# node-annotation-parser [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/mastilver/node-annotation-parser.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/mastilver/node-annotation-parser) [![Coverage Status](https://coveralls.io/repos/mastilver/node-annotation-parser/badge.svg)](https://coveralls.io/r/mastilver/node-annotation-parser)

### Presentation

Unlike many other languages (C#, Java, PHP...), JavaScript doesn't handle annotation.
This module is here to help you correcting that.

### Install

`$ npm install --save annotation-parser`


### Usage

```
annotationParser(filePath, callback)
```


### Exemple

given this file (witch contains annotations) `controller.js`

```
/*
    @routePrefix('api')
*/
module.exports = {

    // @route('collection', 'GET')
    collection: function(){

    },

    // @route('collection/{id}', 'GET')
    index: function(){

    },
> };
```


You can then simply retrieve those annotations by doing so:

```

var parser = require('annotation-parser');

parser('controller.js', function(err, annotations){
    console.log(annotations);

    /*
        {
            module: {
                name: 'controller',
                annotations: {
                    routePrefix: [
                        ['api'],
                    ],
                },
                ref: /* module reference */
            },
            functions: {
                collection: {
                    annotations: {
                        route: [
                            ['collection', 'GET']
                        ],
                    },
                    ref: /* the collection function */
                },
                index: {
                    annotations: {
                        route: [
                            ['collection/{id}', 'GET']
                        ],
                    },
                    ref: /* the index function */
                },
            },
        }
    */
})

```


### Inspiration

My first goal was to create an [MVC](https://aspnetwebstack.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Attribute%20Routing%20in%20MVC%20and%20Web%20API) like router for Node.js, but I found it would be better to split this up.

There is already an [annotation parser](https://www.npmjs.com/package/annotation) for node but it didn't suit my needs.


### Licence

MIT © Thomas Sileghem