[Zope] Announce: WiFLZ Simple Widget Framework for Zope

Andrew Kenneth Milton akm@mail.theinternet.com.au
Sun, 23 Jul 2000 17:21:30 +1000 (EST)


Greetings once again,

This is the start of the Widget Framework for Zope.

http://www.zope.org/Members/TheJester/WiFLZ/

It's an attempt at building something for re-use slightly more cohesive
than methods and documents, and slightly less cohesive than Products and
ZClasses.

README Excerpt:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
WiFLZ is a dtml widget framework for Zope. If you are a programmer, you
will probably hate it. It's not called ZWiFL because I was sick of things
starting with Z d8)


Summary
=======

o Widgets consist of; 
   - header, body, and footer dtml,
   - optional arguments for the dtml template,
   - sql query,
   - optional arguments for the sql template, and
   - description field for built-in 'help' facility.

o Widgets can be tested from the management interface.
o Widgets can be ZODB backed, DB backed, or both.
o Widgets can be optionally rendered to a DB effectively caching widget 
  states, which is useful for slow changing, or time consuming things such
  as reports.
o Cached Widgets have a configurable TTL.
o DB Backed widgets can be grouped into different libraries, and
  can be called from specific libraries allowing test widgets to be setup
  without compromising production widgets.
o DB Backed widgets can be edited from any Zope installation with access
  to the DB.


Purpose
=======

This is part of a broader system for site design still under development.

Zope currently lacks a mid level 'reuse' facility, reuse is limited to
very fine grained (individual methods, and documents), or very coarse grained
(products) elements.

Content managers also like to be able to 'build' components that can be
used in different parts of the site, and they like to be able to 'hold'
those components.

This system does not remove the ability to have fine grained reuse, as
all of the dtml stored is resolved, so any methods you have developed can
be used in a widget (e.g. incorporating ZBabel translations into widgets).

-- 
Totally Holistic Enterprises Internet|  P:+61 7 3870 0066   | Andrew Milton
The Internet (Aust) Pty Ltd          |  F:+61 7 3870 4477   | 
ACN: 082 081 472 ABN: 83 082 081 472 |  M:+61 416 022 411   | Carpe Daemon
PO Box 837 Indooroopilly QLD 4068    |akm@theinternet.com.au|