coffeenode-options

0.0.7 • Public • Published

CoffeeNode Options

  • Uses Mozilla's convict to load, merge and validate settings

  • Currently only *.json files are accepted; later versions may feature *.cjson, *.js, *.coffee or others

  • Read application options: app/options-schema.json and app/options.json

  • Read modules options: app/node_modules/xxx/options-schema.json and app/xxx-options.json

  • Currently no 'meta-configuration', i.e. there are no options for CoffeeNode Options—conceivably, those would have to go into app/options-options.json

Layout schema:

#............................................................................................
app/                          # application home folder
  main.js                     # application code (might be in lib/ or src/ or wherever)
  options.json                # app options
  options-schema.json         # app options schema
  xxx-options.json            # module xxx application-wide options
  yyy-options.json            # module yyy application-wide options (not recommended)
  #..........................................................................................
  node_modules/
    #........................................................................................
    xxx/
      main.js                     # module code
      options.json                # module general options (do not edit)
      options-schema.json         # module general options schema
      node_modules/
      #......................................................................................
      yyy/
        options.json                # sub-module general options (do not edit)
        options-schema.json         # sub-module general options schema

There is certainly a degree of fragmentation caused by keeping a separate options file for each configurable module of an app, and it is conceivable that you end up with a fair number of option files in your application folder, which may be difficult to keep in a consistent state. However, the good thing about this layout is that you can default-configure the modules of your app simply by copying a module's option.json file into your application folder (and properly naming it)—you do not have to adjust the structure of your own application. That said, it might still be a good idea to manage all your settings in a single options.json file and then go and configure your dependencies based on those key/value pairs.

An important thing to keep in mind is (1) the usage of global vs. local modules, and (2) the usage of apps and modules as scripts vs. libraries: The typical NodeJS / npm layout prescribes local modules; if you keep to this, you can merrily configure a dependent module without affecting other software running on the machine. If, however, you choose to install modules globally (and maybe npm link them for developement), then any configuration of such a globalized sub-module may affect other consumers (within the same process) of that sub-module, too, so you have to proceed with caution. The effects of such a 'settings leakage' may also differ between modules that are kept within the main process for the entire process lifetime (a library) and modules whose code is executed as a process in a child process, be it from the app or by the user from the command line.

Configuration stages (stages further down the list win over earlier ones):

  • environment variables
  • option file in module home
  • user's configuration file location (e.g. /Users/$username/Library/Application Support/$appname on OSX)
  • option file in application home
  • application command line arguments

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Install

npm i coffeenode-options

Weekly Downloads

8

Version

0.0.7

License

BSD-2-Clause

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  • loveencounterflow