Nuxt-remote-fn NPM

nuxt-remote-fn

nuxt-remote-fn allows you to call your backend-functions from the frontend, as if they were local. No need for an extra language or DSL to learn and maintain.

Install

npm install nuxt-remote-fn

export default defineNuxtConfig({
  modules: [
    'nuxt-remote-fn',
  ],
})

Usage

Export your remote functions in *.server.{ts,js,mjs} files:

// lib/todo.server.ts

import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'

const prisma = new PrismaClient()

export async function getTodos () {
  const todos = await prisma.todo.findMany()
  return todos
}

Directly use any SQL/ORM query to retrieve & mutate data on client.

<script setup lang="ts">
import { getTodos } from '@/lib/todo.server'

const todos = await getTodos()
</script>

<template>
  <TodoList :todos="todos" />
</template>

The .server part of the filename informs the module that this code should never end up in the browser and to convert it to an API call instead (POST /api/__remote/todo/getTodos).

Checkout the playground example.

H3 Event

The useH3Event hook provides the event object of the current request. You can use it to check headers, log requests, or extend the event's request object.

import { useH3Event } from 'nuxt-remote-fn/server'
import { getRequestHeader, createError } from 'h3'
import { decodeAndVerifyJwtToken } from '~/somewhere/in/utils'

export async function addTodo(todo: Todo) {
  const event = useH3Event()

  async function getUserFromHeader() {
    const authorization = getRequestHeader(event, 'authorization')
    if (authorization) {
      const user = await decodeAndVerifyJwtToken(authorization.split(' ')[1])
      return user
    }
    return null
  }

  const user = await getUserFromHeader()

  if (!user) {
    throw createError({ statusCode: 401 })
  }

  const result = await prisma.todo.create({
    data: {
      ...todo,
      userId: user.id
    }
  })

  return result
}

You can use all built-in h3 utilities inside your exported functions.

createContext

Each .server. file can also export a createContext function that is called for each incoming request:

export function createContext() {
  const event = useH3Event()

  async function getUserFromHeader() {
    const authorization = getRequestHeader(event, 'authorization')
    if (authorization) {
      const user = await decodeAndVerifyJwtToken(authorization.split(' ')[1])
      return user
    }
    return null
  }

  event.context.user = await getUserFromHeader()
}

export async function addTodo(todo: Todo) {
  const event = useH3Event()

  if (!event.context.user) {
    throw createError({ statusCode: 401 })
  }

  // addTodo logic
}

useAsyncData

nuxt-remote-fn can work seamlessly with useAsyncData:

<script setup lang="ts">
import { getTodos } from '@/lib/todo.server'

const { data: todos } = useAsyncData('todos', () => getTodos())
</script>

Fetch options:

Since nuxt.config.ts file doesn't accept functions as values, you can use the client directly to add $fetch options:

import type { RemoteFunction } from '#build/remote-handler'
import { createClient } from 'nuxt-remote-fn/client'

const client = createClient<RemoteFunction>({
  fetchOptions: {
    onRequest({ request }) {
      // do something
    }
  }
})

const todo = await client.todo.getTodo(1)

Why this module

Sharing data from server to client involves a lot of ceremony. i.e. an eventHandler needs to be set up and useFetch needs to be used in the browser.

Wouldn't it be nice if all of that was automatically handled and all you'd need to do is import getTodos on the client, just like you do in eventHandler's? That's where nuxt-remote-fn comes in. With nuxt-remote-fn, all exported functions from .server. files automatically become available to the browser as well.