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| 1 | +# HTTP API Integration |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +VQL is designed to work seamlessly not just within a single application, but also across network boundaries. You can easily expose your `VQLProcessor` as an HTTP endpoint, allowing frontend applications, microservices, or external scripts to execute queries securely and efficiently. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +This guide outlines the recommended way to create a VQL-powered API using [Falcon Frame](https://github.com/wxn0brP/falcon-frame) on the backend and a lightweight VQL client on the frontend. |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## Server-Side: Exposing VQL with `FF_VQL` |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +The `FF_VQL` helper function is the quickest way to create a dedicated VQL endpoint. It handles incoming requests, passes them to the `VQLProcessor`, and returns the results in a standardized format. |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +### Basic Setup |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +Here is an example of a simple web server that exposes a VQL endpoint. |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +**`server.ts`** |
| 16 | +```typescript |
| 17 | +import { FalconFrame } from "@wxn0brp/falcon-frame"; |
| 18 | +import { VQLProcessor, FF_VQL } from "@wxn0brp/vql"; |
| 19 | +import { Valthera } from "@wxn0brp/db"; |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +// 1. Initialize your Database and VQLProcessor |
| 22 | +const db = new Valthera("./data/my-db"); |
| 23 | +const processor = new VQLProcessor({ mainDB: db }); |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +// 2. Initialize Falcon Frame |
| 26 | +const app = new FalconFrame(); |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +// 3. Add the VQL endpoint using the helper |
| 29 | +FF_VQL(app, processor, { |
| 30 | + // These options are optional |
| 31 | + path: "/vql-api", // Default is "/VQL" |
| 32 | + dev: true // Enables a GET endpoint for debugging queries |
| 33 | +}); |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +// 4. Start the server |
| 36 | +app.l(3000); |
| 37 | +``` |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | +### Passing User Context |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +A critical feature of `FF_VQL` is the ability to extract user context from each request and pass it to the `VQLProcessor` for permission checks. This is done via the `getUser` option. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +```typescript |
| 44 | +FF_VQL(app, processor, { |
| 45 | + getUser: async (req) => { |
| 46 | + // Example: Extract user info from an Authorization header |
| 47 | + const token = req.headers.get("Authorization")?.replace("Bearer ", ""); |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | + if (token === "SECRET_ADMIN_TOKEN") { |
| 50 | + return { _id: "admin-user", role: "admin" }; |
| 51 | + } |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | + // For permission resolvers, it's important to provide a context |
| 54 | + return { _id: "guest-user", role: "guest" }; |
| 55 | + } |
| 56 | +}); |
| 57 | +``` |
| 58 | +The object returned by `getUser` is passed as the `user` argument to `processor.execute()` and is available within your [permission resolvers](./permissions.md). |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +## Frontend: Using a VQL Client |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +To communicate with the VQL endpoint from a browser or another service, you should use the official **`@wxn0brp/vql-client`** library. This client simplifies interaction with your VQL API, providing convenient functions for sending queries and managing configuration. |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +### Installation |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +Install the `@wxn0brp/vql-client` package in your frontend project: |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +```bash |
| 69 | +npm install @wxn0brp/vql-client |
| 70 | +# or yarn add @wxn0brp/vql-client |
| 71 | +# or bun add @wxn0brp/vql-client |
| 72 | +``` |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +### Core Client Functions |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +The `@wxn0brp/vql-client` package exports the following key functions and objects: |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +- `VQLClient.fetchVQL(query, vars)`: The primary function for sending queries to the VQL API. |
| 79 | + - `query`: Can be a VQLS string or a VQLR object. If a string, variables can be provided separately. |
| 80 | + - `vars` (optional): An object containing variables to be substituted in the query (e.g., for `s.age=$age`). |
| 81 | +- `VQLClient.V`: A tagged template literal for a more ergonomic, inline VQLS query syntax directly within your code. It's a convenient wrapper around `VQLClient.fetchVQL`. |
| 82 | +- `VQLClient.cfg`: A global configuration object allowing you to set the endpoint URL (`VQLClient.cfg.url`), default HTTP headers (`VQLClient.cfg.headers`), and other options for all client requests. |
| 83 | +- `VQLClient.defTransport`: The default transport function used for making HTTP requests. You can override this for custom networking logic. |
| 84 | +- `VQLClient.VQLHooks`: An interface for defining hooks that can run before, after, or on error of a VQL request. You can set `VQLClient.cfg.hooks`. |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +### Example Usage |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +Here’s how you might use the `@wxn0brp/vql-client` in your frontend JavaScript or TypeScript code. |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +```typescript |
| 91 | +import { VQLClient } from "@wxn0brp/vql-client"; |
| 92 | + |
| 93 | +// Configure the client to point to your API endpoint |
| 94 | +VQLClient.cfg.url = "http://localhost:3000/vql-api"; |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +// Set a default header for authorization |
| 97 | +VQLClient.cfg.headers = { |
| 98 | + "Authorization": "Bearer SECRET_ADMIN_TOKEN" |
| 99 | +}; |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +async function loadData() { |
| 102 | + try { |
| 103 | + // Example 1: Use fetchVQL with variables |
| 104 | + console.log("Fetching active users..."); |
| 105 | + const activeUsers = await VQLClient.fetchVQL("mainDB users s.status=$status", { status: "active" }); |
| 106 | + console.log("Active Users:", activeUsers); |
| 107 | + |
| 108 | + // Example 2: Use the V template literal for a simple query |
| 109 | + console.log("Fetching item by ID..."); |
| 110 | + const item = await VQLClient.V`mainDB items! s._id="item-001"`; |
| 111 | + console.log("Item:", item); |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | + } catch (e) { |
| 114 | + console.error("An error occurred while fetching VQL data:", e); |
| 115 | + } |
| 116 | +} |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +loadData(); |
| 119 | +``` |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +This client-server combination provides a powerful, secure, and maintainable way to build modern data-driven applications with VQL. The server exposes the full power of VQL through a single endpoint, while the client offers a simple and pleasant developer experience for consuming it. |
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