# React JSON Syntax (JSONX)

## Description

React JSON Syntax (JSONX) takes a JSON object and can create (Suspense, Lazy, Functional and Class) React Components, output HTML and JSX and render React components without transpilers. JSONX lets you get up and running with React without extra configuration management of more complicated tool chains.

## Installation

    $ npm i jsonx

### Full Documentation

### Examples ( HTML/Browser Example )

    import { default as jsonx } from 'jsonx';
    const exampleJSONX = {
      component:'p',
      props:{style:{color:'blue'}},
      children:'hello world'
    };
    //Rendering React Components
    jsonx.getReactElement(exampleJSONX);
    // => JSX Equivalent: <p style={{color:'blue'}}>hello world</p>

    const exampleToHTMLandJSX = {
      component: 'div',
      props:{  className:'jsonx-generated', },
      children:[
        {
          component:'p',
          props:{ style:{ color:'red', }, },
          children:'hello world',
        }
      ]
    };
    //Generating HTML strings
    jsonx.outputHTML({ jsonx: exampleToHTMLandJSX, });
    // => '<div class="jsonx-generated"><p style="color:red;">hello world</p></div>'
    //Generating JSX strings
    jsonx.outputJSX({ jsonx: exampleToHTMLandJSX, });
    // => '<div class="jsonx-generated"><p style={{color:red,}}>hello world</p></div>'

    //Rendering HTML Dom with React
    jsonx.jsonxRender({ jsonx: { component: 'div', props:{className:'jsonx-generated',children:[{ component:'p',props:{style:{color:'red'}}, children:'hello world' }]}}, querySelector:'#myApp', });
    // <!DOCTYPE html>
    //  <body>
    //    <div id="myApp">
    //      <div class="jsonx-generated">
    //        <p style="color:red;">hello world</p>
    //      </div>
    //    </div>
    // </body>

### JSONX JSON Spec

JSONX JSON is valid JSON that more or less mimics JSX in JSON notation with a couple of special properties. The properties for JSONX JSON are the arguments passed to React.createElement. The only required property is the component (which is passed as the `type` argument)

    React.createElement(
      type,
      [props],
      [...children]
    )

You can pass React component libraries for additional components, or you own custom components (see Advanced, also see Full Spec).

    //sample JSONX
    {
      component:'ul',
      props:{
        className:'list-class',
      },
      children:[
        {
          component:'li',
          children:'first bullet'
        },
        {
          component:'li',
          children:'second bullet',
        }
      ]
    }

    // Equivalent JSX
    <ul className="list-class">
      <li>first bullet</li>
      <li>second bullet</li>
    </ul>

#### Validating JSONX JSON

    import * as jsonx from 'jsonx';

    //use the built in JSONX Validator
    const valid_jsonx_json = {
      component:'p',
      props:{
        className:'title',
      },
      children:'hello world'
    };
    const invalid_jsonx_json = {
      props:{
        className:'title',
      },
      children:'hello world'
    };
    const multiple_invalid_jsonx_json = {
      props:'must be obj',
      children:'hello world'
    };

    jsonx._jsonxUtils.validateJSONX(testJSONXJSON) // => true
    jsonx._jsonxUtils.validateJSONX(invalid_jsonx_json) // => throws SyntaxError('[0001] Missing React Component')
    jsonx._jsonxUtils.validateJSONX(multiple_invalid_jsonx_json, true) // =>
    // [ [Error: [0001] Missing React Component],[ Error: [0002]  props must be an Object / valid React props] ]

    /**
     * @param {Object} jsonx - JSONX JSON to validate
     * @param {Boolean} [returnAllErrors=false] - flag to either throw error or to return all errors in an array of errors
     * /
    function validateJSONX(jsonx = {}, returnAllErrors= false);

### Simple JSONX Syntax

If you want to save time, you can use the property name as the component and define properties for a cleaner simple syntax

    //shorthand simple jsonx
    {
      ul: {
        props:{
          className:'list-class',
        },
        children:[
          {
            li: {
              children:'first bullet',
            },
          },
          {
            li: {
              children:'second bullet',
            },
          }
        ]
      }
    }

### JSONX Module

    "jsonx" : {
      getReactElement: [Function: getReactElement], {aliases:[getRenderedJSON,getReactElementFromJSONX]} //Use React.createElement and JSONX JSON to create React elements
      getReactElementFromJSON: [Function: getReactElementFromJSON], // Use compiledJSON object {type,props,children} to create React elements
      jsonxRender: [Function: getRenderedJSON], //Use JSONX without any configuration to render JSONX JSON to HTML and insert JSONX into querySelector using ReactDOM.render
      outputHTML: [Function: outputHTML], //Use ReactDOMServer.renderToString to render html from JSONX
      outputJSX: [Function: outputJSX], //Generate valid JSX from JSONX
      outputJSON: [Function: outputJSON], //Generate computed static values from JSONX into JSON
      compile: [Function: compile], //Generate React Function Component from JSONX

      jsonToJSX: [Function: jsonToJSX], //Converts JSON to JSX
      __express: [Function: __express], //render express views with JSONX
      __getReact: [Function: __getReact], //Expose reference to React
      __getReactDOM: [Function: __getReactDOM], //Expose reference to ReactDOM
      __getUseGlobalHook: [Function: __getUseGlobalHook], //Expose reference to useGlobalHook

    _jsonxChildren: {
        getChildrenProperty: [Function: getChildrenProperty], // returns a valid jsonx.children property
        getChildrenProps: [Function: getChildrenProps], // Used to pass properties down to child components if passprops is set to true
        getJSONXChildren: [Function: getJSONXChildren], // returns React Child Elements via JSONX
      },
      _jsonxComponents: {
        componentMap: {}, // object of all react components available for JSONX
        getBoundedComponents: [Function: getBoundedComponents], // getBoundedComponents returns reactComponents with certain elements that have this bounded to select components in the boundedComponents list
        getComponentFromLibrary: [Function: getComponentFromLibrary], // returns a react component from a component library (like material-ui, or semantic-ui)
        getComponentFromMap: [Function: getComponentFromMap], // returns a react element from jsonx.component
        getReactClassComponent: [Function: getReactClassComponent], // returns a react class component and support lifecycle functions, lazy and suspense components
        getReactFunctionComponent: [Function: getReactFunctionComponent], // returns a react function component and support lifecycle functions, hooks, lazy and suspense components
      },
      _jsonxProps: {
        getJSONXProps: [Function: getJSONXProps], // It uses traverse on a traverseObject to returns a resolved object on propName. So if you're making an ajax call and want to pass properties into a component, you can assign them using asyncprops and reference object properties by an array of property paths
        getEvalProps: [Function: getEvalProps], //Used to evalute javascript and set those variables as props. getEvalProps evaluates __dangerouslyEvalProps and __dangerouslyBindEvalProps properties with eval, this is used when component properties are functions, __dangerouslyBindEvalProps is used when those functions require that this is bound to the function. For __dangerouslyBindEvalProps it must resolve an expression, so functions should be wrapped in (). I.e. (function f(x){ return this.minimum+x;})
        getComponentProps: [Function: getComponentProps], // Resolves jsonx.__dangerouslyInsertComponents into an object that turns each value into a React components. This is typically used in a library like Recharts where you pass custom components for chart ticks or plot points.
        getReactComponentProps: [Function: getReactComponentProps], // Resolves jsonx.__dangerouslyInsertReactComponents into an object that turns each value into a the React component from reactComponents, componentLibraries or ReactDOM.
        getFunctionFromProps: [Function: getFunctionFromProps], // Takes a function string and returns a function on either this.props or window.
        getFunctionProps: [Function: getFunctionProps], // Returns a resolved object from function strings that has functions pulled from jsonx.__functionProps
        getWindowComponents: [Function: getWindowComponents], // Returns a resolved object that has React Components pulled from window.__jsonx_custom_elements
        getComputedProps: [Function: getComputedProps], // Returns computed properties for React Components and any property that's prefixed with __ is a computedProperty
      },
      _jsonxUtils: {
        validateJSONX: [Function: validateJSONX], //Validates JSONX JSON Syntax
        displayComponent: [Function displayComponent], // Used to evaluate whether or not to render a component
        traverse: [Function traverse], //take an object of array paths to traverse and resolve
        getAdvancedBinding: [Function: getAdvancedBinding], // Use to test if can bind components this context for react-redux-router
      },
    }

### Full JSONX Spec

    jsonx = {
      //standard properties
      component:String, // Any React DOM element, or custom component div,p, Boomer.Hero, MaterialUI.Button, myCustomComponent (can also use the property 'type' instead of 'component')
      props:Object, // Standard React component properties
      children:Array|String, // Any String or Array of valid JSONX JSON objects

      //dynamic properties
      resourceprops:Object, // An object from async resources to merge onto jsonx.props once fully resolved
      asyncprops:Object, // An object from async resources to merge onto jsonx.props once fully resolved (alias for resourceprops)
      thisprops:Object, // An object to merge onto jsonx.props from properties already bound to this.props
      windowprops:Object, // An object to merge onto jsonx.props from the window object

      //evaluated properties
      __dangerouslyEvalProps:Object, // An object of evaluated JavaScript strings, used as inline functions onto jsonx.props, if the prop is a function it will be called bound to 'this' and the returned value will be assigned
      __dangerouslyBindEvalProps:Object, // An object of evaluated JavaScript functions that are bound to this, used as inline functions onto jsonx.props
      //computed properties
      __functionProps:Object, // An object of parsed function strings(func:this.props.onClick, func:window.localStorage.getItem),merged onto jsonx.props
      __dangerouslyInsertJSONXComponents:Object, // An object that turns each JSONX JSON value into a React components. This is typically used in a library like Recharts where you pass custom components for chart ticks or plot points.
      __dangerouslyInsertComponents:Object, // An object that turns each JSONX JSON value into a React components. This is typically used in a library like Recharts where you pass custom components for chart ticks or plot points.
      __dangerouslyInsertReactComponents:Object, // An object that returns the react element from either ReactDOM, reactComponents or componentLibraries.
      __dangerouslyInsertFunctionComponents:Object, // An object that returns the react function component.
      __dangerouslyInsertClassComponents:Object, // An object that returns the react class component.
      __spreadComponent:Object, // A JSONX element that is mapped on any array prop called  __spread
      __windowComponents:Object, // An object of components merged onto jsonx.props from window.__jsonx_custom_elements
      __windowComponentProps:Object,

      //display properties
      comparisonprops:[Object], // An array of Objects used to conditionally display the current jsonx.component
      //flag properties
      passprops:Boolean, // A flag to pass parent properties to children JSONX objects (except for the style property)
      comparisonorprops:Boolean, // A flag to use an or condition instead of and conditions between comparisions
    }

#### Advanced - Using Custom Components & UI Libraries

If you plan on using an entire UI library, then bind the library to this before using JSONX.

    import * as jsonx from 'jsonx';
    import { * as Semantic } from 'semantic-ui-react';

    const getReactElement = jsonx.getReactElement.bind({
      componentLibraries:{
        Semantic,
      }
    });

    const myJSONX = {
      component:'Semantic.Container',
      children:[
        {
          component:'Semantic.Header',
          props:{
            as:'h1',
          },
          children:'Hello World!',
        },
        {
          component:'Semantic.Button',
          props:{
            content:'Discover docs',
            href:'http://react.semantic-ui.com',
            icon:'github',
            labelPosition:'left',
          }
        }
      ]
    }

    const myReactElements = getReactElement(myJSONX);

#### Advanced - Using New & Custom Components

If you're only adding single components or using your own components you can add them to JSONX's component my individually.

    import React from 'react';
    import * as jsonx from 'jsonx';
    import { Header } from 'semantic-ui-react';

    class MyButton extends React.Component {
      render() {
        return <a {...this.props}>{this.props.children}</a>
      }
    }

    const getReactElement = jsonx.getReactElement.bind({
      reactComponents:{
        Header,
        MyButton,
      }
    });

    const myJSONX = {
      component:'div',
      children:[
        {
          component:'Header',
          props:{
            as:'h1',
          },
          children:'Hello World!',
        },
        {
          component:'MyButton',
          props:{
            title:'Discover docs',
            href:'http://react.semantic-ui.com',
          },
          __dangerouslyEvalProps:{
            onClick:'()=>alert("click works")'
          },
          children:'click me',
        }
      ]
    }

    const myReactElements = getReactElement(myJSONX);

#### Advanced - Special properties

##### resourceprops (asyncprops) / thisprops / windowprops

The only different between resourceprops (asyncprops), thisprops and windowprops are the source of the transverse Object.

Resourceprops transverse an object that is manually passed (usually as a result of an asynchronous fetch all - hence the name asyncpropc).

Thisprops transverse anything bound to `this.props`, a good example would be if you're storing and passing a user object on `this.props.user`, pulling the username would be where you would use thisprops.

Windowprops transverse anything on the global window object, like the current page location `window.location.href`.

Dynamic props are transversed by passing an array to the property value you want, so for a window's location (`window.location.href`) the property value is accessed by an array to the href `['location','href']` where you omit the transverse object from the array path.

    const traverseObject = {
      user: {
        name: 'jsonx',
        description: 'react without javascript',
      },
      stats: {
        logins: 102,
        comments: 3,
      },
      authentication: 'OAuth2',
    };
    const testJSONX = {
      component: 'div',
      props: {
        id: 'generatedJSONX',
        className:'jsonx',
      },
      resourceprops:{
        auth: [ 'authentication', ],
        username: [ 'user', 'name', ],
      },
      children: [
        {
          component: 'p',
          props: {
            style: {
              color: 'red',
              fontWeight:'bold',
            },
          },
          asyncprops:{
            title: ['user','description']
          },
          children:'hello world',
        },
      ],
    };
    const JSONXP = getJSONXProps({ jsonx: testJSONX, traverseObject, });
    // => {
    //   auth: 'OAuth2',
    //   username: 'jsonx'
    // }

    //finally resolves:
    const testJSONX = {
      component: 'div',
      props: {
        id: 'generatedJSONX',
        className:'jsonx',
        auth: 'OAuth2',
        username: 'jsonx',
      },
      children: [
        {
          component: 'p',
          props: {
            style: {
              color: 'red',
              fontWeight:'bold',
            },
            title:'react without javascript',
          },
          children:'hello world',
        },
      ],
    };

##### dangerouslyEvalProps / dangerouslyBindEvalProps

The only difference between `__dangerouslyEvalProps` and `__dangerouslyBindEvalProps` is each `__dangerouslyBindEvalProps` has to be a function, because it's returned as the bound instance of the function with `this`.

     const testVals = {
        auth: 'true',
        username: '()=>(user={})=>user.name',
      };
      const testJSONX = Object.assign({}, sampleJSONX, {
        __dangerouslyEvalProps: testVals, __dangerouslyBindEvalProps: {
          email: '(function getUser(user={}){ return this.testBound(); })',
        },
      });
      const JSONXP = getEvalProps.call({ testBound: () => 'bounded', }, { jsonx: testJSONX, });
      const evalutedComputedFunc = JSONXP.username({ name: 'bob', });
      const evalutedComputedBoundFunc = JSONXP.email({ email:'test@email.domain', });
      // expect(JSONXP.auth).to.be.true;
      // expect(evalutedComputedFunc).to.eql('bob');
      // expect(evalutedComputedBoundFunc).to.eql('bounded');

##### __functionProps

Function props merge onto jsonx.props after evaluating each functon string.

    const thisProp = {
      debug: true,
      window: {
        print: () => 'printed',
        localStorage: {
          getItem:()=>'gotItem',
        },
      },
      props: {
        onClick:()=>'clicked',
        reduxRouter: {
          push:()=>'pushed',
          pop:()=>'poped',
        },
      },
    };
    const jsonxTest = {
      component:'div',
      props: {
        name:'test',
      },
      __functionProps: {
        onclick:'func:this.props.onClick',
        printPage: 'func:window.print',
        nav:'func:this.props.reduxRouter.push',
      },
    };
    const jsonxObj = getFunctionProps.call(thisProp, {
      jsonx: jsonxTest,
    });
    expect(jsonxObj).is.an('object');
    expect(Object.keys(jsonxObj)).to.eql(Object.keys(jsonxTest.__functionProps));
    expect(jsonxObj.onclick()).to.eq('clicked');
    expect(jsonxObj.printPage()).to.eql('printed');
    expect(jsonxObj.nav()).to.eql('pushed');

##### comparisionprops

Comparison props are used to contionally show components if they're truthy. They compare an array of left and right side values, if they are all true, the component is rendered. If `comparisonorprops:true` then only one condition needs to be true in order to render the component

    //and conditions
    jsonx={
      comparisonprops: [{
        left: ['bigNum',],
        operation:'lte',
        right:['smallNum',],
      },{
        left: ['smallNum',],
        operation:'<=',
        right:['bigNum',],
      }],
    }
    //or conditions
    jsonx={
      comparisonorprops:true,
      comparisonprops: [{
        left: ['truthy',],
        operation:'eq',
        right:['falsey',],
      },{
        left: ['smallNum',],
        operation:'eq',
        right:['smallNum',],
      }],
    }

    // All comparison operations
    switch (opscompares.operation) {
      case 'eq':
      case '==':
        return opscompares.left == opscompares.right;
      case 'dneq':
      case '!=':
      case '!':
        return opscompares.left !== opscompares.right;
      case 'dnseq':
      case '!==':
        return opscompares.left !== opscompares.right;
      case 'seq':
      case '===':
        return opscompares.left === opscompares.right;
      case 'lt':
      case '<':
        return opscompares.left < opscompares.right;
      case 'lte':
      case '<=':
        return opscompares.left <= opscompares.right;
      case 'gt':
      case '>':
        return opscompares.left > opscompares.right;
      case 'gte':
      case '>=':
        return opscompares.left >= opscompares.right;
      case 'dne':
      case 'undefined':
      case 'null':
        return opscompares.left === undefined || opscompares.left === null;
      case '!null':
      case '!undefined':
      case 'exists':
      default://'exists'
        return opscompares.left !== undefined && opscompares.left !== null;
    }

### Advanced - Custom React Components & Lifecycle Functions

You can also create react components with lifecycle functions using `getReactClassComponent`.

The only required function is a render function, the body of the function has to be valid jsonx.

    const MyCustomComponent = jsonx._jsonxComponents.getReactClassComponent({
        //
        // Initialization function
        //
        getInitialState:{
          body:'return { status:"not-loaded", name:"jsonx test", customNumber:1, }',
          arguments:[],
        },
        getDefaultProps:{
          body:'return { someProp:1, someOtherProp:2, status:"original status" }',
          arguments:[],
        },
        componentDidMount:{
          body:`console.log('mounted', 'this.props',this.props, 'this.state',this.state)`,
          arguments:[],
        },
        componentWillUnmount:{
          body:`console.log('unmounted',this.props)`,
          arguments:[],
        },
        //
        // State change functions
        //
        shouldComponentUpdate:{
          body:'console.log("should update component",{nextProps,nextState}); return true;',
          arguments:['nextProps', 'nextState']
        },
        componentWillUpdate:{
          body:'console.log("will update component",{nextProps,nextState}); return true;',
          arguments:['nextProps', 'nextState']
        },
        componentDidUpdate:{
          body:'console.log("did update component",{prevProps,prevState}); return true;',
          arguments:['prevProps', 'prevState']
        },
        //
        // Prop change functions
        //
        componentWillReceiveProps: {
          body:'console.log("will recieve props",{nextProps}); return true;',
          arguments:['nextProps']
        },
        //
        // RENDER IS THE ONLY ***REQUIRED*** FUNCTION
        //
        render:{
          body:{
            component:'p',
            props:{
              status:'from inline prop'
            },
            passprops:true,
            children:[
              {
                component:'span',
                children: 'My Custom React Component Status: ',
              },
              {
                component:'span',
                thisprops:{
                  children:['status']
                }
              }
            ]
          },
        }
      });
    const sampleJSONX = {
      component:'MyCustomComponent',
      props:{
        status:'Amazing',
      }
    };
    const boundConfig = {
      debug:true,
      reactComponents:{
        MyCustomComponent,
      }
    };
    jsonx.jsonxRender.call(boundConfig, {
      jsonx: sampleJSONX,
      querySelector:'#root', });

Console output after mounting

    [Log] mounted (4)
    "this.props"
    {status: "Amazing", children: {}, someProp: 1, someOtherProp: 2}
    "this.state"
    {status: "not-loaded", name: "jsonx test", customNumber: 1}

Checkout the `dist/example.html` for example usage.

### Development

Note Make sure you have grunt installed

    $ npm i -g grunt-cli jsdoc-to-markdown

For generating documentation

    $ grunt doc
    $ jsdoc2md src/**/*.js  > docs/api.md

### Notes

Check out https://repetere.github.io/jsonx/ for the full jsonx Documentation

### Testing

    $ npm i
    $ grunt test

### Contributing

Fork, write tests and create a pull request!

### Example Browser Usage

    <!DOCTYPE html>
    <html lang="en">
      <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8">
        <title>JSONX TEST</title>
        <script type="text/javascript" src="jsonx.umd.js"></script>
      </head>
      <body>
        <div id="root"></div>
        <script type="text/javascript">
          const sampleJSONX = {
            component: 'div',
            props: {
              id: 'generatedJSONX',
              className:'jsonx',
            },
            children: [
              {
                component: 'p',
                props: {
                  style: {
                    color: 'red',
                    fontWeight:'bold',
                  },
                },
                __dangerouslyEvalProps:{
                  onClick:'()=>alert("click works")'
                },
                children:'hello world',
              },
            ],
          };
          const boundConfig = {
            debug:true,
          };
          jsonx.jsonxRender.call(boundConfig,{ jsonx: sampleJSONX, querySelector:'#root', });
        </script>
      </body>
    </html>

License

MIT