{"id": 323658641, "node_id": "MDU6SXNzdWUzMjM2NTg2NDE=", "number": 262, "title": "Add ?_extra= mechanism for requesting extra properties in JSON", "user": {"value": 9599, "label": "simonw"}, "state": "open", "locked": 0, "assignee": null, "milestone": {"value": 3268330, "label": "Datasette 1.0"}, "comments": 27, "created_at": "2018-05-16T14:55:42Z", "updated_at": "2023-03-29T06:22:22Z", "closed_at": null, "author_association": "OWNER", "pull_request": null, "body": "Datasette views currently work by creating a set of data that should be returned as JSON, then defining an additional, optional `template_data()` function which is called if the view is being rendered as HTML.\r\n\r\nThis `template_data()` function calculates extra template context variables which are necessary for the HTML view but should not be included in the JSON.\r\n\r\nExample of how that is used today: https://github.com/simonw/datasette/blob/2b79f2bdeb1efa86e0756e741292d625f91cb93d/datasette/views/table.py#L672-L704\r\n\r\nWith features like Facets in #255 I'm beginning to want to move more items into the `template_data()` - in the case of facets it's the `suggested_facets` array. This saves that feature from being calculated (involving several SQL queries) for the JSON case where it is unlikely to be used.\r\n\r\nBut... as an API user, I want to still optionally be able to access that information.\r\n\r\nSolution: Add a `?_extra=suggested_facets&_extra=table_metadata` argument which can be used to optionally request additional blocks to be added to the JSON API.\r\n\r\nThen redefine as many of the current `template_data()` features as extra arguments instead, and teach Datasette to return certain extras by default when rendering templates.\r\n\r\nThis could allow the JSON representation to be slimmed down further (removing e.g. the `table_definition` and `view_definition` keys) while still making that information available to API users who need it.", "repo": {"value": 107914493, "label": "datasette"}, "type": "issue", "active_lock_reason": null, "performed_via_github_app": null, "reactions": "{\"url\": \"https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/262/reactions\", \"total_count\": 0, \"+1\": 0, \"-1\": 0, \"laugh\": 0, \"hooray\": 0, \"confused\": 0, \"heart\": 0, \"rocket\": 0, \"eyes\": 0}", "draft": null, "state_reason": null}