marshalling 0.1.19

The marshalling library allows to marshal and unmarshal (also serialize/deserialize) an objects (e.g. into json compatible types)

marshalling

The marshalling library allows to marshal and unmarshal (also serialize/deserialize) an objects (e.g. into json compatible types)

Version 0.1.19 (on development stage)

Included utilities:

• resp2yaml
• yaml2podo

Utilty 'resp2yaml'

The utilty resp2yaml generates (extracts) the json object prototypes (in yaml format) from the response data file(s) (in json format). Use of this utility is optional.

Utilty 'yaml2podo'

The utilty yaml2podo generates PODO classes from the json object prototypes specified in yaml format. It is recommended to use this utility.

Common usage

Three steps serialization:

1. Declare the classes of plain objects (PODO)
2. Register classes, collection types, property accessors and properties
3. Automatically serialize/derialize objects

The above operations can be done manually or using sufficiently simple tools.

Below is an example of designing and generating objects (with an example of use).

Prototype plain old objects (using 'yaml' format)

json_objects.yaml

Messages:
  messages: List<Iterable<String>>
ObjectWithMap:
  products: Map<String, Product>
Order:
  date: DateTime
  items: List<OrderItem>
  amount: double
OrderItem:
  product: Product
  quantity.qty: int
  price: double
Product:
  name: String
  id: int

Auto generate source code (using the utility 'yaml2podo')

json_objects.dart

// Generated by the 'yaml2podo' tool, https://pub.dev/packages/marshalling

import 'package:marshalling/json_serializer.dart';

final json = JsonSerializer()
  ..addType(() => Messages())
  ..addType(() => ObjectWithMap())
  ..addType(() => Order())
  ..addType(() => OrderItem())
  ..addType(() => Product())
  ..addIterableType<List<OrderItem>, OrderItem>(() => <OrderItem>[])
  ..addMapType<Map<String, Product>, String, Product>(() => <String, Product>{})
  ..addIterableType<Iterable<String>, String>(() => <String>[])
  ..addIterableType<List<Iterable<String>>, Iterable<String>>(() => <Iterable<String>>[])
  ..addAccessor('amount', (o) => o.amount, (o, v) => o.amount = v)
  ..addAccessor('date', (o) => o.date, (o, v) => o.date = v)
  ..addAccessor('id', (o) => o.id, (o, v) => o.id = v)
  ..addAccessor('items', (o) => o.items, (o, v) => o.items = v)
  ..addAccessor('messages', (o) => o.messages, (o, v) => o.messages = v)
  ..addAccessor('name', (o) => o.name, (o, v) => o.name = v)
  ..addAccessor('price', (o) => o.price, (o, v) => o.price = v)
  ..addAccessor('product', (o) => o.product, (o, v) => o.product = v)
  ..addAccessor('products', (o) => o.products, (o, v) => o.products = v)
  ..addAccessor('quantity', (o) => o.quantity, (o, v) => o.quantity = v)
  ..addProperty<Messages, List<Iterable<String>>>('messages')
  ..addProperty<ObjectWithMap, Map<String, Product>>('products')
  ..addProperty<Order, double>('amount')
  ..addProperty<Order, DateTime>('date')
  ..addProperty<Order, List<OrderItem>>('items')
  ..addProperty<OrderItem, int>('quantity', alias: 'qty')
  ..addProperty<OrderItem, double>('price')
  ..addProperty<OrderItem, Product>('product')
  ..addProperty<Product, String>('name')
  ..addProperty<Product, int>('id');

class Messages {
  List<Iterable<String>> messages;

  Messages();

  factory Messages.fromJson(Map map) {
    return json.unmarshal<Messages>(map);
  }

  Map<String, dynamic> toJson() {
    return json.marshal(this) as Map<String, dynamic>;
  }
}

class ObjectWithMap {
  Map<String, Product> products;

  ObjectWithMap();

  factory ObjectWithMap.fromJson(Map map) {
    return json.unmarshal<ObjectWithMap>(map);
  }

  Map<String, dynamic> toJson() {
    return json.marshal(this) as Map<String, dynamic>;
  }
}

class Order {
  double amount;
  DateTime date;
  List<OrderItem> items;

  Order();

  factory Order.fromJson(Map map) {
    return json.unmarshal<Order>(map);
  }

  Map<String, dynamic> toJson() {
    return json.marshal(this) as Map<String, dynamic>;
  }
}

class OrderItem {
  int quantity;
  double price;
  Product product;

  OrderItem();

  factory OrderItem.fromJson(Map map) {
    return json.unmarshal<OrderItem>(map);
  }

  Map<String, dynamic> toJson() {
    return json.marshal(this) as Map<String, dynamic>;
  }
}

class Product {
  String name;
  int id;

  Product();

  factory Product.fromJson(Map map) {
    return json.unmarshal<Product>(map);
  }

  Map<String, dynamic> toJson() {
    return json.marshal(this) as Map<String, dynamic>;
  }
}

Use generated code (automatically serialize/derialize objects)

example.dart

import 'json_objects.dart';

void main() {
  // Subject: Order
  var products = _getProducts();
  var order = _createOrder();
  _addItemsToOrder(order, products);

  // Serialize via `marshalling`
  var jsonOrder1 = json.marshal(order) as Map;  
  // Or serialize via `to json`
  var jsonOrder2 = order.toJson();

  print(jsonOrder1);
  print(jsonOrder2);
  
  // Deserialize via `unmarshalling`
  order = json.unmarshal<Order>(jsonOrder1);
  // Or deserialize via `from json`
  order = Order.fromJson(jsonOrder2);
      
  // Subject: Lit<OrderItem>
  var orderItems = order.items;

  // Serialize via `marshalling`
  var jsonOrderItems = json.marshal(orderItems);

  print(jsonOrderItems);
  
  // Deserialize via `unmarshalling`
  order.items = json.unmarshal<List<OrderItem>>(jsonOrderItems);  
  
  // Subject: Messages
  var messages = Messages();
  messages.messages = [];
  messages.messages.add(['Hello', 'Goodbye']);
  messages.messages.add(['Yes', 'No']);

  // Serialize via `marshalling`
  var jsonMessages1 = json.marshal(messages);
  // Or serialize via `to json`
  var jsonMessages2 = messages.toJson();
  
  print(jsonMessages1);
  print(jsonMessages2);

  // Deserialize via `unmarshalling`
  messages = json.unmarshal<Messages>(jsonMessages1);  

  // Subject: ObjectWithMap
  var objectWithMap = ObjectWithMap();
  objectWithMap.products = {};
  for (var product in products) {
    objectWithMap.products[product.name] = product;
  }

  // Serialize via `marshalling`
  var jsonObjectWithMap1 = json.marshal(objectWithMap) as Map;
  // Or serialize via `to json`
  var jsonObjectWithMap2 = objectWithMap.toJson();

  print(jsonObjectWithMap1);
  print(jsonObjectWithMap2);  
  
  // Deserialize via `unmarshalling`
  objectWithMap = json.unmarshal<ObjectWithMap>(jsonObjectWithMap1);
  // Or deserialize via `from json`
  objectWithMap = ObjectWithMap.fromJson(jsonObjectWithMap1);
}

void _addItemsToOrder(Order order, List<Product> products) {
  for (var i = 0; i < products.length; i++) {
    var product = products[i];
    var orderItem = OrderItem();
    orderItem.product = product;
    orderItem.quantity = i + 1;
    orderItem.price = 10.0 + i;
    order.items.add(orderItem);
    order.amount += orderItem.quantity * orderItem.price;
  }
}

Order _createOrder() {
  var result = Order();
  result.amount = 0;
  result.date = DateTime.now();
  result.items = [];
  return result;
}

List<Product> _getProducts() {
  var result = <Product>[];
  for (var i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
    var product = Product();
    product.id = i;
    product.name = 'Product $i';
    result.add(product);
  }

  return result;
}