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Wiki source code of ERPrototaculous

Version 261.1 by Ravi Mendis on 2009/07/16 09:52
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1 == Introduction ==
2
3 ERPrototaculous was developed to provide the ajax functionality in ERDivaLook.
4
5 === What is ERPrototaculous? ===
6
7 Features include:
8
9 * 'Organic' support for Prototype and Scriptaculous in WebObjects.
10 * Use of [[Unobtrusive Javascript>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtrusive_JavaScript]].
11 * Pseudo-stateless ajax responses
12 * No custom Prototype extensions
13 * A set of widgets in the Prototype + Scriptaculous family.
14
15 ==== Unobtrusive Javascript in ERPrototaculous ====
16
17 Unobtrusive javascript is used in contrast to on-demand style of ajax programming.
18 By including Javascript as well as CSS globally in the page wrapper, CSS and/or Javascript doesn't have to load inside ajax requests.
19
20 The result is **faster** and more **reliable** ajax in WebObjects applications.
21
22 ==== Prototype WebObjects Elements ====
23
24 ##Ajax.Updater## and ##Ajax.Request## have been implemented as WebObjects dynamic elements.
25
26 ===== Ajax.Updater =====
27
28 Support for Prototype's [[Ajax.Updater>>http://www.prototypejs.org/api/ajax/updater]] is in the form of three components:
29
30 * AjaxUpdaterLink
31 * AjaxUpdaterButton
32 * AjaxUpdaterForm (with ##onsubmit## for ajax form submission)
33
34 These components will update a **container** on the page.
35
36 ===== Ajax.Request =====
37
38 Prototype's [[Ajax.Request>>http://www.prototypejs.org/api/ajax/request]] is in the form of:
39
40 * AjaxRequestLink
41 * AjaxRequestButton
42
43 These are used for strictly **background** ajax communication.
44
45 ==== Prototype + Scriptaculous Widgets ====
46
47 * Accordion
48 * LightWindow
49 * ModalBox
50 * CalendarDateSelect
51 * FileUpload
52
53 == Forms in ERPrototaculous ==
54
55 Differences from using forms in WebObjects. i.e ##WOForm##:
56
57 1. All form controls must be named. This includes text fields, selects and buttons.
58 (WebObjects dynamically assigned names are not compatible with ERPrototaculous).
59 1. All forms in an ERPrototaculous app are instances of ##AjaxUpdaterForm##.
60 1. Form submits can be the form of a:
61
62 *
63 ** Static ##<button>##
64 ** WOSubmitButton (if the result is to update whole page/app.
65 ** AjaxUpdaterButton (to update a **container**). Or
66 ** AjaxRequestButton (for a background ajax request)
67
68 == Ajax Page Caching in ERPrototaculous ==
69
70 One notable difference in the ERPrototaculous and Ajax.framework is in the ajax responses.
71 ERPrototaculous updates and actions break with "The WebObjects Way" by being pseudo-stateless.
72
73 Instead of returning a new context, an ajax update or action is in fact the same instance.
74
75 The reason returning a new context is not necessary is because a client never travels back or forwards through an ajax application unlike in a typical WebObjects app.
76 Here the current state (or context) of the update or action is all that is necessary.