GitHub is an invaluable resource. Let’s take the example of trying to figure out “the unknown” when a framework such as LoobackJS is involved:

• There are plenty of public projects that use loopback.
• When in doubt, you can use code search to find syntax and other clues on how to perform certain tasks.
• There are many ways to narrow down search results, the keywords from an API search also apply to what you type in the searchbox on github: https://developer.github.com/v3/search/#considerations-for-code-search
• But keep in mind: Forked projects will not be searched by GitHub unless they have more STARS than their parent.
• Need a code example for how to use findById in angular or client side? Search GitHub with keywords and search qualifiers::
  • findbyid language:javascript path:/client
• Need to narrow down results further by a GitHub username of organization name?
  • findbyid user:strongloop language:javascript path:/client
• It can even help you figure out how to configure a 3rd party dependency in LoopBack
  • For example, I wanted to use express-xml-bodyparser and started wondering if someone else had used it as a middleware in loopback before. parse was a phase in the middleware.json file where one might configure such a dependency. params was a standard way of providing input to the dependency being configured. I put all these keywords together with the fact that the configuration would happen in a JSON file and came up with a code search that helped me find the example code I wanted: express-xml-bodyparser parse params language:json
• Sometimes there are just too many search results when looking for loopback code on the angular/client side. This may happen because loopback’s auto-generatedlb-services.js file, tends to contain many keywords. But you don’t want it to be searched! Well, you can exclude it. Look at the difference in the # of search results for the following code queries on github:
  • loopback findbyid language:javascript path:/client NOT lbServices (close to 80)
  • loopback findbyid language:javascript path:/client (over 780)
• Looking to limit your code search to Angular or client side? Append the following qualifiers as part of your search:
  • path:/client
  • path:/client/app
  • path:/client/js
• Looking to limit your code search to Models or Remote Methods? Append the following qualifiers as part of your search:
  • path:/common
  • path:/common/models
  • path:/common/models language:json
  • path:/common/models language:javascript
• Here’s a bucket list of various other loopback keyword searches I’ve run to help myself:
  • Wanted to figure out how to setup paging in loopback server side scripts
    • skip limit path:/server/boot
  • Wanted to figure out how to use role resolver and loopback context together
    • registerResolver getCurrentContext
  • Wanted to figure out how to get at all the little extra metadata info that is hidden away in a Model
    • definition type language:javascript path:/common/models
  • findbyid user:strongloop language:javascript path:/client
  • app principal path:/common/models language:json
  • findone language:javascript path:/client user:strongloop
  • findone include filter path:/client
  • properties id type user:strongloop language:javascript
  • datasource type language:javascript path:/common/models
  • properties id type language:javascript path:/common/models
  • include relation language:javascript path:/client/app
  • create language:javascript path:/client/js user:strongloop
  • findById path:/client/js user:strongloop

Written with StackEdit.