Extremely Easy Ext.Direct integration with PHP

[khebs@live.com]

Hi Mate, been so long can you make a laravel bundle for this? please

[stewardsencha]

1. Create folder laravel/bundles

2. Copy Bruni's ExtDirect.php into that folder

3. Create laravel/bundles/direct/start.php:

require_once(Bundle::path('direct').'ExtDirect.php'); // J Bruni

4. Add it to your application/bundles.php

return array(
    'direct'=>array('handles'=>'direct')
);

Start routing to your direct bundle !

In other words, there's nothing for Bruni to do. His work is awesome.
Just follow the simple recipe at laravel for creating bundles. Ask for help at that site.
Or don't bother. It's just as easy to use as a library.

You have to read his code. Everything is there. But it will need to be tweaked for your situation.

His controller does not return to the laravel core, he simply spits out the results when ready.

Laravel dudes would frown. Whether you need to take that further depends again on your situation.

But you know what? I am finding ExtDirect is sucking away my life for no fun.

It creates challenges in the build and with using SA. It is always wanting extra attention for this or that.

For me, it has slowed progress considerably, and I regret using it.

Just look at all of bruni's code (which is now your own to understand and manage).

You'll need to discover how to use it with SA. Thats sucks away a bit.

And getting it right (do not try to execute before Ext is loaded, delaying creation of stores until provider is ready) may be no brainer for the experienced dudes, but it tripped me many times.

And for what exactly? Know your use cases and motivation. Plan on extra delays for ExtDirect.

Here (was) my laravel/bundles/direct/routes.php as I built the examples.
This was Day One code, I have since moved on...

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/*
 * These first two routes implement JBruni's simple example.
 *
 * site.com/direct/example            (JBruni would have used site.com/example.php, we drop the php extension)
 * site.com/direct/example.html       (You need to edit direct/example.html to point to your ext install)
 */
Route::any('direct/example',function() {
    class Server
    {
        public function date( $format )
        {
            return date( $format );
        }
    }
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/example');
    ExtDirect::provide( 'Server' ); // poof our Server class is available to javascript
});

Route::get('direct/example.html',function(){
    return Response::make(file_get_contents(Bundle::path('direct').'example.html'));
});

/*
 *  Hmm. Now we need a page for the extjs samples.
 *
 *  ExtAsset::sample takes an ordered list of scripts to add to direct/view/sample.php
 *  That should give us a shell to test a couple of the ExtDirect sampless
 */

/////////////////////////////////////
Route::any('direct/test',function() {
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/test');
    ExtDirect::provide( 'TestAction' );
});
Route::any('direct/test.html',function() {
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/test');
    ExtAsset::sample(array('direct/test?javascript','apps/direct/test.js'));
    return View::make('direct::sample')->with('title', 'test');
});


/////////////////////////////////////////
// Service the polling demo. No class.
Route::get('(:bundle)/poll', function() {

    $result=array(
        'type'=>'event',
        'name'=>'message',
        'data'=>'Successfully polled at: '. date('g:i:s a')
    );
    return new Response(json_encode($result),200, array('Content-Type'=>'application/json'));
});
Route::any('direct/poll.html',function() {
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/poll');
    ExtAsset::sample(array('apps/direct/poll.js'));
    return View::make('direct::sample')->with('title', 'poll');
});

// Now we have a pattern, follow it for the other samples: grid, tree and named-arguments...
Route::any('direct/tree',function() {
    IoC::resolve('TestAction');
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/tree');
    ExtDirect::provide( 'TestAction' );
});
Route::any('direct/tree.html',function() {
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/tree');
    ExtAsset::sample(array('direct/tree?javascript','apps/direct/direct-tree.js'));
    return View::make('direct::sample')->with('title', 'tree');
});
//
Route::any('direct/grid',function() {
    IoC::resolve('TestAction');
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/grid');
    ExtDirect::provide( 'TestAction' );
});
Route::any('direct/grid.html',function() {
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/grid');
    ExtAsset::sample(array('direct/grid?javascript','apps/direct/direct-grid.js'));
    return View::make('direct::sample')->with('title', 'grid');
});
//
Route::any('direct/named-arguments',function() {
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/named-arguments');
    ExtDirect::provide( 'TestAction' );
});
Route::any('direct/named-arguments.html',function() {
    ExtDirect::$url=URL::to('direct/named-arguments');
    ExtAsset::sample(array('direct/named-arguments?javascript','apps/direct/named-arguments.js'));
    return View::make('direct::sample')->with('title', 'named-arguments');
});

If I had to do this again:
- I would not bother making ExtDirect a bundle. Just drop it in your library and use it.
- I would not use ExtDirect without a serious motivation

Good luck.

And many thanks to J Bruni.

[khebs@live.com]

Hi Thanks for the detailed explanations this is actually a debate to my self that i would just use simple api for this.. but ill try around see what fits..

[Kynao]

Hello,

there is no simple way or documentation to use it with sencha architect ?
what alternative to ext.direct for using extjs with laravel along a simple approach ?

[stewardsencha]

Like I say, I have moved on, but this is what worked for me at the time:

// There are supposed to be formats attached to the request, eg ?xml ?json.
// Thought ExtDirect handled it and thought I saw it working once. But this is okay for now.
Route::any('direct/video, direct/arkvideo', function() {

    try{
        // Laravel has sexier ways to do this I am sure.
        if (strstr(URI::current(),'ark'))
        {
            // Request is coming from the Sencha Architect (ark ark)
            ExtDirect::$default_api_output = 'json';
        }
        else
        {
            // Service for ext apps
            ExtDirect::$default_api_output = 'javascript';
        }

In other words, I gave SA a slightly different url for ExtDirect, so laravel could notice and set the output format accordingly.

Cheesy but easy.

[Kynao]

Thanks you stewardsencha

[Kynao]

Like I say, I have moved on

By the way, you moved on what ?
About "You'll need to discover how to use it with SA". Did someone expose the created challenges in the build and with using SA ? and discovered a solution how to deal with it.

[j.bruni]

This ExtDirect class does provide a shortcut to select between JSON or JavaScript output, which is to provide a "javascript" parameter in the query string of the requested URL. For example:

http://domain.com/direct/example - this outputs JSON

http://domain.com/direct/example?javascript - this outputs JavaScript

This is performed at ExtDirectController::get_api method, as seen below:

    /**
     * @return string   JSON or JavaScript API declaration for the classes on "api_classes" configuration array
     */
    public function get_api()
    {
        if ( isset( $_GET['javascript'] ) || ( ExtDirect::$default_api_output == 'javascript' ) )
            return ExtDirect::get_api_javascript();
        else
            return ExtDirect::get_api_json();
    } 

The "core" of it is the isset( $_GET['javascript'] ) snippet.

[Kynao]

Thanks again j.bruni

[cbj4074]

What do I need to set count_only_required_params to, so that optional parameters are optional?

I am wondering the same thing, and if the response that follows is still relevant.

...
Finally, @AndreKR...

This post (http://www.sencha.com/forum/showthre...l=1#post480214) teaches how apply configurations (I know you read it, I am linking for the others...)

All configurations must come before the "ExtDirect::provide" call:

ExtDirect::$configuration_name = $value; 

In your case, you want to perform the following configuration:

ExtDirect::$count_only_required_params = true; 

This will make the "len" property of the respective API declaration correspond to the number of required parameters. So, for a PHP method declared like this...

function calculate_something( $needed, $optional = 9 ) 

...the "len" value will be "1", instead of "2".

And this is all.

Now, ExtJS requires you to make the remote function call with the number of parameters declared in the "len" property. In other words: there is no such things as "optional parameters" in the client-side, because of the way ExtJS Direct is designed.

In the example, you need to choose: it will be either "1" or "2" parameters. You simply can't choose "1" and optionally "2", at the ExtJS side. Makes sense?

I am using the sample descriptor code (for PHP) that is provided with the Ext Direct Pack and the mechanism for setting default configuration values seems to have changed:

$api = new ExtDirect_API();

$api->setRouterUrl('router.php'); // default
$api->setCacheProvider($cache);
$api->setNamespace('Ext.ss');
$api->setDescriptor('Ext.ss.APIDesc');
$api->setDefaults(array(
    'autoInclude' => true,
    'basePath' => 'classes'
)); 

Regarding ExtJS Direct configuration, in general, I am wondering if these configuration directives are still relevant:

Easy.

If the configuration option name is "configuration_name" and the configuration value is $value, use this syntax:

ExtDirect::$configuration_name = $value; 

And that's all.

Now, let's see the available configuration options:

- name: api_classes
- type: array of strings
- meaning: Name of the classes to be published to the Ext.Direct API
- default: empty
- comments: This option is overriden if you provide a non-empty $api_classes parameter for the "ExtDirect::provide" method. Choose one or another. If you want to declare a single class, you can set $api_classes as a string, instead of an array.
- example

ExtDirect::$api_classes = array( 'Server', 'OtherClass',  'StoreProvider' ); 

- name: url
- type: string
- meaning: Ext.Direct API attribute "url"
- default: $_SERVER['PHP_SELF']
- comments: Sometimes, PHP_SELF is not what we want. So, it is possible to specify the API URL manually.
- example

ExtDirect::$url = '/path/to/my_php_script.php'; 

- name: namespace
- type: string
- meaning: Ext.Direct API attribute "namespace"
- default: "Ext.php"
- comments: Feel free to choose your own namespace, according to ExtJS rules for it.
- example

ExtDirect::$namespace = 'Ext.Dharma'; 

- name: descriptor
- type: string
- meaning: Ext.Direct API attribute "descriptor"
- default: "Ext.php.REMOTING_API"
- comments: Feel free to choose your own descriptor, according to ExtJS rules for it, and to the chosen namespace.
- example

ExtDirect::$descriptor = 'Ext.Dharma.REMOTING_API'; 

- name: count_only_required_params
- type: boolean
- meaning: Set this to true to count only the required parameters of a method for the API "len" attribute
- default: false
- example

ExtDirect::$count_only_required_params = true; 

- name: include_static_methods
- type: boolean
- meaning: Set this to true to include static methods in the API declaration
- default: false
- example

ExtDirect::$include_static_methods = true; 

- name: include_inherited_methods
- type: boolean
- meaning: Set this to true to include inherited methods in the API declaration
- default: false
- example

ExtDirect::$include_inherited_methods = true; 

- name: instantiate_static
- type: boolean
- meaning: Set this to true to create an object instance of a class even if the method being called is static
- default: false
- example

ExtDirect::$instantiate_static = true; 

- name: constructor_send_params
- type: boolean
- meaning: Set this to true to call the action class constructor sending the action parameters to it
- default: false
- example

ExtDirect::$constructor_send_params = true; 

- name: debug
- type: boolean
- meaning: Set this to true to allow exception detailed information in the output
- default: false
- example

ExtDirect::$debug = true; 

- name: utf8_encode
- type: boolean
- meaning: Set this to true to pass all action method call results through utf8_encode function
- default: false
- example

ExtDirect::$utf8_encode = true; 

- name: default_api_output
- type: string
- meaning: API output format - available options are "json" (good for Ext Designer) and "javascript"
- default: "json"
- comments: Another way to enforce "javascript" output is to append the "?javascript" query string in the end of your PHP script URL; do this in the HTML <script> tag that refers to your API
example

ExtDirect::$default_api_output = "javascript"; 

Does current (ExtJS 4+), formal documentation of these directives exist? If so, might anyone be able to provide a URL? I have looked and came-up empty.

Thanks in advance.