Abstract

The goal is to finalize the API and settle for naming and feature set. The documentation, both javadoc and otherwise also needs to be improved.

The current packaging needs to be rethought. This is to be tackled in a separate effort (See Concept - package reorganisation concretes).

We should finalize the API in terms of finding the right level of abstraction. The API should guide the app developer and not expose internals.

Design

The framework is a set of interfaces and abstract utility classes that assist by implementing an app.

These interfaces and classes are in magnolia-ui-framework. The implementation AppController and the location handling are in magnolia-ui-admincentral.

Documentation

• The App Framework
• Developing an app

UML Diagrams

• AppController(Impl)
• AppContext(Impl)
• The Big Picutre

Here's the key types and our thoughts about them:

App

Currently the AppFrameView is created and managed by the AppContext. We are using abstract classes where not really necessary. So we end up creating App classes extending AbstractApp, only because the class is abstract.

Inject AppView (interface of AppFrameView) into BaseApp. make start return AppView.

add tab etc to the app, delegate to appframeview from there. get rif of frameview dependency from appcontroller and appcontext.

do not make appContext a listener of appFrameView. app is listening to events and delegates to appContext. get rif of magnoliaTab dependency in the AppFrameView.Listener

Where is mapping between MagnoliaTab and SubApp? -> AppFrameView implementation or SubAppView?

MagnoliaTab is SubAppView !

-> Use concrete implementations for AbstractApp, AbstractContentApp, AbstractItemApp. This will allow us to get rid of most classes implementing those classes. We can inject the AppContext and App(Frame)View directly into the AbstractApp instead of passing it from the AppClass.

we can simplify the AppContext and remove the dependency on AppFrameView.

Rename AbstractApp to BaseApp.

AppController

The AppController is in general in a good shape. Interface is well defined and usages are legit.

Abstract

The App controller that manages the lifecycle of running apps and raises callbacks to the app.
It provides methods to start, stop and focus already running {@link App}s.
Registers handlers to the following location change events triggered by the {@link LocationController}:

• LocationChangedEvent
• LocationChangeRequestedEvent

Usages

• The AppController takes care of LocationChangedEvents coming from info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#onLocationChanged which can for example be fired by the info.magnolia.ui.framework.location.LocationController#goTo when clicking on icon in the AppLauncher. It takes the Location passed and extracts AppName and subAppId and gets the corresponding AppDescriptor from the info.magnolia.ui.framework.app.launcherlayout.AppLauncherLayoutManager.
• It creates a new AppContext for the App
• keeps history of running app and currently focused app
• used by the MagnoliaShell to query the current Status of the appController
• Used by FieldBuilders to get the AppContext and ComponentProviders for opening ChooseDialogs.

Open Issues

• input from frist review
  
  • should not have a dependency to the ui classes (layout)
  • has to make sure a user have permission to run an App (-> not in Layout)
  • construction of an app can be specific (able to overwrite)

• usage of FocusEvent: seems to not be used consistently. Could also be extended to get rid of the setViewPort and associated calls
• usage of appId is should be changed to appName
• some methods take the appId and the location as parameter, appId is part of the location
• info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#setViewPort
  
  • use focus event instead?
• info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#getAppWithoutStarting
  
  • apparently the idea was to actually start the app for this usage
• info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#startIfNotAlreadyRunningThenFocus
  
  • only used in test cases. see general question about focusEvent
• info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#startIfNotAlreadyRunning
  
  • deprecated, maybe not right, see focusEvent
• info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#doStartIfNotAlreadyRunning
  
  • this also checks if the app is running, if so it delegates to that app.. wrong naming
• info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#stopApp
  
  • only used internally
• info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppControllerImpl#onLocationChanged
  
  • too heavy, should delegate to methods rather, see focusEvent

AppContext

There is definitely room for improvement in this class. 

Abstract

The AppContext serves multiple different purposes:

• An app uses the AppContext to interact with the App Framework. Some examples:
  
  • resolve the configured App Label for setting the correct title in the tab.
  • send notification Messages to the MessagesManager
• The AppController uses it to delegate handling of location changes and to the app and subApp
• Takes care of reading subApp configurations and mapping locations to to the correct subApp
• creates both componentProviders for App and subApp

Open Issues

The general problem: used heavily by the appController and also for the app itself to get contextual information: serving multiple needs. see  Unable to locate Jira server for this macro. It may be due to Application Link configuration.

• The idea of AppContext is to expose functionality to the App. That is, to an instance of an app.

  It should not expose methods that are only used by AppControllerImpl. These should be hidden from all other classes.

  If necessary AppControllerImpl#runningApps should be changed to <String, AppContextImpl>. Also if the intention of AppContextImpl is unclear it should be renamed to reflect the fact that is not just the default implementation of AppContext, it does much more and in fact fullfils much of the contract defined by AppController.

• rename the AppController to AppLauncher or similar, introduce a new AppController class which takes care of the contract to the AppLauncher and keep the AppContext as thin as possible, only serving contextual information to the actual App
• Move some of the functionality of AppContext into the info.magnolia.ui.framework.app.launcherlayout.AppLauncherGroupEntry
  
  • info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppContextImpl#getDefaultSubAppDescriptor
  • info.magnolia.ui.admincentral.app.simple.AppContextImpl#getSubAppDescriptorById

AppContextImpl

Open Issues

• find better name, it's more than an Impl of an AppContext
  
  • Tobias' propsal: rename AppController -> AppManager & AppContextImpl -> AppController

• check whether AppContextImpl can go to framework (after package restructuring)

SubApp

• No App without a "Main Subapp" / SecurityApp (only subapps of same level will have to change - discussed with Andreas + Philipp)
  
  • Should Main Subapp be an explicit type - or inlined in real App?
    
    • we don't want to be able to overwrite

SubAppContext

Basically in good shape - just offers a little too much.

Abstract

The SubAppContext serves multiple different purposes:

Open Issues

Eliminate methods only relevant for the implementing types - not for someone writing an app.

Basically we should question all setters on this interface.

• e.g. setAppContext(AppContext)
  
  • this should automatically happen behind the scenes (in the impl) - don't see why someone should explicitly call it from outside

(Sub)AppDescriptor

Basically in good shape

Abstract

These are simply used for configuration

Open Issues

• trivial: create common super-interface (class for the Configured impl's) - 90% of the code is identical
• replace explicit setting of default by order of subapps?

Additional thoughts from first review

• we should try to extract locationManagement

3) AppContextImpl 

    -> find better name, it's more than an Impl of an AppContext

    -> one option (Tobias' propsal): rename AppController -> AppManager & AppContextImpl -> AppController

4) AppLauncherLayoutManager

- only the AppLauncher should use it

5) structuring of modules: admin-central & framework: check whether AppContextImpl can to framework

   -> frist streamline the interfaces

6) Should Main Subapp be an explicit type - we don't want to be able to overwrite. 

7) Security App: this is the most exceptional one - will it be split into several apps or not? If yes, we could App Framework could be simplified even more

Next Steps:

Espen & me will do some further investigations, prepare better concept with clear decision points and contact u again for review - we won't do any coding for before then.

Tasks