SCModel Implementation for SuiteCommerce Extensions

Creating models within SuiteCommerce extensions is fundamental for how data is handled within your application, particularly in aspects like validation, persistence, and server interaction. Models are a crucial part of the architecture, enabling views to access and render data efficiently.

To define a model in your extension, you can use the SCModel class, introduced in SuiteCommerce 2020.1. For previous versions of SuiteCommerce Advanced, you would utilize Backbone's extend() method for model creation.

What is the SCModel Class?

The SCModel class offers an extensibility API for managing data models. Unlike other component classes in the extensibility API, SCModel does not require instance creation via the getComponent() method; rather, it is treated as a dependency when defining your model.

Example of a Basic SCModel Definition

The following example illustrates how to create a simple model using the SCModel class:

1define(
2  'Vendor.MyExtension.Module.Model',
3  [
4    'SCModel',
5    'Utils'
6  ],
7  function(SCModelModule, Utils) {
8    'use strict';
9 
10    var SCModel = SCModelModule.SCModel;
11 
12    function VendorMyExtensionModuleModel () {
13      SCModel.call(this);
14 
15      this.urlRoot = function() {
16        return Utils.getAbsoluteUrl(getExtensionAssetsPath('services/Module.Service.ss'));
17      };
18    }
19 
20    VendorMyExtensionModuleModel.prototype = Object.create(SCModel.prototype);
21    VendorMyExtensionModuleModel.prototype.constructor = VendorMyExtensionModuleModel;
22 
23    return VendorMyExtensionModuleModel;
24  }
25);

In this code:

• The module is defined with a unique name and dependencies, including SCModel and Utils.
• A constructor is created to initialize a new model. This constructor calls the parent class constructor via SCModel.call(this).
• Here, the urlRoot property must be defined as a function returning a URL string. This is crucial for ensuring the model can fetch and save data appropriately.

Inheriting from SCModel

When you create your custom model,

VendorMyExtensionModuleModel.prototype = Object.create(SCModel.prototype);

uses Object.create() to set the prototype chain, ensuring that your custom model inherits the properties and methods of SCModel. This is vital for making full use of the SCModel capabilities.

You also need to reset the constructor property of your model,

VendorMyExtensionModuleModel.prototype.constructor = VendorMyExtensionModuleModel;

This correct assignment ensures that your model's constructor is recognized correctly in the prototype chain.

By following this structured approach, you can effectively manage data models in your SuiteCommerce extensions, facilitating better performance and maintainability.

Key Points

• Use SCModel for SuiteCommerce versions 2020.1 and later; use Backbone's extend() for earlier versions.
• Define the urlRoot as a function to enable data fetching.
• Utilize prototypal inheritance to ensure proper functionality derived from SCModel.

Related Topics

• Creating SuiteCommerce Extensions
• Understanding Extension Anatomy

Employing these principles will help you declare models effectively in the SuiteCommerce ecosystem, yielding better data management and an enhanced user experience.