Laszlo in Action

Laszlo in Action......Page 1
brief contents......Page 8
contents......Page 10
preface......Page 20
acknowledgments......Page 22
about this book......Page 24
Roadmap......Page 25
Code downloads......Page 27
Author Online......Page 28
about the title......Page 29
about the cover illustration......Page 30
The basics......Page 32
Turbocharging web technology......Page 34
1.1 Laszlo is for designing and building RIAs......Page 36
1.1.2 Discovering Laszlo: a developer’s tale......Page 37
1.1.3 A bit of history......Page 41
1.1.4 OpenLaszlo: open source and available to all......Page 42
1.2 A first taste of Laszlo LZX......Page 43
1.2.1 Animating “Hello Laszlo”......Page 44
1.3.1 Server mode......Page 45
1.3.2 Stand-alone mode......Page 46
1.4 Summary......Page 47
The declarative world of LZX......Page 48
2.1 Architectural support......Page 49
2.1.1 Laszlo’s three-tiered structure......Page 51
2.1.2 Interfacing Laszlo to a web server......Page 53
2.1.3 Publisher-subscriber communications......Page 54
2.1.4 Combining inheritance models......Page 55
2.2.1 The LzNode class......Page 57
2.2.2 The LzView class......Page 58
2.2.3 Defining classes in LZX......Page 59
2.3 The fundamentals of tags......Page 61
2.3.1 Hierarchical addressing......Page 62
2.3.2 Parent-child attribute propagation......Page 65
2.3.3 Flat tag hierarchies......Page 67
2.3.4 Built-in event handling......Page 68
2.3.5 Event handling with constraints......Page 70
2.3.6 Animating declarative tags......Page 71
2.3.7 Binding tags to XML data......Page 74
2.4 Summary......Page 77
Core LZX language rules......Page 79
3.1.1 Debugging......Page 81
3.1.2 Commenting your code......Page 84
3.1.3 Well-formed XML files......Page 85
3.2.1 Naming objects declaratively......Page 86
3.2.2 Creating nodes dynamically with JavaScript......Page 88
3.2.3 The subnodes array......Page 90
3.3 Storing values in attributes......Page 91
3.3.1 Attribute types......Page 92
3.3.2 JavaScript type expressions......Page 95
3.4.1 Writing methods......Page 97
3.4.2 Writing event-handler methods......Page 100
3.5.1 The basics of constraints......Page 104
3.5.2 The once modifier......Page 105
3.6 JavaScript and the script tag......Page 107
3.7 Summary......Page 108
A grand tour of views and user classes......Page 109
4.1 Introducing the basic features of views......Page 111
4.1.1 Controlling view visibility......Page 112
4.1.2 Controlling visibility with animation......Page 115
4.1.3 Animating with rotations......Page 117
4.1.4 Adding multimedia resources......Page 119
4.1.6 Controlling the cursor......Page 128
4.2 Interacting with a view......Page 129
4.2.1 Receiving user events......Page 130
4.3 Locating views......Page 133
4.3.1 Locating absolute and relative screen position......Page 134
4.3.2 Locating a view......Page 135
4.4 Instantiating LFC-based objects......Page 137
4.5 User-defined classes......Page 138
4.5.1 Overriding a method in a subclass......Page 139
4.5.2 Using the classroot qualifier with classes......Page 140
4.5.3 Instantiating LZX-based objects......Page 142
4.6 Summary......Page 143
Designing the Laszlo Market......Page 145
5.1 Prototyping our application......Page 146
5.1.1 Creating wireframes......Page 147
5.1.2 Storyboard transitions......Page 149
5.2 Coding the prototype......Page 150
5.2.1 The window as a prototyping tool......Page 153
5.2.2 Organizing with libraries......Page 155
5.3.1 Sliding a virtual screen......Page 156
5.3.2 Stacking pages......Page 157
5.4 Central control of screen display......Page 160
5.4.1 Designing the screen transitions......Page 163
5.4.2 Triggering screen transitions......Page 165
5.5.1 Replacing the animator......Page 168
5.6 Testing with LzUnit......Page 170
5.6.1 Unit testing with LzUnit......Page 171
5.6.2 Testing the Laszlo Market......Page 172
5.6.3 Testing from a URL query string......Page 174
5.7 Putting it all together......Page 175
5.8 Summary......Page 178
Prototyping the Laszlo Market......Page 180
Laying out the Laszlo Market......Page 182
6.1 Common layout problems......Page 183
6.1.1 Basic layouts......Page 185
6.1.2 Stretchable layouts......Page 191
6.1.3 Dynamic layout modifiers......Page 193
6.1.4 Opting out of layouts......Page 195
6.2.2 Building an aircraft formation layout......Page 196
6.3.1 Labeled input fields......Page 198
6.3.3 Identifying class type with instanceof......Page 200
6.4 Summary......Page 202
Introducing Laszlo components......Page 203
7.1 Base component classes......Page 204
7.1.1 Controlling focus......Page 205
7.1.2 Working with data components......Page 208
7.2 Building a multipage window......Page 209
7.2.1 Coding the Shipping Information page......Page 210
7.2.2 Controlling placement issues......Page 212
7.2.3 Creating the Shipping Address pane......Page 214
7.3 Validating input fields......Page 216
7.3.1 Using validators......Page 217
7.3.2 Creating a new validator......Page 218
7.3.3 Creating the Shipping Method pane......Page 220
7.3.4 Implementing the Billing Information page......Page 222
7.3.5 Coding the Billing Method wireframe......Page 224
7.3.6 Coordinating multiple pages......Page 225
7.3.7 Form validation......Page 228
7.4 Summary......Page 229
Dynamic behavior of events and delegates......Page 230
8.1 Exploring event-handler and constraint operation......Page 231
8.1.1 How event handling and constraints work......Page 232
8.1.2 Working with events......Page 233
8.1.3 Working with delegates......Page 237
8.2.1 Taking a delegate-centric perspective......Page 240
8.2.2 Taking an event-centric perspective......Page 243
8.3 Using delegates with layouts......Page 244
8.4 Dynamically adding attributes......Page 247
8.5 Handling complex behavior with attribute setters......Page 248
8.6 Summary......Page 250
Using Laszlo services......Page 251
9.1 Overview of services......Page 252
9.2.1 Calling a service method......Page 254
9.2.3 Receiving service events through declarative references......Page 255
9.3 Building a stopwatch......Page 256
9.4 Demonstrating services with a login window example......Page 258
9.4.1 Controlling the mouse cursor......Page 261
9.4.2 Sequencing windows with LzModeManager......Page 263
9.4.3 Capturing keyboard input with LzKeys......Page 267
9.5.1 Detecting local and global mouse events......Page 269
9.5.2 Generating continuous tracking with LzIdle......Page 270
9.5.3 Advanced drag-and-drop with LzTrack......Page 273
9.6 Summary......Page 278
Laszlo datasets......Page 280
Working with XML datasets......Page 282
10.1 Introducing XML-based datasets......Page 283
10.1.1 Exploring XML elements......Page 284
10.1.2 Using XPath to select data elements......Page 286
10.1.3 Binding declarative tags to XML elements......Page 288
10.1.5 The $path{} constraint notation......Page 290
10.1.6 Updating a dataset......Page 291
10.1.7 Handling ontext events......Page 293
10.1.8 Updating with the applyData method......Page 294
10.2 Matching multiple data elements......Page 295
10.3.1 Simple sorting......Page 299
10.3.2 Custom sorting......Page 300
10.4 Prototyping datasets for the Laszlo Market......Page 302
10.4.1 Designing a dataset......Page 303
10.4.2 Resizing images using aspect ratio......Page 305
10.5.1 Using grids......Page 307
10.5.2 Processing a user selection......Page 309
10.6 Summary......Page 310
Using dynamic dataset bindings......Page 312
11.1 Linking data nodes and data pointers......Page 313
11.2 The LzDataNode classes......Page 314
11.2.1 The abstract LzDataNode superclass......Page 315
11.2.2 Building datasets with LzDataElements......Page 316
11.2.3 Core methods of LzDataElement......Page 318
11.2.4 Working with LzDataText text nodes......Page 321
11.2.5 Building XML structures with power tools......Page 323
11.3 Navigating with LzDatapointer and LzDatapath......Page 325
11.3.2 Accessing data and text nodes......Page 326
11.3.3 Navigating a dataset......Page 329
11.3.4 Creating and modifying datasets......Page 331
11.3.5 Working with the datapath tag......Page 334
11.3.6 Converting between data pointers and data nodes......Page 335
11.3.7 Checking updates with rerunxpath......Page 337
11.4 Advanced replication manager issues......Page 339
11.4.1 Filtering with onnodes......Page 342
11.4.2 Checking clone instantiation with onclones......Page 343
11.5 Master-detail design pattern......Page 344
11.5.1 Implementing master-detail in Laszlo Market......Page 345
11.5.2 When to use a static layout......Page 347
11.6 Summary......Page 348
Scoreboarding the shopping cart......Page 350
12.1 How a scoreboard works......Page 352
12.2.1 Creating the title header......Page 353
12.2.2 Populating a table row......Page 354
12.2.3 Sorting table columns......Page 355
12.2.4 Basics of a scrollbar......Page 356
12.2.5 Creating a selection manager......Page 360
12.3 Building the scoreboarding shopping cart......Page 364
12.3.1 Designing the Shopping Cart window......Page 365
12.3.2 Implementing scoreboarding techniques......Page 367
12.3.4 Building the shopping cart......Page 368
12.3.5 Manually updating the quantity field......Page 371
12.3.6 Supporting drag-and-drop......Page 372
12.3.7 Supporting the right mouse button......Page 377
12.4 Summary......Page 380
Integrating DHTML and Flash......Page 382
Enhancing the user experience......Page 384
13.1.1 Using Laszlo’s default splash screen......Page 385
13.2 Building resizable buttons......Page 386
13.2.2 Building resizable buttons......Page 387
13.2.3 Building multistate buttons......Page 389
13.2.4 Building resizable nine-piece panes......Page 393
13.3 Modal windows and button interactivity......Page 395
13.4 Basics of animation......Page 398
13.4.1 Selling visual illusions......Page 399
13.4.2 Using animators and animatorgroups......Page 400
13.5 Complex animated effects......Page 402
13.5.1 Simulating a squashed ball......Page 403
13.5.2 Interactive animation......Page 405
13.5.3 Using delay for expressive purposes......Page 408
13.5.4 Animating the Market trashcan......Page 412
13.6 Summary......Page 414
Branding an application......Page 416
14.1 Creating an application-specific look......Page 417
14.1.2 Font differences......Page 419
14.1.3 Selecting a font......Page 420
14.1.4 Choosing between DHTML and Flash implementations......Page 424
14.2 Branding with custom components......Page 425
14.2.1 Customizing the tabelement component......Page 426
14.2.2 Creating a custom scrollbar......Page 429
14.3 Summary......Page 434
Integrating DHTML and Flash......Page 435
15.1 Advantages of a hybrid approach......Page 436
15.2.1 Embedding Laszlo applications in HTML......Page 437
15.2.2 Examining HTML files created by Laszlo......Page 439
15.2.3 Embedding Laszlo applications in HTML......Page 441
15.2.4 Creating default web pages......Page 443
15.3 Intermixing DHTML and Flash applications......Page 444
15.3.1 Controlling Laszlo output placement in HTML......Page 447
15.3.2 Building a search engine-accessible application......Page 449
15.4 Calling browser JavaScript from Laszlo......Page 451
15.5.2 Accessing Flash ActionScript objects......Page 453
15.6 Embedding HTML in Laszlo......Page 454
15.7.1 Using streaming media......Page 457
15.7.2 Using the Red5 server......Page 458
15.7.3 Interfacing Laszlo to a Red5 server......Page 459
15.7.4 Adding video to the Laszlo Market......Page 460
15.8 Summary......Page 464
Server and optimization issues......Page 466
Networked data sources......Page 468
16.1 Interfacing to web servers......Page 470
16.1.1 Using datasets with HTTP......Page 471
16.1.2 Buffered HTTP datasets......Page 475
16.1.3 Pooling buffering datasets......Page 476
16.1.4 Building a data service......Page 477
16.2.1 Building a sessioned shopping cart......Page 482
16.2.2 Deleting from the shopping cart......Page 486
16.3 Maintaining server domains......Page 488
16.4 Summary......Page 489
Managing large datasets......Page 490
17.1 Processing with alternative filters......Page 491
17.1.1 The setNodes backdoor......Page 492
17.1.2 Multikey sorting with setNodes......Page 493
17.1.3 Merging and mapping datasets......Page 494
17.2.1 Lazy replication......Page 497
17.2.2 Handling expansible listings......Page 500
17.2.3 Expandable displays in the Laszlo Market......Page 501
17.2.4 Pooling......Page 504
17.3 Paging datasets for long listings......Page 506
17.3.1 Adding paged datasets to the Market......Page 508
17.4 Summary......Page 514
Laszlo system optimization......Page 515
18.1 Dynamically loading optional elements......Page 516
18.1.1 Importing dynamic libraries......Page 517
18.1.2 Loading optional elements with dynamic libraries......Page 518
18.2.1 Instantiating objects......Page 521
18.2.2 Manipulating instantiation with initstage......Page 522
18.2.3 Controlling initialization through initstage......Page 524
18.3 Reducing the Market’s startup time......Page 527
18.3.1 Redistributing the Market’s initialization......Page 528
18.3.2 Dynamically loading noncritical elements......Page 529
18.4.1 Measuring time with getTime......Page 531
18.4.2 Building a simple timing framework......Page 532
18.4.3 Using the Laszlo performance utilities......Page 533
18.4.4 Using the developer console......Page 534
18.5 Summary......Page 535
A......Page 536
B......Page 537
C......Page 538
D......Page 539
E......Page 540
F......Page 541
I......Page 542
L......Page 543
M......Page 546
O......Page 547
R......Page 548
S......Page 549
T......Page 551
W......Page 552
Z......Page 553