid using libraries that GWT can't compile (like things that use reflection, etc.), but in all the projects I've done this has never been a problem.
I think that a better format to send objects through GWT is through JSON. In this case from the server a JSON string would be sent which would then have to be parsed in the client. The advantage is that the final Javascript which is rendered in the browser has a smaller size. thus causing the page to load faster.
Secondly to send objects through GWT, the objects should be serializable. This may not be the case for all objects
Thirdly GWT has inbuilt functions to handle JSON... so no issues on the client end