[osflash] Architecture of reusable modules with different view perproject

[João Saleiro]

Iman,
>
>
> If you post this question to the www.oodforum.com 
> <http://www.oodforum.com> with more information and an example I will 
> try to give you a more exact solution.
>

what if I post more information here on osflash, will you give me a more 
exact solution? :)

I am setting up an ecosystem for building several large-scale enterprise 
RIAs. Each RIA can be composed by one or several Modules. I am not 
worried right now with having different SWF's (aka Flex Modules), but 
with encapsulating modules for reusability and maintainability.
Each module is responsible for a part of the application. For example, 
managing registered users. So a module can add users, remove, update, etc.
Each module has it's own MVC architecture, so I needed a multi-core 
framework to solve the problem of having multiple singletons.
I can have different teams working on a different module, and testing it 
without depending on the application.

Normally these modules are never the same between projects. There are 
always slight differences between businesses so it's hard to reuse a 
full module (in another words, import the module from a shared library 
path and use it as it is)

But there are also modules that are always the same between projects. 
For example, our LocaleManager that allows the user to add new languages 
to the RIA and create custom localizations. So we have for example our 
application on the package com.application  and the module on the 
package pt.webfuel.modules.locale .

Until this point everything's fine. The problem starts when we want to 
reuse the module on different projects, but the view is different on 
each project. The behaviour (controller) is the same , the proxys and 
VO's are the same (model), but the view is different.
The solution I come with involves keeping the MC parts of MVC on the 
module, and making the V (components+mediators) part on the application, 
allowing it to inject the view on the module. My module implements an 
IViewReceiver so it has a method injectView(mediator:Mediator).This 
method will register the view on the ApplicationFacade of the module.
If I want to use the same view on several projects, I also can. I just 
need to put the view on the package of the module, and the application 
just injects that specific view.

This way I can reuse modules between projects, but with completey 
different views. What's shared is the data (model) and behaviour 
(controller).

Of course, the application needs to know the "core" of the module (the 
framework) since it's the application that has the implementation of the 
mediator of the module's view. I don't see a problem there. Also, the 
module knows nothing about the application, so it's also fine to me. The 
thing is that:

    * This is just my solution, that isn't fully implemented so I
      haven't tested on a real situation;
    * This is probably a common problem... and normally for common
      problems there are common solutions. Is there other solutions?

BTW, for those who don't know PureMVC, one of the best things of the 
framework is that the views are 100% independent of the framework. There 
are also some other "details" I like (multicore, being platform 
independent, simple structure), but I still haven't tested it fully on a 
production project. If there is interest, after I get better with 
PureMVC I can make a review from the point of view of an old 
ARP/Cairngorm addict. :o)

Thanks,

João Saleiro
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