I believe what you are suggesting is possible. Classes can be loaded from jar files by default and turbine provides ClasspathResourceLoader for retrieving templates from a jar file. If the classes and templates for a module are provided in a jar file and a configuration file is added to inform the main application about the module (so it knows how to integrate it) then all that should be required is a restart of the webapp to kick the new module off. Note that a new module might also need the resource loader paths and module.packages to be updated in TR.props to work properly.
HTH, Scott -- Scott Eade Backstage Technologies Pty. Ltd. http://www.backstagetech.com.au > From: Ian Beatty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: "Turbine Users List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 14:09:00 -0400 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Modular Application Design? > > Greetings. > > I'm checking out Turbine as a possible base for a major web application I'm > starting to design. I see a lot that I like, but I am concerned about one > aspect. Perhaps readers of this list could help to resolve the question for > me. > > It's important that the finished application be easily extensible, in the > sense that someone else could develop a "module" that would add to the > application. A module would get inserted into the website's page hierarchy > at a particular location, supplying an entire new branch. For example, it > might define a directory "http://localhost/myapp/module3/"; and all contents > of that directory. Or perhaps it would get inserted into an existing > directory (supplied by the base app or an already-installed module) such as > "http://localhost/myapp/somepart/module5/";. > > As I understand the Turbine framework, this would require files to be > separately inserted into some or all of the application's > templates/app/screens, templates/app/navigations, and templates/app/layouts > hierarchies. In addition, appropriate class files would have to be inserted > at the right places in the application's WEB-INF/classes hierarchy, and > various configuration and properties files might need altering as well. > > What I'd really like is a way to just drop a folder or JAR containing all > the module's classes, templates configuration information and properties > into a directory somewhere, and have the Turbine app recognize it. Perhaps > I'd have to specify in an app-global configuration file where that module's > root should be located in the application's existing hierarchy (as it > appears in URLs). Then installing a module is as simple as drag-and-drop, > and edit one file. > > (I realize I'd also need to have any back-end support for the module > installed separately, such as EJBs or DB tables, but I'm not worried about > that part here.) > > Is this possible in the Turbine framework? Anybody got any neat ideas? > > Thanks, > > ..Ian > > -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- > Dr. Ian Beatty [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Physics Education Research Group voice: 413.545.9483 > Department of Physics fax: 413.545.4884 > Univ. of Massachusetts http://umperg.physics.umass.edu/idb/ > Amherst, MA 01003-4525 USA > -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- > > > -- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
