@blockprotocol/graph

Block Protocol – Graph service

This package implements the Block Protocol Graph service for blocks and embedding applications.

If you are a block author, we have several templates available to get you started:

npx create-block-app --help

If you want to roll your own, to get started:

1. yarn add @blockprotocol/graph or npm install @blockprotocol/graph
2. Follow the instructions to use the graph service as a block or an embedding application

Blocks

To create a GraphBlockHandler, pass the constructor an element in your block, along with any callbacks you wish to register to handle incoming messages.

React example

For React, we provide a useGraphBlockService hook, which accepts a ref to an element, and optionally any callbacks you wish to provide on initialization.

See npx create-block-app my-block --template react for an example.

Custom elements

For custom elements, this package exports a BlockElementBase class which uses the Lit framework, and sets graphService on the instance.

See npx create-block-app my-block --template custom-element for an example.

Embedding applications

To create a GraphEmbedderHandler, pass the constructor:

1. An element wrapping your block
2. callbacks to respond to messages from the block
3. The starting values for any of the following messages you implement:

• blockEntity
• blockGraph
• linkedAggregations

These starting values should also be passed in a graph property object, if the block can be passed or assigned properties.

import { GraphEmbedderHandler } from "@blockprotocol/graph";

const graphService = new GraphEmbedderHandler({
  blockEntity: { entityId: "123", properties: { name: "Bob" } },
  callbacks: {
    updateEntity: ({ data }) => updateEntityInYourDatastore(data),
  },
  element: elementWrappingTheBlock,
});

React

For React embedding applications, we provide a useGraphEmbedderService hook, which accepts a ref to an element, and optionally any additional constructor arguments you wish to pass.

import React from "react";

import { useGraphEmbedderService } from "@blockprotocol/graph";

export const App = () => {
  const wrappingRef = React.useRef < HTMLDivElement > null;

  const blockEntity = { entityId: "123", properties: { name: "Bob" } };

  const { graphService } = useGraphEmbedderService(blockRef, {
    blockEntity,
  });

  return (
    <div ref={wrappingRef}>
      <Block graph={{ blockEntity }} />
    </div>
  );
};