NAME Apache::JAF -- mod_perl and Template-Toolkit web applications framework SYNOPSIS controller -- a mod_perl module that drives your application package Apache::JAF::MyJAF; use strict; use JAF::MyJAF; # optional # loading mini-handlers & templates during compilation time # Warning! Syntax was changed! use Apache::JAF ( pages => '/examples/site/modules/Apache/JAF/MyJAF/pages/', templates => '/examples/site/templates/' ); our @ISA = qw(Apache::JAF); # determine handler to call sub setup_handler { my ($self) = @_; # the page handler for each URI of sample site is 'do_index' # you should swap left and right ||-parts for real application my $handler = 'index' || shift @{$self->{uri}}; return $handler; } sub site_handler { my ($self) = @_; # common stuff before handler is called $self->{m} = JAF::MyJAF->new(); # create modeller -- if needed $self->SUPER::site_handler(); # common stuff after handler is called return $self->{status} } 1; page handler -- controller's method that makes one (or more) pages sub do_index { my ($self) = @_; # page handler must fill $self->{res} hash that process with template $self->{res}{test} = __PACKAGE__ . 'test'; # and return Apache constant according it's logic return OK; } modeller -- a module that encapsulates application business-logic package JAF::MyJAF; use strict; use DBI; use base qw( JAF ); sub new { my ($class, $self) = @_; $self->{dbh} = DBI->connect(...); return bless $self, $class; } 1; Apache configuration (httpd.conf) DocumentRoot /examples/site/data use lib qw(/examples/site/modules); use Apache::JAF::MyJAF; SetHandler perl-script PerlHandler Apache::JAF::MyJAF PerlSetVar Apache_JAF_Templates /examples/site/templates # optional or can be specified in Apache::JAF descendant (default value is used in example) PerlSetVar Apache_JAF_Modules /examples/site/modules/Apache/JAF/MyJAF/pages # optional or can be specified in Apache::JAF descendant (default value is used in example) PerlSetVar Apache_JAF_Compiled /tmp DESCRIPTION Introduction Apache::JAF is designed for creation web applications based on MVC (Model-View-Controller) concept. * *Modeller* is JAF descendant * *Controller* is Apache::JAF descendant * and the *Viewer* is set of the templates using Template-Toolkit markup syntax This separation hardly simplifies the dynamic development of sites by designers and programmers. Each programmer works on own part of the project writing separate controller's parts. Designers have to work only on visual performance of templates. Suggested file structure Suggested site's on-disk structure is: site | +-- data | +-- modules | +-- templates *data* document_root of site. All static files (e.g. JavaScripts, pictures, CSSs etc) must be placed here *modules* Storage place for site modules -- must be in @INC's *templates* The place of your site's templates. Framework is designed to reproduce site's structure in this folder. It's just like document_root for static site. Request processing pipeline The "Apache::JAF::handler" intercepts every request for specified location, and process it's own way: 1 If requested file exists then nothing happens. The handle declines request with "DECLINE". 2 Otherwise the instance of Apache::JAF's descendant is created and "setup_handler" method is called. You must override this method and return determined handler's name. Usually it's the first part of URI or just "index". Also handlers from "Apache_JAF_Modules" folder is loaded into package's namespace if "$self->{debug_level}" > 0 or handlers were not loaded during module compilation. 3 Then goes "site_handler" calling. If you have common tasks for each handler you can override it. "site_handler" calls your own handler. It's name is returned by "setup_handler". Usually this "mini-handler" is *very* simple. It have to be implemented as package method with "do_**" name. You have to fill "$self->{res}" hash with result and return Apache constant according to handler's logic ("OK", "NOT_FOUND", "FORBIDDEN" and so on). The sample is shown in "SYNOPSIS". 4 If the previous step fulfills correctly, and "$self->{type}" property is "text/*" then result of processing template returns to client. If type of result is not like text, one more method is needed to implement: "on_send_**_data". It must return binary data to client. This way you may create handlers for dynamic generation of images, M$ Excel workbooks and any other type of data. Apache::JAF methods setup_handler This method you must override in your Apache::JAF descendant. You must return handler's name (that will be called as *do_* method later) from it depending on URI requested by user. You may set site-wide properties such as *debug_level*, *header* or *footer*, templates and includes extensions and so on. If handler name depends on application logic implemented in modeller then you have to create modeller in this method and store it in *m* property for later use. The primary *setup_handler* is shown in "SYNOPSIS". site_handler You can override this method to provide common tasks for each of your page-handlers. For example you may create instance of modeller class, provide some custom authorization/authentication or sessions handling and so on. You must call "$self>SUPER::site_handler" and return "$self->{status}" from it. Apache::JAF properties r Current "Apache::Request" object. filter Using "Apache::Filter" flag. uri Reference to the array of current URI (splitted by slash). Usually you need to modify it in "setup_handler" method to determine page's handler name. Remained array will be passed to the page-handler method as a list of parameters. res Hash reference that holds page-handler results. expand_path Boolean flag for complex-name-handlers changes '_' to '/' in handler's name. It provides real-like document tree in the templates folder. debug_level Look at Apache_JAF_Debug in "CONFIGURATION" section. status Default handler status is "NOT_FOUND". type Default content-type is "text/html". You can call "$self->download_type()" for set unexisting MIME-type to force browser download content instead of viewing it. template_ext, include_ext Default template extension is ".html". Default include template extension is ".inc". default_include Site-wide include template. Default value is... "default". header, footer Site-wide pre- and post-include templates. Defalut values are "header" and "footer". *Note:*You must undef this properies if you want create page-template without it. For example for page in pop-up window ("disable_header", "disable_footer", and "disable_header_footer" methods). templates Path to the templates folder. You may have different sets of templates for different views of results generated by your page-handlers. handler Result of "setup_handler" method is stored here for later use. *other properites* For internal use only. Implementing handlers Page handlers are simple. Their methods are with "do_" name. You have to analyse given parameters, fill out "$self->{res}" hash with handler results that will be processed with template and return one of "Apache::Constants". Usually it's "OK", but may be "NOT_FOUND" if parameters passed to handlers are invalid for some reason. Look into examples/* folder in the distribution package for some guidelines. Templates structure and syntax Template for a specific handler consists of: 1 default.inc Common "[% BLOCK %]"s for all site templates. Processed before header and main tamplate. 2 header.inc Header template. Processed before main handler's template. 3 **.html Main handler's template. 4 footer.inc Footer template. Processed after main handler's template. Default names and extensions are shown. All of them are configurable in processing handler methods. For example you have to disable processing header and footer for handler that produces not "text/*" content. Templates syntax is described at . CONFIGURATION Apache_JAF_Prefix Number of URI parts (between slashes) or path that must be removed from request URI. Useful for implementing dynamic part of almost static site. It simplifies names of page handlers. Apache_JAF_Templates Path to templates folder. Several paths may be separated by semicolon. *Win32 note*: This separator works too. Don't get confused with full paths with drive letters. Apache_JAF_Modules Path to page handlers folder. By default it's controller location plus "/pages". Apache_JAF_Compiled Path to compiled templates folder. Default is "/tmp". Saving compiled templates on disk dramatically improves overall site performance. Apache_JAF_Debug Application's debug level. The amount of debug info written to the Apache error_log. Ranges from 0 to 10. 0: critical errors only 1: request processing line 2: client request 3: response headers 4: template variables 5-8: not used (for future enchancements) 9: loading additional handlers 10: processed template Also this setting affecting page-handlers loading. If debug level is 0 -- handlers are loaded only on server-start. Else handlers loaded on every request. That simplifies development process but increases request processing time. So it's not good to set debug level greater than 0 in production environment. *Note:* This setting is overrided by setting "$self->{debug_level}". SEE ALSO * mod_perl -- Perl and Apache integration project () * Template-Toolkit -- template processing system () * examples/* -- sample site driven by Apache::JAF * -- Apache::JAF companion website AUTHOR Greg "Grishace" Belenky COPYRIGHT Copyright (C) 2001-2003 Greg Belenky Copyright (C) 2002-2003 WebZavod (http://www.webzavod.ru) programming team This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.