Appmaker Query on Calculated Records

Question

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong... but every time I query on a calculated datasource, I get the error "cannot handle returning cyclic object."

Here's the gist:

I have a calculated model that fetches a user's google contacts and places the full name field into a table on the UI. The goal is to have a separate text box that can be used to search the full name field and then repopulate the table on the same page with the results of the search, similar to how google contacts search behavior works. The on value change event of the text box sends the textbox value to this server script:

function searchContacts (sq) {
var ds = app.models.Contacts.newQuery();
ds.filters.FullName._contains = sq;
var results = ds.run();
return results;
}

But every time I get the cyclic object error when the values are returned from that function. The error actually fires when the query run command (ds.run) is executed.

I've tried querying the datasource as well, but I've read somewhere that you can't query the datasource of a calculated model because it doesn't exist, so you have to query the model.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

I don't think I was super-clear on my original post.

I have a calculated model that is all of the user's contacts from Google Contacts (full name, email, mobile, etc...) On the UI I have a list widget that's populated with all of the Full Name fields and above the list widget a text input that's used to search the list widget. So the search text box's on input change event sends a request to query the Full Names, similar to how Google Contact's search feature works.

Screen Shot

It appears that App Maker doesn't let you query calculated models, so I have this workaround - unless someone comes up with something better:

This is the onInputChange handler for the search text box:

sq = app.pages.SelectClient.descendants.TextBox1.value;
app.datasources.SearchContacts.query.parameters.Name = sq;
app.datasources.SearchContacts.load();

This is the Server Script Code (thanks to @Pavel Shkleinik for the heads up):

var sq = query.parameters.Name;

if (sq !== null) {
 return getContactsbyName(sq);

} else {

return getContacts();
}

And the server code with no query:

function getContacts() {

  var results = [];
  var contacts = ContactsApp.getContacts();
  contacts.forEach(function(item) {
    var contact = app.models.Contacts.newRecord();
    contact.FullName = item.getFullName();
    var emails = item.getEmails(ContactsApp.Field.WORK_EMAIL);
    if (emails.length > 0) {
    contact.PrimaryEmail = emails[0].getAddress();
    }
    contact.LastName = item.getFamilyName();
    contact.FirstName = item.getGivenName();
    var phones  = item.getPhones(ContactsApp.Field.MOBILE_PHONE);
    if (phones.length > 0) {
    contact.Mobile = phones[0].getPhoneNumber();
    }
    var addresses = item.getAddresses(ContactsApp.Field.WORK_ADDRESS);
    if (addresses.length > 0) {
    contact.Address = addresses[0].getAddress();
    }
    results.push(contact);
    results.sort();
  });
  return results;

}

And with the query:

function getContactsbyName(sq) {

var results = [];
  var contacts = ContactsApp.getContactsByName(sq);
  contacts.forEach(function(item) {
    var contact = app.models.Contacts.newRecord();
    contact.FullName = item.getFullName();
    var emails = item.getEmails(ContactsApp.Field.WORK_EMAIL);
    if (emails.length > 0) {
    contact.PrimaryEmail = emails[0].getAddress();
    }
    contact.LastName = item.getFamilyName();
    contact.FirstName = item.getGivenName();
    var phones  = item.getPhones(ContactsApp.Field.MOBILE_PHONE);
    if (phones.length > 0) {
    contact.Mobile = phones[0].getPhoneNumber();
    }
    var addresses = item.getAddresses(ContactsApp.Field.WORK_ADDRESS);
    if (addresses.length > 0) {
    contact.Address = addresses[0].getAddress();
    }
    results.push(contact);
    results.sort();
  });

  return results;
}

This way, the list populates with all of the names when there's no search query present, and then re-populates with the search query results as needed.

The only issue is that the call to the Google Contacts App to populate the Calculated Model is sometimes very slow.

Answer 2

From your question it is not 100% clear, what you are trying to do. In case you are actually using Calculated Model, then your Server Script Query should look like this:

var sq = query.parameters.SearchQuery;
var contactsQuery = app.models.Contacts.newQuery();

contactsQuery.filters.FullName._contains = sq;
var contacts = ds.run();

var results = contacts.map(function(contact) {
  var calcRecord = app.MyCalcModel.newRecord();

  calcRecord.Name = contact.FullName;

  return calcRecord;

});

return results;

Note, that you cannot return objects of arbitrary type from Server Script Query, only of type of this particular Calculated Model.

But from some parts of your description and error text if feels like you are trying to load records with async serever call using google.scritp.run. In this case you cannot return App Maker records(App Script doesn't allow this) and you need to map them to simple JSON objects.