Passing data from shared child template and calling certain methods

help
1

I’m creating a custom date and time picker that I’d like to use in a couple different templates. After the user picks a date, I’d like to call a method with the date to insert a new item into a collection. The method I call depends on which parent template the child lives in.

I’m using Blaze. Right now, I have it working by using a Reactive Var. The parent passes the Reactive Var to the child. The child sets the Reactive Var and the parent gets it inside an autorun that’s in the parent’s onCreated. Then I have some if blocks to determine if I should call the method or not.

Wondering if there’s a better way to approach this. Any ideas?

// parent.js
Template.parent.onCreated(function() {
  const instance = this;
  instance.date = new ReactiveVar();

  instance.autorun(function() {
      const date = instance.date.get();

      if (date) {
        // call certain Meteor.method to insert
      }

      if (date === null) {
        // call certain Meteor.method to remove
      }
    });
  });
});

Template.parent.helpers({
  dateRV: function() {
    return Template.instance().date;
  },
});

// parent.html
{{> child date=dateRV}}

// child.js
Template.child.events({
  'click .done': function(event, template) {
    // parse the input to get the date
    template.data.date.set(parsedDate);
  },
  'click .reset': function(event, template) {
    template.data.date.set(null);
  }
});