helper-gib

helper-gib

Helper functions in TypeScript. Used in conjunction with developing Alexa Skills with ask-gib, but may be useful otherwise.

See also ask-gib for authoring Alexa Skills in TypeScript.

Installation

Install with npm:

npm install --save helper-gib

Import ES6 style:

import * as help from 'helper-gib';
let h = new help.Helper(); // If you want to use the helper scoped to the file.

Usage

Logging

tl;d

let h = new help.Helper();
let lc = 'Foo.eee';

h.debug("Yo debug message here.", lc);
// [201825 10:15:5.692][debug][Foo.eee] Yo debug message here.

h.info("Helpful info here, default logPriority is 1", lc);
// [201825 10:15:5.697][info][Foo.eee] Helpful info here, default logPriority is 1

h.warn("Hmmm, you sure about that?", lc);
// [201825 10:15:5.697][warn][Foo.eee] Hmmm, you sure about that?

h.error("Danger Will Robinson!", lc);
// [201825 10:15:5.698][error][Foo.eee] Danger Will Robinson!

Basics

Logging is either done or not done based on h.logPriority value. Sugared functions use default priority values.

So this:

h.debug("Yo debug message here.", lc);

is sugar for this:

h.log("Yo debug message here.", "debug", h.defaultDebugLogPriority, lc);

Errors are always logged, no matter what the logPriority is set at, or what logPriority is passed in. (Honestly, I can't remember why I kept around the logPriority with errors.)

Usage in an Alexa Skill class

If you want something slightly more powerful, this will give you a little more of an idea.

let h = new ask.Helper();

export class MyCoolSkillClass  extends ask.FuncyAlexaSkill<SkillStore> {
    constructor() {
        h.logPriority = 0; // for debug
        h.logPriority = 1; // for verbose
        h.logPriority = 2; // for terse

        // Can configure sugar log priority levels if you want
        h.defaultInfoLogPriority = 2;
    }

    foo() {
        // lc = log context, used extensively
        let lc = _lc + 'foo'; 

        try {
            h.debug("debug message here.", lc);
            h.log("Hmmm, debug msg, but show it on a higher priority", "debug", 1, lc);

            h.info("Normal info here.", lc);
            h.log("Always show this info regardless of priority", "info", 999999, lc);

            h.warn("Warning...", lc);
            h.log("Warning, but very low priority.", "warn", 0, lc);
        } catch (someError) {
            h.logError(`someError`, errExec, lc);
        }
    }

    fooWithTracing() {
        let lc = _lc + 'fooWithTracing'; 
        let f = () => {
            // put the actual function logic inside this lambda.
            return 42;
        }

        // executing using h.gib will add tracing. 
        // There are more args to specify catch/finally blocks, rethrow
        let fResult = h.gib(this, f, /*args*/ null, lc); // 42

        return fResult;
     }
}
let _lc = MyCoolSkillClass.name + '.';