Smith, Lee [OS-IE] wrote:
Hey All,

New user to cocoon here, and I've got a question about the use of
continuations in flow scripts.

I'll explain my question with the following block of code:

1: function myFunc()
2: {
3: var myDB = Database.getConnection("myPool");
4: myDB.setAutoCommit(false);
5:
6: .. do some work on the connection, don't commit
7:
8: cocoon.sendPageAndWait("confirm_changes.html");
9: 10: if (cocoon.request.getParameter("confirm_changes") == "true")
11: myDB.commit();
12: else
13: myDB.rollback();
14:
15: cocoon.sendPage("change_made.html");
14: }

In this example I get a connection to a database, make some changes and then
allow the user to confirm they are happy with the changes and then depending
upon their response, either commit them or roll them back.

Now this is all fine assuming the user follows the confirmation or
cancellation links on the page - however, assuming there is a menu system on
the confirmation page it is possible for the user to break out of the
continuation without completing it, hence leaving uncommitted changes in the
database.

Is there anyway I can trap the user activating links on the site (assuming
they activate another resource in the current site-map)? I have a feeling I
may be thinking about this in too much of a Java-ish way and there should be
another way I should be doing this :)

I'm expecting somebody to say "Why not let the user confirm any changes
before applying them to the database", well the reason for doing this is it
allows me to trap any errors (ie. things like duplicate keys, or invalid
foreign keys) that show up when you apply the changes to the db and then
show these to the user before I ask them if they are happy with the changes.
As you might think this is not a good way to go. You should organize your business logic into services that are separate from user flow. That means you first you have to ask for user confirmation, then go with the changes. Even if your service fails to update the database you still can report the error to the user and send him back to editing to correct the errors:

var error = null;
while( true ) {
        form.showForm( "edit-data", bizData );
        form.save( bean );
        try {
                someService.performAction( bean );
                cocoon.redirectTo( "mainpage" );
        } catch( e ) {
                error = e;
        }
        if ( error != null ) {
                cocoon.sendPageAndWait( "errorHasOccured",
                                        { exception: error} );
        }
}

This code loops until the service gets properly executed. Still the user can follow other link and leave the continuation which in turn will expire after some time.

No problem witch resource management. No problem with scalability (holding open connections while user drinks coffee is a BadThing (tm)). Also you can make your service testable which could be PITA in your approach.

--
Leszek Gawron                                      [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Project Manager                                    MobileBox sp. z o.o.
+48 (61) 855 06 67                              http://www.mobilebox.pl
mobile: +48 (501) 720 812                       fax: +48 (61) 853 29 65

Attachment: smime.p7s
Description: S/MIME Cryptographic Signature



Reply via email to