AppSuite:Extending the UI (best practices)

Revision as of 10:34, 12 August 2015 by Frank.paczynski (talk | contribs)

API status: In Development

Extension points:
Best practices

Abstract

The extension points system allows different strategies to realize the desired behavior. This is a list of solutions for common scenarios pointing out also some disadvantages of different solutions.


scenario: hide/show action

simply register a fresh new extension with an index less than the original action extension.

   // original extension
   new Action('io.ox/mail/actions/compose', {
       id: 'compose',
       index: 100,
       requires: function () {
           return true;
       },
       ...
   });
   // your extension to hide it
   ext.point('io.ox/mail/actions/compose').extend({
       // must be a different id than used in original extension
       id: 'compose_preprocess',
       // important: must be smaller than the one used in original extension
       index: 50,
       requires: function (e) {
           // is your condition meet?
           if (myCondition = true) {
               // stop propagation to suppress execution of
               // requires-handlers of extensions with a higher index
               e.stopPropagation();
               // force hide (or force show by using 'return true')
               return false;
           }
       }
   });


unfavorable variants

using ext.point(...).replace

  • original requires function is replaced and can not be accessed anymore
  • also copy and paste it contents does not help cause future changes are not carried over automatically
  • see documentation for .replace

   // please do not use replace to overwrite 'requires'
   ext.point('io.ox/mail/actions/compose').replace({ 
       id: 'compose',
       requires: function () {
           // my custom logic
       } 
   })