Forum OpenACS Development: approach to refactoring ACS Mail Lite

Hi all,

I'm revising acs-mail-lite to work with incoming email via IMAP4: https://openacs.org/forums/message-view?message_id=5370874.

While integrating this feature, do I take this opportunity to also refactor existing openacs-core API, when available?

For example, acs-mail-lite/tcl/acs-mail-lite-procs.tcl defines acs_mail_lite::get_parameter which duplicates apm_package_key_from_id.

If I am to use existing core API when available, I'll limit refactoring to only use API of packages that ACS Mail Lite already depends on directly or indirectly according to this package dependency chart made by analyzing oacs-core .info file package requirements.

cheers,
Ben

Yes. The changes I'm working on with ACS Mail Lite should not affect any existing development paths, including 5.9.1

Right, "acs_mail_lite::get_parameter is not a duplication of apm_package_key_from_id". Sorry for the bad reference. I meant acs_mail_lite::get_package_id vs. apm_package_key_from_id, and acs_mail_lite::get_parameter vs. acs_mail_lite::get_parameter as examples.

Anyway, don't change code if not necessary. point taken.

I'm going to use the new package, then submit the package via the apm package submission feature. If the submission feature doesn't work for existing core packages, I'll submit a tar file.

This is the general strategy I'll use:

1. Do not change existing code in any way that breaks existing patterns or use.

2. Create new code when existing code does fit.

3. When changing existing code is necessary, make clear comments about why changes are needed. Minimize changes by making alternate procedures, and changing calls at a higher level of operation. This way, an experienced code reviewer can choose to adapt new features into existing code instead of accepting proposed new code.

Makes sense. Thanks again,
Ben

"I meant acs_mail_lite::get_package_id vs. apm_package_key_from_id"

becomes

..I meant acs_mail_lite::get_package_id vs. apm_package_id_from_key

Turbulence happens.

Interesting post. I was going to play with pad_procs mentioned, but unfortunately, on my installation they don't work.

I've created a new parameter, of a new custom pkg, then called it as in the example bellow. ci_url is void/null. I could have added the default switch, but that'd masquerade the actual issue. I'm about to got deeper debugging ad_procs ::get and get_from_package_key...

set ci_url [parameter::get \
-parameter CodeIgniterWebsiteUrl \
-package_id [ad_conn package_id]]

Best wishes,

Best wishes,

set package_id [ad_conn package_id]
ns_log Notice "ad_conn package_id = '${package_id}'"

Notice: request processor did not set <ad_conn package_id>, fallback: 624
[25/Jul/2017:19:18:09][1826.7f0d32aca740][-main-] Notice: ad_conn package_id = '624'

Subsequently, your code example tries to get value from a different package.

Sounds like a gremlin in the system!

Surely it's time to fill those procs with ns_log Debug comments.. and set Dev or Debug to on in /admin/nsstats.tcl

Maybe issue is temporal, taking a few minutes after restart to complete background processes?

Anyway, certainly worth investigating.
best wishes,
Ben

I've done all that. I believe the problem exists because, instead of writing it directly within the file .info, I'd created the parameter through the interface (APM). Afterwards, I confirmed that the parameter was automatically generate within .info, then increased manually the version number and restarted NS, but unfortunately ad_procs still persist returning "".

My package isn't singleton, but I did use global scope.

parameter scope="global" datatype="string" min_n_values="1" max_n_values="1" name="CodeIgniterWebsiteUrl" default="http://dev.evex.co"; description="Website URL for Venues &amp; Services CMS in CodeIgniter"/

I'll debug this problem over the weekend and let you .

Getting back to the subject of refactoring ACS Mail Lite, I can help to do the job. Let me know if you guys need want my help.

Best wishes,