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author | Markus Koivisto <markus@vaadin.com> | 2016-01-22 14:55:18 +0200 |
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committer | Markus Koivisto <markus@vaadin.com> | 2016-01-22 14:55:18 +0200 |
commit | 99d6de546c74f0eed230ea8253dda6b85109d2e7 (patch) | |
tree | 10fc21c557566fe3241e6e13499df18d80f8dcb2 /documentation/components/components-interfaces.asciidoc | |
parent | 610736d9f373d4b37fd39ff8f90aabd13eab7926 (diff) | |
download | vaadin-framework-99d6de546c74f0eed230ea8253dda6b85109d2e7.tar.gz vaadin-framework-99d6de546c74f0eed230ea8253dda6b85109d2e7.zip |
Add documentation to master branch
Change-Id: I2504bb10f1ae73ec0cbc08b7ba5a88925caa1674
Diffstat (limited to 'documentation/components/components-interfaces.asciidoc')
-rw-r--r-- | documentation/components/components-interfaces.asciidoc | 117 |
1 files changed, 117 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/documentation/components/components-interfaces.asciidoc b/documentation/components/components-interfaces.asciidoc new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4801ec52b1 --- /dev/null +++ b/documentation/components/components-interfaces.asciidoc @@ -0,0 +1,117 @@ +--- +title: Interfaces and Abstractions +order: 2 +layout: page +--- + +[[components.interfaces]] += Interfaces and Abstractions + +((("interfaces"))) +Vaadin user interface components are built on a skeleton of interfaces and +abstract classes that define and implement the features common to all components +and the basic logic how the component states are serialized between the server +and the client. + +This section gives details on the basic component interfaces and abstractions. +The layout and other component container abstractions are described in +<<dummy/../../../framework/layout/layout-overview.asciidoc#layout.overview,"Managing +Layout">>. The interfaces that define the Vaadin data model are described in +<<dummy/../../../framework/datamodel/datamodel-overview.asciidoc#datamodel.overview,"Binding +Components to Data">>. + +[[figure.components.interfaces]] +.Component Interfaces and Abstractions +image::img/component-abstractions-hi.png[] + +((("[classname]#Paintable#"))) +((("[classname]#VariableOwner#"))) +All components also implement the [classname]#Paintable# interface, which is +used for serializing ("painting") the components to the client, and the reverse +[classname]#VariableOwner# interface, which is needed for deserializing +component state or user interaction from the client. + +((("[classname]#Serializable#"))) +In addition to the interfaces defined within the Vaadin framework, all +components implement the [classname]#java.io.Serializable# interface to allow +serialization. Serialization is needed in many clustering and cloud computing +solutions. + +[[components.interfaces.component]] +== [classname]#Component# Interface + +((("[interfacename]#Component# interface"))) +The [interfacename]#Component# interface is paired with the +[classname]#AbstractComponent# class, which implements all the methods defined +in the interface. + +=== Component Tree Management + +Components are laid out in the user interface hierarchically. The layout is +managed by layout components, or more generally components that implement the +[classname]#ComponentContainer# interface. Such a container is the parent of the +contained components. + +The [methodname]#getParent()# method allows retrieving the parent component of a +component. While there is a [methodname]#setParent()#, you rarely need it as you +usually add components with the [methodname]#addComponent()# method of the +[classname]#ComponentContainer# interface, which automatically sets the parent. + +A component does not know its parent when the component is still being created, +so you can not refer to the parent in the constructor with +[methodname]#getParent()#. + +Attaching a component to an UI triggers a call to its [methodname]#attach()# +method. Correspondingly, removing a component from a container triggers calling +the [methodname]#detach()# method. If the parent of an added component is +already connected to the UI, the [methodname]#attach()# is called immediately +from [methodname]#setParent()#. + + +[source, java] +---- +public class AttachExample extends CustomComponent { + public AttachExample() { + } + + @Override + public void attach() { + super.attach(); // Must call. + + // Now we know who ultimately owns us. + ClassResource r = new ClassResource("smiley.jpg"); + Image image = new Image("Image:", r); + setCompositionRoot(image); + } +} +---- + +The attachment logic is implemented in [classname]#AbstractComponent#, as +described in <<components.interfaces.abstractcomponent>>. + + +((("[classname]#Component# interface"))) + +[[components.interfaces.abstractcomponent]] +== [classname]#AbstractComponent# + +((("[classname]#AbstractComponent#", id="term.components.interfaces.abstractcomponent", range="startofrange"))) + + +[classname]#AbstractComponent# is the base class for all user interface +components. It is the (only) implementation of the [classname]#Component# +interface, implementing all the methods defined in the interface. + +[classname]#AbstractComponent# has a single abstract method, +[methodname]#getTag()#, which returns the serialization identifier of a +particular component class. It needs to be implemented when (and only when) +creating entirely new components. [classname]#AbstractComponent# manages much of +the serialization of component states between the client and the server. +Creation of new components and serialization is described in +<<dummy/../../../framework/gwt/gwt-overview.asciidoc#gwt.overview,"Integrating +with the Server-Side">>. + +(((range="endofrange", startref="term.components.interfaces.abstractcomponent"))) + + + |