COAL updater
Bill Rawlinson
I finally kicked myself enough to get interested in helping out a CF
community project. So I spoke with Ryan tonight (via email) a bit
about an idea I have that borrows from PEAR (php) and GEM (ruby).
PEAR and GEM are kind of like their languages respective COAL
implementations - just alot more mature.
Both of them have some facilities for grabbing components that you
haven't' downloaded yet, updating components you do have, and even
updating the "framework" itself. I would like to see this type of
functionality added to COAL and so this is how I have offered to help
COAL - at least initially.
Now, before you ask, why not just work on creating components..that's
what COAL needs now more than anything. Well, 2 reasons really. 1. I
don't have any components in mind currently. 2. This mechanism will
help people use COAL and get to the components that are already
available; hopefully in an easier fashion than what is currently
necessary (downloading all of COAL).
So here is the basic outline of what I'm thinking of.
I. Add a very minimal UI to COAL
a. why? well there is no command line interface to CF and I don't
want users to have to roll their own in order to use the functionality
I'm proposing.
b. what? an interface to browse the COAL "repository" and fetch the
desired files. Secondly an interface to submit new components for
review to COAL. The first (browsing) is what I consider to be of
higher priority.
II. COAL Browser
a. lets you browse either the main COAL server or a mirror(s)? to see
what COAL has to offer. You need to have a version of COAL already
installed to use this obviously.
b. the browser shows you any components you don't have yet AND those
you do have but that have updates available to them.
c. lets you select components (either core COAL components, or the
services COAL exposes) to download and install within your COAL
framework instance.
i. this could be done in a variety of ways including a simple
CFHTTP that pulls down a dynamically created zip file from the COAL
Repository that is then extracted and its contents placed into the
correct locations.
III. COAL Submitter
a. lets you submit a new or revised component to the COAL server
(probably not a mirror for this) for review and potential inclusion
into the COAL repository.
IV. COAL Repository Server
a. provides some services that will return listings of 1. new
components 2. updated components.
b. provides a service for distributing the component(s) to the COAL
Browser
i. as per II.C.i - perhaps zips the components up maintaining
their folder structure and sends the zip file down to the client for
extraction/updating.
c. provides a service for submitting a component(s) to the COAL
Repository
i. notifies a person(s) that the component has been submitted for
review.
So, consider this message an offer for thoughts, critiques, criticisms,
consideration, and a catalyst for discussion. I hope to hear from you!
Bill
Ryan Guill
is the facility for submitting contributions to COAL. I think I would
want them to go to the COAL website directly for this. Were also
going to have to get a group of people together that will be
responsible for testing and adding them to COAL.
But im really interested in seeing everyone elses thoughts towards this.
Ryan Guill
BlueEyesDevelopment
ryan...@gmail.com
www.ryanguill.com
(270) 217.2399
got google talk? Chat me at ryan...@gmail.com
The Coldfusion Open Application Library - COAL - http://coal.ryanguill.com
www.ryanguill.com/
The Roman Empire: www.ryanguill.com/blog/