Every day I use ColdFusion Builder I like it a bit more. Last night I built out a new extension. Before I describe how it works, let me demonstrate with a video (and once again I apologize for the size - my 30 inch monitor spoils me):
This extension demonstrates how you can hook into the "New Project" action of CFB. In this case I added support for generating a "skeleton" application for Framework One. FW/1 doesn't ship with a skeleton application in the zip. I've logged a request for it - but honestly, with FW/1 having such a small amount of absolutely necessary files, it may not make sense. However - there are some things that I think a typical FW/1 application will need - hence the need for the extension. So what does the code look like? First, here is the XML for my ide_config.xml:
<menucontributions> </menucontributions> <events>
<event type="onprojectcreate" handlerid="projectcreate" />
</events> <handlers>
<handler id="projectcreate" type="CFM" filename="projectcreate.cfm" />
</handlers> </application>
<application>
<name>FW/1 Assistant</name>
<author>Raymond Camden</author>
<version>0</version>
<email>ray@camdenfamily.com</email>
<description>intro.html</description>
<license>license.html</license>
As you can see it has one event defined - projectcreate - that then links to my handler. The handler is pretty simple as well:
<cfset xmldoc = XMLParse(ideeventinfo)> <cfset project=xmldoc.event.ide.eventinfo.xmlattributes["projectname"]>
<cfset projectloc=xmldoc.event.ide.eventinfo.xmlattributes["projectlocation"]> <!---
Create the following folders
/controllers
/layouts
/services
/views
/views/main Create the following files:
/Application.cfc
/index.cfm
/views/main/default.cfm
---> <cfdirectory action="create" directory="#projectloc#/controllers">
<cfdirectory action="create" directory="#projectloc#/layouts">
<cfdirectory action="create" directory="#projectloc#/services">
<cfdirectory action="create" directory="#projectloc#/views">
<cfdirectory action="create" directory="#projectloc#/views/main"> <!--- copy my _App.cfc (named so as to not be a real app.cfc) --->
<cffile action="copy" source="#expandPath('./files/_App.cfc')#" destination="#projectloc#/Application.cfc"> <!--- copy my index.cfm --->
<!--- FYI, yes, index.cfm is blank, so why bother using a file at all? Well, if in the future stuff goes in there, this will be a bit more future proof. That's my logic for now. --->
<cffile action="copy" source="#expandPath('./files/index.cfm')#" destination="#projectloc#/index.cfm"> <cffile action="copy" source="#expandPath('./files/default.cfm')#" destination="#projectloc#/views/main/default.cfm">
<cfparam name="ideeventinfo">
Basically the extension simply makes a few folders and copies three 'template' files over into the new project.
I'm not sure if I'll release this as a proper RIAForge project. I'd like to hear what other FW/1 users think and see if they have ideas on how to expand it. (And yes, I'm also supposed to be working on the Model-Glue CFB extension - sorry - I get distracted easily by shiny objects.) I've included a zip to this entry. Enjoy.
Archived Comments
I, for one, would love to see this in RIAForge. I'm just now getting into FW/1, so this would be a time-saver.
This could be extended over time, so thumbs up for riaforge.
I think skeletons are useful no matter what type of framework that you're using. It always gives you a clean slate to start with and helps speed up development. I would also love to see this in RIAForge.
I always wondered how I could use the project create event, great example!
Great example.
This post is ALSO cool cause it mentions FW/1, and FW/1 ROCKS!
I like it...of course if you cf9 at a remote server, you have to create it locally, then copy it to your cf9 server...it beats remembering all the folders and files.
I was wondering why you did not include the org/framework.cfc folder into your install?
Did you not do this because that folder should be created outside your framework and just extend to it?
thanks for this CFB extension.
FW/1 is the first framework I have seriously worked with. I picked it because I got in on the ground floor and am learning along with everyone else.
Honestly Ray, this extension will help me use FW/1 more, which I view as good.
@Dan: I made the assumption that you had already "installed" the FW/1 framework (I hate to say install when its all of one file ;).