@microlink/mql

Microlink Query Language (MQL) is the way to interact with the Microlink API.

Install

npm install @microlink/mql

Getting Started

The purpose of the library is to provide a good developer experience while you interact with Microlink API.

You can do exactly the same thing than performing a cURL or any other HTTP client.

const mql = require('@microlink/mql')

;(async () => {
  const { status, data, response } = await mql('https://kikobeats.com')
  console.log(status)
  // => success
})()

Additionally, you pass any API Parameter as second argument.

const mql = require('@microlink/mql')

;(async () => {
  const { status, data, response } = await mql('https://kikobeats.com', {
    screenshot: true,
    waitFor: 3000
  })

  console.log(`My screenshot at ${data.screenshot.url}`)
})()

Custom Rules

Custom Rule allows you setup your own rules for getting specific content.

const { status, data } = await mql('https://kikobeats.com', {
  palette: true,
  rules: {
    avatar: {
      type: 'image',
      selectors: [
        {
          selector: '#avatar',
          attr: 'href'
        }
      ],
    }
  }
})

where a rule is defined by two things:

type

Type: string
Default: undefined

It defines the data shape to use for the value extracted.

If you define a valid type, It will validate and alter the original value to strictly accomplish the shape.

For example, if you define a rule with date type, then, if the value extracted is a number and not possible to cast into new Date(), the value extracted will be null.

If you don't specify a type, then it returns the raw value extracted.

The type is also important if you are interested in combine the value extracted with the rest of API Parameters.

For example, if you enable palette, then all the fields in the payload with image type will have extra color information.

selectors

Required
Type: array

It defines the rules to be apply into the target url markup for extracting the value.

The position into the collection matters: The first rule that returns a truthy value after applying type will be used, not being applying the rest of the rules.

A selector rule should be defined as:

selector

Required
Type: string

It defines the HTML element you want to get from the HTML of the targeted URL.

You can specify the selector using:

• An HTML tag, e.g. img.
• An CSS class or pseudo class, id or data-attribute, e.g. .avatar.
• A combination of both, e.g. first:img.

attr

Type: string|array
default: html

It defines which property from the matched selector should be picked.

For example, if you want to extract an img, probably you are interested in src property, so you should specify it.

Not defining the attr means you are going to get the html of the matched selector.

If you provide a collection, they will be used as fallbacks for getting the value.

Cache Support

You can enable cache for saving API calls if they have been previously done

const mql = require('@microlink/mql')
const cache = new Map()

;(async () => {
  let data

  data = await mql('https://kikobeats.com', { cache })
  console.log(data.response.fromCache)
  // => false

  data = await mql('https://kikobeats.com', { cache })
  console.log(data.response.fromCache)
  // => true
})()

Error Handling

If something does not go as expected, it returns a MicrolinkError

const mql = require('@microlink/mql')

// The library exposes `MicrolinkError` constructor
const { MicrolinkError } = mql

;(async () => {
  try {
    mql('https://kikobeats.com', {
      screenshot: true,
      waitFor: 30000
    })
  } catch (err) {
    err instanceof MicrolinkError
    // => true
  }
})()

A MicrolinkError always have associated status, message and code.

Additionally, it can have the rest of the response information, such as headers, statusCode or data.

API

mql(url, [opts])

url

Required
Type: string

The target URL for extracting structure data.

options

Type: object

You can pass any API Parameters from Microlink API as option, including specific parameters or device emulation.

Additionally, you can setup

apiKey

Type: string
Default: undefined

The API Key used for authenticating your requests as x-api-key header.

When the apiKey is provided, the pro.microlink.io endpoint will used.

Read more about authentication on docs.

cache

Type: string
Default: undefined

retry

Type: number
Default: 3

See got#retry.

timeout

Type: number
Default: 25000

See got#timeout.

License

mql © microlink.io, released under the MIT License.
Authored and maintained by microlink.io with help from contributors.

microlink.io · GitHub microlink.io · Twitter @microlinkhq