I have a caching method in a container:
get(): Observable<T[]> {
if (!this.get$) {
this.get$ = merge(
this.behaviorSubject.asObservable(),
this._config.get().pipe(shareReplay(1), tap(x => this.behaviorSubject.next(x))));
}
return this.get$;
}
This works fine with normal observables, however when I cache the bellow in a myContainer2 (e.g using cached observable's result to create another cached observable) method like:
// get is assigned to _config.get in the above function
const myContainer2 = new Container({get: () => myContainer1.get().pipe(mergeMap(res1 => getObs2(res1))});
// please note, the end goal is to resolve the first observable on the first subscription
// and not when caching it in the above method (using cold observables)
myContainer2.get().subscribe(...) // getObs2 gets called
myContainer2.get().subscribe(...) // getObs2 gets called again
myContainer2.get().subscribe(...) // getObs2 gets called for a third time, and so on
every time when the second cache is subscribed to getObs2 gets called (it caches nothing).
I suspect my implementation of get is faulty, since I am merging an behavior subject (which emits at the beginning), but I cant think of any other way to implement it (in order to use cold observables).
Please note that if I use normal observable instead of myContainer.get() everything works as expected.
Do you know where the problem lies?
Using a declarative approach, you can handle caching as follows:
// Declare the Observable that retrieves the set of
// configuration data and shares it.
config$ = this._config.get().pipe(shareReplay(1));
When subscribed to config$, the above code will automatically go get the configuration if it's not already been retrieved or return the retrieved configuration.
I'm not clear on what the BehaviorSubject code is for in your example. If it was to hold the emitted config data, it's not necessary as the config$ will provide it.
I am trying to understand the observables RxJs and I am using angular framework! I can't understand what is actually happening in 'subscriber function' ,it has a parameter named 'observer', and this parameter has a method in the function body, and its name is next()!can a function parameter own a method? based on which rule?!
and the next question is : what is happening in the 'Observable' class? I think the subscriber function returns or to be more precise, creates and passes a value to the Observable instance! and when we call the subscribe method on 'customIntervalObservable' , it passes that data or value to the subscribe method?
am I right?
const customIntervalObservable = new Observable(function subscriber(
observer
) {
let count = 0;
setInterval(() => {
count++;
observer.next(+count);
if (count > 3) {
observer.error(new Error("count is greater than 3"));
}
}, 1000);
});
this.firstObjSubs = customIntervalObservable.subscribe(
(data: number) => {
console.log(data);
},
(error) => {
console.log(error), alert(error.message);
}
);
}
ngOnDestroy() {
//this.firstObjSubs.unsubscribe();
this.firstObjSubs.unsubscribe();
}
}
Here's a bit more:
You can think of an Observer as something that watches the Observable and reacts to notifications.
What notifications?
Next: When another item is emitted into the Observable
Error: When an error occurs
Complete: When there are no more items to emit
Observer is an object with three functions: one for each type of notification. You can define an Observer in code as shown below. But this is uncommon.
And then pass that Observer object into the subscribe as shown below:
More often, you'll pass either the next callback as shown in the first example below. Or an object with one, two, or three of the callback functions defined as shown in the second example.
The subscribe method tells the Observable stream to start emitting its values. It does not itself emit any values. Think of it as a streaming service, like Disney+ or hulu. You have to first subscribe to the service before you can stream movies.
Does this help?
can a function parameter own a method?
Javascript functions parameters are not typed, so you can pass any value you want - including an object.
what is happening in the 'Observable' class?
I'll give this a try:
An observable is basically just a wrapper around a - subscribe() - function that essentially describes the logic of the observable behaviour.
An observable has the ability to notify subjects - or subscribers, or observers - of changes occuring in its state during its lifecycle. To do so, a contract exists that states that the observable should call a subject next() method. This method should describe the logic for how the subject wants to react to such changes.
When a subject is interested in being notified by an observable of its state changes, it executes the observable subscribe() method, passing itself to it as an argument. This effectively provides the observable the ability to call the subject next() method whenever its logic dictates to do so.
To basically illustrate this in code:
// Function describing the observable logic.
function subscribe(observer){
// Observable logic, including calling observer.next() as many times as the logic dictates to notify the observer of state changes.
}
// Observable wrapper.
let observable = new Observable(subscribe)
// Subject interested in being notified of the observable state changes.
let observer = {
next(value){
// Logic for how to react to notifications from the observable.
}
}
// Effectively execute the observable logic.
observable.subscribe(observer)
For simplicty's sake, I omitted a number of more minor concepts - such as the subject complete() or error() methods, as well as the unsubscribe() function returned by the observable subscribe() function.
I was going through this blog and reading about Observables and couldn't figure out the difference between the Observable and a Subject.
In stream programming there are two main interfaces: Observable and Observer.
Observable is for the consumer, it can be transformed and subscribed:
observable.map(x => ...).filter(x => ...).subscribe(x => ...)
Observer is the interface which is used to feed an observable source:
observer.next(newItem)
We can create new Observable with an Observer:
var observable = Observable.create(observer => {
observer.next('first');
observer.next('second');
...
});
observable.map(x => ...).filter(x => ...).subscribe(x => ...)
Or, we can use a Subject which implements both the Observable and the Observer interfaces:
var source = new Subject();
source.map(x => ...).filter(x => ...).subscribe(x => ...)
source.next('first')
source.next('second')
Observables are unicast by design and Subjects are multicast by design.
If you look at the below example, each subscription receives the different values as observables developed as unicast by design.
import {Observable} from 'rxjs';
let obs = Observable.create(observer=>{
observer.next(Math.random());
})
obs.subscribe(res=>{
console.log('subscription a :', res); //subscription a :0.2859800202682865
});
obs.subscribe(res=>{
console.log('subscription b :', res); //subscription b :0.694302021731573
});
This could be weird if you are expecting the same values on both the subscription.
We can overcome this issue using Subjects. Subjects is similar to event-emitter and it does not invoke for each subscription. Consider the below example.
import {Subject} from 'rxjs';
let obs = new Subject();
obs.subscribe(res=>{
console.log('subscription a :', res); // subscription a : 0.91767565496093
});
obs.subscribe(res=>{
console.log('subscription b :', res);// subscription b : 0.91767565496093
});
obs.next(Math.random());
Both of the subscriptions got the same output value!
Observables
They are cold: Code gets executed when they have at least a single observer.
Creates copy of data: Observable creates copy of data for each observer.
Uni-directional: Observer can not assign value to observable(origin/master).
The code will run for each observer . If its a HTTP call, it gets called for each observer.
if its a service we want to share among all the components, it wont have latest result all new subscribers will still subscribe to same observable and get value from scratch
Unicast means can emit values from the observable not from any other component.
Subject
They are hot: code gets executed and value gets broadcast even if there is no observer.
Shares data: Same data get shared between all observers.
bi-directional: Observer can assign value to observable(origin/master).
If are using using subject then you miss all the values that are broadcast before creation of observer. So here comes Replay Subject
multicast, can cast values to multiple subscribers and can act as both subscribers and emmitter
I found the accepted answer slightly confusing!
An Observer isn't the interface for feeding an Observable source, it's the interface for observing an Observable source... which makes more sense from the name, right?
So, the reason that:
var observable = Observable.create(observer => {
observer.next('first');
observer.next('second');
...
});
works - creating an observable which emits 'first' then 'second' - is that the argument to Observable.create(...) is a subscribe function, it basically defines which Observer events will happen on a direct Observer of that Observable.
If you want to go into it a little bit further again, it's important to understand that the subscribe function isn't directly called on the Observer object when you subscribe, instead it's mediated by a Subscription object which can enforce correct observable rules, e.g. that an Observable will never emit a new value after observer.complete() has been called, even if your subscribe function looks as if it would.
REF: http://reactivex.io/rxjs/manual/overview.html#creating-observables
A Subject is both an Observable and an Observer and once again it looks just like the Observer interface is the way to 'feed' events to the Subject. But it's easier to understand the naming if you realise that a Subject is a bit like an Observable with the equivalent of the subscribe function (i.e. where you define what events will happen to things observing it) sitting there right on the object, even after it has been created. So, you call Observer methods on the Subject to define what Observer events will happen on things observing it! 😊 (And again, there are intermediate objects involved, to make sure that you can only do legal sequences of things.)
REF: http://reactivex.io/rxjs/manual/overview.html#subject
See rxjs document (more information and examples there):
http://reactivex.io/rxjs/manual/overview.html#subject
What is a Subject? An RxJS Subject is a special type of Observable that allows values to be multicasted to many Observers. While plain Observables are unicast (each subscribed Observer owns an independent execution of the Observable), Subjects are multicast.
A Subject is like an Observable, but can multicast to many Observers. Subjects are like EventEmitters: they maintain a registry of many listeners.
and code, Subject extending Observable: https://github.com/ReactiveX/rxjs/blob/master/src/internal/Subject.ts#L22
/**
* #class Subject<T>
*/
export class Subject<T> extends Observable<T> implements SubscriptionLike {
//...
}
Imagine if you have a stream of data coming into your application like in a websocket connection. You want a way to handle it. There is a few solution:
1. normal ajax request:
This solution is not viable because it is
not applicable to process push data. It is more of a pull then a
push.
2. Promise:
Also not good because you have to trigger them and
they can only retrieve once. Also more of a pull then a push.
So in order to retrieve this data, in the old time, we do a long-polling. Which is where we set an interval function to retrieve that stream of data every 1 minute for an example. Though it works, it actually burdening resources like CPU and memory.
But now with option no 3,
3. Observable: You can subscribe and let the stream of data to come
in non-stop until the function complete has been called.
Cool right ? But then there is another problem. What if you want to observe incoming data only once somewhere in your application. But you want to use that data simultaneously around your application when the data arrived. That is when and where you use Subject.
You place subject.subscribe() at places you want to use throughout your application. When the data arrived, places where there is subject.subscribe() will process them simultaneously. But the observer must subscribe with the subject as its argument like this.
observer.subscribe(subject).
Example application is when you want to build a notification alert.
You cannot have multiple subscription of the same observable because chances are, each subscribers will received different input data. But with subject, all that subscribe() through subject will be retrieving the same data.
Another analogy is through magazine subscription. Each subscribers will received the magazine with their name on it. So, different subscription = different receiver name.(Normal Observable)
But when you share with your friends, all of your friend would receive the same magazine with only your name on it.(Normal Observable with Subject)
This guy explain it very well with code example. You can check it out at https://javascript.tutorialhorizon.com/2017/03/23/rxjs-subject-vs-observable/
Hopefully this answer helps.
Briefly,
subject: you can send to it and receive from it.
Observable: you can receive from it only.
In another words,
In subject you can subscribe to it and you can use it to broadcast to other subscribers any time and anywhere in code.
whilst,
in observable you can subscribe to it only (you can't use it to broadcast data after it have been initialized).
The only place you can broadcast data from observable is inside its constructor.
Observable can inform only one observer, while Subject can inform multiple observers.
From another perspective, it is good to note that the subscription to an Observable re-execute the Observable function. This can lead performance issue if the data source is a service for instance.
If you want several subscribers to get the same value, you may need a Subject.
For this, make sure that your subscription is set before the Subject subscribed to the data source. Otherwise, your process would be stuck.
More details here: https://javascript.tutorialhorizon.com/2017/03/23/rxjs-subject-vs-observable/
Observable:
Only the Observable knows how and when the events are triggered on the observable. i.e the next() method has to be called only inside the instantiated constructor. Also, on subscribing each time, a separate observer is created and calls next() method using particular observer inside constructor only, in the following example subscriber itself is the observer and it is subscribed when the instantiated constructor gets executed.
Ex:
import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
const observable = new Observable(subscriber => {
subscriber.next(1);
subscriber.next(2);
setTimeout(() => {
subscriber.next(3);
}, 1000);
});
Subject:
Here next() method can be used by subject anywhere outside the constructor. Also, when next() method is called before subscribing, the particular event will be missed. Hence next() method has to be called only after subscribing.
Ex:
import { Subject } from 'rxjs';
const subject = new Subject<number>();
subject.next(1); // this is missed
subject.subscribe({
next: (v) => console.log(`observerA: ${v}`)
});
subject.subscribe({
next: (v) => console.log(`observerB: ${v}`)
});
subject.next(2);
I don't understand this example from react-meteor-data
import { createContainer } from 'meteor/react-meteor-data';
export default FooContainer = createContainer(() => {
// Do all your reactive data access in this method.
// Note that this subscription will get cleaned up when your component is unmounted
var handle = Meteor.subscribe("todoList", this.props.id);
return {
currentUser: Meteor.user(),
listLoading: ! handle.ready(),
tasks: Tasks.find({listId: this.props.id}).fetch(),
};
}, Foo);
Why is it recommended to stop subscriptions when a Component is umounted but, in this case, no effort is made to stop anything? How does Meteor handle subscriptions, then? When are the collections cleaned? Are subscriptions stacking up every time the tracker callback is executed?
Or is Meteor smart enough to know when Meteor.subscribe is being called and does magic with the subscriptions?
The ReactMeteorData container runs createContainer's callback inside a reactive Tracker computation.
One of its features is stopping the subscription if the computation is invalidated or stopped.
If the function re-run produces an identical subscription, (same publication, same parameters) the library is smart enough and does not cancel and re-create the same subscription.
When the component is unmounted, the computation is stopped, the subscription is cancelled and not re-created (as the callback is not called again) and therefore automatically unsubscribed.
If you call Meteor.subscribe within a reactive computation, for example using Tracker.autorun, the subscription will automatically be cancelled when the computation is invalidated or stopped; it is not necessary to call stop on subscriptions made from inside autorun. However, if the next iteration of your run function subscribes to the same record set (same name and parameters), Meteor is smart enough to skip a wasteful unsubscribe/resubscribe.
(source: Meteor Docs)
I'm trying to create a stream/observable that...
Only outputs events when it has subscribers
Provides any new subscribers with the latest value.
The concrete case is that I need an observable that makes an Async API call whenever a particular event happens, but only if it has subscribers. I'm trying to avoid unnecessary API calls.
I've managed to create a stream that only fires when it has subscribers like this...
let dataStream = Rx.Observable
.interval(1000) // Fire an event every second
.singleInstance() // Only do something when we have subscribers
.startWith(null) // kick start as soon as something subscribes
.flatMapLatest(interval => SomeAPI.someDataGet()) // get data, returns a promise
And this works. If I console.log(...) in the SomeAPI.someDataGet method, I only see it firing when the stream has subscribers. And my implementation looks really nice because I do this to subscribe and unsubscribe which fits in very nicely with React component lifecycle methods.
let sub1;
sub1 = dataStream.subscribe(x => console.log('sub1', x));
sub1.dispose();
I also want any new subscribers to receive the latest value the instant they subscribe. This is where I'm struggling. If I do this...
let sub1, sub2;
sub1 = dataStream.subscribe(x => console.log('sub1', x));
setTimeout( () => {
sub2 = dataStream.subscribe(x => console.log('sub2', x));
}, 1500)
...I don't see the console.log for sub2 until the next interval.
If my understanding is correct. I need a Hot Observable. So I have tried to create a stream like this...
let dataStream = Rx.Observable
.interval(1000) // Fire an event every second
.singleInstance() // Only do something when we have subscribers
.startWith(null) // kick start as soon as something subscribes
.flatMapLatest(interval => SomeAPI.someDataGet()) // get data
.publish() // Make this a hot observable;
Which as I understand it, should make dataStream a hot observable.
However, in my tests the second subscription still doesn't receive data until the next interval. In addition, this would introduce the requirement to connect and disconnect the dataStream when subscribing which is something I would like to avoid if possible.
I'm brand new to RxJS and I would not be surprised if I've misunderstood what's happening here.
Instead of .publish(), use .shareReplay(1).