One way to do bulk updates and deletes with Appcelerator Alloy Collections

app_snippet.js

// add all items to collection
Alloy.Collections.Fugitive.reset([{
        "name" : "Jeff Haynie"
}, {
        "name" : "Nolan Wright"
}, {
        "name" : "Don Thorp"
}, {
        "name" : "Marshall Culpepper"
}, {
        "name" : "Blain Hamon"
}]);

// save all the items
Alloy.Collections.Fugitive.saveAll();


// get the collection object
Alloy.Collections.instance("Fugitive");


// delete all items
Alloy.Collections.Fugitive.deleteAll();

model.js

exports.definition = {

  config : {
    "columns" : {
      "name" : "TEXT",
      "captured" : "integer",
      "url" : "TEXT",
      "capturedLat" : "real",
      "capturedLong" : "real"
    },
    "defaults" : {
      "name" : "",
      "captured" : 0,
      "url" : "",
      "capturedLat" : "",
      "capturedLong" : ""
    },
    "adapter" : {
      "type" : "sql",
      "collection_name" : "fugitives"
    }
  },

  extendModel : function(Model) {
    _.extend(Model.prototype, {

    });
    // end extend

    return Model;
  },

  extendCollection : function(Collection) {

    // helper functions
    function S4() {
      return (0 | 65536 * (1 + Math.random())).toString(16).substring(1);
    }

    function guid() {
      return S4() + S4() + "-" + S4() + "-" + S4() + "-" + S4() + "-" + S4() + S4() + S4();
    }


    _.extend(Collection.prototype, {

      deleteAll : function() {

        var collection = this;

        var sql = "DELETE FROM " + collection.config.adapter.collection_name;
        db = Ti.Database.open(collection.config.adapter.db_name);
        db.execute(sql);
        db.close();

        collection.trigger('sync');

      },

      saveAll : function() {
        var collection = this;

        var dbName = collection.config.adapter.db_name;
        var table = collection.config.adapter.collection_name;
        var columns = collection.config.columns;

        db = Ti.Database.open(dbName);
        db.execute("BEGIN;");

        collection.each(function(model) {

          if (!model.id) {
            model.id = guid();
            model.attributes[model.idAttribute] = model.id;
          }

          var names = [], values = [], q = [];
          for (var k in columns) {
            names.push(k);
            values.push(model.get(k));
            q.push("?");
          }
          var sqlInsert = "INSERT INTO " + table + " (" + names.join(",") + ") VALUES (" + q.join(",") + ");";

          db.execute(sqlInsert, values);

        });

        db.execute("COMMIT;");
        db.close();

        collection.trigger('sync');
      }
    });
    // end extend

    return Collection;
  }
}; 

Hello there.
Thank you for your model code.
However it keeps giving me erros when trying to use the saveAll function.
The following error pops up:
[ERROR] : Script Error Couldn't find module: alloy/sync/util

I've made some research but couldn't find much about the alloy/sync/util

is there any file that I should add to the app folder in order to make line 52: var util = require("alloy/sync/util");, to work?

Thank you

@arthurpadilha see updated gist, added the guid function to the model file

Dear Aaron,

first of all thanks for this useful code

Unfortunately adding the guid and s4 functions in the model file throws me an error.

The error is: Unexpected token name «S4», expected punc «:»

I'm using SDK 3.2.3

What I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!
Best
Adriano

My file:

exports.definition = {

function S4() {
    return (0 | 65536 * (1 + Math.random())).toString(16).substring(1);
}

function guid() {
    return S4() + S4() + "-" + S4() + "-" + S4() + "-" + S4() + "-" + S4() + S4() + S4();
}

config : {

    columns : {
        id : "integer"
    },

    adapter : {
        type : "sql",
        collection_name : "post_timeline"
    }
},
extendModel : function(Model) {
    _.extend(Model.prototype, {
        // extended functions and properties go here
    });

    return Model;
},
extendCollection : function(Collection) {
    _.extend(Collection.prototype, {

        deleteAll : function() {

            var collection = this;

            var sql = "DELETE FROM " + collection.config.adapter.collection_name;
            db = Ti.Database.open(collection.config.adapter.db_name);
            db.execute(sql);
            db.close();

            collection.trigger('sync');

        },

        saveAll : function() {
            var collection = this;

            var dbName = collection.config.adapter.db_name;
            var table = collection.config.adapter.collection_name;
            var columns = collection.config.columns;

            db = Ti.Database.open(dbName);
            db.execute("BEGIN;");

            collection.each(function(model) {

                if (!model.id) {
                    model.id = guid();
                    model.attributes[model.idAttribute] = model.id;
                }

                var names = [], values = [], q = [];
                for (var k in columns) {
                    names.push(k);
                    values.push(model.get(k));
                    q.push("?");
                }
                var sqlInsert = "INSERT INTO " + table + " (" + names.join(",") + ") VALUES (" + q.join(",") + ");";

                db.execute(sqlInsert, values);

            });

            db.execute("COMMIT;");
            db.close();

            collection.trigger('sync');
        }
    });

    return Collection;
}

};

@Adriano72 updated

Thx! Big hug from TiConf 2014 Amsterdam!

Thank You! So useful

@aaronksaunders minor optimization: take the names.push(k) out of collection.each and create the names array in a separate one-time cycle.
On a 100 element insert you'll save (100*numcols)-1 .push() calls.

@aaronksaunders I'm using this SaveAll function in my model.
I have this config:
config: {
columns: {
"jobID": "INTEGER",
"jobTitle": "TEXT",
"joblastUpdated": "TEXT",
"jobLastDayOfService": "TEXT",
"jobInstructionReported": "INTEGER",
"jobInstructions": "TEXT",
"noReports": "INTEGER",
"instructionId": "INTEGER"
},
adapter: {
type: "sql",
collection_name: "jobs",
db_name: "DB",
idAttribute:'jobID'
}
},
jobID is unique and i'm receiving this id from the backed same as other values.

Insert is working fine but i can't make insert or replace to work:
var sqlInsert = "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO " + table + " (" + names.join(",") + ") VALUES (" + q.join(",") + ");";
db.execute(sqlInsert, values);