Berin Loritsch a écrit :
>
> Currently, the Environment system has grown to provide an abstraction
> layer so that Cocoon logic can function equally well depending on whatever
> the environment is. This is a good thing, and in my opinion very necessary.
> However, what we have in our API can get confusing both for Cocoon app
> developers, and for environment adaptor providers.
>
> Because Cocoon began life as a Servlet, the environment is heavily slanted
> in that direction. While I do not want to reinvent the wheel that the
> servlet vendors have created, we can simplify our API so that app developers
> have an easier time. Currently, the Environment consists of the following
> interfaces:
>
> * Environment
> * Context
> * Cookie
> * Redirector
> * Request
> * Response
> * Session
> * Source
> * SourceResolver
>
> In addition to this we have the Avalon Context that we are using within
> the rest of the API for Cocoon system properties. Some of this is a bit
> much, and can be merged, and we can have a simpler API because of it.
> Granted that this would require deprecating some pieces in the HEAD
> branch of CVS, but I think we would be better for it in the long run.
> First, we have to consider what each piece is used for.
>
> INSTALLATION SPECIFIC API
> org.apache.avalon.framework.context.Context
> org.apache.cocoon.environment.Context
> SourceResolver
> Source
>
> SESSION SPECIFIC API
> Session
>
> REQUEST SPECIFIC API
> Redirector
> Request
> Response
> Map (ObjectModel)
>
> PERSISTENT CLIENT STORAGE
> Cookie
>
> In addition to all this, the ObjectModel is simply a Map that allows access
> to all of the APIs as we need them. It is clear that too many indirections
> (i.e. Maps) create a more cluttered API. What should we do then? Clearly
> there are two major categories of Context. There is the system context which
> provides meta information about the installation. Then there is the request
> specific context which allows us to pass information between stages, and
> access the session and client storage mechanisms.
>
> In order to simplify, I believe that there should be 2 Context objects to
> worry about: SystemContext and RequestContext. The SystemContext object
> would extend the AvalonContext--and be passed to any Contextualizable
> Component. So what would this look like:
>
> public interface SystemContext extends org.apache.avalon.framework.context.Context {
> Source resolve(String uri);
> org.apache.cocoon.environment.Context getEnvironmentContext();
> Object get(Object key); // from Avalon context
> }
>
> This removes the need for the SourceResolver interface to be exposed or passed
> as an argument to Components. Components that do not need it or use it will
> have access to a simpler API.
+1. If we can solve the problem outlined by Carsten
(SitemapSystemContext that wraps the SystemContext and overrides
resove() ?), this will allow uniform access to input sources from
everywhere, instead of using URLFactories when a SourceResolver isn't
available.
A question about get() : is it a shortcut for
getEnvironmentContext().get(), or does the SystemContext hold additional
values, and if so, which ones ?
> The other Context woudl be the RequestContext. That API would be like this:
>
> public interface RequestContext extends Map {
> Request getRequest();
> Session getSession();
> Session getSession(boolean forceNew);
> Response getResponse();
> void redirect(String uri); // throws IllegalStateException if called after
>generator setup.
> Object get(Object key); // from Map
> void put(Object key, Object value); // from Map
> }
>
> This makes the RequestContext compatible with ObjectModel as it stands now--
> not forcing any MAJOR changes to the API. It also removes the need of exposing
> the Redirector interface to the clients as a passed argument. While it may
> seem tempting to do so, most developers will get the clue very quickly that
> it can only be done from the SetUp method. This will expose it to be used to
> generators and transformers alike, but the distinct difference is that the
> setup and generate commands are separate.
Extending Map is a good idea : only the parameter type will change, so
this will require only a recompilation without code change (provided
that we route get(RESPONSE_OBJECT) to getResponse(), etc). But this also
clearly states that data can be added to the object model using put().
There has been several posts in the past giving me the impression this
was possible, but not encouraged. Was this impression wrong ?
> This also simplifies client code--and the get/put methods in the RequestContext,
> but it also minimizes the overhead involved in looking up the specific environment
> interfaces from a generic Map.
>
> You'll notice that the Environment interface is missing. That is because the
> Environment interface has been identified as the contract between the sitemap
> and the environment that Cocoon is living in.
>
> Lastly, this will also open up API optimizations in that we can simplify the
> signatures to setUp(RequestContext context, String source, Parameters params);
> If there is some new interface that needs to be supplied to the sitemap
> components, it will be done through the RequestContext or SystemContext objects
> as is appropriate.
+1. This will also easy extension in the future if need : just add
method on RequestContext, without changing the interfaces.
And also quoting Carsten, which version will have all this ? There are a
number of interesting changes proposed these days, but we're also
discussing about the 2.0 final release date.
Should we release a 2.0 quickly and include these changes in 2.1 at the
price of incompatibility, or should we put them in 2.0, even if this
delays it a little bit ? I don't have a definite opinion about that
since I don't have the same urge for a final version as some of you (our
customers accept a Release Canditate if we support it).
Sylvain.
--
Sylvain Wallez
Anyware Technologies - http://www.anyware-tech.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For additional commands, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
