This document provides an overview of RapidApp, a Catalyst extension that aims to speed web development. It discusses RapidApp's features like automatic Ajax interfaces, CRUD interfaces generated from schemas, and RESTful URL schemes. The presenter then demonstrates RapidApp by developing a web admin interface for a DNS server application.

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