Fusebox Application Object Model

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FuseboxApplication Object Model

• Gabe Roffman, eTesters

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Break Your Application Down

• A quick way to simplify your application is to
  break it down
• Break your massively complex site (Home
  application) into many sub-directories (Circuit
  applications)

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Fusebox Home Application

• This is your overall site. Such as
• www.etesters.com
• www.fusebox.org
• www.ebags.com
• The Home application is more of a concept, it
  ties your circuit applications together

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Connect the Circuits

• How can I connect all my circuit applications
  together?
• How can a team of developers connect their
  circuits together?
• How can one company connect another companys
  circuits together?

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How EJBs do it

• Java Beans are like circuit applications
• Enterprise Java Beans are Beans that have
  standardized functions for communication

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How Javascript does it

• Uses Document Object Model
• DOM is a structure of every element on the page
• Using DHTML, you can change any value in the DOM

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Javascript DOM Example
lthtmlgt ltheadgt lttitlegtUntitledlt/titlegt
ltscript language"JavaScript"gt // through the
DOM, we can change the values of myspan
function change() document.all.myspan.innerHTM
L 'The text has changed' function
changeback() document.all.myspan.innerHTML
'Now it has changed back!'
lt/scriptgt lt/headgt ltbodygt ltspan id"myspan
onmouseover"change()" onmouseout"changeback()"
gt We'll change this text. lt/spangt lt/bodygt lt/htmlgt

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Problems with the JS DOM

• Different model in Netscape and Internet Explorer
• No visible map of what the model is

We can do better!
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How would we do it?

• Application object model
• Similar to document object model in JS
• Standardized structures for storing variables in
  the request scope
• Stored in app_model for easy reference!

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CF Structures

• It is possible to achieve this same style of
  dot notation in CF using structures
• ltcfset usersStructNew()gt
• ltcfset users.user_132StructNew()gt
• ltcfset users.user_132.first_nameGabegt
• Stop me if you do not understand structures

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Request Variables

• Request is a scope that is available both locally
  and within custom tags and even nested custom
  tags.
• No need to use CFLOCK like with Application
  variables
• Stop me if you do not understand request variables

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App_Model.cfm

• A new application file is being introduced called
  App_Model.cfm
• App_Model.cfm is for setting your AOM structures
• Gives a clean map of your Global variables
• Include app_model from within Application.cfm

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Standard Global Variables

• Which variables should we standardize on?
• Can we categorize these standard variables?
• What if I want to create my own?

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Example App_Model.cfm
ltcfset request.page StructNew()gt ltcfset
request.page.js StructNew()gt ltcfset
request.page.js.scriptfiles ArrayNew(1)gt ltcfset
request.page.js.onLoad ArrayNew(1)gt ltcfset
request.page.js.onunLoad ArrayNew(1)gt ltcfset
request.page.display truegt ltcfset
request.page.title "eTesters"gt ltcfset
request.page.cssFiles ArrayNew(1)gt ltcfset
request.page.nocache "true"gt ltcfset
request.page.head ""gt ltcfset request.page.HTML
""gt ltcfset request.page.headers
ArrayNew(1)gt ltcfset request.page.body
StructNew()gt ltcfset request.page.footers
ArrayNew(1)gt ltcfset request.site
StructNew()gt ltcfset request.site.cfMapping
""gt ltcfset request.site.section ""gt ltcfset
request.site.subsection ""gt
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Conclusion

• The Application Object Model will assist tying
  many circuit applications together
• More standardization makes for easier integration
• Can have a forum at Fusebox.org to vote on
  components of the FOM