defmodule Phoenix.LiveController do @moduledoc ~S""" Controller-style abstraction for building multi-action live views on top of `Phoenix.LiveView`. `Phoenix.LiveView` API differs from `Phoenix.Controller` API in order to emphasize stateful lifecycle of live views, support long-lived processes behind them and accommodate their much looser ties with the router. Contrary to HTTP requests that are rendered and discarded, live actions are mounted and their processes stay alive to handle events & miscellaneous process interactions and to re-render as many times as necessary. Because of these extra complexities, the library drives developers towards single live view per router action. At the same time, `Phoenix.LiveView` provides a complete solution for router-aware live navigation and it introduces the concept of live actions both in routing and in the live socket. These features mean that many live views may play a role similar to classic controllers. It's all about efficient code organization - just like a complex live view's code may need to be broken into multiple modules or live components, a bunch of simple live actions centered around similar topic or resource may be best organized into a single live view module, keeping the related web logic together and giving the room to share common code. That's where `Phoenix.LiveController` comes in: to organize live view code that covers multiple live actions in a fashion similar to how Phoenix controllers organize multiple HTTP actions. It provides a pragmatic convention that still keeps pieces of a stateful picture visible by enforcing clear function annotations. Here's an exact live equivalent of an HTML controller generated with the `mix phx.gen.html Blog Article articles ...` scaffold, powered by `Phoenix.LiveController`: # lib/my_app_web.ex defmodule MyAppWeb do def live_controller do quote do use Phoenix.LiveController alias MyAppWeb.Router.Helpers, as: Routes end end end # lib/my_app_web/router.ex defmodule MyAppWeb.Router do scope "/", MyAppWeb do live "/articles", ArticleLive, :index live "/articles/new", ArticleLive, :new live "/articles/:id", ArticleLive, :show live "/articles/:id/edit", ArticleLive, :edit end end # lib/my_app_web/live/article_live.ex defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller alias MyApp.Blog alias MyApp.Blog.Article @action_handler true def index(socket, _params) do articles = Blog.list_articles() assign(socket, articles: articles) end @action_handler true def new(socket, _params) do changeset = Blog.change_article(%Article{}) assign(socket, changeset: changeset) end @event_handler true def create(socket, %{"article" => article_params}) do case Blog.create_article(article_params) do {:ok, article} -> socket |> put_flash(:info, "Article created successfully.") |> push_redirect(to: Routes.article_path(socket, :show, article)) {:error, %Ecto.Changeset{} = changeset} -> assign(socket, changeset: changeset) end end @action_handler true def show(socket, %{"id" => id}) do article = Blog.get_article!(id) assign(socket, article: article) end @action_handler true def edit(socket, %{"id" => id}) do article = Blog.get_article!(id) changeset = Blog.change_article(article) assign(socket, article: article, changeset: changeset) end @event_handler true def update(socket, %{"article" => article_params}) do article = socket.assigns.article case Blog.update_article(article, article_params) do {:ok, article} -> socket |> put_flash(:info, "Article updated successfully.") |> push_redirect(to: Routes.article_path(socket, :show, article)) {:error, %Ecto.Changeset{} = changeset} -> assign(socket, article: article, changeset: changeset) end end @event_handler true def delete(socket, %{"id" => id}) do article = Blog.get_article!(id) {:ok, _article} = Blog.delete_article(article) socket |> put_flash(:info, "Article deleted successfully.") |> push_redirect(to: Routes.article_path(socket, :index)) end end `Phoenix.LiveController` is not meant to be a replacement of `Phoenix.LiveView` - although most live views may be represented with it, it will likely prove beneficial only for specific kinds of live views. These include live views with following traits: * Orientation around same resource, e.g. web code for specific context like in `mix phx.gen.html` * Mounting or event handling code that's mostly action-specific * Param handling code that's action-specific and prevails over global mounting code * Common redirecting logic executed before mounting or event handling, e.g. auth logic ## Mounting actions *Action handlers* replace `c:Phoenix.LiveView.mount/3` entry point in order to split mounting of specific live actions into separate functions. They are annotated with `@action_handler true` and, just like with Phoenix controller actions, their name is the name of the action they mount. # lib/my_app_web/router.ex defmodule MyAppWeb.Router do scope "/", MyAppWeb do live "/articles", ArticleLive, :index live "/articles/:id", ArticleLive, :show end end # lib/my_app_web/live/article_live.ex defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @action_handler true def index(socket, _params) do articles = Blog.list_articles() assign(socket, articles: articles) end @action_handler true def show(socket, %{"id" => id}) do article = Blog.get_article!(id) assign(socket, article: article) end end Note that action handlers don't have to wrap the resulting socket in the `{:ok, socket}` tuple, which also brings them closer to Phoenix controller actions. ## Handling events *Event handlers* replace `c:Phoenix.LiveView.handle_event/3` callbacks in order to make the event handling code consistent with the action handling code. These functions are annotated with `@event_handler true` and their name is the name of the event they handle. # lib/my_app_web/templates/article/*.html.leex <%= link "Delete", to: "#", phx_click: :delete, phx_value_id: article.id, data: [confirm: "Are you sure?"] %> # lib/my_app_web/live/article_live.ex defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @event_handler true def delete(socket, %{"id" => id}) do article = Blog.get_article!(id) {:ok, _article} = Blog.delete_article(article) socket |> put_flash(:info, "Article deleted successfully.") |> push_redirect(to: Routes.article_path(socket, :index)) end end Note that, consistently with action handlers, event handlers don't have to wrap the resulting socket in the `{:noreply, socket}` tuple. Also note that, as a security measure, LiveController won't convert binary names of events that don't have corresponding event handlers into atoms that wouldn't be garbage collected. ## Handling process messages *Message handlers* offer an alternative (but not a replacement) to `c:Phoenix.LiveView.handle_info/2` for handling process messages in a fashion consistent with action and event handlers. These functions are annotated with `@message_handler true` and their name equals to a message atom (e.g. `:refresh_article`) or to an atom placed as first element in a message tuple (e.g. `{:article_update, ...}`). defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @action_handler true def show(socket, %{"id" => id}) do :timer.send_interval(5_000, self(), :refresh_article) assign(socket, article: Blog.get_article!(id)) end @message_handler true def refresh_article(socket, _message) do assign(socket, article: Blog.get_article!(socket.assigns.article.id)) end end Support for handling messages wrapped in tuples allows to incorporate `Phoenix.PubSub` in live controllers in effortless and consistent way. defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller alias Phoenix.PubSub @action_handler true def show(socket, %{"id" => id}) do article = Blog.get_article!(id) PubSub.subscribe(MyApp.PubSub, "article:#{article.id}") assign(socket, article: Blog.get_article!(id)) end @message_handler true def article_update(socket, {_, article}) do assign(socket, article: article) end @event_handler true def update(socket = %{assigns: %{article: article}}, %{"article" => article_params}) do article = socket.assigns.article case Blog.update_article(article, article_params) do {:ok, article} -> PubSub.broadcast(MyApp.PubSub, "article:#{article.id}", {:article_update, article}) socket |> put_flash(:info, "Article updated successfully.") |> push_redirect(to: Routes.article_path(socket, :show, article)) {:error, %Ecto.Changeset{} = changeset} -> assign(socket, article: article, changeset: changeset) end end For messages that can't be handled by message handlers, a specific implementation of `c:Phoenix.LiveView.handle_info/3` may still be provided. Note that, consistently with action & event handlers, message handlers don't have to wrap the resulting socket in the `{:noreply, socket}` tuple. ## Applying session Session, previously passed to `c:Phoenix.LiveView.mount/3`, is not passed through to action handlers. Instead, an optional `c:apply_session/2` callback may be defined in order to read the session and modify socket before an actual action handler is called. defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @impl true def apply_session(socket, session) do user_token = session["user_token"] user = user_token && Accounts.get_user_by_session_token(user_token) assign(socket, current_user: user) end # ... end Note that, in a fashion similar to controller plugs, no further action handling logic will be called if the returned socket was redirected - more on that below. ## Updating params without redirect For live views that [implement parameter patching](https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix_live_view/Phoenix.LiveView.html#module-live-navigation) (e.g. to avoid re-mounting the live view & resetting its DOM or state), action handlers also replace `c:Phoenix.LiveView.handle_params/3` callbacks. The same action handler is called once when mounting and then it's called again whenever params are patched. This means that parameter patching is supported out-of-the-box for action handlers that work just as fine for initial mount as for subsequent parameter changes. # lib/my_app_web/templates/article/index.html.leex <%= live_patch "Page 2", to: Routes.article_path(@socket, :index, page: "2") %> # lib/my_app_web/live/article_live.ex defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @action_handler true def index(socket, params) do articles = Blog.list_articles(page: params["page"]) assign(socket, articles: articles) end end Using the `mounted?/1` helper, action handlers may conditionally invoke parts of their logic depending on whether socket was already mounted, e.g. to initiate timers or run expensive loads that don't depend on params only upon the first mount. defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @action_handler true def index(socket, params) do unless mounted?(socket), do: :timer.send_interval(5_000, self(), :check_for_new_articles) socket = unless mounted?(socket), do: assign(socket, tags: Blog.list_tags()), else: socket articles = Blog.list_articles(page: params["page"]) assign(socket, articles: articles) end end Note that an action handler will only be called once when mounting, even though native LiveView calls both `mount/3` and `handle_params/3` at that moment. ## Pipelines Phoenix controllers are [backed by the power of Plug pipelines](https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix/Phoenix.Controller.html#module-plug-pipeline) in order to organize common code called before actions and to allow halting early. LiveController provides its own simplified solution for these problems via optional `c:before_action_handler/3`, `c:before_event_handler/3` and `c:before_message_handler/3` callbacks supported by the `unless_redirected/2` helper function. `c:before_action_handler/3` acts on a socket after session is applied but before an actual action handler is called. defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @impl true def before_action_handler(socket, _name, _params) do assign(socket, page_title: "Blog") end # ... end Similarly, `c:before_event_handler/3` or `c:before_message_handler/3` callbacks act on a socket before an actual event or message handler is called. defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @impl true def before_event_handler(socket, _name, _params) do require_authenticated_user(socket) end # ... end After these callbacks, live controller calls `c:action_handler/3`, `c:event_handler/3` and `c:message_handler/3` respectively, but only if the socket was not redirected which is guaranteed by internal use of the `unless_redirected/2` function. This simple helper calls any function that takes socket as argument & that returns it only if the socket wasn't previously redirected and passes the socket through otherwise. It may also be used inside an actual action handler or event handler code for a similar result. defmodule MyAppWeb.ArticleLive do use MyAppWeb, :live_controller @action_handler true def edit(socket, %{"id" => id}) do socket |> require_authenticated_user() |> unless_redirected(&assign(&1, article: Blog.get_article!(id))) |> unless_redirected(&authorize_article_author(&1, &1.assigns.article)) |> unless_redirected(&assign(&1, changeset: Blog.change_article(&.assigns.article))) end end Finally, `c:action_handler/3`, `c:event_handler/3` and `c:message_handler/3` - rough equivalents of [`action/2`](https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix/Phoenix.Controller.html#module-overriding-action-2-for-custom-arguments) plug in Phoenix controllers - complete the pipeline by calling functions named after specific actions, events or messages. ## Specifying LiveView options Any options that were previously passed to `use Phoenix.LiveView`, such as `:layout` or `:container`, may now be passed to `use Phoenix.LiveController`. use Phoenix.LiveController, layout: {MyAppWeb.LayoutView, "live.html"} ## Rendering actions Implementation of the `c:Phoenix.LiveView.render/1` callback may be omitted in which case the default implementation will be injected. It'll ask the view module named after specific live module to render HTML template named after the action - the same way that Phoenix controllers do when the `Phoenix.Controller.render/2` is called without a template name. For example, `MyAppWeb.ArticleLive` mounted with `:index` action will render with following call: MyAppWeb.ArticleView.render("index.html", assigns) Custom `c:Phoenix.LiveView.render/1` implementation may still be provided if necessary. """ alias Phoenix.LiveView.Socket @doc ~S""" Allows to read the session and modify socket before an actual action handler is called. Read more about how to apply the session and the consequences of returning redirected socket from this callback in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @callback apply_session( socket :: Socket.t(), session :: map ) :: Socket.t() @doc ~S""" Acts on a socket after session is applied but before an actual action handler is called. Read more about the role that this callback plays in the live controller pipeline and the consequences of returning redirected socket from this callback in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @callback before_action_handler( socket :: Socket.t(), name :: atom, params :: Socket.unsigned_params() ) :: Socket.t() @doc ~S""" Acts on a socket before an actual event handler is called. Read more about the role that this callback plays in the live controller pipeline and the consequences of returning redirected socket from this callback in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @callback before_event_handler( socket :: Socket.t(), name :: atom, params :: Socket.unsigned_params() ) :: Socket.t() @doc ~S""" Acts on a socket before an actual message handler is called. Read more about the role that this callback plays in the live controller pipeline and the consequences of returning redirected socket from this callback in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @callback before_message_handler( socket :: Socket.t(), name :: atom, message :: any ) :: Socket.t() @doc ~S""" Invokes action handler for specific action. It can be overridden, e.g. in order to modify the list of arguments passed to action handlers. @impl true def action_handler(socket, name, params) do apply(__MODULE__, name, [socket, params, socket.assigns.current_user]) end It can be wrapped, e.g. for sake of logging or modifying the socket returned from action handlers. @impl true def action_handler(socket, name, params) do Logger.debug("#{__MODULE__} started handling #{name}") socket = super(socket, name, params) Logger.debug("#{__MODULE__} finished handling #{name}") socket end Read more about the role that this callback plays in the live controller pipeline in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @callback action_handler( socket :: Socket.t(), name :: atom, params :: Socket.unsigned_params() ) :: Socket.t() @doc ~S""" Invokes event handler for specific event. It works in a analogous way and opens analogous possibilities to `c:action_handler/3`. Read more about the role that this callback plays in the live controller pipeline in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @callback event_handler( socket :: Socket.t(), name :: atom, params :: Socket.unsigned_params() ) :: Socket.t() @doc ~S""" Invokes message handler for specific message. It works in a analogous way and opens analogous possibilities to `c:action_handler/3`. Read more about the role that this callback plays in the live controller pipeline in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @callback message_handler( socket :: Socket.t(), name :: atom, message :: any ) :: Socket.t() @optional_callbacks apply_session: 2, before_action_handler: 3, before_event_handler: 3, before_message_handler: 3, action_handler: 3, event_handler: 3, message_handler: 3 defmacro __using__(opts) do view_module = __CALLER__.module |> to_string() |> String.replace(~r/(Live|LiveController)$/, "") |> Kernel.<>("View") |> String.to_atom() quote do use Phoenix.LiveView, unquote(opts) @behaviour unquote(__MODULE__) Module.register_attribute(__MODULE__, :actions, accumulate: true) Module.register_attribute(__MODULE__, :events, accumulate: true) Module.register_attribute(__MODULE__, :messages, accumulate: true) @on_definition unquote(__MODULE__) @before_compile unquote(__MODULE__) import unquote(__MODULE__) # Implementations of Phoenix.LiveView callbacks def mount(params, session, socket), do: unquote(__MODULE__)._mount(__MODULE__, params, session, socket) def handle_params(params, url, socket), do: unquote(__MODULE__)._handle_params(__MODULE__, params, url, socket) def handle_event(event_string, params, socket), do: unquote(__MODULE__)._handle_event(__MODULE__, event_string, params, socket) def render(assigns = %{live_action: action}), do: unquote(view_module).render("#{action}.html", assigns) # Default implementations of Phoenix.LiveController callbacks def apply_session(socket, _session), do: socket def before_action_handler(socket, _name, _params), do: socket def before_event_handler(socket, _name, _params), do: socket def before_message_handler(socket, _name, _message), do: socket def action_handler(socket, name, params), do: apply(__MODULE__, name, [socket, params]) def event_handler(socket, name, params), do: apply(__MODULE__, name, [socket, params]) def message_handler(socket, name, message), do: apply(__MODULE__, name, [socket, message]) defoverridable apply_session: 2, action_handler: 3, event_handler: 3, message_handler: 3, before_action_handler: 3, before_event_handler: 3, before_message_handler: 3, render: 1 end end defmacro __before_compile__(_env) do quote do Module.delete_attribute(__MODULE__, :action_handler) Module.delete_attribute(__MODULE__, :event_handler) Module.delete_attribute(__MODULE__, :message_handler) @doc false def __live_controller__(:actions), do: @actions def __live_controller__(:events), do: @events def __live_controller__(:messages), do: @messages def handle_info(message, socket), do: unquote(__MODULE__)._handle_message(__MODULE__, message, socket) end end def __on_definition__(env, _kind, name, _args, _guards, _body) do action = Module.delete_attribute(env.module, :action_handler) event = Module.delete_attribute(env.module, :event_handler) message = Module.delete_attribute(env.module, :message_handler) cond do action -> Module.put_attribute(env.module, :actions, name) event -> Module.put_attribute(env.module, :events, name) message -> Module.put_attribute(env.module, :messages, name) true -> :ok end end def _mount(module, params, session, socket) do action = socket.assigns[:live_action] || raise """ #{inspect(module)} called without action. Make sure to mount it via route that specifies action, e.g. for :index action: live "/some_url", #{inspect(module)}, :index """ unless Enum.member?(module.__live_controller__(:actions), action), do: raise(""" #{inspect(module)} doesn't implement action handler for #{inspect(action)} action. Make sure that #{action} function is defined and annotated as action handler: @action_handler true def #{action}(socket, params) do # ... end """) socket |> Map.put_new(:mounted?, false) |> module.apply_session(session) |> unless_redirected(&module.before_action_handler(&1, action, params)) |> unless_redirected(&module.action_handler(&1, action, params)) |> wrap_socket(&{:ok, &1}) end def _handle_params(module, params, _url, socket) do action = socket.assigns.live_action unless Map.get(socket, :mounted?) do socket |> Map.put(:mounted?, true) |> wrap_socket(&{:noreply, &1}) else socket |> unless_redirected(&module.before_action_handler(&1, action, params)) |> unless_redirected(&module.action_handler(&1, action, params)) |> wrap_socket(&{:noreply, &1}) end end def _handle_event(module, event_string, params, socket) do unless Enum.any?(module.__live_controller__(:events), &(to_string(&1) == event_string)), do: raise(""" #{inspect(module)} doesn't implement event handler for #{inspect(event_string)} event. Make sure that #{event_string} function is defined and annotated as event handler: @event_handler true def #{event_string}(socket, params) do # ... end """) event = String.to_atom(event_string) socket |> module.before_event_handler(event, params) |> unless_redirected(&module.event_handler(&1, event, params)) |> wrap_socket(&{:noreply, &1}) end def _handle_message(module, message, socket) do message_atom = cond do is_atom(message) -> message is_tuple(message) and is_atom(elem(message, 0)) -> elem(message, 0) true -> nil end unless message_atom, do: raise(""" Message #{inspect(message)} cannot be handled by message handler and #{inspect(module)} doesn't implement handle_info/3 that would handle it instead. Make sure that appropriate handle_info/3 function matching this message is defined: def handle_info(message, socket) do # ... end """) unless Enum.member?(module.__live_controller__(:messages), message_atom), do: raise(""" #{inspect(module)} doesn't implement message handler for #{inspect(message)} message. Make sure that #{message_atom} function is defined and annotated as message handler: @message_handler true def #{message_atom}(socket, message) do # ... end """) socket |> module.before_message_handler(message_atom, message) |> unless_redirected(&module.message_handler(&1, message_atom, message)) |> wrap_socket(&{:noreply, &1}) end @doc ~S""" Calls given function if socket wasn't redirected, passes the socket through otherwise. Read more about the role that this function plays in the live controller pipeline in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @spec unless_redirected(socket :: Socket.t(), func :: function) :: Socket.t() def unless_redirected(socket = %{redirected: nil}, func), do: func.(socket) def unless_redirected(redirected_socket, _func), do: redirected_socket @doc ~S""" Returns true if the socket was previously mounted by action handler. Read more about the role that this function plays when implementing action handlers in docs for `Phoenix.LiveController`. """ @spec mounted?(socket :: Socket.t()) :: boolean() def mounted?(_socket = %{mounted?: true}), do: true def mounted?(_socket), do: false defp wrap_socket(socket = %Phoenix.LiveView.Socket{}, wrapper), do: wrapper.(socket) defp wrap_socket(misc, _wrapper), do: misc end