Subscription
Posting Feeds
Skapi database provides subscription feature.
Records uploaded with subscription parameters allows users to fetch records from subscription feeds.
You can let users upload records to the subscription table by setting table.subscription.is_subscription_record to true in postRecord() parameters.
When user uploads a record to the subscription table, subscribed users can fetch all the posts of the users that they are subscribing to.
Subscription feature can useful when you are building a social media platform, blog, etc.
With the subscription feature, user can also block certain users from accessing their subscription group records.
It can be used to track the number of subscribers of the user, feed, notify mass users, etc.
Lets assume user 'A' uploads a record in table 'Posts' with subscription group 1.
// User 'A' uploads record in subscription table.
skapi.postRecord(null, {
table: {
name:'Posts',
access_group: 'authorized',
subscription: {
is_subscription_record: true
}
}})To allow other users to access the records that requires subscription, they must first subscribe to the uploader using the subscribe() method:
WARNING
Subscribers cannot get feeds that are posted prior to the subscription.
Subscribing
subscribe(option): Promise<string>
WARNING
User must be logged in to call this method
Lets assume user 'B' wants to access **user 'A'**s subscription record, user 'B' will need to subscribe to user 'A'.
// User 'B' subscribes to user 'A'.
skapi.subscribe({
user_id: 'user_id_of_user_A',
get_feed: true // Required to enable the get_feed method
});TIP
To use the getFeed() method later, be sure to include the parameter get_feed: true shown in subscribe(option): Promise<string>
Once the user 'B' has subscribed to user 'A', user 'B' can now have access to the records in that subscription table.
// User 'B' now can get records that requires subscription of user 'A'
skapi.getRecords({
table: {
name: 'Posts',
access_group: 'authorized',
subscription: 'user_id_of_user_A'
}
}).then(response => {
console.log(response.list); // All posts user 'A' uploaded to table 'Posts' in subscription group 1.
});TIP
Number of subscribers of the user will be tracked in UserPublic object that can be retrieved using the getUsers() method.
Unsubscribing
WARNING
User must be logged in to call this method
Users can unsubscribe from the subscription group 1 they have subscribed to using the unsubscribe() method.
// User 'B'
skapi.unsubscribe({
user_id: 'user_id_of_user_A',
})For more detailed information on all the parameters and options available with the unsubscribe() method, please refer to the API Reference below:
unsubscribe(option): Promise<User | string>
WARNING
When unsubscribed, subscription information may need some time to be updated. (Usually almost immediate)
Blocking and Unblocking Subscribers
WARNING
User must be logged in to call this method
One of the benifit of subscription feature is that users can block certain users from accessing their subscription level records. But as metioned above, subscription is not meant to be used as a security restriction.
Even when user has blocked certain users, they still have access to the files attached to the records since the file access level is not restricted to the subscription access unless it's private or higher access group than the accessing user.
Other than files, blocked users will not have access to any of the record data in the subscription access level.
To block a subscriber, user can call the blockSubscriber() method:
Blocking a Subscriber
// User 'A' blocks user 'B' from accessing all subscription group 1.
skapi.blockSubscriber({
user_id: 'user_id_of_user_B',
}).then(res=>{
// User 'B' no longer have access to user A's subscription group 1.
})For more detailed information on all the parameters and options available with the blockSubscriber() method, please refer to the API Reference below:
blockSubscriber(option): Promise<string>
Unblocking a Subscriber
// User 'A' unblocks user 'B' from subscription group 1.
skapi.unblockSubscriber({
user_id: 'user_id_of_user_B',
}).then(res=>{
// User 'B' now has access to user A's subscription group 1.
})For more detailed information on all the parameters and options available with the unblockSubscriber() method, please refer to the API Reference below:
unblockSubscriber(option): Promise<string>
Listing subscriptions
The getSubscriptions() method retrieves subscription information from the database.
params:
subscriber: The user ID of the subscriber.subscription: The user ID of the uploader and the subscription group.blocked: Set totrueto only retrieve blocked subscriptions.
Either the params.subscriber or params.subscription value must be provided.
Examples
/**
* Retrieve all subscription information where userB is the subscriber
*/
skapi.getSubscriptions({
subscriber: "userB_user_id"
}).then((response) => {
console.log(response.list);
});
/**
* Retrieve all subscription information where userA is being subscribed to
*/
skapi.getSubscriptions({
subscription: "userA_user_id"
}).then((response) => {
console.log(response.list);
});
/**
* Check if userB is subscribed to userA
*/
skapi.getSubscriptions({
subscriber: "userB_user_id",
subscription: "userA_user_id"
}).then((response) => {
console.log(response.list?.[0]);
});For more detailed information on all the parameters and options available with the getSubscriptions() method, please refer to the API Reference below:
getSubscriptions(params, fetchOptions?): Promise<DatabaseResponse<RecordData>>
Getting Feed
The getFeed() method retrieves the feed of the user.
This method retrieves all the records that the user has ever subscribed to.
You can use this method to build a feed page for the user.
Examples
/**
* Retrieve all feed of userB that are records of access_group is 1
*/
skapi.getFeed({access_group: 1}).then((response) => {
console.log(response.list); // all records that is access_group 1 that userB has ever subscribed to.
});