Building RIA Applications in PHP John Coggeshall

Introductions Welcome! About me CTO of Automotive Computer Services (ACS) Core PHP 5 Dev Author, Speaker John Coggeshall Presentation Title

Welcome!

About me

CTO of Automotive Computer Services (ACS)

Core PHP 5 Dev

Author, Speaker

Agenda Building RIA Applications! (Duh) Specifically… A bit of history of the project Building RIA applications using Adobe Flex/AIR with Zend Framework Challenges in creating RIA applications that reflect client-side applications Demos, Technical Discussions, etc.

Building RIA Applications! (Duh)

Specifically…

A bit of history of the project

Building RIA applications using Adobe Flex/AIR with Zend Framework

Challenges in creating RIA applications that reflect client-side applications

Demos, Technical Discussions, etc.

History ACS has a single product called a DMS (Dealer Management System) Originally Built in DOS-based Foxpro (1992) Migrated to Visual Foxpro (2004)

ACS has a single product called a DMS (Dealer Management System)

Originally Built in DOS-based Foxpro (1992)

Migrated to Visual Foxpro (2004)

History Software runs off of a Samba share on a slackware server Every modifies the same “local” database file Cross-location interaction via Remote Desktop

Software runs off of a Samba share on a slackware server

Every modifies the same “local” database file

Cross-location interaction via Remote Desktop

We’re Doomed! Besides the obvious technical limitations of the system, our product had problems that hold up our business: No data sharing No ability to sell to large mega-dealerships that require data sharing No data analytics Data… Data… data… data…. problems

Besides the obvious technical limitations of the system, our product had problems that hold up our business:

No data sharing

No ability to sell to large mega-dealerships that require data sharing

No data analytics

Data… Data… data… data…. problems

Our Solution.. The solution: An internet-based DMS PHP / Zend Framework to the rescue! One problem: Our Customers Very fickle about technology Were largely very happy with DOS applications Our solution needs to really feel like a desktop application, without being one We’re still doomed!

The solution: An internet-based DMS

PHP / Zend Framework to the rescue!

One problem: Our Customers

Very fickle about technology

Were largely very happy with DOS applications

Our solution needs to really feel like a desktop application, without being one

We’re still doomed!

We’re Saved! Adobe AIR / Flex to the Rescue! With Flex / AIR for the user-interface and PHP/ZF on the backend we are able to accomplish all of our goals Flex/AIR provides the user-experience demanded by our users PHP / ZF provide the server-side magic

Adobe AIR / Flex to the Rescue!

With Flex / AIR for the user-interface and PHP/ZF on the backend we are able to accomplish all of our goals

Flex/AIR provides the user-experience demanded by our users

PHP / ZF provide the server-side magic

Our Development Stack Zend Studio for Eclipse PHP / ZF development Adobe FlexBuilder 3 plugin for Eclipse Front-end Development VMWare development server To host PHP application – when VMware behaves Compile/Run Flex Front-end Locally

Zend Studio for Eclipse

PHP / ZF development

Adobe FlexBuilder 3 plugin for Eclipse

Front-end Development

VMWare development server

To host PHP application – when VMware behaves

Compile/Run Flex Front-end Locally

Server Setup MySQL Database Some stored procedures for complex manipulations Multi-Protocol architecture Supports RPC calls via “REST-ish” XML services as well as the Adobe AMF format via the Zend_Amf component of Zend Framework

MySQL Database

Some stored procedures for complex manipulations

Multi-Protocol architecture

Supports RPC calls via “REST-ish” XML services as well as the Adobe AMF format via the Zend_Amf component of Zend Framework

Frontend Setup Adobe Flex and AIR runtime (duh) Fundamentally a PureMVC-based architecture (slowly moving away from that) A fair amount of custom code for data-transfer over the AMF protocol We can’t use the standard Flex RemoteObject facilities (only works with something like BlazeDS)

Adobe Flex and AIR runtime (duh)

Fundamentally a PureMVC-based architecture

(slowly moving away from that)

A fair amount of custom code for data-transfer over the AMF protocol

We can’t use the standard Flex RemoteObject facilities (only works with something like BlazeDS)

Code!

Not without problems Flex and AIR work pretty well with PHP, but there are a lot of problems Lack of Server-push technology available on the PHP side makes saving data pretty painful Have to devise your own saving mechanisms and keep them consistent Lack of Server-push makes collaboration painful across clients

Flex and AIR work pretty well with PHP, but there are a lot of problems

Lack of Server-push technology available on the PHP side makes saving data pretty painful

Have to devise your own saving mechanisms and keep them consistent

Lack of Server-push makes collaboration painful across clients

Hardware == Painful As powerful as AIR is a platform, it has a serious flaw NO support for hardware on any level means all of those bar-code scanners, driver’s license scanners, custom printers we use suddenly can’t be used … Okay, now we’re really doomed.

As powerful as AIR is a platform, it has a serious flaw

NO support for hardware on any level means all of those bar-code scanners, driver’s license scanners, custom printers we use suddenly can’t be used

… Okay, now we’re really doomed.

PHP^H^H^H Java !! Of all things, Java comes to the rescue! The Merapi project http://www.merapiproject.net Provides a Java “server” that runs alongside the AIR application AIR can communicate with Merapi through a socket, serializing objects back and forth and making RPC calls Merapi can communicate with hardware for us

Of all things, Java comes to the rescue!

The Merapi project

http://www.merapiproject.net

Provides a Java “server” that runs alongside the AIR application

AIR can communicate with Merapi through a socket, serializing objects back and forth and making RPC calls

Merapi can communicate with hardware for us

Deployment New Problem: Deployment AIR has great facilities for this ANT-based build system builds AIR packages, deploys codebase on server(s) Future: CruiseControl for CI / Testing

New Problem: Deployment

AIR has great facilities for this

ANT-based build system builds AIR packages, deploys codebase on server(s)

Future: CruiseControl for CI / Testing

Final Thoughts.. Flex/AIR is the right tool for our job Even though it’s NOT the right tool for our job (yet) Offers a much more compelling user experience than we could produce with JS/HTML/CSS Definitely not the right tool for every job Of course, the PHP side just works™ for the most part Questions?

Flex/AIR is the right tool for our job

Even though it’s NOT the right tool for our job (yet)

Offers a much more compelling user experience than we could produce with JS/HTML/CSS

Definitely not the right tool for every job

Of course, the PHP side just works™ for the most part

Questions?

We’re Hiring! Thank you! Interested in working on a project like this? We’re hiring! See our full-page ad in the conference program and visit us at the Job Fair!

Thank you!

Interested in working on a project like this? We’re hiring!

See our full-page ad in the conference program and visit us at the Job Fair!