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Wiki source code of ERPrototaculous

Version 269.1 by Ravi Mendis on 2009/07/17 01:22
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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 ** Light-weight dynamic WebObjects elements to support Prototype
11 ** No custom patches to Prototype
12 ** Sans custom Prototype extensions
13 * Use of [[Unobtrusive Javascript>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtrusive_JavaScript]].
14 * Pseudo-stateless ajax responses
15 * A set of widgets in the Prototype + Scriptaculous family.
16
17 ==== Unobtrusive Javascript in ERPrototaculous ====
18
19 Unobtrusive javascript is used in contrast to on-demand style of ajax programming.
20 By including Javascript as well as CSS globally in the page wrapper, CSS and Javascript don't have to load inside each and every ajax requests.
21 This keeps the ajax responses compact and granular.
22
23 The result is **faster** and more **reliable** ajax in WebObjects.
24
25 ==== Prototype WebObjects Elements ====
26
27 ##Ajax.Updater## and ##Ajax.Request## have been implemented as WebObjects dynamic elements.
28
29 ===== Ajax.Updater =====
30
31 Support for Prototype's [[Ajax.Updater>>http://www.prototypejs.org/api/ajax/updater]] is in the form of three components:
32
33 * AjaxUpdaterLink
34 * AjaxUpdaterButton
35 * AjaxUpdaterForm (with ##onsubmit## for ajax form submission)
36
37 These components will update a **container** on the page.
38
39 ===== Ajax.Request =====
40
41 Prototype's [[Ajax.Request>>http://www.prototypejs.org/api/ajax/request]] is in the form of:
42
43 * AjaxRequestLink
44 * AjaxRequestButton
45
46 These are used for strictly **background** ajax communication.
47
48 ==== Prototype + Scriptaculous Widgets ====
49
50 * Accordion
51 * LightWindow
52 * ModalBox
53 * CalendarDateSelect
54 * FileUpload
55
56 == Forms in ERPrototaculous ==
57
58 Differences from using forms in WebObjects. i.e ##WOForm##:
59
60 1. All form controls must be named. This includes text fields, selects and buttons.
61 (WebObjects dynamically assigned names are not compatible with ERPrototaculous).
62 1. All forms in an ERPrototaculous app are instances of ##AjaxUpdaterForm##.
63 1. Form submits can be the form of a:
64
65 *
66 ** Static ##<button>##.
67 ** WOSubmitButton (if the result is to update whole page/app).
68 ** AjaxUpdaterButton (to update a **container**). Or
69 ** AjaxRequestButton (for a **background** ajax request).
70
71 == Ajax Page Caching in ERPrototaculous ==
72
73 One notable difference in the ERPrototaculous and Ajax.framework is in the ajax responses.
74 ERPrototaculous updates and actions break with "The WebObjects Way" by being pseudo-stateless.
75
76 Instead of returning a fresh response, an ajax update or action is in fact the same instance.
77
78 The reason returning a fresh response is not necessary is because a client never travels back or forwards through an ajax application unlike in a typical WebObjects app.
79 Here the current state of the update or action is all that is necessary.