Resource Driven Web Development with Waves

LoneStarRuby Conf 2008

Dan Yoder

4 talks

#http

#functional-programming

#dsl

#ruby

#mvc

Resource Driven Web Development with Waves

by Dan Yoder

The video titled 'Resource Driven Web Development with Waves' presented by Dan Yoder at the LoneStarRuby Conf 2008 discusses the Waves framework, which aims to leverage HTTP's resource-oriented nature in web development. Yoder starts by emphasizing that Waves is exploratory and seeks to define resources that implement HTTP methods effectively. He provides insights into the design and philosophy behind Waves, contrasting it with other frameworks like Merb and Rails. Throughout the presentation, he highlights various key points:

Resource-Oriented Design: Waves emphasizes a resource-oriented approach to HTTP, integrating its principles into the framework's structure, contrasting common frameworks that fail to reflect this nature.
Functional Programming Influence: Waves incorporates functional programming concepts, utilizing features like Functor for pattern-based argument matching to streamline the handling of requests and responses.
Modular Architecture: Applications within Waves are encapsulated in modules, allowing for cleaner code organization and preventing clashes between application components.
Rich Ruby Language Utilization: The framework prioritizes natural expression of ideas within Ruby, minimizing reliance on complex configurations while leveraging classes, modules, and methods.
Domain-Specific Language (DSL): The potential for a DSL is explored, aimed at simplifying coding practices without deviating from Ruby's core principles.

Yoder provides examples throughout the presentation to illustrate how these concepts are applied, such as using pattern matching in functional programming and demonstrating resource management within the framework.

He concludes by underscoring Waves’ goals of scalability, maintainability, and modularity, inviting contributions from the community to help evolve the framework. Overall, the presentation aims to inspire interest in Waves and encourage dialogue on its development and application.

The main takeaways from the video include the need for continuous exploration within the framework, the importance of modularity and clarity in web applications, and an open invitation for collaboration to refine the Waves framework for the future.

00:00:06.319 Video equipment rental costs were paid for by Peep Code Screencasts.

00:00:19.439 Well, first of all, thank you all for coming to learn a little bit about our humble little framework. I hope you find this information interesting.

00:00:33.280 Before I get into the details of my presentation, I want to share the big picture. The framework, Waves, attempts to leverage the fact that HTTP already defines a sort of functional protocol.

00:00:50.079 The idea is to define resources that implement the basic methods of HTTP, and that’s essentially what this talk is about. There are many other aspects of Waves that I won’t cover today, but I hope this presentation will spur your interest and motivate you to learn more about its features.

00:01:24.640 This isn't a tutorial on how to build a Waves app or how to create a simple blog in five minutes. It really focuses on the purpose of Waves. I often get asked how Waves differs from Merb, Rails, or other frameworks like Sinatra.

00:01:43.759 Answering that question is challenging because Waves is still exploratory, and we're figuring out what it really is. As Matthew King, one of our major contributors, often tells me, I keep breaking his specifications as we explore new ideas and re-implement features. Waves hasn’t fully found its identity yet, and that aligns with the spirit of the Ruby community, which is characterized by constant change.

00:02:35.440 We aim to explore new areas with Waves. Sometimes we stub our toes, and sometimes we discover interesting things. I'm going to touch on some of the coolest features we've been working on.

00:02:59.519 To provide a little background about myself, I work with YellowPages.com in Los Angeles. We're involved in many exciting projects and are currently hiring, so if you're interested in Ruby development, please see me or Kobe Randquist, who is filming here.

00:03:30.640 I've been programming in Ruby for about three years and have worked on several open-source projects. I have included a list for context about my experience.

00:03:55.760 Now, here are some quick facts about Waves to illustrate its current stage. The initial release occurred last February, and while we received early attention, it has been a mixed blessing, as we've had to deal with constant changes to the framework as we learn.

00:04:34.000 Despite these challenges, we’re looking for contributors to implement and improve on these ideas. We have a Git repository, a Google group, and a website at RubyWaves.com. I encourage you to check them out and join our discussions.

00:05:02.000 Now, let's quickly overview some major features of Waves. One aspect we will discuss is the resource-oriented nature of Waves. The web community has realized, albeit a bit belatedly, that HTTP is fundamentally resource-oriented, as defined by its methods for modifying and accessing resources.

00:05:56.000 However, many frameworks do not reflect this in their design, leading to an impedance mismatch. Waves embraces HTTP's nature and seeks to integrate its principles into the way web frameworks function.

00:06:23.520 Waves also features a heavy influence of functional programming, a layered architecture that explicitly supports Ruby modules, and aims to make its mechanisms less mysterious and more accessible.

00:06:56.960 Applications in Waves are encapsulated in modules, allowing multiple application components to coexist without clashing.

00:07:08.400 We put significant emphasis on the richness of Ruby as a language and continuously ask if we can express ideas naturally in Ruby rather than resorting to complex configuration files or constructs.

00:07:59.200 Our approach prioritizes the use of classes, modules, and methods while possibly generating a Domain Specific Language (DSL) to make coding easier without straying from Ruby.

00:08:43.120 Waves' class and module loader is more sophisticated than what's found in many other frameworks. Additionally, Waves might evolve into a meta-framework, somewhat like Rack, allowing for an architecture-agnostic layered approach.

00:09:01.680 In summary, the primary goal of Waves is to allow for functional programming styles, REST principles, and inheritable configurations. Ultimately, we are working on Waves because we find it interesting, and it allows us to express concepts naturally within Ruby's object model.

00:09:52.360 Now, diving into the core of the presentation, HTTP is a protocol that outlines methods for basic CRUD operations, which are commonly found in web applications. This realization should inspire us to implement HTTP's attributes in Ruby.

00:10:35.680 The goal of Waves is to allow developers to create resource objects that correspond to HTTP methods, enabling them to process requests and provide suitable responses.

00:11:13.760 However, as we delve deeper, implementation often leads to complexity and unmaintainable code.

00:11:30.560 This is where Functor comes into play. Functor introduces pattern-based argument matching, allowing us to determine which block of code to execute based on the arguments.

00:12:43.840 To illustrate Functor, let me show you a quick example of how it aids in functional programming.

00:13:06.480 In this example, I summarize the Fibonacci sequence using pattern matching to define the behavior based on input arguments.

00:13:26.680 This concept, while very familiar in languages like Haskell, may seem complex at first. Still, it revolves around dispatching methods based on the types of arguments.

00:13:52.320 Waves is built upon several principles and aims to use regular expressions and lambdas for more sophisticated matching within the framework.

00:14:33.680 One major aspect is how we pattern match on regular expressions alongside the functionalities provided by Functor. This flexibility leads to more powerful resource processing.

00:15:39.760 We are still developing our implementation of these concepts, but our goal is to provide unique resources for HTTP methods.

00:16:38.280 As we work through these ideas, functor also allows us to treat matching functional programming constructs, which can be implemented as ordinary Ruby methods.

00:17:18.000 As we progress, it's essential to ensure that our approach enables easy integration with existing frameworks without overcomplicating our designs.

00:17:46.160 While understanding that not all elements will become seamless at first, we are steadily improving the process of integrating classes and methods in a manner that retains simplicity.

00:18:21.440 I'll share some additional examples to illustrate how modularity and computation overlap in Waves applications.

00:19:14.240 We use various DSL constructs that allow us to modularly define methods in a clear manner.

00:19:44.000 Next, I'll show you some code snippets that encapsulate language-specific functionality while enabling flexibility in our routes.

00:20:43.680 I aim to show you how these concepts translate into tangible applications using simple examples.

00:21:05.920 Here’s a look at how to create mounts for resources and how they can be effectively organized.

00:21:53.120 This process not only enhances usability but also promotes organized code in the framework.

00:22:00.960 As we establish these mounts, we lay the groundwork for flexibility by defining acyclic dependencies among resources.

00:22:55.680 With each new example, we highlight how the integration works seamlessly without conflicts of definitions.

00:23:45.760 The process involves varying configurations that can be inherited based on the desired output, aligning with resource structure.

00:24:34.760 We've established a foundation for effective routing while ensuring Rooms can deploy consistent functionality.

00:25:24.480 Every layer of this framework aims to reduce redundancy in code and encourages a more maintainable structure.

00:26:01.680 I encourage you to explore how these foundational principles can apply broadly in building modular applications.

00:27:00.320 As we navigate these concepts, I hope to emphasize the importance of clarity and understanding in shaping the structure of our applications.

00:27:59.680 With demonstrated functionality and a strong foundation, we're ready to execute a variety of applications within this framework.

00:28:40.240 Lastly, let me share some of the advantages of modularity, including clearer abstractions and a focus on resource organization.

00:29:24.480 In conclusion, Waves provides powerful tools for designing web applications that embrace scalability and powerful integration principles.

00:30:12.960 As we continue to refine this model, your feedback and ideas will be invaluable in shaping its future.

00:30:46.720 Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to seeing how Waves evolves with your contributions.

00:31:49.920 I'm happy to take any questions now.

00:32:20.640 There’s a lot to discuss regarding how shared resources can function within each application. For now, we welcome you to dive in and explore what Waves has to offer. Thank you very much!

00:33:32.760 If you're interested in these topics, we'd love for you to contribute and provide your insights as we move forward.

00:34:05.560 Thank you for your time, and I look forward to collaborating with each of you.

LoneStarRuby Conf 2008