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DataFlex Web Framework Symposium – Part 7 Starting a Web Application. Stephen W. Meeley Development Team www.dataaccess.com. Where are you coming from?. DataFlex Character Mode Visual DataFlex Various revisions Legacy Web Application AJAX Library Application Non-DataFlex Application
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DataFlex Web Framework Symposium – Part 7Starting a Web Application Stephen W. Meeley Development Team www.dataaccess.com
Where are you coming from? • DataFlex Character Mode • Visual DataFlex • Various revisions • Legacy Web Application • AJAX Library Application • Non-DataFlex Application • An idea…
What do you need to start? • At the very least, the idea. And your starting point matters greatly… • How to use the Studio • The DataFlex Language • The DataFlex Classes • Data Dictionaries (both knowledge and existence) • Connectivity (if using SQL) • The DataFlex Web Framework
The Basic Steps • Create a Workspace • Create (or Connect to) Data • Create (or use) Data Dictionaries and business rules • Create a Web Project • Use the Wizards • Lather, rinse and repeat…
DataFlex Character Mode • Depending on exclusivity and type of character mode use, this may be similar to starting from a non-DataFlex environment • Procedural or Object Oriented? • Also use Visual DataFlex? • Have data structure and business rules (may not be expressed in DDs) but perhaps not much more…
Visual DataFlex • Many different starting revisions • Knowledge of Studio, language, classes, data dictionaries, etc. • Don’t let multi-revision migration issues cloud your project • Are you updating the Windows app? • Get whatever you are bringing in up-to-date before adding features • Kinda like telling a child to clean up their room before opening Christmas presents… • …but it will save you a lot of grief!
An Editorial Opinion • Even if you are not planning on Web Framework projects in the short term, update your Windows applications to 17.x if at all possible • No, I’m not just trying to sell you something! • There are tons of benefits and the What’s New illustrates that • If you can, this will smooth out your Web Framework development experience greatly and allow you to take advantage of all the other great things in Visual DataFlex 17.x • And now back to our regularly scheduled program…
Legacy Web Application • Some knowledge of HTML and CSS • Some appreciation of “lack of persistency” • Were you using process pooling or not? • Some appreciation of a Web interface • Reuse the non-UI components (DD’s, BPs, etc.) • No opportunity for “migration” of the actual legacy application • But the app can still compile and run
AJAX Library • Deeper knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript • Some client-side APIs are similar (it was a big part of our design heritage) • Appreciation of web properties, DDO synchronization and lack of persistency • You had to consider these while working with AJAX Library • Have already done design of a Web interface
AJAX Library • Reuse the non-UI components (DD’s, BPs, etc.) • No real opportunity for “migration” of the actual AJAX application • Could theoretically migrate partially but would make big sacrifices • We recommend a clean slate
The Workspace Question • “Default” mode: • Migrate workspace to 17.1 • Create Web Project • Start working… • Specialized Workspace Option: • Migrate Windows workspace to 17.1 • Create a secondary 17.1 workspace for the web project • Change the Data and DDSrc paths to the same as the “Windows” workspace • Start working…
Specialized Workspaces • Less “clutter” • No need to switch between Windows and Web projects and reparse • Run Windows and Web side-by-side • Specialized Class Palette • Who new? • Easier to give to someone else to look at…
Using the Basic Steps • Can it really be that straightforward? Studio