Fluid Component Framework Architectural Notes

Component Framework Architecture

What is a Component?

Components are recurring interactions:

• Navigation
• Forms and data
• Direct manipulation of objects
• Workflows, wizards, and sequences

On the client-side, a Fluid component consists of:

• One or more HTML templates
• One or more layers of CSS
• JavaScript for behavioural logic
• Accessibility metadata (control, presentation, etc)
  And on the server-side:
• A set of conventions for accessing service logic
• The ability to deliver the appropriate markup, metadata, and user preferences

Types of Components

1. Markup-driven components are general:
   • Server delivers fully-rendered HTML
   • JavaScript manipulates DOM based on id contract
   • Greater flexibility and reuse, but greater server dependency
2. Data-driven components are smarter but slower:
   • Handle their own template processing
   • Require multiple round-trips to the server for data
   • Allow for less dependency on server-side presentation framework

Elements of the Framework

• Framework infrastructure: lifecycle supports, server-side communication, etc.
• Components themselves
• Transformation engine
• Server-side binding and delivery
• Repository of components
• Metadata standards

Transformation Flow

• Compare metadata and preferences
• If okay, do nothing
• Otherwise, request an alternative component
• Select from alternatives or use initial component

Component Repository

• Mirrored within the application (ie. doesn't require a dependency on a 3rd party server)
• Options:
  • Repository is just a file system: client-side transformation engine does all the work of finding matches
  • Repository is smart: implemented in Java or JavaScript or anther language, and can respond to requests from a lighter-weight client-side transformation engine