Repository Pattern with Typescript and Node.js

If you working with Node.js you probably interact with the database (MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and etc) via ORM.

But sometimes typical ORM does not cover our needs.

For example, when we need to write nested queries with aggregation in PostgreSQL. Or when the performance of a generated query using ORM does not suit us.
And here typically we start writing direct queries to database..

But what about solutions what will get to us good developer productivity like ORM, and will get a flexible API to interact with the database like pure SQL code.

If you have encountered such situations, then this post is for you!

Repository Pattern

In most cases we need some abstraction what will give to us typical operations like CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete Operations). And Repository pattern will give to us this abstract Data Layer to interact with any database.

Requirements:

Node.js
TypeScript 4.4.0+
PostgreSQL 13.4+
Knex 0.95.11+
VSCode

Why Knex?
For boost our developer productivity and get ability to create predictable queries we will use query builder, it is a cross between ORM and pure SQL queries.
And in real project over time out database schema will change, and Knex provide excellent migrations API with TypeScript support.

Setting up environment

Before we start we need to install our packages, i will use Yarn.

yarn add knex pg && yarn add -D typescript

Implemetation

Firstly i will implement just find method to show its looks. Now need create interfaces what will cover our operations like Create and Read.

interface Reader<T> {
  find(item: Partial<T>): Promise<T[]>
  findOne(id: string | Partial<T>): Promise<T>
}

And after we need define base interface for any database dialect repository.

type BaseRepository<T> = Reader<T>

And here we able to create our database repository, in my case i will use SQL database with Knex in query builder role, but if you want to use MongoDB, just replace Knex with MondoDB package.

import type { Knex } from 'knex'

interface Reader<T> {
  find(item: Partial<T>): Promise<T[]>
}

type BaseRepository<T> = Reader<T>

export abstract class KnexRepository<T> implements BaseRepository<T> {
  constructor(
    public readonly knex: Knex,
    public readonly tableName: string,
  ) {}

  // Shortcut for Query Builder call
  public get qb(): Knex.QueryBuilder {
    return this.knex(this.tableName)
  }

  find(item: Partial<T>): Promise<T[]> {
    return this.qb
      .where(item)
      .select()
  }
}

Warning
Don't use arrow functions like this.
Because in future it will break overriding methods with super.find() calls.

find = async (item: Partial<T>): Promise<T> => {
  // code...
}

Now, we create the Repository file to specific entity.

import { BaseRepository } from 'utils/repository'

export interface Product {
  id: string
  name: string
  count: number
  price: number
}

// now, we have all code implementation from BaseRepository
export class ProductRepository extends KnexRepository<Product> {
  // here, we can create all specific stuffs of Product Repository
  isOutOfStock(id: string): Promise<boolean> {
    const product = this.qb.where(id).first('count')

    return product?.count <= 0
  }
}

Now let's go use our created repository.

import knex from 'knex'
import config from 'knex.config'
import { Product, ProductRepository } from 'modules/product'

const connect = async () => {
  const connection = knex(config)
  // Waiting for a connection to be established
  await connection.raw('SELECT 1')

  return connection
}

(async () => {
    // connecting to database
    const db = await connect()

    // initializing the repository
    const repository = new ProductRepository(db, 'products')

    // call find method from repository
    const product = await repository.find({
      name: 'laptop',
    });
    console.log(`product ${product}`)

    if (product) {
      const isOutOfStock = await repository.isOutOfStock(product.id);
      console.log(`is ${product.name}'s out of stock ${isOutOfStock}`)
    }
})()

Let's implement the remaining methods of CRUD.

import type { Knex } from 'knex'

interface Writer<T> {
  create(item: Omit<T, 'id'>): Promise<T>
  createMany(item: Omit<T, 'id'>[]): Promise<T[]>
  update(id: string, item: Partial<T>): Promise<boolean>
  delete(id: string): Promise<boolean>
}
interface Reader<T> {
  find(item: Partial<T>): Promise<T[]>
  findOne(id: string | Partial<T>): Promise<T>
  exist(id: string | Partial<T>): Promise<boolean>
}

type BaseRepository<T> = Writer<T> & Reader<T>

export abstract class KnexRepository<T> implements BaseRepository<T> {
  constructor(
    public readonly knex: Knex,
    public readonly tableName: string,
  ) {}

  // Shortcut for Query Builder call
  public get qb(): Knex.QueryBuilder {
    return this.knex(this.tableName)
  }


  async create(item: Omit<T, 'id'>): Promise<T> {
    const [output] = await this.qb.insert<T>(item).returning('*')

    return output as Promise<T>
  }
  createMany(items: T[]): Promise<T[]> {
    return this.qb.insert<T>(items) as Promise<T[]>
  }

  update(id: string, item: Partial<T>): Promise<boolean> {
    return this.qb
      .where('id', id)
      .update(item)
  }

  delete(id: string): Promise<boolean> {
    return this.qb
      .where('id', id)
      .del()
  }

  find(item: Partial<T>): Promise<T[]> {
    return this.qb
      .where(item)
      .select()
  }

  findOne(id: string | Partial<T>): Promise<T> {
    return typeof id === 'string'
      ? this.qb.where('id', id).first()
      : this.qb.where(id).first()
  }

  async exist(id: string | Partial<T>) {
    const query = this.qb.select<[{ count: number }]>(this.knex.raw('COUNT(*)::integer as count'))

    if (typeof id !== 'string') {
      query.where(id)
    } else {
      query.where('id', id)
    }

    const exist = await query.first()

    return exist!.count !== 0
  }
}

Now, we just call that repository from our code.

import knex from 'knex'
import config from 'knex.config'
import { Product, ProductRepository } from 'modules/product'

const connect = // See implementation above...

(async () => {
    // connecting to database
    const db = await connect()

    // initializing the repository
    const repository = new ProductRepository(db, 'products')

    // call find method from repository
    const product = await repository.create({
      name: 'laptop',
      count: 23,
      price: 2999,
    });
    console.log(`created product ${product}`)

    const isOutOfStock = await repository.isOutOfStock(product.id);
    console.log(`is ${product.name}'s out of stock ${isOutOfStock}`)
})()

Dependency Injection

In real project we have some Dependency Injection library, in my case it is Awilix.
Now we need realize integration of repository with out DI solution.

// Knex connection file
import knex from 'knex'
import config from 'knex.config'
import { container } from 'utils/container'
import { asValue } from 'awilix'

export default () => new Promise(async (resolve, reject) => {
  try {
    const connection = knex(config)
    await connection.raw('SELECT 1')

    container.register({
      knex: asValue(connection),
    })
    resolve(connection)
  } catch (e) {
    reject(e)
  }
})

Now when we have connection to database, let's change little bit out ProductRepository.

import { asClass } from 'awilix'
import { container, Cradle } from 'utils/container'
import { BaseRepository } from 'utils/repository'

export interface Product {
  id: string
  name: string
  count: number
  price: number
}

// now, we have all code implementation from BaseRepository
export class ProductRepository extends KnexRepository<Product> {
  constructor({ knex }: Cradle) {
    super(knex, 'products')
  }

  // here, we can create all specific stuffs of Product Repository
  isOutOfStock(id: string): Promise<boolean> {
    const product = this.qb.where(id).first('count')

    return product?.count <= 0
  }
}

container.register({
  productRepository: asClass(ProductRepository).singleton(),
})

And we have pretty cool Data Base Abstraction Layout.

Let's call it is in out Controller/Handler, Fastify handler in my case. I will skip of Product service Realization, in is will just inject ProductRepository, and proxy call findOne(id) method.

import { FastifyPluginCallback } from 'fastify'
import { cradle } from 'utils/container'

export const handler: FastifyPluginCallback = (fastify, opts, done) => {
  fastify.get<{
    Params: {
      id: string
    }
  }>('/:id', async ({ params }) => {
    const response = await cradle.productService.findOne(params.id)

    return response
  })

  done()
}

Conclusion

In this article we looked at how to implement Respository Pattern in Node.js with TypeScript. It is very flexible and extensible Data Layer what able use any SQL/NoSQL database.

But that is not all 😄
Becase we need to look how to add features like:

Subscriptions on entity events like BeforeInsert, AfterInsert, BeforeDelete, AfterDelete, and etc.
Select specific fields
Hidden fields for prevent select user password hash for example
Transactions support

But it's more about how to create and develop your own ORM. And that is beyond the scope of an article on the Repository Pattern.

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