Prince st Tech Talk - MABI Framework
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Prolific Interactive developed the MABI framework to help synchronize data models between mobile and backend servers. The framework generates RESTful APIs and data models for multiple platforms from common data definitions. It aims to keep engineers from working in silos by establishing shared models and APIs. Key features include automatically generating documentation, testing frameworks, and code for iOS, JavaScript and Android from the common backend models. The framework is also designed to be extensible and customizable while providing a quick start.
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Prince st Tech Talk - MABI Framework
- 1. Prolific Interactive WRANGLING MOBILE APIs Rekindling the Server/Client Relationship
- 2. Hi, I’m Photis Patriotis Director of Engineering @ Prolific Interactive Prolific Interactive
- 4. Prolific Interactive • Products > Apps • User Experience is King Our Values
- 5. QualityCreativity Prolific Interactive Communication How do engineers fit in?
- 6. Prolific Interactive Mobile API Android iOS Mobile Web Unavoidably Cross-Platfrom
- 7. Prolific Interactive BACKEND AS A SERVICE
- 8. CONS • Mostly Proprietary • External Dependence • Customization is 2nd Priority • Environment Flexibility PROS • Quick & Easy Start • Multi-Platform SDKs • Freemium • Scalability and Administration OOTB • Plugins Parse Prolific Interactive
- 9. • JSON / REST / Small Payloads • Documentation / Testability • Clarity • Security Prolific Interactive What do we want from our APIs?
- 10. • Synchronize models between platforms – Keep engineers from implementing in silos – Establish a common vocabulary • Developed open-sourced framework that meets our requirements easily Prolific Interactive How did we get these?
- 12. Device API Views Offline Caching Security Scalability Properties Relationships Terminology Visual Integrations Data Aggregation Prolific Interactive
- 13. • No view • PHP Based • Mongodb backed • Automated iodocs documentation • Exports to mobile models • Packaged testing framework Prolific Interactive MABI Framework
- 14. • Auto-generate as much as possible, but give control – REST Controllers – Documentation – iOS/JS/Android Models • Mongodb documents represent Objects Prolific Interactive Quick Setup
- 15. • Core is Completely Overridable • Middleware • Extensions Prolific Interactive Extendibility
- 16. Prolific Interactive MODEL CODE EXAMPLE
- 17. class Recipe extends MABIModel { /** * Unique identifier for the recipe. * * @var string * @field id */ public $recipeId; /** * The average rating for this recipe across all users * * @var float */ public $averageRating; /** * @var Food[] */ public $foods; /** * The rating that the app needs to receive. Only * filled for the current user * * @field external * @var int */ public $myRating; /** * All of the ratings for this recipe for all users * * @field internal * @var array */ public $ratings; @var specifies the type Core string and float examples Automatically loads Food class (another Model) @field annotations add extra field-specific functions 'external' means that the value is only output by the API but not stored anywhere 'internal' means that the value is stored and used by the server but not output by the API Prolific Interactive
- 18. Prolific Interactive GENERATED IOS CORE DATA
- 19. MABI Model Core Data XML Objective C Model #import <Foundation/Foundation.h> #import <CoreData/CoreData.h> @class Food; @interface Recipe : NSManagedObject @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString * recipeId; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString * instructions; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString * imageURL; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString * type; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSNumber * calorieCategory; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSNumber * averageRating; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSNumber * ratingCount; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSNumber * myRating; @property (nonatomic, retain) Food *foods; @end #import "Recipe.h" #import "Food.h" @implementation Recipe @dynamic recipeId; @dynamic instructions; @dynamic imageURL; @dynamic type; @dynamic calorieCategory; @dynamic averageRating; @dynamic ratingCount; @dynamic myRating; @dynamic foods; @end Recipe.h Recipe.m Prolific Interactive
- 21. /** * The stats methods contain general aggregate * numbers for recipes, foods, etc. * * @middleware MABIMiddlewareSharedSecret * @middleware MABIMiddlewareAPIApplicationOnlyAccess */ class StatsController extends MABIController { ... public function getMealCount() { ... } public function postNewStat() { ... } ... } Serves GET /stats/mealcount Defines middleware that restricts access to anything in the controller to registered Applications Serves POST /stats/newstat Prolific Interactive
- 22. /** * @docs show-model * * Contains the endpoints to get detailed information about a certain recipe, and also perform actions on it (e.g. * rate it). * * @middleware MABIMiddlewareSharedSecret * @middleware MABIMiddlewareAPIApplicationOnlyAccess * @middleware MABIRESTAccessReadOnly * @middleware MABIIdentityMiddlewareSessionHeader * @middleware MABIIdentityMiddlewareRESTOwnerOnlyAccess */ class RecipeController extends MABIRESTModelController { ... /** * Updates the rating that the user gave this recipe using the users's id. If the user has * not rated the recipe before, it will add a new rating. * * @docs-param rating int body required Should pass in the user's rating for the Recipe. Must be an integer from 1 to 5. */ public function restPostRated() { ... $this->model->ratings[$userModel->userId] = $rating; ... } ... } Restricts access to only the read endpoints that can read objects or collections Serves POST /recipes/<id>/rated $this->model is already loaded with a Recipe Model based on its id Prolific Interactive Restricts access to only logged in users that own the resource
- 26. • Testing • Continuous Integration • Error Handling • Admin UIs • Complex Integrations • Alternative Data Sources Prolific Interactive Advanced
- 27. • Automatic setup from Mobile to Server • Continue adding mobile specific extensions (in-app purchasing, passbook, etc.) • Other basic framework features Prolific Interactive Future
- 28. Summary Don’t take communication for granted Drive data definitions across your product Get things up quickly so everyone can work Fine-tune your API specifically for mobile Prolific Interactive
- 29. Prolific Interactive Contact MABI Framework: https://github.com/prolificinteractive/mabi photis@prolificinteractive.com www.prolificinteractive.com
Editor's Notes
- Can usually be found doingrandom things at happy hourslike dressing up as a 50slifeguard and riding fake blow-up sharks
- Want to give a little bit of a background of what we do, and how we’ve reached these issuesMobile Products AgencyDevelop highly functional mobile apps for large clientsRent the RunwayLululemonAs well as startups through our acceleratorFrom the ground up including backend and also lone mobile apps
- Apps vsproducts -products are a subset of apps that involve a whole ecosystemUser experience isn’t always just UI, a lot of it is the data and integrations that back itMeet long-term business and user goalsHow do we as engineersdo this?
- CreativityWouldn’t be in business without hiring creative individualsQualityWhat clients expectMakes communication easierCommunicationMany people working on complex thingsThe quality/comm combo is what is always tricky.We need to get this right for all of our apps/customers.There are so many mature web practices right now to handle this, but mobile is still pretty fresh in this type of management
- These platforms aren’t just a little different/buggy, they’re completely different paradigmsDesigners “should” even redo the design based on how different these areIt seems that the backing API is what is actually the most flexibleI see it as the opportunity to set clear definitions across all of our platformsOne way people are solving this problem is with BAAS solutions
- Basically, if you don’t want to/can’t do ANY backend development, this is a good way to go.Not so great if you want to control your product in the long-termThese cons don’t work for us. We want:OwnershipEnvironment FlexibilityFine-tuningWe want full ownership of our code and process. So, we broke down what the most important parts of an API were to our developers and found:
- JSON/rest – small packagesBased on nightmare stories from customers and personal preferences we found some common denominators
- Why not MVC Frameworks?Views muddy up cleanliness of modelsMake mobile standards easier to implement (throw out things like cookies, html, javascript, etc.)My job is to care about making these things workThe quality and communication mix was handled in a lot of different ways in the past.We know that within an organization having everyone speaking the same language, vocabulary, programming the same way is the best way to do this
- No viewModels act like views (different amounts of data)Controllers are strictly endpoint-basedThere will always be massaging to match UI and organize packagesPHP BasedClear OO“Strongly” typedAnnotation Driven shortcutsTransitioning from MVC Frameworks is easyMongodb backedMongodb’s documents are very compatible with how we view useful mobile models look likeWorking on other data sourcesiodocs documentation creationPackaged testing frameworkIn order to quickly set up
- This makes us able to get a usable version of the API in minutes. Then the team can smoothly build out the backend as the front end refines the UI
- Keep everything overridableMiddlewareSince this framework is communication and process related, middleware plugins are quite usefulSecurity/Access/AuthenticationExtensionsBundle up large portions of functionality including controllers and modelsUsed for things like authentication schemes, email providers, push notification providers, etc.
- Admin UisCan be plugged in directly through a database or via the api or split the controllersComplex integrationsLink can be as deep or as shallow as we want itAlternative Data SourcesGlenlivet
- More database backingSupport other documentation/testing frameworksJSONP for mobile webCaching/PerformancePartial Model LoadsStrengthen CLI Interface
- JSON/rest – small packagesBased on nightmare stories from customers and personal preferences we found some common denominators