Default settings

[adrianthedev]

Context

We want to give the ability to developers to set certain settings to a certain value globally.

For example, set all the belongs_to fields to have the searchable value to true.

Explorations

  config.default_settings = {
    fields: {
      belongs_to: {
        searchable: false,
        polymorphic_as: false,
        relation_method: false,
      }
    },
    "fields.belongs_to.searchable": false,
    "fields.belongs_to.polymorphic_as": false,
    "fields.belongs_to.relation_method": false,
  }


@searchable = default_attribute("fields.belongs_to.searchable", args[:searchable] == true)
@polymorphic_as = default_attribute("fields.belongs_to.polymorphic_as", args[:can_create].nil? ? true : args[:can_create])


      def default_attribute(key, default)
        if value_exists?(key)
          value(key)
        else
          default
        end
      end

[Paul-Bob]

Possible approaches (none of the code was executed/tested):

1. Merge defaults on boot

1. Create a hash for each field defaults, let's take an example on Avo::Fields::BelongsTo

BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS = {
  searchable: false,
  can_create: true
}

2. Collect user defaults for that field (to be decided where and how)

USER_BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS = {
  searchable: true,
  can_create: true
}

3. On boot merge options and override avo defaults with user defaults:
   BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS.merge!(USER_BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS)

4. Use the merged defaults hash to access default values:

def initialize(id, **args, &block)
  # ...
  @searchable = args[:searchable].nil? ? BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS[:searchable] : args[:searchable]
  @can_create = args[:can_create].nil? ? BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS[:can_create] : args[:can_create]
  # ...
end

5. Optional: DRY refactor

def initialize(id, **args, &block)
  # ...
  initialize_option :searchable, args
  initialize_option :can_create, args
  # ...
end

def initialize_option(option, args)
  user_option = args.dig(option)

  instance_variable_set(:"@#{option}", user_option.nil? ? BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS.dig(option) : user_option)
end

2. Check for user default on each initialize

1. Collect user defaults for that field (to be decided where and how)

USER_BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS = {
  searchable: true,
  can_create: true
}

2. When user option is not provided check for user defaults first then apply avo defaults if not present

def initialize(id, **args, &block)
  # ...
  @searchable = if args[:searchable].nil?
    user_default = USER_BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS[:searchable]
    user_default.nil? ? false : user_default
  else
    args[:searchable]
  end

  @can_create = if args[:can_create].nil?
    user_default = USER_BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS[:can_create]
    user_default.nil? ? true : user_default
  else
    args[:can_create]
  end
  # ...
end

3. Optional: DRY refactor

def initialize(id, **args, &block)
  # ...
  initialize_option :searchable, args
  initialize_option :can_create, args
  # ...
end

def initialize_option(option, args)
  user_option = args.dig(option)

  value = if user_option.nil?
    user_default = USER_BELONGS_TO_DEFAULTS.dig(option)
    user_default.nil? ? false : user_default
  else
    user_option
  end

  instance_variable_set(:"@#{option}", value)
end

Things to have in consideration

1. Performance. We should identify the approach with less performance impact
2. Presence checks. We should validate present by using nil? method instead present? because the presence method can return false if the value is intentionally setted as false or empty.
3. Complexity. Lets ensure that the complexity of this mechanism is maintained as low as possible to preserve easy readability and maintainability

[github-actions]

This issue has been marked as stale because there was no activity for the past 15 days.

[Paul-Bob]

As a current workaround the base resource can be extended and the field parser can be overridden

For example, if we want all the fields to have reloadable: true as default

1. Extend the base resource

module Avo
  class BaseResource < Avo::Resources::Base
    # Users can override this class to add custom methods for all resources.
    def field(field_name, **args, &block)
      super(field_name, **args.merge(reloadable: true), &block)
    end
  end
end