CoreWeb - Forum

Engine 2.x design and update notes. This is a placeholder for future tasks.

Following on the addition of org.cote.js.dwac.DistributedComponent to the Engine framework, I completed the first fully functional version of the DWAC Designer, hosted under the /DWAC/user-name handler. Example, /DWAC/steve/.

I've written two articles on the designer: Distributed Application Components Part 1 and Part 2.

Stephen W. Cote

Adding org.cote.js.dwac.DistributedComponent to the framework, which is a variation on the DWAC Application Component. The new package decorates an Application Component with additional XML token handling and an exclusive Task Service.

Stephen W. Cote

Added the first round of Engine templates for Distributed Web Application Components (DWAC). The AM4 Handler is in place for server-side storage and authorization. The current DWAC builder requires a valid CoreWeb account (eg: you must log in to the site, and then navigate to /DWAR/username to access the builder).

In the next round, the builder will support anonymous access, which is needed for folks to be able to try it out and actually make things without requiring access to the whitefrost.com site - plus, I don't want to get into the component hosting business.

Stephen W. Cote

As of framework v:2.0, early framework objects like XHTMLComponent do not support friendly global ids. Friendly ids are handled as reference ids in Engine objects, or using TokenStack. XHTMLComponent by itself does not add any reference attribute to the source xhtml node, so it's not convenient to try to find the framework object with only the xhtml node as a reference.

Base objects, those created with newObject or prepareObject, will likewise get a random id. The purpose was for the ObjectRegistry to provide a framework for the internal object store. TokenStack was added for tracking foreign keys to the id stored in the registry, or to the object itself.

When using an Engine, this isn't really an issue because everything can be neatly handled with reference ids

However, when using the base framework, this isn't convenient because a dev can't just create an object with a specified id then retrieve that object later on with the supplied id, unless they use TokenStack or Engine.

The resolution here is to include support for custom global ids in the base object implementation.

Later objects like ApplicationComponent don't use 'base_object', and instead override the object_id property.

Stephen W. Cote

Add token support for path resolution to Engine configuration files, including:

Config util - config.xml

Task service - tasks.xml

Engine service - engine.config.xml

Application Component - application_components.xml

Add global g_engine_path variable to optionally replace g_application_path.

Refactor engine path structure to place dependent components and configurations at or below the engine framework location.

Continue development of DWAC Designer (/DWACDesigner.aspx).

In-Progress: Add Injectable Designer Template w/ JavaScript Profiler. This can be injected into any page w/ Engine. This Template puts the power of JavaScript Profiler, Function Monitor, Active Source, and Engine Profiler on any page.

Add support for DWACHandler, CRUD Templates, Components, and Tasks.

Add FeatureDesigner component for editing.

Add DWAC Composite Loader to:

- Load Engine framework, if necessary

- Load specified DWAC control.