10-comments.md.erb

---
title: Comments
slug: comments
complete: 100
date: 0010/01/01
number: 10
contents: Display existing comments.|Add a comment posting form.|Learn how to load only the current post's comments.|Add a comment count property to posts.
paragraphs: 36
---

////

////

~~~js
Comments = new Mongo.Collection('comments');
~~~
<%= caption "lib/collections/comments.js" %>

~~~js
// Fixture data
if (Posts.find().count() === 0) {
  var now = new Date().getTime();

  // create two users
  var tomId = Meteor.users.insert({
    profile: { name: 'Tom Coleman' }
  });
  var tom = Meteor.users.findOne(tomId);
  var sachaId = Meteor.users.insert({
    profile: { name: 'Sacha Greif' }
  });
  var sacha = Meteor.users.findOne(sachaId);

  var telescopeId = Posts.insert({
    title: 'Introducing Telescope',
    userId: sacha._id,
    author: sacha.profile.name,
    url: 'http://sachagreif.com/introducing-telescope/',
    submitted: new Date(now - 7 * 3600 * 1000)
  });

  Comments.insert({
    postId: telescopeId,
    userId: tom._id,
    author: tom.profile.name,
    submitted: new Date(now - 5 * 3600 * 1000),
    body: 'Interesting project Sacha, can I get involved?'
  });

  Comments.insert({
    postId: telescopeId,
    userId: sacha._id,
    author: sacha.profile.name,
    submitted: new Date(now - 3 * 3600 * 1000),
    body: 'You sure can Tom!'
  });

  Posts.insert({
    title: 'Meteor',
    userId: tom._id,
    author: tom.profile.name,
    url: 'http://meteor.com',
    submitted: new Date(now - 10 * 3600 * 1000)
  });

  Posts.insert({
    title: 'The Meteor Book',
    userId: tom._id,
    author: tom.profile.name,
    url: 'http://themeteorbook.com',
    submitted: new Date(now - 12 * 3600 * 1000)
  });
}
~~~
<%= caption "server/fixtures.js" %>

////

~~~js
Meteor.publish('posts', function() {
  return Posts.find();
});

Meteor.publish('comments', function() {
  return Comments.find();
});
~~~
<%= caption "server/publications.js" %>
<%= highlight "5,6,7" %>

~~~js
Router.configure({
  layoutTemplate: 'layout',
  loadingTemplate: 'loading',
  notFoundTemplate: 'notFound',
  waitOn: function() {
    return [Meteor.subscribe('posts'), Meteor.subscribe('comments')];
  }
});
~~~
<%= caption "lib/router.js" %>
<%= highlight "5~7" %>

<%= commit "10-1", "Added comments collection, pub/sub and fixtures." %>

////

////

////

### Displaying comments

////

~~~html
<template name="postPage">
  {{> postItem}}

  <ul class="comments">
    {{#each comments}}
      {{> commentItem}}
    {{/each}}
  </ul>
</template>
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/posts/post_page.html" %>
<%= highlight "3~7" %>

~~~js
Template.postPage.helpers({
  comments: function() {
    return Comments.find({postId: this._id});
  }
});
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/posts/post_page.js" %>
<%= highlight "2~4" %>

////

////

~~~html
<template name="commentItem">
  <li>
    <h4>
      <span class="author">{{author}}</span>
      <span class="date">on {{submittedText}}</span>
    </h4>
    <p>{{body}}</p>
  </li>
</template>
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/comments/comment_item.html" %>

////

~~~js
Template.commentItem.helpers({
  submittedText: function() {
    return this.submitted.toString();
  }
});
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/comments/comment_item.js" %>

////

~~~html
<template name="postItem">
  <div class="post">
    <div class="post-content">
      <h3><a href="{{url}}">{{title}}</a><span>{{domain}}</span></h3>
      <p>
        submitted by {{author}},
        <a href="{{pathFor 'postPage'}}">{{commentsCount}} comments</a>
        {{#if ownPost}}<a href="{{pathFor 'postEdit'}}">Edit</a>{{/if}}
      </p>
    </div>
    <a href="{{pathFor 'postPage'}}" class="discuss btn btn-default">Discuss</a>
  </div>
</template>
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/posts/post_item.html" %>
<%= highlight "6,7" %>

////

~~~js
Template.postItem.helpers({
  ownPost: function() {
    return this.userId === Meteor.userId();
  },
  domain: function() {
    var a = document.createElement('a');
    a.href = this.url;
    return a.hostname;
  },
  commentsCount: function() {
    return Comments.find({postId: this._id}).count();
  }
});
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/posts/post_item.js" %>
<%= highlight "9,10,11" %>

<%= commit "10-2", "Display comments on `postPage`." %>

////

<%= screenshot "10-1", "Displaying comments" %>

### Submitting Comments

////

////

~~~html
<template name="postPage">
  {{> postItem}}

  <ul class="comments">
    {{#each comments}}
      {{> commentItem}}
    {{/each}}
  </ul>

  {{#if currentUser}}
    {{> commentSubmit}}
  {{else}}
    <p>Please log in to leave a comment.</p>
  {{/if}}
</template>
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/posts/post_page.html" %>
<%= highlight "10~14" %>

////

~~~html
<template name="commentSubmit">
  <form name="comment" class="comment-form form">
    <div class="form-group {{errorClass 'body'}}">
        <div class="controls">
            <label for="body">Comment on this post</label>
            <textarea name="body" id="body" class="form-control" rows="3"></textarea>
            <span class="help-block">{{errorMessage 'body'}}</span>
        </div>
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Add Comment</button>
  </form>
</template>
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/comments/comment_submit.html" %>

////

~~~js
Template.commentSubmit.created = function() {
  Session.set('commentSubmitErrors', {});
}

Template.commentSubmit.helpers({
  errorMessage: function(field) {
    return Session.get('commentSubmitErrors')[field];
  },
  errorClass: function (field) {
    return !!Session.get('commentSubmitErrors')[field] ? 'has-error' : '';
  }
});

Template.commentSubmit.events({
  'submit form': function(e, template) {
    e.preventDefault();
    
    var $body = $(e.target).find('[name=body]');
    var comment = {
      body: $body.val(),
      postId: template.data._id
    };
    
    var errors = {};
    if (! comment.body) {
      errors.body = "Please write some content";
      return Session.set('commentSubmitErrors', errors);
    }
    
    Meteor.call('commentInsert', comment, function(error, commentId) {
      if (error){
        throwError(error.reason);
      } else {
        $body.val('');
      }
    });
  }
});
~~~
<%= caption "client/templates/comments/comment_submit.js" %>

////

~~~js
Comments = new Mongo.Collection('comments');

Meteor.methods({
  commentInsert: function(commentAttributes) {
    check(this.userId, String);
    check(commentAttributes, {
      postId: String,
      body: String
    });
    
    var user = Meteor.user();
    var post = Posts.findOne(commentAttributes.postId);

    if (!post)
      throw new Meteor.Error('invalid-comment', 'You must comment on a post');
    
    comment = _.extend(commentAttributes, {
      userId: user._id,
      author: user.username,
      submitted: new Date()
    });
    
    return Comments.insert(comment);
  }
});
~~~
<%= caption "lib/collections/comments.js" %>
<%= highlight "3~25" %>

<%= commit "10-3", "Created a form to submit comments." %>

////

<%= screenshot "10-2", "The comment submit form" %>

### Controlling the Comments Subscription

////

////

////

////

////

////

~~~js
Router.configure({
  layoutTemplate: 'layout',
  loadingTemplate: 'loading',
  notFoundTemplate: 'notFound',
  waitOn: function() {
    return Meteor.subscribe('posts');
  }
});
~~~
<%= caption "lib/router.js" %>
<%= highlight "5" %>

////

~~~js
//...

Router.route('/posts/:_id', {
  name: 'postPage',
  waitOn: function() {
    return Meteor.subscribe('comments', this.params._id);
  },
  data: function() { return Posts.findOne(this.params._id); }
});

//...
~~~
<%= caption "lib/router.js" %>
<%= highlight "5~7" %>

////

~~~js
Meteor.publish('posts', function() {
  return Posts.find();
});

Meteor.publish('comments', function(postId) {
  check(postId, String);
  return Comments.find({postId: postId});
});
~~~
<%= caption "server/publications.js" %>
<%= highlight "5~7" %>

<%= commit "10-4", "Made a simple publication/subscription for comments." %>

////

<%= screenshot "10-3", "Our comments are gone!" %>

### Counting Comments

////

////

////

~~~js
// Fixture data 
if (Posts.find().count() === 0) {
  var now = new Date().getTime();
  
  // create two users
  var tomId = Meteor.users.insert({
    profile: { name: 'Tom Coleman' }
  });
  var tom = Meteor.users.findOne(tomId);
  var sachaId = Meteor.users.insert({
    profile: { name: 'Sacha Greif' }
  });
  var sacha = Meteor.users.findOne(sachaId);
  
  var telescopeId = Posts.insert({
    title: 'Introducing Telescope',
    userId: sacha._id,
    author: sacha.profile.name,
    url: 'http://sachagreif.com/introducing-telescope/',
    submitted: new Date(now - 7 * 3600 * 1000),
    commentsCount: 2
  });
  
  Comments.insert({
    postId: telescopeId,
    userId: tom._id,
    author: tom.profile.name,
    submitted: new Date(now - 5 * 3600 * 1000),
    body: 'Interesting project Sacha, can I get involved?'
  });
  
  Comments.insert({
    postId: telescopeId,
    userId: sacha._id,
    author: sacha.profile.name,
    submitted: new Date(now - 3 * 3600 * 1000),
    body: 'You sure can Tom!'
  });
  
  Posts.insert({
    title: 'Meteor',
    userId: tom._id,
    author: tom.profile.name,
    url: 'http://meteor.com',
    submitted: new Date(now - 10 * 3600 * 1000),
    commentsCount: 0
  });
  
  Posts.insert({
    title: 'The Meteor Book',
    userId: tom._id,
    author: tom.profile.name,
    url: 'http://themeteorbook.com',
    submitted: new Date(now - 12 * 3600 * 1000),
    commentsCount: 0
  });
}
~~~
<%= caption "server/fixtures.js" %>
<%= highlight "20,21,45,46,54,55" %>

////

////

~~~js
//...

var post = _.extend(postAttributes, {
  userId: user._id,
  author: user.username,
  submitted: new Date(),
  commentsCount: 0
});

var postId = Posts.insert(post);

//...
~~~
<%= caption "collections/posts.js" %>
<%= highlight "6,7" %>

////

~~~js
//...

comment = _.extend(commentAttributes, {
  userId: user._id,
  author: user.username,
  submitted: new Date()
});

// update the post with the number of comments
Posts.update(comment.postId, {$inc: {commentsCount: 1}});

return Comments.insert(comment);

//...
~~~
<%= caption "collections/comments.js "%>
<%= highlight "9,10" %>

////

<%= commit "10-5", "Denormalized the number of comments into the post." %>

////