====== Postnuke 0.8x / AMFPHP 1.9 beta ======

{{tag>documentation amfphp postnuke}}

This version of Postnuke has a strong separation of GUI and API, utilizing the [[http://smarty.php.net/|SMARTY Templating]] system. Providing a secure environment, easily developable, and written in PHP gives Postnuke an edge missing from alot of other CMS's out there. But being easily adjustable like it is makes for a system that you can make your own, as this conversion process is attempting to do.

===== Conversion =====

Converting AmfPHP to AmfPN should not be that difficult of a process. The most important things to think about here are the facts that:

  - Postnuke handles ALL database calls. So technically, we just need amfphp to handle the amf-conversions for us. Most of our calls are going to be converted to simple module function calls which will return simple strings and numbers.
  - Postnuke has an onboard class management system introduced in 0.8x that SHOULD allow us to just make a class call to AmfPHP and since we are placing the class in teh correct folder, Postnuke will take care of the includes/requires as needed.
  - Postnuke handles the security for us MOSTLY, we do need to have a closer look at the security that AMFPHP uses and see what we should keep ( AMF-side security ) versus what we can ignore ( Server side security such as MySql injection protection ).

==== Step 1: Install ====

The first thing I have done is install Postnuke 0.8x.

My thoughts are that I need to get AMFPHP working from within a running install of PN, and I am going to do ANY and ALL File Conversions from within that environment. This way I can babystep my adjustments. Change this... test. Change that... test. And when I hit a problem, I just have to step back a step and re-do.

My first BIG goal is to get the Hello World program to return SOMETHING from the Postnuke Environment. I don't really care what. I think that getting the PN Environment to interact with this program is just going to be too cool!

Thats all for now... forgive the blog'ishness of these Wiki entries. I will clean it all up once I get this thing done!

==== Step 2: Root Files ====

Alright. We have gone somewhere! I am a LITTLE elated.

Ok. I moved the amfphp directory INTO Postnuke. I decided the best place to do this was under:

root: includes/classes/amfphp

My next step was to create the generic HelloWorld.php file. I went to [[http://www.sephiroth.it/|Sephiroths]] website and grabbed the HelloWorld.php code. And here it is:

<code php>
<?php

include_once AMFPHP_BASE . "shared/util/MethodTable.php";

/**
 * First tutorial class
 */
class HelloWorld {

    /**
     * first simple method
     * @returns a string saying 'Hello World!'
     */
    function sayHello()
    {
		return "Hello World!";
    }

}

?>
</code>

Ok. So far so good.

We have a single method, sayHello. It returns a string. That's all I need for now.

Next, I got to thinking. We want to give Postnuke the reigns of the security, to handle all database calls... etc. So what is the best way of doing this? A new root file! That's right. For the AJAX functionality of Postnuke they created Ajax.php in the root, so I took the liberty of creating an amfph.php file... here are the contents of that file...

<code php>
<?php
/**
 * PostNuke Application Framework
 *
 * @copyright (c) 2001, PostNuke Development Team
 * @link http://www.postnuke.com
 * @version $Id: amfpn.php 04JAN07:1449 randomblink $
 * @license GNU/GPL - http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
 */

// include base api
include 'includes/pnAPI.php';
include 'includes/classes/amfphp/core/amf/app/Gateway.php';

// start PN
pnInit(PN_CORE_ALL & ~PN_CORE_TOOLS & ~PN_CORE_DECODEURLS);

// Check for site closed
if (pnConfigGetVar('siteoff') && !SecurityUtil::checkPermission('Settings::', 'SiteOff::', ACCESS_ADMIN) && !($module == 'Users' && $func == 'siteofflogin')) 
{
    if(SecurityUtil::checkPermission('Users::', '::', ACCESS_OVERVIEW) && pnUserLoggedIn())
	{
        pnUserLogOut();
    }
    
	echo ("Site is currently disabled");
}
	define("PRODUCTION_SERVER", false);

	$amfpn = new Gateway();
	$amfpn->setBaseClassPath('includes/classes/amfphp/services/');
	$amfpn->setLooseMode(true);
	$amfpn->setErrorHandling(E_ALL ^ E_NOTICE);
	$amfpn->setWebServiceHandler('php5');
	$amfpn->setAmf3RecordSetFormat("ArrayCollection");
	
	if(PRODUCTION_SERVER)
	{
		$amfpn->disableTrace();
		$amfpn->disableDebug();
		$amfpn->disableServiceDescription();
	}
	
	include_once('includes/classes/amfphp/advancedsettings.php');
	include_once('includes/classes/amfphp/adaptersettings.php');

	$amfpn->service();

?>
</code>

Basically? I took the Ajax.php file from the root... renamed it. Then I dumped the Ajax utilities and such, keeping the basic necessities.

For those of you familiar with amfphp, you will notice, I removed the $gateway and replaced it with $amfpn. I then had to make adjustments to advancedsettings and adaptersettings, altho I am FAIRLY certain I will be removing those two files completely. Since I believe I can start storing settings and such in some kind of Postnuke variable.

==== Step 3: Service Browser ====

We have our system setup just right now. Everything should TECHNICALLY be working. Let's make sure.

Now since I dumped the entire amfphp directory I included the service browser. For those of you following along? Postnuke has a debug option. You can turn on debug and you get a popup window full of variables for testing and building purposes. I am envisioning a conversion of the service browser to an admin function. With full on Smarty templating and everything. This way module developers can test their Flash/Flex creations during testing with a live system.

BUT for now... let's just make sure everything is working alright.

I pointed my browser to www.MySiteName.com/includes/classes/amfphp/browser and VOILA! It worked like a charm! I tested out my HelloWorld class, everything was just fine.

THEN I went into my HelloWorld.php file and I made a couple minor adjustments. These adjustments are the cause for my excitement right now.

on line 16 you will see:

return "Hello World!";

I replaced this with the following line.

return pnGetBaseURL();

Guess what sayHello returned? That's right! You got it! I got my websites root URL!

SO, my next step will be to build a Custom HelloWorld swf that points to amfpn.php and instantiates an $amfpn and go from there.

Thats all for today!