S3UI Framework

S3XRC being a powerful backend that serves XML and JSON in a RESTful manner has now got a front-end framework that can exploit its positives. S3UI - the new ExtJS based front-end help us not only utilize S3XRC but also save a lot of bandwidth by exchanging information in JSON instead of full page reloads. This in turn aims to create an easy and quick workflow for different tasks that a user does with Sahana Eden.

Current State

• ​GSoC project - not yet merged with Trunk

Outline

• S3UI Framework allows end users to speed up their workflow by providing widgets that work on S3XRC.
• Right now it has 3 major elements -
  • Grid View widget
  • Popup Forms
  • Rheader tabs
• In place edits and creation are possible now.
• S3UI framework communicates to backend in JSON through ExtJS

Usage

​Video Tour of Features

1. Grid View widget

• Top toolbar -
  • Use "Save Changes" to commit any changes done on grid. None of the changes that don't pass through backend validation are committed.
  • When you make a wrong change, or you make too many of them and wish to start fresh, hit on "Undo Changes"
  • To add a fresh record, use "Add New" to pop up a form window

• Data Columns -
  • Used to sort data by field - ascending or descending
  • click down arrow on one of them to turn fields shown ON and OFF

• The Data Grid -
  • Once you're logged in, and have authority to edit data, the grid rendered is an editable one.
    • How to Edit?
      • Click a field to turn it into editable mode.
      • The red blips indicate edited fields
      • Once done, hit the "Save Changes" button

• Actions -
  • This helps you open or delete a record - as indicated by icons

• Bottom toolbar -
  • Use pagination controle to navigate multiple pages of rows
  • Refresh button to freshen up data in current view - helpful when someone else makes a change - fast as it reloads the current page rows only
  • Page size selector - Just in case you wish to look at more number of rows, goes maximum upto 100

2. Popup forms

• Popup forms help you quickly enter new / update old data
• On a grid view - hit "Add New" button to bring this.
• On an empty list, use "Add New" button on top right to bring this up.
• On a resource page, use "Edit" button on top right corner to bring up an update form
• Once done with entering data / changing it, hit "Save" button to complete the task.
• Use cancel or close to destroy it. (closing and opening again would discard any unsaved changes made)

3. Tabbed views

• Once on a resource page, the component resources can be quickly switched through the tabbed views
• The resource information above these tabs is called Rheader by developers, hence these tabs are also called Rheader tabs.
• Each tab content is an Iframe pointing to the record page
• A new format called "tabbed" is used to bring up the plain content views

See Also

• BluePrint S3UI

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