631 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
631 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
@title
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Services
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@intro
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Create a reusable service to manage the hero data calls.
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@description
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As the Tour of Heroes app evolves, you'll add more components that need access to hero data.
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Instead of copying and pasting the same code over and over,
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you'll create a single reusable data service and
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inject it into the components that need it.
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Using a separate service keeps components lean and focused on supporting the view,
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and makes it easy to unit-test components with a mock service.
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Because data services are invariably asynchronous,
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you'll finish the page with a *Promise*-based version of the data service.
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When you're done with this page, the app should look like this <live-example></live-example>.
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## Where you left off
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Before continuing with the Tour of Heroes, verify that you have the following structure.
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If not, go back to the previous pages.
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<div class='filetree'>
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<div class='file'>
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angular-tour-of-heroes
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</div>
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<div class='children'>
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<div class='file'>
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src
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</div>
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<div class='children'>
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<div class='file'>
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app
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</div>
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<div class='children'>
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<div class='file'>
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app.component.ts
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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app.module.ts
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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hero.ts
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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hero-detail.component.ts
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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main.ts
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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index.html
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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styles.css
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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systemjs.config.js
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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tsconfig.json
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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node_modules ...
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</div>
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<div class='file'>
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package.json
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</div>
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</div>
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</div>
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## Keep the app transpiling and running
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Enter the following command in the terminal window:
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<code-example language="sh" class="code-shell">
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npm start
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</code-example>
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This command runs the TypeScript compiler in "watch mode", recompiling automatically when the code changes.
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The command simultaneously launches the app in a browser and refreshes the browser when the code changes.
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You can keep building the Tour of Heroes without pausing to recompile or refresh the browser.
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## Creating a hero service
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The stakeholders want to show the heroes in various ways on different pages.
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Users can already select a hero from a list.
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Soon you'll add a dashboard with the top performing heroes and create a separate view for editing hero details.
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All three views need hero data.
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At the moment, the `AppComponent` defines mock heroes for display.
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However, defining heroes is not the component's job,
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and you can't easily share the list of heroes with other components and views.
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In this page, you'll move the hero data acquisition business to a single service that provides the data and
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share that service with all components that need the data.
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### Create the HeroService
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Create a file in the `app` folder called `hero.service.ts`.
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<div class="l-sub-section">
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The naming convention for service files is the service name in lowercase followed by `.service`.
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For a multi-word service name, use lower [dash-case](guide/glossary).
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For example, the filename for `SpecialSuperHeroService` is `special-super-hero.service.ts`.
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</div>
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Name the class `HeroService` and export it for others to import.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/hero.service.1.ts" region="empty-class" title="src/app/hero.service.ts (starting point)" linenums="false">
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</code-example>
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### Injectable services
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Notice that you imported the Angular `Injectable` function and applied that function as an `@Injectable()` decorator.
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<div class="callout is-helpful">
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Don't forget the parentheses. Omitting them leads to an error that's difficult to diagnose.
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</div>
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The `@Injectable()` decorator tells TypeScript to emit metadata about the service.
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The metadata specifies that Angular may need to inject other dependencies into this service.
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Although the `HeroService` doesn't have any dependencies at the moment,
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applying the `@Injectable()` decorator from the start ensures
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consistency and future-proofing.
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### Getting hero data
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Add a `getHeroes()` method stub.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/hero.service.1.ts" region="getHeroes-stub" title="src/app/hero.service.ts (getHeroes stub)" linenums="false">
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</code-example>
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The `HeroService` could get `Hero` data from anywhere—a
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web service, local storage, or a mock data source.
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Removing data access from the component means
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you can change your mind about the implementation anytime,
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without touching the components that need hero data.
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### Move the mock hero data
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Cut the `HEROES` array from `app.component.ts` and paste it to a new file in the `app` folder named `mock-heroes.ts`.
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Additionally, copy the `import {Hero} ...` statement because the heroes array uses the `Hero` class.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/mock-heroes.ts" title="src/app/mock-heroes.ts">
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</code-example>
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The `HEROES` constant is exported so it can be imported elsewhere, such as the `HeroService`.
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In `app.component.ts`, where you cut the `HEROES` array,
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add an uninitialized `heroes` property:
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" region="heroes-prop" title="src/app/app.component.ts (heroes property)" linenums="false">
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</code-example>
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### Return mocked hero data
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Back in the `HeroService`, import the mock `HEROES` and return it from the `getHeroes()` method.
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The `HeroService` looks like this:
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/hero.service.1.ts" region="full" title="src/app/hero.service.ts" linenums="false">
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</code-example>
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### Import the hero service
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You're ready to use the `HeroService` in other components, starting with `AppComponent`.
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Import the `HeroService` so that you can reference it in the code.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.ts" linenums="false" title="src/app/app.component.ts (hero-service-import)" region="hero-service-import">
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</code-example>
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### Don't use *new* with the *HeroService*
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How should the `AppComponent` acquire a runtime concrete `HeroService` instance?
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You could create a new instance of the `HeroService` with `new` like this:
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" region="new-service" title="src/app/app.component.ts" linenums="false">
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</code-example>
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However, this option isn't ideal for the following reasons:
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* The component has to know how to create a `HeroService`.
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If you change the `HeroService` constructor,
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you must find and update every place you created the service.
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Patching code in multiple places is error prone and adds to the test burden.
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* You create a service each time you use `new`.
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What if the service caches heroes and shares that cache with others?
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You couldn't do that.
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* With the `AppComponent` locked into a specific implementation of the `HeroService`,
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switching implementations for different scenarios, such as operating offline or using
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different mocked versions for testing, would be difficult.
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### Inject the *HeroService*
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Instead of using the *new* line, you'll add two lines.
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* Add a constructor that also defines a private property.
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* Add to the component's `providers` metadata.
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Add the constructor:
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" region="ctor" title="src/app/app.component.ts (constructor)">
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</code-example>
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The constructor itself does nothing. The parameter simultaneously
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defines a private `heroService` property and identifies it as a `HeroService` injection site.
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Now Angular knows to supply an instance of the `HeroService` when it creates an `AppComponent`.
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<div class="l-sub-section">
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Read more about dependency injection in the [Dependency Injection](guide/dependency-injection) page.
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</div>
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The *injector* doesn't know yet how to create a `HeroService`.
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If you ran the code now, Angular would fail with this error:
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<code-example format="nocode">
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EXCEPTION: No provider for HeroService! (AppComponent -> HeroService)
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</code-example>
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To teach the injector how to make a `HeroService`,
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add the following `providers` array property to the bottom of the component metadata
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in the `@Component` call.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" linenums="false" title="src/app/app.component.ts (providers)" region="providers">
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</code-example>
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The `providers` array tells Angular to create a fresh instance of the `HeroService` when it creates an `AppComponent`.
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The `AppComponent`, as well as its child components, can use that service to get hero data.
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{@a child-component}
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### *getHeroes()* in the *AppComponent*
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The service is in a `heroService` private variable.
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You could call the service and get the data in one line.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" region="get-heroes" title="src/app/app.component.ts" linenums="false">
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</code-example>
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You don't really need a dedicated method to wrap one line. Write it anyway:
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" linenums="false" title="src/app/app.component.ts (getHeroes)" region="getHeroes">
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</code-example>
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{@a oninit}
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### The *ngOnInit* lifecycle hook
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`AppComponent` should fetch and display hero data with no issues.
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You might be tempted to call the `getHeroes()` method in a constructor, but
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a constructor should not contain complex logic,
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especially a constructor that calls a server, such as a data access method.
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The constructor is for simple initializations, like wiring constructor parameters to properties.
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To have Angular call `getHeroes()`, you can implement the Angular *ngOnInit lifecycle hook*.
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Angular offers interfaces for tapping into critical moments in the component lifecycle:
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at creation, after each change, and at its eventual destruction.
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Each interface has a single method. When the component implements that method, Angular calls it at the appropriate time.
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<div class="l-sub-section">
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Read more about lifecycle hooks in the [Lifecycle Hooks](guide/lifecycle-hooks) page.
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</div>
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Here's the essential outline for the `OnInit` interface (don't copy this into your code):
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" region="on-init" title="src/app/app.component.ts" linenums="false">
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</code-example>
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Add the implementation for the `OnInit` interface to your export statement:
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<code-example format="nocode">
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export class AppComponent implements OnInit {}
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</code-example>
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Write an `ngOnInit` method with the initialization logic inside. Angular will call it
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at the right time. In this case, initialize by calling `getHeroes()`.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" linenums="false" title="src/app/app.component.ts (ng-on-init)" region="ng-on-init">
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</code-example>
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The app should run as expected, showing a list of heroes and a hero detail view
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when you click on a hero name.
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{@a async}
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## Async services and Promises
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The `HeroService` returns a list of mock heroes immediately;
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its `getHeroes()` signature is synchronous.
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" region="get-heroes" title="src/app/app.component.ts" linenums="false">
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|
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</code-example>
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Eventually, the hero data will come from a remote server.
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When using a remote server, users don't have to wait for the server to respond;
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additionally, you aren't able to block the UI during the wait.
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To coordinate the view with the response,
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you can use *Promises*, which is an asynchronous
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technique that changes the signature of the `getHeroes()` method.
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### The hero service makes a Promise
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A *Promise* essentially promises to call back when the results are ready.
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You ask an asynchronous service to do some work and give it a callback function.
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The service does that work and eventually calls the function with the results or an error.
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<div class="l-sub-section">
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|
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|
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This is a simplified explanation. Read more about ES2015 Promises in the
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[Promises for asynchronous programming](http://exploringjs.com/es6/ch_promises.html) page of
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[Exploring ES6](http://http://exploringjs.com/es6.html).
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|
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</div>
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|
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Update the `HeroService` with this Promise-returning `getHeroes()` method:
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/hero.service.ts" region="get-heroes" title="src/app/hero.service.ts (excerpt)" linenums="false">
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|
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</code-example>
|
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|
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|
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You're still mocking the data. You're simulating the behavior of an ultra-fast, zero-latency server,
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by returning an *immediately resolved Promise* with the mock heroes as the result.
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### Act on the Promise
|
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|
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As a result of the change to `HeroService`, `this.heroes` is now set to a `Promise` rather than an array of heroes.
|
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|
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.1.ts" region="getHeroes" title="src/app/app.component.ts (getHeroes - old)" linenums="false">
|
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|
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</code-example>
|
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|
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|
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|
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You have to change the implementation to *act on the `Promise` when it resolves*.
|
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When the `Promise` resolves successfully, you'll have heroes to display.
|
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|
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Pass the callback function as an argument to the Promise's `then()` method:
|
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|
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<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.ts" region="get-heroes" title="src/app/app.component.ts (getHeroes - revised)" linenums="false">
|
||
|
||
</code-example>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
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<div class="l-sub-section">
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
As described in [Arrow functions](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Functions/Arrow_functions),
|
||
the ES2015 arrow function
|
||
in the callback is more succinct than the equivalent function expression and gracefully handles `this`.
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
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The callback sets the component's `heroes` property to the array of heroes returned by the service.
|
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|
||
The app is still running, showing a list of heroes, and
|
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responding to a name selection with a detail view.
|
||
|
||
<div class="l-sub-section">
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
At the end of this page, [Appendix: take it slow](tutorial/toh-pt4#slow) describes what the app might be like with a poor connection.
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
## Review the app structure
|
||
Verify that you have the following structure after all of your refactoring:
|
||
|
||
|
||
<div class='filetree'>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
angular-tour-of-heroes
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='children'>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
src
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='children'>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
app
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='children'>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
app.component.ts
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
app.module.ts
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
hero.ts
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
hero-detail.component.ts
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
hero.service.ts
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
mock-heroes.ts
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
main.ts
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
index.html
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
styles.css
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
systemjs.config.js
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
tsconfig.json
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
node_modules ...
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div class='file'>
|
||
package.json
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Here are the code files discussed in this page.
|
||
|
||
|
||
<code-tabs>
|
||
|
||
<code-pane title="src/app/hero.service.ts" path="toh-pt4/src/app/hero.service.ts">
|
||
|
||
</code-pane>
|
||
|
||
<code-pane title="src/app/app.component.ts" path="toh-pt4/src/app/app.component.ts">
|
||
|
||
</code-pane>
|
||
|
||
<code-pane title="src/app/mock-heroes.ts" path="toh-pt4/src/app/mock-heroes.ts">
|
||
|
||
</code-pane>
|
||
|
||
</code-tabs>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
## The road you've travelled
|
||
Here's what you achieved in this page:
|
||
|
||
* You created a service class that can be shared by many components.
|
||
* You used the `ngOnInit` lifecycle hook to get the hero data when the `AppComponent` activates.
|
||
* You defined the `HeroService` as a provider for the `AppComponent`.
|
||
* You created mock hero data and imported them into the service.
|
||
* You designed the service to return a Promise and the component to get the data from the Promise.
|
||
|
||
Your app should look like this <live-example></live-example>.
|
||
|
||
## The road ahead
|
||
The Tour of Heroes has become more reusable using shared components and services.
|
||
The next goal is to create a dashboard, add menu links that route between the views, and format data in a template.
|
||
As the app evolves, you'll discover how to design it to make it easier to grow and maintain.
|
||
|
||
Read about the Angular component router and navigation among the views in the [next tutorial](tutorial/toh-pt5 "Routing and Navigation") page.
|
||
|
||
{@a slow}
|
||
|
||
## Appendix: Take it slow
|
||
To simulate a slow connection,
|
||
import the `Hero` symbol and add the following `getHeroesSlowly()` method to the `HeroService`.
|
||
|
||
<code-example path="toh-pt4/src/app/hero.service.ts" region="get-heroes-slowly" title="app/hero.service.ts (getHeroesSlowly)" linenums="false">
|
||
|
||
</code-example>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Like `getHeroes()`, it also returns a `Promise`.
|
||
But this Promise waits two seconds before resolving the Promise with mock heroes.
|
||
|
||
Back in the `AppComponent`, replace `getHeroes()` with `getHeroesSlowly()`
|
||
and see how the app behaves.
|