Show HN: Rasta.js, anonymous domainless key-value store for frontend JavaScript (opens in new tab)

(rastajs.errorjs.com)

73 pointspitra14y ago39 comments

39 comments

29 comments · 13 top-level

HoLyVieR14y ago· 4 in thread

Unless there is something I don't understand, how can this even be slightly reliable or useful, when everyone can read any key and write or replace any key at any moment ?

guptaneil14y ago

I guess I could see some usefulness in a quick weekend prototyping to get a persistent app up and running.

Groxx14y ago

but then why would this be better than, say, localStorage, which is local? The only purpose to this is semi-persistent cross-domain information storage. It's crazy to use an external JSON-P service to store tweetable-sized messages, when you've got megabytes locally with precisely the same key/value setup. Or, if you're handling older browsers, cookies will get you several KB.

1 more reply

pitraOP14y ago

It's not meant to be reliable.

Nor is it meant to be secure. It's a direct connection to a data store.

NHQ14y ago

And also replace a value with normal, arbitrary javascript...

Still, neat idea.

pbreit14y ago· 2 in thread

Would it make sense for "set" to be a POST? Or does that compromise "easy"?

HoLyVieR14y ago

It would make sense in theory, but in practice you can't make POST request to a JSONP API. So that's why you have to stick to GET request.

tchvil14y ago

You can make a cross domain POST with an IFRAME but would not get the response directly. Having to use parent.postMessage, the window.name hack or polling with JSONP depending on the browser. Possible then, but not so easy.

1 more reply

maroufle14y ago· 2 in thread

how does it work ?

pitraOP14y ago

you just include a <script> tag, and then use the API.

josscrowcroft14y ago

I think he meant - physically, HOW does this work. As in, where is the data stored and how?

1 more reply

pkulak14y ago· 2 in thread

Do keys need to be globally unique?

pitraOP14y ago

Everything is in the same namespace.

moonlighter14y ago

It would be a heck of a lot more useful if it were namespaced, like S3's buckets. Let folks put into those buckets whatever they want, but make the buckets in your datastore unique, based on the domain, referer, etc.

david92714y ago· 2 in thread

Fantastic! I needed that.

pitraOP14y ago

me too, that's why I made it

netlemurde14y ago

what are you using it for? still don't really get it...

1 more reply

lars14y ago· 1 in thread

I looked at the code, and what this does is to make calls to a web api on the errorjs.com domain.

It sets a key using:

http://rastajs.errorjs.com/set/yourkey/yourvalue

And retrieves it using:

http://rastajs.errorjs.com/get/yourkey

It also adds a timestamp, and allows for a callback. Perhaps it should be clarified that this relies on making a web call to their server (even if that is the only way this could possibly be done).

pitraOP14y ago

Thanks. I should be more clear about that.

The api is defined under WHY? tab, btw.

lyime14y ago· 1 in thread

Is this OSS? If so, where is the un-minified version and repository?

pitraOP14y ago

Unminified JS: http://rastajs.errorjs.com/rasta.js

I am putting it on GitHub right now.

marcamillion14y ago· 1 in thread

I guess I am not geek enough, but the description for this is SOOO opaque. I have no idea what this does - and I am a web developer!

Can someone explain, in simple English, what this is about and why it's good?

Udo14y ago

It's a javascript library that essentially consists of two functions (get and set) to retrieve and store some arbitrary content identified by a key string. That content is stored on the author's server though you can override the domain name and put in your own.

I think this combination of a lightweight library and free online storage could be useful for people who would like to have a static website with no functionality or storage whatsoever on their server. It could also be used in scenarios where JS code is used as glue between one or more websites and the user (for example in browser plugins).

iamtherockstar14y ago· 1 in thread

I think there's a pretty limited use for this, but it's definitely an interesting experiment if nothing else. I found it so cute that I decided I'd implement a really simple server endpoint for this.

https://github.com/rockstar/selassie

It's not backed by anything but memory, but that's why I said "simple".

nikcub14y ago

He has his own backend, written in js and also backed by redis within the package:

https://github.com/errorjs/Rasta.js/blob/master/web.js

bouncingsoul14y ago

You might want to look at http://openkeyval.org if you weren't aware of it. Exact same idea.

(HN discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1846088)

hamrickdavid14y ago

Good use of Twitter's new Bootstrap framework http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/

amasad14y ago

There is a typo on the "FOR DUMMIES" section, "This is a key-value date store"

catshirt14y ago

awesome! like someone else said, this is a great tool for prototyping, and likely other projects. tinydb is pretty cool as well. http://tinydb.org/

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

39 comments

29 comments · 13 top-level

HoLyVieR14y ago· 4 in thread

Unless there is something I don't understand, how can this even be slightly reliable or useful, when everyone can read any key and write or replace any key at any moment ?

guptaneil14y ago

I guess I could see some usefulness in a quick weekend prototyping to get a persistent app up and running.

Groxx14y ago

1 more reply

pitraOP14y ago

It's not meant to be reliable.

Nor is it meant to be secure. It's a direct connection to a data store.

NHQ14y ago

And also replace a value with normal, arbitrary javascript...

Still, neat idea.

pbreit14y ago· 2 in thread

Would it make sense for "set" to be a POST? Or does that compromise "easy"?

HoLyVieR14y ago

It would make sense in theory, but in practice you can't make POST request to a JSONP API. So that's why you have to stick to GET request.

tchvil14y ago

1 more reply

maroufle14y ago· 2 in thread

how does it work ?

pitraOP14y ago

you just include a <script> tag, and then use the API.

josscrowcroft14y ago

I think he meant - physically, HOW does this work. As in, where is the data stored and how?

1 more reply

pkulak14y ago· 2 in thread

Do keys need to be globally unique?

pitraOP14y ago

Everything is in the same namespace.

moonlighter14y ago

david92714y ago· 2 in thread

Fantastic! I needed that.

pitraOP14y ago

me too, that's why I made it

netlemurde14y ago

what are you using it for? still don't really get it...

1 more reply

lars14y ago· 1 in thread

I looked at the code, and what this does is to make calls to a web api on the errorjs.com domain.

It sets a key using:

http://rastajs.errorjs.com/set/yourkey/yourvalue

And retrieves it using:

http://rastajs.errorjs.com/get/yourkey

It also adds a timestamp, and allows for a callback. Perhaps it should be clarified that this relies on making a web call to their server (even if that is the only way this could possibly be done).

pitraOP14y ago

Thanks. I should be more clear about that.

The api is defined under WHY? tab, btw.

lyime14y ago· 1 in thread

Is this OSS? If so, where is the un-minified version and repository?

pitraOP14y ago

Unminified JS: http://rastajs.errorjs.com/rasta.js

I am putting it on GitHub right now.

marcamillion14y ago· 1 in thread

I guess I am not geek enough, but the description for this is SOOO opaque. I have no idea what this does - and I am a web developer!

Can someone explain, in simple English, what this is about and why it's good?

Udo14y ago

iamtherockstar14y ago· 1 in thread

I think there's a pretty limited use for this, but it's definitely an interesting experiment if nothing else. I found it so cute that I decided I'd implement a really simple server endpoint for this.

https://github.com/rockstar/selassie

It's not backed by anything but memory, but that's why I said "simple".

nikcub14y ago

He has his own backend, written in js and also backed by redis within the package:

https://github.com/errorjs/Rasta.js/blob/master/web.js

bouncingsoul14y ago

You might want to look at http://openkeyval.org if you weren't aware of it. Exact same idea.

(HN discussion: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1846088)

hamrickdavid14y ago

Good use of Twitter's new Bootstrap framework http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/

amasad14y ago

There is a typo on the "FOR DUMMIES" section, "This is a key-value date store"

catshirt14y ago

awesome! like someone else said, this is a great tool for prototyping, and likely other projects. tinydb is pretty cool as well. http://tinydb.org/

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse