CGI::Application

1
CGIApplication

• Raleigh.PM February 21st, 2005
• Jason Purdy
• jason_at_journalistic.com

2
WebDev Evolution

• CGI.pm scripts
• Separation of code design
• MVC framework

3
CGIApplication

• FSA or Dispatch Table

4
CGIApp Benefits

• Great framework
• Strong community
• Much much more

5
Whats it good for?

• Multi-step applications

6
Development Approach

1. Mock-up Screens
2. Write Instance Script
3. Write CGIApp Frame PM
4. Code / Test / Debug
5. Roll Out

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Typical Scenario 3-Step Application
Show receipt
Enter user data
Enter credit card data
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Mock-up Screens (write Template files)
lthtmlgt First Name ltinput typetext
namefname /gt Last Name ltinput typetext
namelname /gt ltinput typehidden namerm
valuecc_data /gt lt/htmlgt
user_data.TMPL
lthtmlgt CC ltinput typetext namecc_num
/gt Exp. Date (MMYY) ltinput typetext
namecc_exp /gt ltinput typehidden
namefname valuelt!-- TMPL_VAR NAMEfname
ESCAPEHTML --gt /gt ltinput typehidden
namerm valuereceipt /gt lt/htmlgt
cc_data.TMPL
lthtmlgt Thanks for your Order! Ref Num lt!--
TMPL_VAR NAMEref_num --gt lt/htmlgt
receipt.TMPL
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Write Your Instance Script
https//www.example.com/payme.cgi
!/usr/bin/perl wT this is payme.cgi us
e strictuse MyModule my app
MyModule-gtnew() app-gtrun()
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Write cgiapp Frame PM
package MyModule use base CGIApplication sub
setup my ( self ) self
shift self-gtrun_modes( user_data,
red cc_data, yellow receipt
green ) self-gtmode_param( rm
) self-gtstart_mode( user_data
) self-gttmpl_path( /path/to/your/template/file
s ) self-gterror_mode( error )
Commented out, but good practice 1
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Flesh Out Individual Runmodes
package MyModule sub setup .. sub
user_data my ( self, template ) self
shift template self-gtload_tmpl(
user_data.TMPL ) return template-gtoutput()
1
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Flesh Out Individual Runmodes
package MyModule sub setup .. sub
user_data .. sub cc_data my ( self,
query, template ) self shift query
self-gtquery() template self-gtload_tmpl(
cc_data.TMPL, associate gt
query, ) return template-gtoutput() 1
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Flesh Out Individual Runmodes
package MyModule sub setup .. sub
user_data .. sub cc_data .. sub receipt
my ( self, query, ref_num, template
) self shift query self-gtquery()
Imaginary bill_card() method takes the CGI query
object and gets the data out of it and returns
a ref_num ref_num bill_card( query
) template self-gtload_tmpl( receipt.TMPL
) template-gtparam( ref_num gt ref_num
) return template-gtoutput() 1
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Gravy

• Add Plugin Code ValidateRM and Session
• Easy to port to mod_perl
• Anonymous handler in httpd.conf OR handler()
  method in your .PM class
• Keep in mind
• Code changes will need apache restarts
• Template Caching Directives

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I ? ValidateRM

• Very easy and powerful way to verify user data
  input (this may lead to another Raleigh.PM talk)

use CGIApplicationPluginValidateRM sub
user_data my ( self, errs, template
) self shift errs shift
... template-gtparam( errs ) if errs sub
cc_data my ( self ) self shift my (
results, err_page ) self-gtcheck_rm( user_d
ata, _dfv_profile ) return err_page if
err_page 1
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I ? ValidateRM

• Very easy and powerful way to verify user data
  input (this may lead to another Raleigh.PM talk)

use CGIApplicationPluginValidateRM sub
user_data .. sub cc_data .. sub
_dfv_profile return required gt qw(
fname lname ) 1
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Reference

• CGIApp Wiki http//cgi-app.org
• Mailing Lists
• CGIApp
• cgiapp-subscribe_at_lists.erlbaum.net?SubjectSubscri
  be
• HTMLTMPL
• http//lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/htmltm
  pl-support
• DFV
• http//lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/cascad
  e-dataform