Tutorial - Custom javascript & node.js actions in Ryax

Ryax now supports actions written in Javascript !

Instead of Python or C# that are also available for new actions, you can create your custom actions in Javascript which can be interesting to use any existing javascript library 

Here's a tutorial on how to create a new action using Node.JS, and use it in Ryax

java-script (1)
nodejs (1)

For this tutorial, let's create an API that returns the weather for a city.

For that, we'll use OpenWeather.org service, that includes 1000 calls for free. The API from OpenWeather uses longitude and latitude and returns current weather and different forecasts.

Let's say we want to create an API returning the weather based on the city name, and not on longitude/latitude.

Here's where we can create an action in Ryax, and this time, we'll do it in JavaScript (Python and C# are also available).

3 files are needed

1. ryax_handler.js (file on GitLab)

const OpenWeatherMapHelper = require("openweathermap-node");
const { deasync } = require("deasync")

function handle(ryax_input) {
    let apiKey = ryax_input["apiKey"]
    let units = ryax_input["units"]

    let geo_location = JSON.parse(ryax_input["geo_location"])
    let latitude = geo_location.lat
    let longitude = geo_location.long

    console.log(`Inquiring weather for latitude ${latitude} and longitude ${longitude}...`)

    weather_config = {
        APPID: apiKey,
        units: units,
        lang: "en"
    }

    let helper = new OpenWeatherMapHelper(weather_config)

    let done = false
    let weather_output = {}

    helper.getCurrentWeatherByGeoCoordinates(latitude, longitude, (err, data) => {
        console.log(data);
        if (weather_config.units == "metric") {
          console.log(`Current temperature in (${longitude}, ${latitude}) is ${data.main.temp}\u00B0C`);
        } else if (weather_config.units == "imperial") {
          console.log(`Current temperature in (${longitude}, ${latitude}) is ${data.main.temp}\u00B0F`);
        }
        weather_output = data
        done = true
    })
    require('deasync').loopWhile(function(){return !done;});
    return { "weather_json" : JSON.stringify(weather_output) }
}

module.exports = handle;

2. ryax_metadata.yaml (file is on GitLab)

apiVersion: "ryax.tech/v2.0"
kind: Processor
spec:
  id: nodejs-weather-lat
  human_name: NodeJS OpenWeather latitude longitude version.
  type: nodejs
  version: "0.0.6"
  logo: "logo.png"
  description: "Given latitude and longitude find weather status for geo location"
  categories:
  - OpenWeather
  - nodejs
  - latitude
  inputs:
    - help: geo location coordinates in a json string with a json containing lat and long
      human_name: geo_location
      name: geo_location
      type: longstring
    - help: measurement units
      human_name: units
      name: units
      type: enum
      enum_values:
        - metric
        - imperial
    - help: OpenWeather apiKey
      human_name: apiKey
      name: apiKey
      type: password
  outputs:
    - help: json from openwheater
      human_name: weather_json
      name: weather_json
      type: longstring

3. package.json (file is on GitLab)

{
 "name": "ryax_handler",
 "version": "1.1.1",
 "dependencies": {
  "openweathermap-node": "",
  "deasync": ""
 }
}

To finish the creation of this new action in javascript, we have to import the code into Ryax, like explained in this video

Then, let's create the workflow in Ryax

First step, the action to make the function available as an API.

For that, we use the action "HTTP API JSON" and define the parametes as follow :

js-action-2

Second action, we'll use the action "CALCULATE THE GEOLOCALISATION" and define parameters as follow:

js-action-3

Third and last action, we'll use the new action created in Javascript, "NodeJS OpenWeather" and define parameters as follow:

js-action-4

Our workflow is done, here's the result:

js-action-1

Sources :