Ember JS getting data from a API url

Question

I have been given a task to do using Ember JS however I can't find any documentation or a direction to point myself in in regards to getting a feed from a API URL - Like you can do with Curl in PHP.

I do no that I will possibly have to store it in Ember Data.

Can someone give me a brief example of what I should be doing - It would be great

Answer 1

EmberJS functions completely differently in how you would contact an API in Curl or PHP.

For starters - in emberjs you are contacting API's straight from the client (and this matters, because there are cases where people use backend code such as PHP to call a third API with a secure, org-level API token. This type of thing should not ever be handled by ember or a single page web app. Keep it in your backend code!

Now to get to the really exciting part about ember - Ember Data.

Ember Data in its own right is a rather complex subject. To simplify, ember stores data in what is known as the Data Store, or DS. The DS API is rather large and very much worth getting familiar with. The store is backed by Models and these models can even form relationships much like a directed graphing database would.

The store operates, like all of the ember I know, on the principle of convention over configuration. Thus, the store receives data most efficiently from a conforming RESTful API through the use of the ember RESTAdapter. However, RESTAdapter API is an extension of Ember Adapter and both are easily customized to suit your needs. I can't mention the RESTAdapter without highlighting the importance of the use of serializers. Serializers are integral in doing just what their name implies - serializing (and normalizing) the data coming in from the server into a JSON-parsable object that conforms to the conventions that the adapter expects.

In my experience I usually have to do some kind of customizing at either the RESTAdapter or Serializer level - more commonly the latter as opposed to the former. I also strongly recommend really getting familiar with Ember Data and the Data Store in its entirety as all this in combination provides you with a tremendous amount of power that brings with it new and interesting design paradigms in efficiently integrating with a REST API.

So the only remaining question is - So when do I call the API? Well - that's the cool part. In configuring your adapters, serializing, setting up models you've kind of done the whole shebang. Throughout your webapp you can now just rely on the use of models connected to the ember data store - and ember is going to take care of the rest (such as knowing when to make an API call).

Anyway, I don't want to fanboy ramble too much. Take a look at their excellent documentation on the topic of Models at their site. Also, take a look at ember-cli! If you're just getting started with Ember, this is most certainly the way to go. Don't expect this to be a short learning curve - ember has a steep learning curve and you are stepping right into the heart of it with your assignment. You will find that once you wrap your head around the use of the store it's an incredibly empowering tool.

Good luck with your work!