Core Framework: Webpage Controller Module - rdkcentral/python_raft GitHub Wiki

Overview

The webpageController.py module, located in the framework/core directory of the python_raft framework, is designed to manage web page interactions and dynamic rendering. It handles the interaction between the front-end user interface (UI) and the back-end server-side logic, facilitating the dynamic binding of data to UI components, event handling, and template rendering.

This module is a core component for building web-based applications where the UI needs to be updated in response to backend logic, such as real-time data changes or user input processing.

Features

  • Web Page Management
    Manages the full lifecycle of web pages, ensuring they are properly rendered, updated, and cleaned up. It supports rendering both static and dynamic content on the web page.

  • Event Handling
    The module facilitates handling of events triggered by user interactions such as clicks, form submissions, and other UI actions. These events are linked to back-end logic, which can then modify the UI or process data accordingly.

  • Template Integration
    The webpageController works with HTML templates that define the structure of the web page. Data from the server is dynamically injected into these templates to render content based on the current state of the application.

  • Backend Integration
    It facilitates communication between the front-end and the server-side logic. The webpageController ensures that UI updates and event actions are properly synced with the backend, making it easier to manage the state of the application.

Key Design Considerations

  • Dynamic Content Rendering
    The module supports dynamic content rendering where the web page's content is updated based on real-time data received from the server. This ensures that the web page is always up-to-date without requiring full page reloads.

  • Template Binding
    Data binding in the webpageController allows variables from the back end to be passed directly into the HTML templates. This mechanism provides a clean separation of concerns, with the template handling the presentation and the backend managing the application logic.

  • State Management
    The module maintains the state of the web page during user interactions and ensures that data changes are reflected appropriately in the UI. It helps manage complex UI states, particularly in cases where the UI is updated based on external factors (e.g., user input or server responses).

  • Seamless UI Updates
    Through AJAX and other techniques, the webpageController allows for non-blocking UI updates, providing a smooth and responsive user experience.

Use Cases

  • Real-time Dashboards
    Suitable for applications that need to display live data, such as dashboards monitoring system health, performance metrics, or user activity.

  • Interactive Forms
    Ideal for forms that require dynamic validation or changes based on user selections or backend data.

  • Multi-page Applications
    Perfect for building multi-page web applications with modular UI components that can interact with the server, updating different sections of the page without a full reload.

Integration

To use the webpageController.py module, import it into your application, create an instance of the WebpageController, and bind your backend data to the appropriate template. The controller will take care of rendering the content and handling user interactions.

Example

from framework.core.webpageController import WebpageController

# Create an instance of the WebpageController
controller = WebpageController()

# Define template and data
template = "dashboard.html"
data = {"user": "John Doe", "status": "Active"}

# Render the webpage
controller.render_page(template, data)

Benefits

  • Modularity
    The design of the webpageController promotes modularity, allowing different UI components to be reused across various parts of the application while ensuring consistent behavior and state management.

  • Maintainability
    By separating the logic of web page rendering and data handling, the module encourages a cleaner and more maintainable codebase. Developers can focus on the application logic without worrying about the intricacies of the front-end rendering process.

  • Scalability
    The framework is designed to scale easily for larger applications with multiple web pages or more complex interactions. It can handle increasing user interactions and content updates efficiently.

More detailed information can be found in the docs folder webpage_controller_design.md