Presentation on RapidApp web framework presented at YAPC::NA 2014

1. Henry Van Styn
<vanstyn@cpan.org>
YAPC::NA 2014
Tuesday, 24 June - 11:00AM
www.rapidapp.info
irc.perl.org - #rapidapp

2. Agenda
• What is RapidApp - overview & rationale
• How it works - basic architecture & APIs
• Live Demos & Examples…
• Questions feedback from audience & IRC:
join #rapidapp on irc.perl.org

3. RapidApp is…
• An extension to the Catalyst stack
• Aims to speed development with easy access to
common interface paradigms
• Preserves native APIs and environments
• Flexible, uber-modular design
• Multiple declarative configuration layers
• Wide-range of application personalities…

4. Features…
• Automatic, model-driven Ajax interfaces (ExtJS)
• Maps DBIx::Class methods to web front-ends (CRUD+)
• RESTful URL navigation schemes
• Powerful built-in templating and CMS
• Automatic asset management (css, js, icons, etc)
• (and other gooey-goodness)

5. Why another web framework?

6. Interfaces.

7. implicit interfaces
…the CRUD-based interfaces which are already implied
by the schema
* all you should have to do to ask for them (declarative) *

8. “Give me an interface to add rows to Foo”
• Should auto-generate a robust, fully working form
• with fields for each of Foo’s columns
• according to each column type…
• datetime? - date selector
• varchar? - text box
• etc.
• Column non-nullable? - required field
• Foreign key? - selection dialog for the remote source (e.g. dropdown)
• and so on

9. “Give me an interface to add rows to Foo”
…and, don’t be stupid:
• yes - handle client-side validation
• yes - scroll long content in a manner that is not moronic
• yes - display exceptions to the client
• etc.
• no - do not truncate column names…
• no - do not drown the children in the tub…
(or any other horrible thing I haven’t thought of but obviously don’t want)
Be on-demand - automatically change with the schema…
• column dropped? - field ceases to exist
• made nullable? - field no longer required
And obviously…
• Handle all the plumbing to tie cleanly into the backend
• Just work.

10. “Give me an interface to add rows to Foo”
And one more thing:
Do predict & provide high-level choices & options…
…and allow me to customize, extend & build upon the base…
…but don’t limit me.
Do not hinder me in any way from doing things differently.

11. All I’m really sayin’ …
give me everything
for free
with no trade-offs
Is that really so much to ask??

12. We already take powerful, declarative APIs for
granted in our perl-side code.
(how I learned I wanted them)

13. Perl has spoiled me
…and showed what great APIs can & should do

14. Catalyst
Moose
DBIx::Class
Devel::NYTProf
IO::All
Type::Tiny
Moo
Try::Tiny DateTime
Dist::Zilla
Plack
Path::Class
Web::Simple
Authen::Passphrase
Test::More
Template::Toolkit
DBI
Dancer

15. makes programming feel like …

17. Until…
…it was time to write the front-side code

18. Y U NO USE MY CSS CLASS?!

19. But, to be fair …
proficiency bias…
and it usually wasn’t the fault of CSS, Firefox …
(it was IE’s fault)

20. I don’t want to know CSS.
I want to write models and business logic.
(and still feel entitled to robust web interfaces)

21. Controller
ViewModel
Application Architecture:
Standard MVC
(“Components” in Catalyst)

22. DBIC
Controller
ViewModel
Application Architecture:
Standard MVC
(“Components” in Catalyst)

23. DBIC
Controller
ViewModel
Module
Application Architecture:
RapidApp adds
“Modules” to the mix
Standard MVC
(“Components” in Catalyst)

24. DBIC
Controller
ViewModel
Module
Application Architecture:
RapidApp adds
“Modules” to the mix
Encapsulate interface(s)
w/ plumbing

25. ViewModel
Controller Root
Module
DBIC
Controller
ViewModel
Module
Application Architecture:
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
RapidApp adds
“Modules” to the mix
Encapsulate interface(s)
w/ plumbing
Components live
adjacent to each other

26. ViewModel
Controller Root
Module
DBIC
Controller
ViewModel
Module
Application Architecture:
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Components live
adjacent to each other
Modules live in a
hierarchy

27. ViewModel
Controller Root
Module
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
...
Application Architecture:
Components live
adjacent to each other
Modules live in a
hierarchy

28. ViewModel
Controller
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
...
Application Architecture:
Only one
“Root” Module
…which is a Controller

29. ViewModel
Controller
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
...
Application Architecture:
RapidApp extends Catalyst via
the standard plugin API

30. Excitement for learning another DSL…

31. ViewModel
Controller
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
...
Application Architecture:
automatically injects and configures
modules and components…

32. ViewModel
Controller
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
Plugin Plugin Plugin
...
Application Architecture:
automatically injects and configures
modules and components…

33. ViewModel
Controller
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
Plugin Plugin Plugin
...
Application Architecture:
loads and configures other plugins…

34. ViewModel
Controller
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
Plugin Plugin Plugin
Plugin
...
Application Architecture:
loads and configures other plugins…

35. DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
Plugin Plugin Plugin
Plugin
Plugin
...
...
More
Declarative
Application Architecture:
+
More
Specialized

36. DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
Plugin Plugin Plugin
Plugin
Plugin
...
...
More
Declarative
Application Architecture:
+
More
Specialized

37. Plugin
Application Architecture:
DBIC
Controller(s)
View(s)Model(s)
Root
Module
Module Module
ModuleModule
Catalyst::Plugin::RapidApp
Plugin Plugin Plugin
Plugin
...
Controller
Module

38. Ok… so, show us some code!

39. Example - MyDNS
• Lightweight authoritative DNS server
• C daemon serves records directly from MySQL
• Very simple schema (only 2 tables)
• Generally recognizable data (for those familiar with DNS)

40. Our task:
• Create a web-based admin app to manage MyDNS

41. MyDNS Schema

42. MyDNS Schema

43. (demo)

44. Demo checklist (RA::MyDNS) - 1
cpanm RapidApp
Explain + bootstrap with rapidapp.pl
Run app (1):
Explain navtree + tab panel
Show that URLs are all RESTful
Show grids
Paging, sorting, items p/pg, query time
Columns, show/hide, reorder, auto-size
Row page (double-click)
Filters
Quick Search
Relationship columns
CSV export
Configure app (1):
Show main app class, model & generated
schema classes
Explain grid_params & TableSpecs
enable editing
Run app (2):
Edit in grid, page & edit form
Delete: single, multiple
Batch Modify
Add rr w/ existing, then new soa
Configure app (2):
Set display_column (Soa/origin)
Run app (3):
Reload tab
Show zone rel w/ edit
Demo checklist (RA::MyDNS) - 2

45. Demo checklist (RA::MyDNS) - 3
Configure app (3):
Create ‘Type’ ResultSource::View
Run app (4):
Show new Type grid
With its rrs relationship
Configure app (4):
Add AuthCore plugin
Run app (5):
Login and out and in…
Show login via direct URL
Configure app (5):
Add CoreSchemaAdmin plugin
Run app (6):
Change a password
Show Sessions grid
Configure app (7):
Add NavCore plugin
Run app (8):
Create a saved view
Organize Navtree
Set a default source view
Demo checklist (RA::MyDNS) - 4

46. Demo BlueBox checklist
Explain AngleHack + BlueBox
git clone BlueBox repo
Run app:
Show public demo (newman)
Login and show admin section
Show editing template pages
nested templates
*.md templates
Show order_list page
view page source
explain iframe
Configure app:
Show code
Explain main class cnf opts
Explain Template Access class
Explain Chinook Demo (already on site)
git clone RA-ChinookDemo repo
checkout complex_rels branch
Show HEAD commit in github
Run app:
Show Album single-rels
Show Artist single-rel (self_titled_album)
Show MediaType multi-rel (rock_tracks)
Demo RA-ChinookDemo checklist

47. Questions?
Henry Van Styn
<vanstyn@cpan.org>
www.rapidapp.info
irc.perl.org - #rapidapp