⚙ react-automat

Zero-dependency higher-order state container for React PureComponent. State lives in module scope (independent of mounting). Components read state synchronously in constructor and subscribe in componentDidMount. No Context, hooks, or HOCs.

npm install react-automat
# or: pnpm add react-automat | yarn add react-automat | bun add react-automat

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1. Complete Type Signatures

import type { PureComponent } from 'react';

export interface AutomatOptions<T> {
  name?: string | null;      // window.__AUTOMATS__ key & Automat.get(name)
  persist?: boolean;         // false = window (default), true = IndexedDB
  url?: string | null;       // Auto-triggers fetcher(url) on init
  fetcher?: (url: string, automat?: Automat<T, any>) => Promise<T>;
}

export type Selector<T, S = any> = keyof T | (keyof T)[] | ((state: T) => S | null | undefined);

export interface ScopedSlice<S> {
  readonly state: S;
  subscribe(target: PureComponent | ((slice: S) => void)): () => void;
}

export interface BlobResource {
  blob: Blob; url: string; size: number; type: string; loadedAt: string;
  revoke: () => void; // Auto-called on setDirty() / dispose() to release memory
}

export interface SSEOptions<T = any, A = any> {
  onMessage?: (data: any, event: string, automat: Automat<T, A>) => void;
  events?: Record<string, (data: any, automat: Automat<T, A>) => void>;
  onError?: (err: any, automat: Automat<T, A>) => void;
}

export class Automat<T = any, A = Record<string, Function>> {
  constructor(initialState?: T | null, actions?: A, options?: AutomatOptions<T>);

  readonly state: T;
  getState(): T;
  setState(partial: Partial<T> | ((prev: T) => Partial<T>)): T;
  readonly actions: A;

  readonly isReady: boolean;
  readonly isDirty: boolean;
  readonly ready: Promise<T>; // Re-awaitable after setDirty()
  readonly name: string | null;
  readonly persist: boolean;
  readonly url: string | null;
  readonly subscriberCount: number;

  subscribe(target: PureComponent | ((state: T, partial?: Partial<T>) => void), selector?: Selector<T>): () => void;
  select<S = any>(selector: Selector<T, S>): ScopedSlice<S>;
  unsubscribe(target: any): void;

  subscribeTo<U = any>(
    upstream: Automat<U, any>,
    transform: (upstreamState: U, currentState: T) => Partial<T> | null | undefined,
    options?: { cascadeDirty?: boolean | ((upstream: U, current: T) => boolean) }
  ): this;

  invalidateWith<U = any>(upstream: Automat<U, any>, filterFn?: (upstream: U, current: T) => boolean): this;
  onDirty(fn: (automat: this) => void): () => void;

  setDirty(): Promise<T>;   // Resets state to null/default, revokes blobs, cascades, defers if unmounted
  reload(): Promise<T>;     // Silent background re-fetch; preserves state & isReady=true
  refresh(): Promise<T>;    // Alias for reload()
  read(): T;                // For Suspense: throws ready promise if unready; triggers deferred load if dirty

  clearPersistence(): Promise<void>;
  dispose(): void;          // Unsubs all, revokes blobs, deletes from window registry

  static get<T = any, A = any>(name: string): Automat<T, A> | undefined;
  static combine<M extends Record<string, Automat<any, any>>>(automats: M): Automat<CombinedState<M>, CombinedActions<M>>;
}

// Fetchers & SSE
export function fetchJson<T = any>(url: string, options?: RequestInit): Promise<T>;
export function fetchBlob(url: string, options?: RequestInit): Promise<BlobResource>;
export const fetchImageBlob: typeof fetchBlob;
export const fetchPdfBlob: typeof fetchBlob;
export function connectSSE<T, A>(automat: Automat<T, A>, url: string, options?: SSEOptions<T, A>): { eventSource: EventSource | null; close: () => void };
export function createSSEFetcher(sseUrl: string, baseFetcher?: Function, sseOptions?: SSEOptions): (url: string, automat?: any) => Promise<any>;

2. Canonical Usage Patterns

A. PureComponent Subscription

import { PureComponent } from 'react';
import { Automat } from 'react-automat';

const store = new Automat({ count: 0 }, { inc: () => store.setState({ count: store.state.count + 1 }) });

class Counter extends PureComponent {
  constructor(props) { super(props); this.state = store.state; } // Sync read, never stale
  componentDidMount() { this.unsub = store.subscribe(this); }    // Auto-calls this.setState(partial)
  componentWillUnmount() { this.unsub(); }
  render() { return <button onClick={store.actions.inc}>{this.state.count}</button>; }
}

B. Fine-Grained Selectors (Shallow-guarded, 0 renders if slice unchanged)

store.subscribe(this, 'count');                         // Single key
store.subscribe(this, ['theme', 'locale']);             // Multi key
store.subscribe(this, (s) => ({ items: s.list.length }));// Projection function

C. Unconnected Component via Window (Zero imports of store file)

const store = Automat.get('cart'); // or window.__AUTOMATS__?.get('cart')
this.state = { count: store?.state?.items?.length || 0 };
this.unsub = store?.subscribe(this, (s) => ({ count: s.items.length }));

D. Backend API: React Suspense vs Standard

const user = new Automat(null, {}, { url: '/api/user' });

// Suspense: throws promise while unready
const Profile = () => <div>{user.read().name}</div>;

// Standard: check isReady
class ProfileStandard extends PureComponent {
  constructor(props) { super(props); this.state = { u: user.state }; }
  componentDidMount() { this.unsub = user.subscribe(this, (u) => ({ u })); }
  componentWillUnmount() { this.unsub(); }
  render() { return !user.isReady ? <Spinner /> : <div>{this.state.u.name}</div>; }
}

E. Cascading Invalidation, Blobs & Memory Freeing

const all = new Automat(null, {}, { name: 'photos/all', url: '/api/photos' });
const p1 = new Automat(null, {}, { name: 'photo/1', url: '/api/photos/1', fetcher: fetchImageBlob });
p1.invalidateWith(all); // p1 cascades setDirty() when all.setDirty() is called

all.setDirty(); // p1 auto-revokes held Blob URL, resets state=null, defers reload if unmounted

F. SSE Remote Trigger

const live = new Automat({}, {
  onSSETrigger(data, event, store) {
    if (event === 'invalidate') store.setDirty();
    if (event === 'reload') store.reload();
  }
});
connectSSE(live, '/api/stream');

G. Combine Automats

const app = Automat.combine({
  auth: authAutomat,
  company: companyAutomat,
});

app.state.auth;                    // authAutomat.state
app.state.company;                 // companyAutomat.state
app.actions.auth.login();          // authAutomat.actions.login()
app.actions.company.rename('Acme');

// Notified when either child changes; selectors can isolate a branch.
const unsubscribe = app.subscribe(this, (state) => ({
  user: state.auth.user,
  companyName: state.company.name,
}));

The aggregate is derived: child updates automatically update the matching key. Its isReady, isDirty, ready, read(), setDirty(), and reload() operations cover all children. Calling app.dispose() only removes aggregate subscriptions; it does not dispose the child automats.

3. Decision Matrix: setDirty() vs reload()

Method	isReady	State during fetch	Suspense	Unmounted	Use Case
setDirty()	false	Resets to null/init	Throws fallback	Deferred until mount/read	Cache bust, logout, hard reset
reload()	true	Preserved	Never suspends	Immediate fetch	Polling, pull-to-refresh, sync

4. Invariant Rules

• Read store.state synchronously in constructor(props) — never in render bodies.
• Subscribe in componentDidMount() & store the returned unsub; unsubscribe in componentWillUnmount().
• Never mutate store.state directly (store.state.x = 1 ❌); use store.setState({ x }) or actions.
• Pass selectors to subscribe(this, selector) on multi-key stores to skip redundant renders.
• Never wrap components in Context Providers, HOCs, or custom hooks.