Resolvers

Resolvers dynamically resolve individual properties based on a context, in a Feathers application usually the hook context.

This provide a flexible way to do things like:

• Populating associations
• Returning computed properties
• Securing queries and e.g. limiting requests for a user
• Setting context (e.g. logged in user or organization) specific default values
• Removing protected properties for external requests
• Add read- and write permissions on the property level
• Hashing passwords and validating dynamic password policies

You can create a resolver for any data type and resolvers can also be used outside of Feathers.

Example

Here is an example for a standalone resolver using a custom context:

import { resolve } from '@feathersjs/schema'

type User = {
  id: number
  name: string
}

type Message = {
  id: number
  userId: number
  likes: number
  text: string
  user: User
}

class MyContext {
  getUser(id) {
    return {
      id,
      name: 'David'
    }
  }

  getLikes(messageId) {
    return 10
  }
}

const messageResolver = resolve<Message, MyContext>({
  likes: (value, message, context) => {
    return context.getLikes(message.id)
  },
  user: (value, message, context) => {
    return context.getUser(message.userId)
  }
})

const resolvedMessage = await messageResolver.resolve(
  {
    id: 1,
    userId: 23,
    text: 'Hello!'
  },
  new MyContext()
)

Property resolvers

Property resolvers are a map of property names to resolver functions. A resolver function is an async or regular function that resolves a property on a data object. If it returns undefined the property will not be included. It gets passed the following parameters:

• value - The current value which can also be undefined
• data - The initial data object
• context - The context for this resolver
• status - Additional status information like current property resolver path, the properties that should be resolved or a reference to the initial context.

const userResolver = resolve<User, MyContext>({
  isDrinkingAge: async (value, user, context) => {
    const drinkingAge = await context.getDrinkingAge(user.country)

    return user.age >= drinkingAge
  },
  fullName: (value, user, context) => {
    return `${user.firstName} ${user.lastName}`
  }
})

danger

Property resolver functions should only return a value and not have side effects. This means a property resolver should not do things like create new data or modify the data or context object. Hooks should be used for side effects.

Virtual property resolvers

Virtual resolvers are property resolvers that do not use the value but instead always return a value of their own. The parameters are ((data, context, status)). The above example can be written like this:

import { resolve, virtual } from '@feathersjs/schema'

const userResolver = resolve<User, MyContext>({
  isDrinkingAge: virtual(async (user, context) => {
    const drinkingAge = await context.getDrinkingAge(user.country)

    return user.age >= drinkingAge
  }),
  fullName: virtual((user, context) => {
    return `${user.firstName} ${user.lastName}`
  })
})

Important

Virtual resolvers should always be used when combined with a database adapter in order to make valid $select queries. Otherwise queries could try to select fields that do not exist in the database which will throw an error.

Options

A resolver takes the following options as the second parameter:

• converter (optional): A (data, context) => {} or async (data, context) => {} function that can return a completely new representation of the data. A converter runs before properties resolvers.

const userResolver = resolve<User, MyContext>(
  {
    isDrinkingAge: async (value, user, context) => {
      const drinkingAge = await context.getDrinkingAge(user.country)

      return user.age >= drinkingAge
    },
    fullName: async (value, user, context) => {
      return `${user.firstName} ${user.lastName}`
    }
  },
  {
    // Convert the raw data into a new structure before running property resolvers
    converter: async (rawData, context) => {
      return {
        firstName: rawData.data.first_name,
        lastName: rawData.data.last_name
      }
    }
  }
)

Hooks

In a Feathers application, resolvers are used through hooks to convert service query, data and response. The context for these resolvers is always the hook context.

resolveData

Data resolvers use the hooks.resolveData(...resolvers) hook and convert the data from a create, update or patch service method or a custom method. This can be used to validate against the schema and e.g. hash a password before storing it in the database or to remove properties the user is not allowed to write. It is possible to pass multiple objects containing resolvers which will run in the order they are passed. Subsequent resolver objects will receive the output from previous resolvers. schemaHooks.resolveData can be used as an around and before hook.

import { hooks as schemaHooks, resolve } from '@feathersjs/schema'
import { Type } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { Static } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { HookContext } from '../declarations'

const messageSchema = Type.Object(
  {
    id: Type.Number(),
    text: Type.String(),
    createdAt: Type.Number(),
    updatedAt: Type.Number(),
    userId: Type.Number()
  },
  { $id: 'Message', additionalProperties: false }
)

type Message = Static<typeof messageSchema>

// Pick the data for creating a new message
const messageDataSchema = Type.Pick(messageSchema, ['text'])
type MessageData = Static<typeof messageDataSchema>

// Resolver that automatically set `userId` and `createdAt`
const messageDataResolver = resolve<Message, HookContext>({
  // Associate the currently authenticated user
  userId: (value, message, context) => context.params?.user.id,
  // Return the current date
  createdAt: () => Date.now()
})

// Resolver that automatically sets `updatedAt`
const messagePatchResolver = resolve<Message, HookContext>({
  // Return the current date
  updatedAt: () => Date.now()
})

app.service('users').hooks({
  before: {
    create: [schemaHooks.resolveData(messageDataResolver)],
    patch: [schemaHooks.resolveData(messagePatchResolver)]
  }
})

Note that as an all hook resolveData will run for any method that has data, including custom methods. If you want to validate custom methods differently the hook should be registered on each service method it is used:

app.service('users').hooks({
  before: {
    create: [schemaHooks.resolveData(messageDataResolver)],
    update: [schemaHooks.resolveData(messageDataResolver)],
    patch: [schemaHooks.resolveData(messageDataResolver)],
    customMethod: [schemaHooks.resolveData(customMethodDataResolver)]
  }
})

resolveResult

Result resolvers use the hooks.resolveResult(...resolvers) hook and resolve the data that is returned by a service call (context.result in a hook). This can be used to populate associations or add other computed properties etc. It is possible to pass multiple resolvers which will run in the order they are passed, using the previous data.

Important

schemaHooks.resolveResult must be used as an around hook. This is to ensure that the database adapters will be able to handle $select queries properly when using virtual properties.

import { hooks as schemaHooks, resolve, virtual } from '@feathersjs/schema'
import { Type } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { Static } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { HookContext } from '../declarations'

const userSchema = Type.Object(
  {
    id: Type.Number(),
    email: Type.String(),
    password: Type.String(),
    avatar: Type.Optional(Type.String())
  },
  { $id: 'User', additionalProperties: false }
)
type User = Static<typeof userSchema>

const messageSchema = Type.Object(
  {
    id: Type.Number(),
    text: Type.String(),
    createdAt: Type.Number(),
    userId: Type.Number(),
    user: Type.Ref(userSchema)
  },
  { $id: 'Message', additionalProperties: false }
)

type Message = Static<typeof messageSchema>

export const messageResolver = resolve<Message, HookContext>({
  user: virtual(async (message, context) => {
    // Populate the user associated via `userId`
    const user = await context.app.service('users').get(message.userId)
    return user
  })
})

app.service('messages').hooks({
  around: {
    all: [schemaHooks.resolveResult(messageResolver)]
  }
})

resolveExternal

External (or dispatch) resolver use the hooks.resolveDispatch(...resolvers) hook to return a safe version of the data that will be sent to external clients. It is possible to pass multiple resolvers which will run in the order they are passed, using the previous data. Returning undefined for a property resolver will exclude the property which can be used to hide sensitive data like the user password. This includes nested associations and real-time events. schemaHooks.resolveExternal can be used as an around or after hook.

import { hooks as schemaHooks, resolve } from '@feathersjs/schema'
import { Type } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { Static } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { HookContext } from '../declarations'

const userSchema = Type.Object(
  {
    id: Type.Number(),
    email: Type.String(),
    password: Type.String(),
    avatar: Type.Optional(Type.String())
  },
  { $id: 'User', additionalProperties: false }
)
type User = Static<typeof userSchema>

export const userExternalResolver = resolve<User, HookContext>({
  // Always hide the password for external responses
  password: () => undefined
})

// Dispatch should be resolved on every method
app.service('users').hooks({
  around: {
    all: [schemaHooks.resolveExternal(userExternalResolver)]
  }
})

important

In order to get the safe data from resolved associations all services involved need the schemaHooks.resolveExternal hook registered even if it does not need a resolver (schemaHooks.resolveExternal()).

schemaHooks.resolveExternal should be registered first when used as an around hook or last when used as an after hook so that it gets the final result data.

resolveQuery

Query resolvers use the hooks.resolveQuery(...resolvers) hook to modify params.query. This is often used to set default values or limit the query so a user can only request data they are allowed to see. It is possible to pass multiple resolvers which will run in the order they are passed, using the previous data. schemaHooks.resolveQuery can be used as an around or before hook.

In this example for a User schema we are first checking if a user is available in our request. In the case a user is available we are returning the user's ID. Otherwise we return whatever value was provided for id.

context.params.user would only be set if the request contains a user. This is usually the case when an external request is made. In the case of an internal request we may not have a specific user we are dealing with, and we will just return value.

If we were to receive an internal request, such as app.service('users').get(123), context.params.user would be undefined and we would just return the value which is 123.

import { hooks as schemaHooks, resolve } from '@feathersjs/schema'
import { Type } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { Static } from '@feathersjs/typebox'
import type { HookContext } from '../declarations'

const userSchema = Type.Object(
  {
    id: Type.Number(),
    email: Type.String(),
    password: Type.String(),
    avatar: Type.Optional(Type.String())
  },
  { $id: 'User', additionalProperties: false }
)
type User = Static<typeof userSchema>

export const userQueryProperties = Type.Pick(userSchema, ['id', 'email'])
export const userQuerySchema = querySyntax(userQueryProperties)
export type UserQuery = Static<typeof userQuerySchema>

export const userQueryResolver = resolve<UserQuery, HookContext>({
  // If there is an authenticated user, they can only see their own data
  id: (value, query, context) => {
    if (context.params.user) {
      return context.params.user.id
    }

    return value
  }
})

// The query can be resolved on every method
app.service('users').hooks({
  before: {
    all: [resolveQuery(userQueryResolver)]
  }
})

For a more complicated example. We will make a separate queryResolver, called companyFilterQueryResolver, that will act as a ownership filter. We will have a Company service that is owned by a User. We will assume our app has two registered users and two companies. Each user owning one company. For simplicity, User1 owns Company1, and User2 owns Company2

We want to make sure only the user that owns the company can make any requests related to it. Our schema contains a ownerUser field, this is the owner of the company. When a request is made to the company schema, we are effectivly filtering our search for companies to be only those whose ownerUser matches the requesting user's id.

So if a GET /company request is made by User1, our resolver will convert our query to GET /company?name=Company1&ownerUser={User1.id}. The result will only return an array of 1 company to User1

Similarily, if a patch request was made by User1 to modify Company2. A 404 would occur, as resulting query would search the database for a Company2 that is owned by User1 which does not exist.

// Main data model schema
export const companySchema = Type.Object(
  {
    id: Type.String({ format: 'uuid' }),
    name: Type.String(),
    ownerUser: Type.Ref(userSchema)
  },
  { $id: 'Company', additionalProperties: false }
)

// Schema for allowed query properties
export const companyQueryProperties = Type.Pick(companySchema, ['id'])
export const companyQuerySchema = Type.Intersect(
  [
    querySyntax(companyQueryProperties),
    // Add additional query properties here
    Type.Object({}, { additionalProperties: false })
  ],
  { additionalProperties: false }
)
export type CompanyQuery = Static<typeof companyQuerySchema>
export const companyQueryValidator = getValidator(companyQuerySchema, queryValidator)
export const companyQueryResolver = resolve<CompanyQuery, HookContext>({})

export const companyFilterQueryResolver = resolve<Company, HookContext>({
  ownerUser: (value, obj, context) => {
    if (context.params.user) {
      return context.params.user.id
    }
    return value
  }
})