From 0a481b1e53119da45c774874808f65821c2101aa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mike Taylor Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 13:23:12 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] First bits of the developer guide. --- doc/mkws-developer.txt | 45 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 45 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/mkws-developer.txt diff --git a/doc/mkws-developer.txt b/doc/mkws-developer.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ec3ab7e --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/mkws-developer.txt @@ -0,0 +1,45 @@ +Development with MKWS consists primarily of defining new types of +widgets. These can interact with the core functionality is several +defined ways. + +You cleare a new widget ttpe this by calling the +mkws.registerWidgetType function, passing in the widget name and a +function. The name is used to recognise HTML elements as being widgets +of this type -- for example, if you register a "Foo" widget, elements +like
will be widgets of this type. + +The function promotes a bare widget object (passed as `this') into a +widget of the appropriate type. MKWS doesn't use classes or explicit +prototypes: it just makes objects that have the necessary +behaviours. Widgets have *no* behaviours that they have to provide: +you can make a doesn't-do-anything-at-all widget if you like: + + mkws.registerWidgetType('Sluggard', function() {}); + +More commonly, widgets will subscribe to one or more events, so that +they're notified when something interesting happens. For example, the +"Log" widget asks to be notified when a "log" event happens, and +appends the logged message to its node, as follows: + + mkws.registerWidgetType('Log', function() { + var that = this; + + this.team.queue("log").subscribe(function(teamName, timestamp, message) { + $(that.node).append(teamName + ": " + timestamp + message + "
"); + }); + }); + +This simple widget illustrates several important points: + +* The base widget object (`this') has several baked-in properties and + methods that are available to individual widgets. These include + this.team (the team that this widget is a part of) and this.node + (the DOM element of the widget). + +* The team object (`this.team') also has baked-in properties and + methods. These include the queue function, which takes an event-name + as its argument. It's possible to subscribe to an event's queue + using this.team.queue("EVENT").subscribe. The argument is a function + which is called whenever the event is published. The arguments to + the function are different for different events. + -- 1.7.10.4