Applications and Plugins Overview

What are Application in Plugins

Applications and plugins are way of extending ProdigyView. They add executable code to the web application.

My App

Facebook App

E-commerce App

E-commerce Extension Plugin

How they Differ From Libraries

Essentially application and plugins are libraries. BUT they differ normal libraries in that they are managed by the database. Applications and plugins:

1. Must be installed into the database

2. Can be turn on and off with the database

3. Have a single point of entry and does not include the entire directory

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Applications Vs PluginsNow to explain how applications and plugins differ, we are going to use a diagram of a normal application flow. Like a webpage, imagine that our code has a start, body, and an end.

My Web Application

Start

Body

End

1. Starting pointing, ProdigyView is includedand bootstrapped.

2. In the body is where functions are executed, objects are called, information is printed out, etc.

3. At then of our application, we finish running the script

ApplicationsApplication can be called anywhere in the flow of the code. But they only exist when they are called and they must be object oriented.

My Web Application

Start

Body

End

Facebook App

E-commerce App Call e-commerce

app

Call Facebook application

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Calling An ApplicationWhen an application is called, there is a small unseen process to get that application to run. It all starts with pv_exec

1. pv_exec($comamnd, $params, ..etc) 2. Get application information from database

3. Includes files in file system if not already included 4. Instantiates an object if its not

already instantiated

5. Executes application

New Object

Key Points on Applications

What should have been taken away from the last slide is:

1. Applications files are not included unless the application is called. This means an application does not have a performance impact on your website until its called.

2. Applications, by default are only instantiated once. This is to improve the performance of your application. Applications can be instantiated multiple times but multiple instances can use more resources.

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PluginsThe main difference between plug-ins and applications is plug-ins are persistent throughout the entire execution of the program.

My Web Application

Start

Body

End

Plug-ins are loaded

Usa

ble

until e

nd o

f exe

cutio

n

E-commerce Extension Plugin

PVBootStrap::bootSystemLoad plugins from database

Inclu

de files

Key Points on Plug-ins1. Do not have to be object oriented. They can be

procedural code.

2. Can be turned on and off by modifying attributes in the database. Great for turning on and off functionality, especially in a cms.

3. Requiring too many large plug-ins can slow down the system

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API ReferenceFor a better understanding of the applications and plugin, visit the api by clicking on the link below.

PVApplications

PVPlugins

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More Tutorials

For more tutorials, please visit:

http://www.prodigyview.com/tutorials