AdaptiveConfiguration is a powerful and flexible Ruby gem that allows you to define a DSL (Domain-Specific Language) for structured and hierarchical configurations. It is ideal for defining complex configurations for various use cases, such as API clients, application settings, or any scenario where structured configuration is needed.

In addition AdaptiveConfiguration can be more generally used to transform and validate JSON data from any source such as network request or API reponse.

Installation

Add this line to your application's Gemfile:

gem 'adaptiveconfiguration'

And then execute:

bundle install

Or install it yourself as:

gem install adaptiveconfiguration

Usage

Requiring the Gem

To start using the adaptiveconfiguration gem, simply require it in your Ruby application:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

Defining Configurations with AdaptiveConfiguration

AdaptiveConfiguration permits the caller to define a domain specific language +Builder+ specifying parameters, parameter collections, and related options. This builder can then be used to build or validate the configuration using the domain specific language.

Parameters

Parameters are the basic building blocks of your configuration. They represent individual settings or options that you can define with specific types, defaults, and other attributes.

When defining a parameter, you specify its name and optionally type, default and alias.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

# define a configuration structure with parameters
configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :api_key, String
  parameter :version, String, default: '1.0'
end

# build the configuration and set values
result = configuration.build! do
  api_key 'your-api-key'
end

# access the configuration values
puts result[:api_key]   # => "your-api-key"
puts result[:version]   # => "1.0"

Notes:

Defining Parameters:
- parameter :api_key, String defines a parameter named :api_key with the type String.
- parameter :version, String, default: '1.0' defines a parameter with a default value.
Building the Configuration:
- configuration.build! creates a context where you can set values for the parameters.
- Inside the block, api_key 'your-api-key' sets the value of :api_key.
Accessing Values:
- result[:api_key] retrieves the value of :api_key.
- If a parameter has a default and you don't set it, it uses the default value.

Groups

Groups allow you to organize related parameters into nested structures. This is useful for logically grouping settings and creating hierarchical configurations.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :api_key, String
  group :chat_options do
    parameter :model, String, default: 'claude-3'
    parameter :max_tokens, Integer, default: 1000
    parameter :temperature, Float, default: 0.5
    parameter :stream, TrueClass
  end
end

result = configuration.build! do
  api_key 'your-api-key'
  chat_options do
    temperature 0.8
    stream true
  end
end

# Accessing values
puts result[:api_key]                     # => "your-api-key"
puts result[:chat_options][:model]        # => "claude-3"
puts result[:chat_options][:temperature]  # => 0.8
puts result[:chat_options][:stream]       # => true

Notes:

Defining a Group:
- group :chat_options do ... end defines a group named :chat_options.
- Inside the group, you can define parameters that belong to that group.
Setting Values in Groups:
- In the build block, you can set values for parameters within groups by nesting blocks.
- chat_options do ... end allows you to set parameters inside the :chat_options group.
Accessing Values:
- You access group parameters by chaining the keys: result[:chat_options][:model].

Array Parameters

Array Parameters allow you to define parameters that can hold multiple values. This is useful when you need to collect lists of items, such as headers, tags, or multiple configuration entries.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :api_key, String
  group :request_options do
    parameter :headers, String, array: true
  end
end

result = configuration.build! do
  api_key 'your-api-key'
  request_options do
    headers ['Content-Type: application/json', 'Authorization: Bearer token']
  end
end

# Accessing array parameter
puts result[:request_options][:headers]
# => ["Content-Type: application/json", "Authorization: Bearer token"]

Notes:

Defining an Array Parameter:
- parameter :headers, String, array: true defines :headers as an array parameter of type String.
Setting Values:
- You can assign an array of values to headers.
Accessing Values:
- The values are stored as an array, and you can access them directly.

The `:as` Option

The :as option allows you to map the parameter's name in your DSL to a different key in the resulting configuration. This is useful when you need to conform to specific key names required by APIs or other systems, while still using friendly method names in your configuration blocks.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :api_key, String, as: :apiKey
  group :user_settings, as: :userSettings do
    parameter :user_name, String, as: :userName
  end
end

result = configuration.build! do
  api_key 'your-api-key'
  user_settings do
    user_name 'john_doe'
  end
end

# Accessing values with mapped keys
puts result[:apiKey]                    # => "your-api-key"
puts result[:userSettings][:userName]  # => "john_doe"

Notes:

Using the :as Option:
- parameter :apiKey, String, as: :api_key defines a parameter that you set using apiKey, but it's stored as :api_key in the result.
- Similarly, group :userSettings, as: :user_settings maps the group name.
Setting Values:
- In the build block, you use the original names (apiKey, userSettings), but the values are stored under the mapped keys.
Accessing Values:
- You access the values using the mapped keys (:api_key, :user_settings, :user_name).

Default Values

The default option allows you to specify a default value for a parameter. If you do not set a value for that parameter during the build phase, it automatically uses the default.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :api_key, String, default: 'default-api-key'
  group :settings do
    parameter :timeout, Integer, default: 30
    parameter :retries, Integer, default: 3
  end
end

result = configuration.build! do
  # No need to set api_key or settings parameters unless you want to override defaults
end

# Accessing default values
puts result[:api_key]              # => "default-api-key"
puts result[:settings][:timeout]   # => 30
puts result[:settings][:retries]   # => 3

Notes:

Defining Defaults:
- Parameters like :api_key have a default value specified with default: 'default-api-key'.
Building Without Setting Values:
- If you do not provide values during the build phase, the defaults are used.
Accessing Values:
- The result contains the default values for parameters you didn't set.

Type Conversion

AdaptiveConfiguration automatically handles type conversion based on the parameter's specified type. If you provide a value that can be converted to the specified type, it will do so. If conversion fails, it raises a TypeError.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :max_tokens, Integer
  parameter :temperature, Float
  parameter :start_date, Date
end

result = configuration.build! do
  max_tokens '1500'       # String that can be converted to Integer
  temperature '0.75'      # String that can be converted to Float
  start_date '2023-01-01' # String that can be converted to Date
end

# Accessing converted values
puts result[:max_tokens]   # => 1500 (Integer)
puts result[:temperature]  # => 0.75 (Float)
puts result[:start_date]   # => #<Date: 2023-01-01 ...>

Notes:

Type Conversion:
- AdaptiveConfiguration converts '1500' to 1500 (Integer).
- Converts '0.75' to 0.75 (Float).
- Converts '2023-01-01' to a Date object.
Error Handling:
- If you provide a value that cannot be converted, it raises a TypeError.

Custom Converters

You can define custom converters for your own types, allowing you to extend the framework's capabilities.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

# define a custom class
class UpcaseString < String
  def initialize( value )
    super( value.to_s.upcase )
  end
end

configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  convert( UpcaseString ) { | v | UpcaseString.new( v ) }
  parameter :name, UpcaseString
end

result = configuration.build! do
  name 'john doe'
end

# Accessing custom converted value
puts result[:name]          # => "JOHN DOE"
puts result[:name].class    # => UpcaseString

Notes:

Defining a Custom Converter:
- convert( UpcaseString ) { | v | UpcaseString.new( v ) } tells the builder how to convert values to UpcaseString.
Using Custom Types:
- parameter :name, UpcaseString defines a parameter of the custom type.
Conversion Behavior:
- When you set name 'john doe', it converts it to 'JOHN DOE' and stores it as an instance of UpcaseString.

Certainly! Let's expand the first paragraph and complete the explanation in the section you added to the README.

Transforming and Validating JSON Data

AdaptiveConfiguration can also be utilized to transform and validate JSON data. By defining parameters and groups that mirror the expected structure of your JSON input, you can map and coerce incoming data into the desired format seamlessly.

The :as option allows you to rename keys during this transformation process, ensuring that your data conforms to specific API requirements or internal data models. Moreover, AdaptiveConfiguration provides built-in validation by raising exceptions when the input data contains unexpected elements or elements of the wrong type, helping you maintain data integrity and catch errors early in your data processing pipeline.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

# Define the expected structure of the JSON data
configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :api_key, String
  group :user, as: :user_info do
    parameter :name, String
    parameter :email, String
    parameter :age, Integer
  end
  group :preferences, as: :user_preferences do
    parameter :notifications_enabled, TrueClass
    parameter :theme, String, default: 'light'
  end
end

# sample JSON data as a Hash (e.g., parsed from JSON/YAML or API response
input_data = {
  'api_key' => 'your-api-key',
  'user' => {
    'name' => 'John Doe',
    'email' => 'john@example.com',
    'age' => '30'  # age is a String that should be converted to Integer
  },
  'preferences' => {
    'notifications_enabled' => 'true',  # Should be converted to TrueClass
    'theme' => 'dark'
  },
  'extra_field' => 'unexpected'  # This field is not defined in the configuration
}

# build the configuration context using the input data
begin
  
  result = configuration.build!( input_data )

  # Access transformed and validated data
  puts result[:api_key]                      # => "your-api-key"
  puts result[:user_info][:name]             # => "John Doe"
  puts result[:user_info][:age]              # => 30 (Integer)
  puts result[:user_preferences][:theme]     # => "dark"

rescue TypeError => e
  puts "Validation Error: #{e.message}"
end

Explanation:

Defining the Structure:
- Parameters and Groups:
  - We define a configuration that reflects the expected structure of the input JSON data.
  - parameter :api_key, String defines the API key parameter.
  - group :user, as: :user_info defines a group for user data, which will be transformed to the key :user_info in the result.
  - Inside the :user group, we define parameters for :name, :email, and :age.
  - group :preferences, as: :user_preferences defines a group for user preferences, transformed to :user_preferences.
- Using the :as Option:
  - The :as option renames the group keys in the resulting configuration, allowing the internal DSL names to differ from the output keys.
Building the Configuration Context:
- Using build!:
  - We use the build! method to enforce strict validation. If any type coercion fails or if unexpected elements are present, it raises an exception.
- Setting Values from Input Data:
  - We set the values by extracting them from the input_data hash.
  - For example, api_key input_data['api_key'] sets the :api_key parameter.
  - Within the user and preferences groups, we set the nested parameters accordingly.
Type Conversion and Coercion:
- Automatic Conversion:
  - The gem attempts to coerce input values to the specified types.
  - '30' (String) is converted to 30 (Integer) for the :age parameter.
  - 'true' (String) is converted to true (TrueClass) for :notifications_enabled.
- Error Handling:
  - If the input value cannot be coerced to the specified type, a TypeError is raised.
  - For instance, if 'thirty' were provided for :age, it would raise a TypeError because it cannot be converted to an Integer.
Validation:
- Unexpected Elements:
  - The build! method currently does not raise an exception for unexpected keys in the input data (like 'extra_field'), but these keys are ignored.
  - If you require strict validation against unexpected keys, additional validation logic would need to be implemented.
- Type Enforcement:
  - The gem enforces that the values match the expected types, ensuring data integrity.
  - This helps catch errors early, preventing invalid data from propagating through your application.
Transformation:
- Key Renaming:
  - The use of the :as option transforms the internal parameter and group names to match the desired output keys.
  - This is particularly useful when the input data keys do not align with the output format required by your application or when interfacing with external APIs.
- Structuring Data:
  - By defining the configuration structure, you effectively map and reorganize the input data into a format that suits your needs.
Accessing Transformed Data:
- Resulting Configuration:
  - The result object contains the transformed and validated data.
  - You can access the data using the mapped keys, such as result[:user_info][:name].
- Usage in Application:
  - The validated and transformed data is now ready for use within your application, confident that it adheres to the expected structure and types.

Note:

Extending Validation:
- If you need to validate against unexpected keys (e.g., to ensure there are no extra fields in the input data), you can extend the gem's functionality.
- This could involve comparing the keys in the input data with the defined parameters and raising an error if discrepancies are found.
Flexible Handling:
- For scenarios where you prefer not to raise exceptions on type coercion failures, you can use the build method instead of build!.
- The build method will attempt type coercion but will retain the original value if coercion fails, without raising an exception.

By leveraging AdaptiveConfiguration in this way, you can create robust data transformation and validation pipelines that simplify handling complex JSON data structures, ensuring your application receives data that is correctly typed and structured.

Complex Example with Nested Groups and Arrays

Here's a comprehensive example that combines parameters, groups, array parameters, and defaults.

Example:

require 'adaptiveconfiguration'

configuration = AdaptiveConfiguration::Builder.new do
  parameter :api_key, String
  group :chat_options do
    parameter :model, String, default: 'claude-3-5'
    parameter :max_tokens, Integer, default: 2000
    parameter :temperature, Float, default: 0.7
    parameter :stream, TrueClass
    parameter :stop_sequences, String, array: true

    group :metadata do
      parameter :user_id, String
      parameter :session_id, String
    end
  end

  group :message, as: :messages, array: true do
    parameter :role, String
    parameter :content, String
  end
end

result = configuration.build! do
  api_key 'your-api-key'

  chat_options do
    temperature 0.5
    stop_sequences ['end', 'stop']
    metadata do
      user_id 'user-123'
      session_id 'session-456'
    end
  end

  message do
    role 'system'
    content 'You are a helpful assistant.'
  end

  message do
    role 'user'
    content 'Hello!'
  end
end

# Accessing values
puts result[:api_key]                            # => "your-api-key"
puts result[:chat_options][:model]               # => "claude-3-5"
puts result[:chat_options][:temperature]         # => 0.5
puts result[:chat_options][:metadata][:user_id]  # => "user-123"
puts result[:messages].map { | msg | msg[:content] }
# => ["You are a helpful assistant.", "Hello!"]

Notes:

Combining Concepts:
- Parameters with defaults (:model, :max_tokens).
- Nested groups (:chat_options, :metadata).
- Array parameters (:stop_sequences, :messages).
- Using the :as option to map :message to :messages.
Setting Values:
- Override default values by providing new ones.
- Add multiple messages to the :messages array.
Accessing Values:
- Use nested keys to access deeply nested values.

Contributing

Bug reports and pull requests are welcome on GitHub at https://github.com/EndlessInternational/adaptive-configuration.

License

The gem is available as open source under the terms of the MIT License.

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Package last updated on 18 Oct 2024

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