High-Scale Enterprise OSFlash Projects

High-Scale Enterprise OSFlash Projects Carlos Rovira

Enterprise ITC: Today • Traditional web development based mainly in Java (J2EE) and web thin clients (DHTML). • Enterprise demands Web Applications with rich features: RIA. • RIAs must maintain the reach of Web Apps. • They want all kind of new rich new features to interact with : • Dynamic charts • Diagram workflows • Drag’n drop data • Mouse driven application workflow vs keyboard • …

Flash Platform: The Promised Land Flex • PROS: *Ideal* Workflow. *dream* framework. • CONS: Very Expensive (Maybe in 2006?). Flash Authoring Tool • PROS: Produces what we’re looking for… • CONS: • Very dificult adoption by ITC departments(workflow and skills requiered are very diferent). • Slow Compilation as project increases its size. • …and what about AJAX???

The Open Source Flash *necesity* • Open Source is a *necesity* for Flash technology to get mass adoption.It provides: • Other ways to produce SWF (and AS code). • A wide number of developers that supports the platform (they share codebase, create base projects,…) • Technology Recognition -> Enterprise Investment. • OS can be free of commercial dependendies or support/complement commercial tools or packages

Introducing OSFlash In The Big Enterprise • Our Project: • Hybrid: About 90% Open Source. • Flash IDE still there -> MM v2 Components dependency. • Flash Remoting classes -> Free but not OS. • Very Big Project. • More than 12 modules • More than 100 EJBs • Code: • AS: More than 5200 lines • Java: More than 19500 lines • Time / Person : about 22 Month / Man

OSFlash Production Tools • Eclipse IDE Platform. • Base enviroment. Provides the functionality to develop a software project within a team. • Manages all parts and technologies in a project. • ASDT(ActionScript Development Tool) • Eclipse based plugin similar to JDT(Java Development Tool). • Provides great productivity while coding. (Still in Alpha, but very usable tool) • MTASC • AS2.0 Open Source Compiler. • Very Fast -> Key piece in the OSFlash effort.

OSFLASH Software Packages • ARP – RIA Architectural Framework with some Cairngorm patchs. • OpenAMF – Flash Remoting Open Source J2EE Alternative. • Integration Tier within our Flash Clients and the enterprise services (mainly EJBs). • AnimationPackage.(for shape drawing support) • Some v2 Custom Extensions, Skinning, Managers and Components (CursorManager, Floater, ToolBar,…).

J2EE OS Tools and Software Packages • JOnAS – Open Source J2EE Certified Application Server. • JOPE – JOnAS Plugin for Eclipse. • App Server Log and Controls(start/stop) from within Eclipse IDE. • EJB Persistence Tier. • Change RDBMS easily. • Application could be plug in a system running Oracle, or MySQL, or any other RDBMS. • Xdoclet (For EJB stub autocreation) • Provides Great Productivity Boost. • EJB Stubs and Skeletons generation.

Not Open Source Tools COMMERCIAL • Flash Authoring Tool • Easy way to manage all Application Art • Remember: Maintain Compatibility with MMC. • Macromedia v2 component framework. • Two serious problems: • Very buggy and bad documented. • Need Layout tools. FREE • Remoting Classes • Free, Not comercial but not OS. • MX EventDispatcher Dependency.

Flash/J2EE Application Architecture Flash Client JOnAS J2EE App Server Servlet Container Flash Client OpenAMF GateWay Custom Servlets Flash Client Flash Client EJB Container Application Bussines Logic EJB Facades EJB EJB EJB EJB Interaction with other Enterprise Systems File System /Repository Mail System RDBMS LDAP

Development • Automatize tasks with ANT scripts. • Eclipse Development Centralization • ASDT • Test View : SWFViewer • Client Log : AS Logger • JOPE • Start /Stop Server • Server Log: JOPE Console • EAR Creation and deployment : Eclipse ANT • Team • Eclipse CVS (or SVN with subeclipse plugin) • One person maintains the FLA. • Rest of the team develops classes

Client Best Practices • Flash IDE create initial SWF (v2 Comp) • Create final compilation with MTASC (-out) • Always Maintain compatibility with Flash IDE. • If possible better maintain only one SWF. • All classes, assets, and Componets in one SWF that preloads itself. • Special case: Import v2 ProgressBar from a SWF if you don’t want to break your SWF in Flash IDE. • Log with ASLogger View. • But REMOVE Log dependency when deploy to a Browser!!! • Production problems (dificult to trace). • Better use “–trace no” for production deployment • Always Functionality first • Let effects and transitions to the end.

Client Performance • Without a good architecture you could run into problems as soon as your application increases its size. • Don’t try to load all views/form at once • Break forms in small sub forms to create/destroy instances without creation delay penalty. • Avoid complicated v2 cell renderers. • Try NOT to do too much component nesting • Server side communication: • Use Commands (in ARP) to match use-cases. • Group data on Commands - VOs – • …and group calls. Try to make only on server side call per use case. • Delegate data calculations to the backend and send results as simple as possible to update UI.

Remoting Security and Performance • Use named services in OpenAMF to improve security. • Instead of DefaultGateway Servlet use AdvancedGateway to improve performance. • OpenAMF don’t need to *search* for the service

Open Source Benefits • Better productivity: • Client: MTASC • Server: XDoclet • Code control: • Customize • Help Fix Bugs • Community support • through mailing lists, wiki, blogs, … • OSFlash projects (ARP, AnimationPackage,…) • Better team workflow: • Eclipse/CVS • Benefits to our project: • Client satisfaction: • Better user experience • Improved application user workFlow • Makes his work more easy than old web apps

We’re Looking Forward… • Robust OS Application Component framework • ActionStep – ASWing – EnFlash - ¿? • SWFMill • More optimization needed. • Don’t allow duplicate assets,… • Decrease file size. • Remoting AS2.0 classes OS port

Carlos Rovira carlos.rovira@gmail.com http://www.carlosrovira.com

High-Scale Enterprise OSFlash Projects