3:18 p.m.
Hi guys,
this is a summary of yesterday's review call, I'll try to highlight important Q/A
and things we agreed on. Feel free to add anything in case I've missed something.
--
Q: Why don't we simply try to use existing Java SDK and adapt it for GWT apps? (asked
by Michael & Gilad)
A: This might be a viable option to consider if we wanted to skip JavaScript-based SDK
altogether and target Java/GWT code directly; we could simply take Java SDK and customize
its abstractions where necessary, i.e. using HTTP transport layer implementation that
works with GWT. In any case, this would mean coupling ourselves to Java SDK (which has its
own release cycle) and I think this would complicate things for us.
As proposed on the meeting, I think it's best to aim for JavaScript SDK as the lowest
common denominator for *any* web application that wants to work with REST API. oVirt
GWT-based UI can simply bind to JavaScript SDK, i.e. Java/GWT code that just overlays
objects and functions provided by JavaScript SDK. Another reason is ease of maintenance -
I'd rather see JavaScript SDK's code generation process to be independent of any
other SDK (people responsible for maintaining JavaScript SDK should have full control over
generated code).
--
Q: What about functionality currently used by oVirt UI but not supported by REST API?
(asked by Einav)
[For example, fetching VM entity over GWT RPC also returns related data such as Cluster
name.]
A: Based on discussion I've had with other colleagues after yesterday's review
call, I don't think that separate support-like backend layer is a good idea. Instead,
this is the kind of functionality that could be placed in oVirt.js library. Logical
operations like "get VMs and related data" would be exposed through oVirt.js
(callback-based) API and ultimately realized as multiple physical requests to REST API via
JavaScript Binding.
oVirt.js client would be completely oblivious to the fact that multiple physical requests
are dispatched. In fact, since HTTP communication is asynchronous in nature, oVirt.js
client wouldn't even notice any difference in terms of API consumption. This assumes
JavaScript SDK would use callback-based (non-blocking) API instead of blocking one - after
all, blocking API on top of non-blocking implementation sounds pretty much like leaky
abstraction [1].
For example:
sdk.getVmsWithExtraData(
callbackToGetExtraDataForGivenVm, // might cause extra physical requests to REST
API
callbackFiredWhenAllDataIsReady // update client only when all data is ready
)
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaky_abstraction
--
Last but not least, where to maintain JavaScript SDK projects: low-level JavaScript
Binding + high-level oVirt.js library.
I agree that conceptually both above mentioned projects should go into dedicated
"ovirt-engine-sdk-js" git repository and have their own build/release process.
However, for now, we're just making baby steps so let's keep things simple and
prototype these projects as part of "ovirt-engine" git repository.
... we can complicate things anytime, but we should know that any complex system that
works has inevitably evolved from simple system that works ... (quote from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gall%27s_law)
Regards,
Vojtech