# baseline.js

basline.js is a small library that organizes application logic and data in node.js web applications into interdependent services that can be used both on the client and the server. It provides a small, simple, in-memory data store to organize and access data on the client. The same in-memory database and logic can also be used on the server side.

A baseline object may be  initialized both on the server and on the client. On the server, a baseline object is initialized on a per request basis. For example, in an express.js app,

```javascript
var baseline = require( 'baseline' );

app.use( function( req, res, cb ) {
	req.baseline = new Baseline( {
		rt : new ContactsService( { collectionName : 'contacts' } )
	} );
} );
```

On the client, a single baseline object is initialized and attached to the `window` object.

```javascript
window.Wikkem.baseline = new Baseline( {
	rt : new ContactsService(),
} );
```

## Anatomy

A baseline instance is made up of services. A service is a module that contains application logic and potentially accessors for in-memory data that is operated on by that logic. Services may depend on each other.

![](https://github.com/rotundasoftware/baselinejs/blob/master/docs/anatomy.png)

### Collection services

collectionServices contain the application logic and the means to access in-memory data that is a subset of the data in a database collection or table.

When used on the client side, collectionServices are very similar to backbone.js collections, with a few key differences:

* collectionServices are the preferred place to put application logic that operates on the data in the collection, whereas backbone collection classes generally do not serve that purpose.
* While there may exist multiple backbone collections of the same type of object, there is always only one service (just like there is aways only one database table).
* While backbone collections contain models that wrap the underlying data, collectionServices provide access to the underlying data only through per-field getters and setters. Objects are referenced by their id, instead of with pointers to models. This approach allows baseline to reliably keep track of changes.

## Bootstrapping data from the server to the client

The process of bootstrapping data from the client to the server is streamlined using [steamer](https://github.com/rotundasoftware/steamer).

![](https://github.com/rotundasoftware/baselinejs/blob/master/docs/bootstrapping.png)

To 

```javascript
app.use( function( req, res, cb ) {
	req.baseline = new Baseline( {
		rt : new ContactsService( { collectionName : 'contacts' } )
	} );

	req.bootstrapBoat = req.baseline.createBoat();
	steamer.stuffMiddleware( 'bootstrapBoat' )( req, res, cb );
} );
```

THIS DOCUMENTATION IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. If you want to see more, please star the repo.