Xms
Requirements:
- php 5.4 or above
- php xsl extension installed and loaded, (*1)
Xms is a php content management framework using xml as web application support. It provides an event based DOM infrastructure as well as observable methods and properties., (*2)
Why xml? Easy, is fast, reliable and everywhere..., (*3)
Since it is a CM framework, Xms defines case and import directives to use on the client in order to manage the source code, which can be imported from local or remote resources., (*4)
To execute php code Xms provides the php processing instruction - looks familiar? So, what about this?
Well, the beauty is that with Xms you can access the DOM directly meaning above can do, (*5)
<?php
$el->setAttribute("myAttribute","someVal");
$el->trigger("anEvent");
$el->on("someEvent",function($evt){
//do something
});
?>
and take advantage of the features above: events and observable methods and properties., (*6)
Note:
- for above example $el is the parentNode of the php processing instruction, (*7)
Ok, what about observable methods and properties? By default, the native objects in php don't offer support to add instance properties and methods, so:, (*8)
//$myDOMElement is an instance of DOMElement
$myDOMElement->myVar = "some val";
Would not work and trigger a notice "PHP Notice: Undefined property: DOMElement::$myVar in..."., (*9)
But with Xms, (*10)
//$myDOMElement is an instance of XmsDomElement
$myDOMElement->myVar = "some val";
Works just fine, moreover you can bind a callback to observe when the value of the property changes, (*11)
//$myDOMElement is an instance of XmsDomElement
$myDOMElement->myVar = "some val";
$myDOMElement->bind("change","myVar",function($newVal,$oldVal){
$this->setAttribute("property","changed");
print $newVal;
});
Similar for instance methods, just that you can add callback for before and after the instance method is invoked, (*12)
//$myDOMElement is an instance of XmsDomElement
$myDOMElement->myMethod = function($someParameter){
//do something
};
$myDOMElement->bind("before","myMethod",function(someParameter){
//receives the same parameters that $myDOMElement->myMethod is invoked with
});
$myDOMElement->bind("after","myMethod",function(someParameter){
});
//add as many callbacks as needed
$myDOMElement->bind("before","myMethod",function(someParameter){
});
$myDOMElement->myMethod("someValue");
An example is like a thousand wordsâŠ, (*13)
<app outputxsl="xsl/aws2html5.xsl">
<init>
<?aws
//set an event handler
$el->topmost()->on("anEvent",function($evt){
//do something
});
//initialize the observable instance property
$el->topmost()->someInstanceProperty = "";
$el->topmost()->bind("change","someInstanceProperty",function(){
//do something
});
//$el->topmost() is the topmost object instanceof XmsEventHandler - in this case is an instance of Xms class which is the web app engine?></init>
<client>
<header>
<?js console.log("running some javascript");?>
</header>
<content>
<strong>
<?php
$el->trigger("anEvent");
$el->topmost()->someInstanceProperty = "newValue";
$newTextContent = $el->ownerDocument->createTextNode("new content of strong element");
$el->appendChild($newTextContent);
return "<em>em text</em> too";?>
</strong>
<case>
<filter>
<?aws if($condition) return "show";?>
</filter>
<show>some xml code</show>
<default>other xml code or import from showhere<import source="http://some/place/page.html" importashtml="" xpath="//div[@id='myid']"/></default>
</case>
<import xpath="/app/templates/somecode/*"/>
</content>
</client>
<templates>
<somecode>
<strong>
<?php //do something ?></strong>
<import source="http://someotherplace/Page.html" importashtml="" xpath="//table[1]"/>
</somecode>
</templates>
</app>
Defining your own directives is easy: either add them to Xms class directly in $builtinDirectives public property or either at runtime. Currently supported directive types are: DOMElement and DOMProcessingInstruction., (*14)
As case, import and php processing instruction are client directives, in Xms we have application directives to help us initialize the application or use additional resources.
- remotetemplate - think that you might already have an application and need to do only some minor changes, basically offer some sort of mirror - this is when remotetemplate comes in place; see test/docs.ex.remotetemplate.1.xml,test/docs.ex.remotetemplate.2.xml,test/docs.ex.remotetemplate.3.xml; Note: - I am not responsible for whatpeople are using this for - this is a functionality implemented to help not harm anyone
- use - when code from another Xms application is needed to be used in current application; See test/docs.ex.use.1.xml and test/docs.ex.use.2.xml
- init - is a directive to be used to initialize the application; additionally it can return a value in the global context but is recommended to use a more local context ($el->topmost()); See test/docs.ex.domiterator.2.xml or other examples, (*15)
Now, what if remotetemplate or use directives bring some elements that need some change but since they are not in the current application I don't have access to them? This is where filters join the game., (*16)
In Xms 5.x we have 3 filters:
- xpath - helps to execute some code for each node given by the xpath; see test/docs.ex.xpath.1.xml
- domiterator - use it to generate repeating xml using an array of assoc arrays (like generate multiple tr on a table); see test/docs.ex.domiterator.1.xml and test/docs.ex.domiterator.2.xml
- import - does exactly the same thing like the directive just that is defined somewhere else - see test/docs.ex.import.3.xml, (*17)
Usually filters are executed automatically after Xms executes all directives in client (/app/client) however if needed a filter can be invoked from your code to execute when needed only; for a filter to be invokable it has to have the invokable class and an id set to it. See test/docs.ex.import.3.xml, (*18)
Last but not least Xms has, what I call, parsers which are very similar with xpath filter but they executed for all applications - see parsers.xml in the root directory of Xms; there is also the possibility to define application parsers in /app/parsers however they are rarely used since xpath filter provide the same functionality, (*19)
Like all other cm frameworks, Xms has a router which is to be found in router.xml; there are a couple of models but you have all freedom to make your own., (*20)
access.xml is a script that tells Xms if an application can be accessed or not given the circumstances - I wrote a simple implementation but again, you can be creative and make your own or modify existing to meet your needs., (*21)
Multilanguage support is a work in progress however Xms uses lang.xml to match predefined dom elements in the client side and alter the content - very likely this approch to change in later releases., (*22)
Xms uses it's own xml editor called Designer, empowering the developers to code online, without needing any other tool., (*23)
Additional resources can be found on my website http://xms.casa-lucan.ro
Classes documentation can be found at http://xms.casa-lucan.ro/doc/, (*24)
Since the documentation is a work in progress don't hesitate to ask any questions directly via email or on the website., (*25)
, (*26)
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