New blog post: What is that eTemplate2 in 14.1?

Ralf_Becker_Stylite 2014-06-13 07:45:04 UTC #1

eTemplate is a rendering engine used in previous EGroupware versions to
generate user interface for most apps. It takes content from an app plus
a template and renders it on the server as HTML. When user submits that
HTML form in its browser eTemplate engine receives it again on server,
validates the input and passes it back to the application. All this was
done on the server and reaction to user input mostly required a server
round trip. There were no API to manipulate an already rendered template
on client aka browser side.

All that changes with eTemplate2 in 14.1:

apps use a largely identical API on server-side, they are easy to port
to 14.1
that eT2 API sends content as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) incl.
an url to a XML template description to browser
eTemplate2 engine in browser loads template and renders user interface
(UI)
client-side part of app interacts directly with eTemplate: eg. show or
hides a UI element / widget or changes its appearance
eTemplate and app use client-side EGroupware API eg. to query a user
preference, an account detail or a link title
if a new tabbed template is used, e.g. 14.1 Pixelegg template, API
persists on client and caches data requested from server*

**
You might ask: All that’s very theoretical, what do I have from it?
I will describe a couple of new widgets, to illustrate big usability
improvements in 14.1 and new possibilities available …
**
Continue reading at our blog http://www.egroupware.org/Blog-eTemplate2

I’m happy to answer further questions to eTemplate2. Please ask them at
EGroupware Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/EGroupware

**Ralf
**

–
Ralf Becker
Director Software Development

Stylite AG

Morschheimer Strasse 15 | Tel. +49 6352 70629 0
D-67292 Kirchheimbolanden | Fax. +49 6352 70629 30

Email: rb@stylite.de

www.stylite.de | www.egroupware.org

Managing Directors: Andre Keller | Ralf Becker | Gudrun Mueller
Chairman of the supervisory board: Prof. Dr. Birger Leon Kropshofer

VAT DE214280951 | Registered HRB 31158 Kaiserslautern Germany

mcl.mmu 2014-06-24 10:59:57 UTC #2

Hello,

could you provide a example how to develop own modules in the coming version?

Ralf_Becker_Stylite 2014-06-24 13:41:23 UTC #3

Hi,

Hello,

could you provide a example how to develop own modules in the coming
version?
Most of code corner tutorial is still valid:

http://wiki.egroupware.org/wiki/Code+Corner

There are some differences, which are not yet documented:

new eTemplate2 client-side api (server-side is mostly identical)
eTemplate2 uses .xet files, not templates stored in database
new EGroupware client-side api (egw object)
application specific javascript code as object extending app_base.js
in app.js

For these you can only look at our code currently. Timesheet is usually
a good candidate to look at.

Ralf