ADF Development Live from the trenches

1. ADF Development Live from the trenches Aino Andriessen AMIS

2. Aim Share our experience with ADF development • Better ADF development • Prevent problems • Better maintainance • Better applications

3. JDeveloper 10.1.3.3 ADF 10.1.3.41.57 JHS 10.1.23.2.51

4. Software studio • Project Organization • Development

5. Software studio • SCM • Continuous integration • Incident management • OTAP • Quality measurement • Testing • Reporting • Artifact repository

6. SCM • e.g. Subversion • JDev 10.1.3.3 : 1.4.x; before it's 1.3 • JDeveloper extension(s) • Only 1 scm per JDev installation • Limited functionality, but mostly enough • Necessary for correct refactoring of BC's • ! beware of delete and (re)create in 1 'update-commit cycle' • When updating outside JDev, close JDev or make sure that all changes have been saved • Built-in JDev history • very helpful for re-applying post-generation • 'activate' manually the scm connection to include scm history

8. Continuous Integration • build • test • deploy • Scripted • maven / ant • Automated • Continuum • Dedicated environment

9. Unit-testing ↑ code control ↑ code quality ↓development time • TDD improves the testibility of your code • Unit-testing increases your ADF skills • Easy debugging of BC's • Automated execution at continuous integration

10. BC testing • BC tester • JDeveloper JUnit extensions • URL based application module configuration • 'unit-test framework' • application module configuration • authentication • generic functions import oracle.jbo.client.Configuration; ... public void setUp() { _am = Configuration.createRootApplicationModule ("nl.amis.demo.odtug.model.services.HRService" ,"HRServiceLocalURL"); } public void tearDown () { Configuration.releaseRootApplicationModule(_am, true); }

11. What to test • Synchronicity of BC with database • Basic test for all VO's • get<AM>().get<VO>().executeQuery() • VO instance in AM • Data • Custom interface methods • Entity validators • Custom methods on ADF objects • Non-ADF java classes • ...

12. demo

13. Software studio • Project Organization • Development

14. Application organization

15. Test projects

16. Project naming • Use comprehensive names for your project. • The name will normally also be used for the deliverables: • model.jar or viewcontroller.jar is not very informative • but it is good practice to include them in the name

17. Project merge • It's quite easy to merge BC projects • Copy / paste BC's • Add configurations to bc4j.xcfg • Modify bc4j.xcfg - jbo.project option • recompile

18. Project organization • Organize your BC's in directories • Separate the usage of ViewObjects (VO) in separate Application Modules (AM) • Bundle read-only reference VO's in a nested AM • Use Custom baseclasses • Extend AM baseclass from Jhs baseclass

19. Naming conventions • Good names make the project much more comprehensible and maintainable • Stick to your conventions • Apply them asap • or you must perform refactoring later on • Do not use the default sequencenumber suffix that JDeveloper often generates. • e.g. EmployeesVw1 • This will make your life miserable in no time.

20. Examples • Entities • singular • e.g. Employee • Viewobjects • plural • suffix • e.g. EmployeesVw • read-only reference (dropdown, lov) • e.g. EmployeesListVw • indicate the usage • EmployeesByNameVw • Accessors of associations and viewlinks • use plural for list and singular for 1 object • Attributes • Start with capital • Lkp prefix for reference entity and Lkp<entity> for referenced attributes • Trnsnt prefix or suffix for non-database bound attributes • VO instance names • NO number suffix • comprehensible names, especially within hierarchies • e.g. EmployeesByDepartmentVw or JobsListVw

21. Refactoring • Don't be afraid of refactoring • try to be strongly typed • use unittests for verification • spend some time getting familiar • Refactor with scm enabled • JDeveloper does a rather good job... but misses a few spots • rename VO does not update the <am>.get<VO>() method • compile error, manual correction of method in Impl • rename an entity may not correctly update the association • manual correction in entity XML file • Rename VO • The 'api' (AM instance) is not refactored. • Iterator bindings remain valid • Attribute bindings in adf faces pages are not updated

22. JHeadstart refactoring • BC refactoring (AM instance, attribute) only requires a 'refresh' (and regenerate). • Custom code (EL expressions, binding) must be done manually • Rename a group : • Obsolete files : • <oldGroupName>.jspx • <oldGroupName>Table.jspx (in case your group has layout style ‘table-form’.) • <oldGroupName>.pageDef.xml • <oldGroupName>-beans.xml • Obsolete entries : • DataBindings.cpx • web.xml (param-name javax.faces.CONFIG_FILES) • db resourcebundles • Generate and wait with saving to identify the old, not modified, files. • Note that custom templates may contain hard-coded references to the old entries

23. Software studio • Project Organization • Development

24. Development skills • Diverse set of skills • Standard Java and Enterprise Java • Database • ADF • JSF pagelifecycle • HTML / Javascript / css • JHeadstart • Application Server Administration • SOA • Architecture / design • Security • Object Orientation • ... • Know your tool / framework! • When using JHeadstart, make sure you know how to make an ADF application

25. General • Use a 'reference Emp project' for research and trials • JHeadstart solutions • Download SRDemo project • RTFM • Oracle forums • http://radio.weblogs.com/0118231/stories/2004/09/23/notYetDocumentedAdfSampleApplications.html • Do scm project branching to test changes with major impact • http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/jdev/htdocs/partners/addins/exchange/jsf/doc/tagdoc/core/imageIndex.html

26. Logging • Log4J • and Apache Commons Logging • log4j is included with jhs runtime • Do NOT include in deliverable • log4j.properties file on classpath • source path private static Log sLog = LogFactory.getLog(HRServiceImpl.class);

27. Debugging • Project properties -> custom run configuration • -Djbo.debugoutput=console (file) • -Djbo.logging.show.function=true • http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/jdev/tips/muench/debugger/index.html • http://www.oracle.com/webapps/online-help/jdeveloper/10.1.3/state/content/navId.4/navSetId._/vtAnchor.editing/vtTopicFile.adfdevguide%7Cweb_testdebug~htm/

28. Debugging

29. Application Module / Service • Create impl class • direct access to VO's • Custom interface methods • parameters must be serializable • return type must be serializable • throw JboException • Exceptions are caught in the binding framework and cannot be catched in managed bean. try { sendEmailBinding.execute(); } catch (JboException e) { // never ever catched } if (ADFJSFUtils.hasErrors(bindings) { // ... }

30. AM Configuration • Datasource for production • URL for testing • Use exactly the same DB connection • Configure the datasource manually • Do not use the generated ones • Normally do not include them with deployment public static void main(String[] args) { launchTester("nl.amis.demo.odtug.model.services","HRServiceLocalURL"); }

31. Entity Validation • ! No value change : no attribute validation • but entity validation is performed

32. Entity validation • Testing can be quite easy with unit-tests /** * Test that the salary must be lower than 10000 */ public void testSalaryRule () { HRServiceImpl service = getHRService(); EmployeeImpl emp = (EmployeeImpl) createEntity ("nl.amis.demo.odtug.model.entities.Employee"); try { emp.setSalary(new oracle.jbo.domain.Number (11111)); fail(); } catch (Exception e) { assertTrue(true); } emp.setSalary(new oracle.jbo.domain.Number (9999)); emp.setSalary(new oracle.jbo.domain.Number (-1)); emp.setSalary(null); }

33. Views with Instead-of triggers • Refresh after insert / update • DB does not allow returning clause OracleSQLBuilderImpl.doEntityDML(401) BEGIN UPDATE EMPLOYEES Employee SET SALARY=? WHERE EMPLOYEE_ID=? RETURNING PHONE_NUMBER INTO ?; END; public boolean isUseReturningClause() { return false; } OracleSQLBuilderImpl.doEntityDML(401) BEGIN UPDATE EMPLOYEES Employee SET SALARY=? WHERE EMPLOYEE_ID=?; SELECT PHONE_NUMBER INTO ? FROM EMPLOYEES WHERE EMPLOYEE_ID=?; END; Note, that you cannot use this to refresh the DB generated primary key.

34. Sequence based PK • Sequence based • Override entity create(AttributeList) method : • DbSequence • negative temp id that is NOT submitted to the database • Initially easier to use, but the consequences might be more complex • negative temp id, that is not always updated on details : • override entity postChanges() • refactoring to sequence based requires absence of <VO>Impl • scm issues may arise when delete and create in one updatecycle protected void create(AttributeList attributeList) { super.create(attributeList); SequenceImpl seq = new SequenceImpl("EMP_SEQ", getDBTransaction()); setEmployeeId(seq.getSequenceNumber()); }

35. Constants and literals • Minimize the use of literals in EL-expressions • Use contants • as managed bean property with 'getter' • IsXXX transient attribute on VO

36. SetActionListener • The setActionListener tag is a declarative way to allow an action source to set a value before navigation • From and to must be both EL-expressions • even constants, e.g. : from="#{'HelloWorld'}" • oracle.jbo.domain.Number cannot be set as constant • Note execution sequence : • actionListener attribute • setActionListener • action • Can also used to set methodbindings <af:setActionListener from="#{bindings.EmployeesVwEmail.inputValue}" to="#{emailBean.emailTo}"/>

37. Manipulating the model using binding FacesContext ctx = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance(); Application app = ctx.getApplication(); ValueBinding bind = app.createValueBinding("#{bindings}"); BindingContainer bindingContainer = (BindingContainer) bind.getValue(ctx); OperationBinding sendEmailBinding = bindingContainer.getOperationBinding("sendEmail"); sendEmailBinding.execute(); OperationBinding commitBinding = ADFUtils.getBindingContainer().getOperationBinding("Commit"); commitBinding.execute(); <managed-property> <property-name>bindings</property-name> <value>#{bindings}</value> </managed-property> OperationBinding sendEmailBinding = bindings.getOperationBinding("sendEmail"); sendEmailBinding.execute();

38. JHeadstart • ADF Faces generation • Different types of pages • I18N • Authorization • Search • Lov • FlexItems • ... • velocity based templating to customize generation

39. General • Organize pagedefs, resourcebundles, beans, regions • Utils : oracle.jheadstart.controller.jsf.util.JsfUtils • Jhs PhaseListeners in JhsCommon-beans.xml • When using multiple faces-config • !! An extra ADFPhaseListener appears in faces-config.xml after adding custom bindings. Multiple PhaseListeners may lead to unpredictable behaviour.

40. Postgeneration • Velocity templates • Pagedef generation is not templated • but uses JDev mechanism • Documention of pagedef postgen in a <pafegdef>.postgen.txt file • Disable 'clear pagedef before generation' • Note, disable 'Override' does not add new bindings

41. Templates • Use scm tag / copy to create a copy template to keep the link with the original template in case of updates • Include custom templates : #parse("cxs/misc/include/cxsNlsEntries.vm") • If necessary, use your own .jtp # Custom template QUICK_SEARCH_TEXT_INPUT=odtug/item/find/googleSearchTextInput.vm # no dropdown needed QUICK_SEARCH_DROP_DOWN_REGION=default/common/empty.vm # removed other entries

42. Templates and nls • create nls entries : (http://technology.amis.nl/blog/?p=1405 ) • Include custom nls-entries in comment ${JHS.nls("<some text (only used in combination with standard jhs text)>" , "<nls_key>" , "<nls_text>" )} <!-- NLS Entries ${JHS.nls("Global Help button label", "GLOBAL_HELP_LABEL", "Help")} -->

43. The key to success • Organization • Knowledge • Communication • Fun

44. aino.andriessen@amis.nl http://www.amis.nl http://technology.amis.nl/blog