A few things I think should be done as far as integration with templates:
If the preferred way of using Turbine is to make use of templates, we need
to make some default classes to handle the fact that the homepage, error
screen, etc. may be specified by template as opposed to a Screen. An
initial thought is to add a property such as default.presentation.method
with values "template" or "screen" (or maybe "javaobject"). This property
will then control the way properties such as homepage, error.screen,
login.screen, etc. are interpreted. It will then be necessary to create some
default implementations as templates.
Another property that would be good to add is default.template.extension
with values "html", "fm", "wm", or any other extension the developer wishes.
This can be used to eliminate a lot of duplicate code between the fm and wm
service modules, i.e. how layouts, Screens etc. are assigned. I would like
to move some of this duplicated code a central location, I am thinking of a
TemplateInfo class in the util package. Finally it would be good to add a
TemplateInfo to RunData. This could remain null by default and only be set
by the *SitePage page modules. Currently these modules are adding
parameters like 00layout_paths00, 00packages00, etc. to RunData's parameters
attribute that could be attributes of the TemplateInfo object.
And one more thing I would like to see added is an SQLAction module that
takes a text file (we could standardize, so that an parameter like
action=selectusers.sql would automatically use the SQLAction) as input. The
sql statement(s) could be parsed and submitted via Village or using straight
JDBC. The results of the action should be automatically placed within the
Context object for use within the template. (It may be that this is moving
something that belongs in a Screen, so let's discuss proper placement.)
What I am essentially after is a way for people who are unfamilar with Java
to use Turbine (of course someone in the organization is going to need to be
fluent in Java,) to present db data. One might say this is going to
encourage application development in a non-OO manner, but some simple
applications and more to the point information management systems can be
built using something like the above and not suffer from the design.
Okay, time to get back to work, Comments?
John McNally
------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
