Herald v2.0 Proposal

addRunner.js

//this would be the start of what is now the 'inApp' runner
Herald._runners['mongo'] = function (message, options) {
  if (!options.collection || !options.collection.insert) {
    throw new Meteor.Error('Herald - mongo runner', 'No Mongo.Collection found, please set it in your defaults');
  }
  if (!options.userId) {
    throw new Meteor.Error('Herald - mongo runner', 'You must give a user id');
  }
  options.collection.insert({
    message: this.message,
    userId: options.userId
  });
}

herald.js

Herald = class Herald {
  constructor(message, options = {}) {
    if (!_.isString(message) || !message.length) {
      throw new Meteor.Error('Herald', `You must give Herald a message`);
    }

    if (!_.isObject(options)) {
      throw new Meteor.Error('Herald', `herald constructor options must be in object form`);
    }

    this.message = message;
    this.options = options;

    //final sanity check
    if (!_.isObject(Herald._runners)) {
      throw new Meteor.Error('Herald', `Core runenrs have been mutated`);
    }
  }

  send() {
    for (let runner in this.getRunners()) {
      this.sendRunner(runner);
    }
  }

  getRunners() {
    return this.constructor.runners;
  }

  sendRunner(runner) {
    if (!Herald._runners[runner]) {
      throw new Meteor.Error('Herald', `can't find runner ${runner}`);
    }

    Herald._runners[runner](this.message, _.extend(this.getRunners()[runner], this.options[runner]))
  }
}

//class vars
Herald._runners = {}
Herald.runners = {}

// Define a runner like 
// Herald._runners[name] = function (message, options) {
//   // body...
// }

// users add default settings like
// Herald.runners = {
//   name: {
//    //settings for 'name'
//   }
// }

// create courier with class extensions 
// myCourier = class myCourier extends Herald {}
// you can set new defaults here with myCourier.runners = {}

//I still have to think about how to mange users so mark that up as a TODO

usage.js

//this is what the package user need to do on a server config file (assumes ecmascript)

//extend Herald, this is analogous to the current addCourier system
InAppNotifications = class InAppNotifications extends Herald {};

//Let users define their own mongo collections for Herald in app notifications. 
HeraldMongoNotifications = new Mongo.Collection('herald_mongo_notifications')

//finally set up the system defaults.
InAppNotifications.runner = {
  mongo: { //this adds the 'mongo' runner to this Herald instance
    collection: HeraldMongoNotifications //this are the defaults
  }
}

//lastly this is how you would use it:

//server - maybe in a meteor method?
note = InAppNotifications('A note for you!', {mongo: {userId: 'someId'}});
note.send();

//client
HeraldMongoNotifications.findOne() //=> our note object