Prelude to Fusebox

1
Prelude to Fusebox

• The Basics
• ltcfincludegt
• ltcfmodulegt
• ltcfswitchgt - ltcfcasegt
• ltcfapplicationgt
• Variable scopes session/client/application/reques
  t/attributes/caller
• Custom Tags
• URLToken

2
Fusebox Changes The World!

• How lazy coders make big bucks
• Compiled by the Fusebox Community
• with the help of Hal Helms and Steve Nelson

3
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.

4
A CF Programmers 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?

5
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 clients problem instead of
  the applications architecture.

6
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.

7
Before You Write Any Code

• Talk 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.

8
Create the Directory Structures

• Use 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

9
Create the Index.cfm Files

• Every 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 ltCFSWITCHgt statement with multiple
  ltCFCASEgt statements.
• Each ltCFCASEgt is a different Fuseaction.

10
Fusebox Anatomy the Fusebox (index.cfm)
lt!--index.cfm--gt ltcf_formURL2attributesgt ltcfincl
ude templateapp_globals.cfmgt ltcfparam
namefuseaction Defaultlogingt ltcfswitch
expressionattributes.fuseactiongt ltcfcase
valuelogingt ltcf_do_logicgt ltcfinclude
templatedsp_UserLogin.cfmgt lt/cfcasegt
.... lt/cfswitchgt
Fusebox
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The Fusebox Architecture
http//index.cfm?fuseactionlogin
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
dsp_UserLogin.cfm
Fusebox
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The Fusebox Architecture
http//index.cfm?fuseactionlogin
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
http//index.cfm?fuseactionvalidateUser
Fusebox
13
Create the Fuseactions

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

14
Conventions, Extensions, and Rules

• File Naming Conventions
• Fusedocs
• ltcf_formurl2attributesgt

15
File Naming Convention (Fuses)

• app_globals.cfm - Global variables, one per Home
  application
• app_locals.cfm - Local variables, one per Circuit
  application
• dsp_filename.cfm - Display files
• act_filename.cfm - Action files
• qry_filename.cfm - Query files

16
Fusedoc A Documentation Standard

• A 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)

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Fusedoc Legend
--gt explicitly passed incoming parameter lt--
explicitly passed outgoing parameter lt-gt
pass-thru parameter (unchanged) gt existing
persistent parameter (session, client,
etc.) lt created persistent parameter
included file parameter indicates
optional Examples --gt CurrentUser a WDDX
STRUCTURE lt-- badLogin a STRING lt
Session.ColorChoice a STRING (RedBlue) lt-gt
UserID an INTEGER myGlobals.cfm
18
Sample Fusecard / Fusestub

• lt!-- dsp_UserLogin.cfm
• Author hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire.com --gt
• lt!---FUSEDOC
• Responsibilities I make sure that the
  UserName and Password match whats
• in the TableName table. If so, I let the person
  pass with a parameter of
• UserAuth set to yes. If not, I send the user
  back to the Fusebox with
• BadLogin set to yes.
• FuseStub hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire.com
• Approved hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire.com
• Edits
• lt-- BadLogin variable sent if user tried to
  login unsuccessfully
• lt-- UserAuth on success, a STRING value set to
  yes
• --gt UserName a STRING indicating the users name
• --gt Password a STRING indicating the users
  password
• --gt DSN a STRING of the ODBC datasource name to
  use to verify
• --gt TableName a STRING of the table name to use
  to verify

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Whats in a Fuse?

• Fusedoc
• HTML
• Code
• The perfect fuse is small and has a very
• narrow focus.

20
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.

21
Fusebox Anatomy a fuse
lt!-- dsp_UserLogin.cfm Author hal.helms_at_TeamAllai
re.com --gt lt!---FUSEDOC blah blah blah (Hal
likes his Fusedocs) END FUSEDOC---gt ltform
actionindex.cfm methodpostgt ltinput
typehidden namefuseaction
valueFormAction1gt Name ltinput typetext
nameuserNamegtltbrgt Passwordltinput
typepassword namepasswordgtltbrgt ltinput type
submit valueOKgt lt/formgt
I am a fuse
A Fuse
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Putting it all Together

• One 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.

23
Extending Fusebox
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
UserManager
?
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
?
?
ShoppingCart
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
Fusebox
?
CompanyInfo
This is Meant to Be Just text That isnt Clear. I
hope It works the Way I want It to.
Circuits
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Building A Fusebox Shopping Cart

• Display Fuses
• showCartSummary
• showCatalog
• showItem

• Action Fuses
• addItemToCart
• removeItemFromCart
• clearCart

• Well look at
• only Fusedocs for individual Fuses.
• code for app_locals, app_globals, index.cfm.

25
The Shopping Cart Array

• Implement shopping cart as 2d array

26
The Cart Summary page
lt!-- dsp_CartSummary.cfm Author
hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire.com --gt lt!---FUSEDOC
Responsibilities I show the contents of the
users shopping Cart. Edits gt
session.shoppingCart a 2D ARRAY with columns of
itemID, quantity, description, price lt--
itemID a PK from Items table END FUSEDOC---gt
27
The Catalog page
lt!-- dsp_Catalog.cfm Author hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire
.com --gt lt!---FUSEDOC Responsibilities I
show the contents of the Items table to the
customer, letting them examine an item or buy
it. Edits --gt request.DSN a valid ODBC
DATASOURCE lt-- itemID a PK from Items table
lt-- quantity an INTEGER END FUSEDOC---gt
28
The Item page
lt!-- dsp_Item.cfm Author hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire.co
m --gt lt!---FUSEDOC Responsibilities I show
the details of a particular item to the customer
hoping theyll buy it. Edits --gt
request.DSN a valid ODBC DATASOURCE --gt
itemID a valid PK from Items table lt--
itemID a PK from Items table lt-- quantity
an INTEGER END FUSEDOC---gt
29
Adding an item to the cart
lt!-- act_addItem.cfm Author hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire
.com --gt lt!---FUSEDOC Responsibilities I add
an item to the cart. If I already have one of
these items in my cart, Ill just increment the
value. Edits --gt itemID a valid PK
from Items table --gt quantity an INTEGER --gt
request.dsn a valid ODBC DATASOURCE gt
session.shoppingCart a 2D ARRAY with columns of
itemID, quantity, description, price END
FUSEDOC---gt
30
Removing an item from cart
lt!-- act_removeItem.cfm Author
hal.helms_at_TeamAllaire.com --gt lt!---FUSEDOC
Responsibilities I remove an item from the cart.
If I have more than one of these items in my
cart, I will just decrement the value. Edits
--gt itemID a valid PK from Items table gt
session.shoppingCart a 2D ARRAY with columns of
itemID, quantity, description, price END
FUSEDOC---gt
31
Clearing the cart
lt!-- act_clearCart.cfm Author hal.helms_at_TeamAllai
re.com --gt lt!---FUSEDOC Responsibilities I
remove all items from the cart Edits gt
session.shoppingCart a 2D ARRAY with columns of
itemID, quantity, description, price END
FUSEDOC---gt
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The Fusebox index.cfm
lt!--index.cfm--gt ltcfinclude templateapp_locals.
cfmgt ltcfswitch expressionattributes.fuseactio
ngt ltcfcase valuemaingt ltcfinclude
templateqry_GetShoppingCart.cfmgt ltcfset
UserShoppingCartsession.UserShoppingCartgt
ltcflocation urlindex.cfm?fuseactionCataloggt
lt/cfcasegt ltcfcase valueaddItemgt
ltcfinclude templateact_AddItem.cfmgt
ltcflocation urlindex.cfm?fuseactioncartSummary
gt lt/cfcasegt ltcfcase valueClearCartgt
ltcfinclude templateact_ClearCart.cfmgt
ltcflocationindex.cfm?fuseactionCataloguegt
lt/cfcasegt lt/cfswitchgt
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App_Locals.cfm
lt!app_locals.cfm--gt ltcfinclude
template../app_globals.cfmgt ltcfparam
nameattributes.fuseaction defaultmaingt ltcfi
f not IsDefined(application.statelist)gt
ltcfset application.statelistAK,AL,AR,(etc,etc)gt
lt/cfifgt ltcfparam namesession.UserAuth
defaultnogt ltcfif not session.UserAuthgt
ltcflocation url../index.cfm?fuseactionlogingt lt
/cfifgt
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App_Globals.cfm
lt!app_globals.cfm--gt ltcf_formurl2attribuesgt ltcf
param nameattributes.fuseaction
defaultmaingt ltcfapplication
NameNatsFuseboxApp" SessionManagement"Yes"gt
35
Congratulations!

• Thats all there is to Fusebox.
• Not too scary, eh?

36
Current Enhancements to Vanilla Fusebox

• ltcf_bodycontentgt
• Application.cfm
• ltcfif ListLast(GetTemplatePath(),'\') is not
  index.cfmgt
• ltcflocation url"/index.cfm?fuseactionlogoff2"gt
• lt/cfifgt
• Return fuseactions
• Exploded Benchmarking for 4.01
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Allaire\ColdFusion\Cur
  rentVersion\Debug
• String Value WriteExplodedBenchmarkingInfo1

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Conclusion Why use Fusebox

• Fusebox 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.
• Itll save you time, which will save you money.
• Cut-n-paste your way into completed applications.
  (No, really. Im serious!)
• Most importantly it will prevent hair loss.

38
Fusebox Resources

• http//www.fusebox.org
• Old white paper, etc.
• http//www.houseoffusion.com
• Fusebox mailing list
• http//www.teamAllaire.com/hal/
• Fusebox primers
• http//home.san.rr.com/natp/fuseboxnframes.zip
• Source code for using Fusebox and frames happily
• http//www.fuseml.org
• Incorporating UML and Fusebox.