prelude to fusebox the basics: - variable scopes:...

Prelude to Fusebox

The Basics:<cfinclude><cfmodule><cfswitch> - <cfcase><cfapplication>Variable scopes: session/client/application/request/attributes/callerCustom TagsURLToken

Fusebox Changes The World!

How lazy coders make big bucks

By Nat PapovichWith help from Hal Helms and Steve Nelson

The situation with web application development these days...

Skilled craftspeople are needed to create the product.Each product is a unique work of its creator.There is a shortage of skilled workers.There is a wide variation in the quality of finished goods.Maintenance of our products require the user to go back to the creator or to employ the skills of a highly-paid master craftsperson.There is no ability to interchange parts from one product to another.There is very limited division of labor.There is no efficiency of scale: it takes 10 times as long to produce 10 products.

A CF Programmer’s Dream World...Imagine if….

You could work in a team of developers and have all the code look like it was written by single person.You could understand the structure of your co-workers code in 5 minutes, without asking questions.You could concentrate on solving the problem instead of thinking about how to write the application.

Nice, huh?

Why use a Structured Architecture?File based applications get messy. A structured architecture helps to clean this up.Multiple person development is more easily facilitated – without stepping on toes.If your structure is clearly defined, your application documents itself.You only focus on the client’s problem instead of the application’s architecture.

What is Fusebox?Fusebox is:

A structured application architecture for building web applications, primarily using ColdFusion.

A methodology of coding so you can use others’ labors without feeling guilty - as if you ever did.An open-source project, created by the ColdFusion community for the ColdFusion community.Quick to learn. Adopt as much or as little as you want.Flexible and extensible. There is no Fusebox Gestapo to make sure you followed all the rules.Free.

Before You Write Any CodeTalk to the client about general ideas, business requirements and specifications.With the client on-hand, write down these ideas into a loose specification. Better yet, have him/her do it.Create a tight specification from the loose specification. Figure out all the sections of the application and all the actions required to do everything the client wants the application to do.Repeat this process until every action in the application is understood by everyone involved.Write a Fusedoc for the application from these use-case scenarios.

Create the Directory StructuresUse the tight specification to figure out all the sections of the application.Each section is given its own directory; these sections are known as “Circuit Applications”.A circuit application is a section of the overall home application.Examples:

www.ebags.com/search www.autobytel.com/customerlogin www.ecommerce.com/cart

Create the Index.cfm FilesEvery directory (circuit application) has one index.cfm file.Index.cfm controls all the Fuseactions of that circuit application.It is the Fusebox.All links and form submissions go to the index.cfm.It is a single <CFSWITCH> statement with multiple <CFCASE> statements.Each <CFCASE> is a different Fuseaction.

Fusebox Anatomy: the Fusebox (index.cfm)

Fusebox



<cf_formURL2attributes>

<cfinclude template=“app_globals.cfm”>

<cfparam name=“fuseaction”Default=“login”>

<cfswitch expression=“#attributes.fuseaction#”> <cfcase value=“login”> <cf_do_logic> <cfinclude template=“dsp_UserLogin.cfm”> </cfcase> ....</cfswitch>

The Fusebox Architecture

This isMeant toBe Just textThat isn’tClear. I hopeIt works theWay I wantIt to.

dsp_UserLogin.cfm

http://index.cfm?http://index.cfm?fuseaction=loginfuseaction=login

Fusebox

The Fusebox Architecture

http://index.cfm?http://index.cfm?fuseaction=loginfuseaction=login

Fusebox

http://index.cfm?http://index.cfm?fuseaction=validateUserfuseaction=validateUser


Create the FuseactionsA Fuseaction is made up of one or more .cfm files.Determine what types of files (display/action/query) are needed to create each Fuseaction.Create a CFCASE statement for each Fuseaction and CFINCLUDE each necessary file.

Conventions, Extensions, and RulesFile Naming ConventionsFusedocs<cf_formurl2attributes>

File Naming Convention (Fuses)app_globals.cfm - Global variables, one per Home applicationapp_locals.cfm - Local variables, one per Circuit application dsp_filename.cfm - Display files act_filename.cfm - Action filesqry_filename.cfm - Query files

Fusedoc: A Documentation StandardA Fusedoc outlines responsibilities, customizations, and expectations.A Fusedoc is a collection of Fusecards which are granular to the actions and steps of the application.A Fusecard contains the following elements:

Fusename Responsibilities (hopefully non-technical, in plain English) Author / Coder Variables list (incoming, outgoing, and persistent)

Fusedoc Legend

--> explicitly passed incoming parameter<-- explicitly passed outgoing parameter<-> pass-thru parameter (unchanged)++> existing persistent parameter (session, client, etc.)<++ created persistent parameter+++ included file

[parameter] indicates optional

Examples:--> CurrentUser: a WDDX STRUCTURE<-- [badLogin]: a STRING<++ Session.ColorChoice: a STRING (Red|Blue)<-> UserID: an INTEGER+++ myGlobals.cfm

Sample Fusecard / Fusestub

 UserName: a STRING indicating the user’s name--> Password: a STRING indicating the user’s password--> DSN: a STRING of the ODBC datasource name to use to verify--> TableName: a STRING of the table name to use to verify

END FUSEDOC--->

What’s in a Fuse?1. Fusedoc2. [HTML]3. Code

• The perfect fuse is small and has a verynarrow focus.

Create the Necessary Files (Fuses)All links and forms in the display files should point to one of the index.cfm files in the application, never to the specific dsp or act files.

All links and forms must specify which Fuseaction they point to.

A hint now, for advanced Fusebox techniques:

Use the “attributes” scope instead of form/url scope. This allows you to call the index.cfm file as a custom tag.

Fusebox Anatomy: a fuse

A Fuse





<form action=“index.cfm” method=“post”> <input type=“hidden” name=“fuseaction” value=“FormAction1”> Name: <input type=“text” name=“userName”><br> Password:<input type=“password” name=“password”><br> <input type = “submit” value=“OK”></form>

I am a fuse…

Putting it all TogetherOne home application is made up of many smaller circuit applications.One circuit application is made up of a directory of files.Each circuit must contain an app_locals.cfm and index.cfm file plus other display/action/query files as Fuses.One index.cfm file is made up of one or more Fuseactions.One Fuseaction includes one or more display/action/query files plus any necessary CFML logic.

Extending Fusebox

?

Fusebox

Circuits

?

?

?

UserManager

ShoppingCart

CompanyInfo







Building A Fusebox Shopping Cart

Display Fuses showCartSummary showCatalog showItem

Action Fuses addItemToCart removeItemFromCart clearCart

The Shopping Cart Array

Implement shopping cart as 2d array

itemID quantity description price

2105 2 ColdFusion To Go

49.99

3995 1 Fusebox Essentials

99.99

The Cart Summary page

The Catalog page request.DSN: a valid ODBC DATASOURCE<-- [itemID]: a PK from Items table <-- quantity: an INTEGER END FUSEDOC--->

The Item page request.DSN: a valid ODBC DATASOURCE--> itemID: a valid PK from Items table<-- [itemID]: a PK from Items table<-- [quantity]: an INTEGEREND FUSEDOC--->

Adding an item to the cart itemID: a valid PK from Items table--> quantity: an INTEGER--> request.dsn: a valid ODBC DATASOURCE++> session.shoppingCart: a 2D ARRAY with columnsof itemID, quantity, description, priceEND FUSEDOC--->

Removing an item from cart itemID: a valid PK from Items table++> session.shoppingCart: a 2D ARRAY with columnsof itemID, quantity, description, priceEND FUSEDOC--->

Clearing the cart

The Fusebox – index.cfm

<cfinclude template=“app_locals.cfm”>

<cfswitch expression=“#attributes.fuseaction#”>

<cfcase value=“main”> <cfinclude template=“qry_GetShoppingCart.cfm”> <cfset UserShoppingCart=session.UserShoppingCart> <cflocation url=“index.cfm?fuseaction=Catalog”> </cfcase>

<cfcase value=“addItem”> <cfinclude template=“act_AddItem.cfm”> <cflocation url=“index.cfm?fuseaction=cartSummary.cfm” </cfcase>

<cfcase value=“ClearCart”> <cfinclude template=“act_ClearCart.cfm”> <cflocation=“index.cfm?fuseaction=Catalogue”> </cfcase>

</cfswitch>

App_Locals.cfm<!—app_locals.cfm-->

<cfinclude template=“app_globals.cfm”>

<cfparam name=“fuseaction” default=“main”><cfif not IsDefined(“application.statelist”)> <cfset application.statelist=“AK,AL,AR,(etc,etc)”></cfif><cfparam name=“session.UserAuth” default=“no”>

<cfif not session.UserAuth> <cflocation url=“../index.cfm?fuseaction=login”></cfif>

App_Globals.cfm<!—app_globals.cfm-->

<cf_formurl2attribues>

<cfparam name=“fuseaction” default=“main”>

<cfapplication Name=“NatsFuseboxApp" SessionManagement="Yes">

Congratulations!

That’s all there is to Fusebox.Not too scary, eh?

Current Enhancements to Vanilla Fusebox

<cf_bodycontent>Application.cfm<cfif ListLast(GetTemplatePath(),'\') is not “index.cfm”>

<cflocation url="/index.cfm?fuseaction=logoff2"></cfif>

Return fuseactionsExploded Benchmarking for 4.01HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Allaire\ColdFusion\CurrentVersion\Debug String Value: WriteExplodedBenchmarkingInfo=1

Conclusion: Why use FuseboxFusebox is (most likely) very similar to how you may already build an application, thus it will be easy to learn.It is a well thought out process, and will continue to be improved by the CF community.It’ll save you time, which will save you money.Cut-n-paste your way into completed applications. (No, really. I’m serious!)Most importantly it will prevent hair loss.

Fusebox Resourceshttp://www.fusebox.org

Somewhat dated white paperhttp://www.houseoffusion.com

Fusebox mailing listhttp://www.teamAllaire.com/hal/

Fusebox primershttp://home.san.rr.com/natp/fuseboxnframes.zip

Source code for using Fusebox and frames happily

prelude to fusebox the basics: - variable scopes:...

Documents

application documents

directory circuit application

web application development

overall home application

circuit applications

applications architecture

steve nelson slide

structured architecture