Lithium: The Framework for People Who Hate Frameworks

A Framework for People
Who Hate Frameworks.

A movement in 3 parts

• Frameworks suck
• Everything you know is wrong
• Lithium tries to suck less

Let’s get one thing out
of the way:

Because your
framework sucks, too.

Why?
(Besides the obvious attempt at being provocative)

Frameworks Suck

• Code you will never use.
• Complexity overhead.
• You didn’t write it.

His name is the
biggest, so it’s his
fault.

We’re not saying design patterns are bad.
Quite the opposite.

Lithium implements many design patterns.

Some patterns only treat the symptoms,
instead of the cause.

Object dependencies.
“The principle of separating configuration from use.”

Sucks.
function initialize(&$controller, $settings = array()) {
/* ...[snip]... */

$prefixes = Router::prefixes();
if (!empty($prefixes)) {
foreach ($prefixes as $prefix) {
/* ...[do something nasty to the global state]... */
}
}
if (Configure::read() > 0) {
App::import('Debugger');
Debugger::checkSecurityKeys();
}
}

Sucks hard.

Sometimes in the same framework.

Sucks
function spam($emails) {

$this->Email->replyTo = 'nigerian.prince@example.com';
$this->Email->from = 'Desmond Etete <nigerian.prince@example.com>';
$this->Email->template = 'mo_monies';
$this->Email->sendAs = 'annoying_html';

foreach ($emails as $email) {
$this->Email->to = $email['address'];
$this->Email->subject = "Good to you news I have {$email['name']}";
$this->Email->send();
}
}

[variables changed to protect the innocent.]
[... not really. It’s Symfony.]

Show that object who’s boss.
class User {
function __construct($storage) {
$this->storage = $storage;
}
}

$storage = new SessionStorage('SESSION_ID');
$user = new User($storage);

Of course, we want this to abstract this.

Frameworks adore abstractions.

class Container {
static protected $shared = array();
// ...

public function getMailer() {
if (isset(self::$shared['mailer'])) {
return self::$shared['mailer'];
}

$class = $this->parameters['mailer.class'];
$mailer = new $class();
$mailer->setDefaultTransport($this->getMailTransport());

return self::$shared['mailer'] = $mailer;
}
}

But now you want an abstraction to manage
the DI container.

Duh.

So you create a “Service Container”.

class Container extends sfServiceContainer {
static protected $shared = array();

protected function getMailTransportService() {
return new Zend_Mail_Transport_Smtp('smtp.gmail.com', array(
'auth' => 'login',
'username' => $this['mailer.username'],
'password' => $this['mailer.password'],
'ssl' => 'ssl',
'port' => 465,
));
}
}

Of course, we now want to abstract the
crap out of the Service Container.

Double duh.

So lets use a Builder to configure the
Services.

Yeah!
require_once '/PATH/TO/sfServiceContainerAutoloader.php';
sfServiceContainerAutoloader::register();

$sc = new sfServiceContainerBuilder();

$sc->
register('mail.transport', 'Zend_Mail_Transport_Smtp')->
addArgument('smtp.gmail.com')->
addArgument(array(
'auth' => 'login',
'username' => '%mailer.username%',
'password' => '%mailer.password%',
'ssl' => 'ssl',
'port' => 465,
))->
setShared(false)
;

$sc->
register('mailer', '%mailer.class%')->
addMethodCall('setDefaultTransport', array(new sfServiceReference
('mail.transport')))
;

And for good measure, have our configurations
for Service Containers in XML files.

So....
We have Dependency Injection.
Managed by a Service Container.
Parametrized with XML data.
And the whole thing configured by a Builder.

...to fix one problem.

Anyone see what’s wrong here?

The sun does not
revolve around OOP
...nevertheless,
it moves.

Galileo facing the Roman Inquistion
- Cristiano Banti (1857)

class User {

public function create() {
$logger = new Logger();
$logger->write('Creating a new user...');

$this->_doSomeInitialization();
$this->_databaseConnection->doATransaction($this)->create();

$logger->write('Finished creating user');
}
}

$user = new User();
$user->create();

class User {

public $logger;

public function create() {
$this->logger->write('Creating a new user...');

$this->_doSomeInitialization();
$this->_databaseConnection->doATransaction($this)->create();

$this->logger->write('Finished creating user');
}
}

$user = new User();
$user->logger = new Logger();
$user->create();

Dependency Injection
• Fixes the problem of static dependencies
• Ignores the problem of static relationships
• Same methods called on injected classes
• No way to introduce new relationships
• Higher overhead, more boilerplate code

class Service extends lithiumcoreObject {

protected $_classes = array(
'request' => 'lithiumnethttpRequest',
'response' => 'lithiumnethttpResponse',
'socket' => 'lithiumnetsocketContext'
);

protected function _init() {
$class = Libraries::locate('socket.util', $this->_classes['socket']);
$this->_connection = new $class($this->_config);
// ...
}

/* ...[snip]... */

public function send($method, $path = null, $data = null, array $options = array()) {
/* ...[snip]... */
$response = $this->_connection->send($request, array('classes' => $this->_classes));
// ...
}
}

Coupling should be in
proportion to domain
relevance.

If...
Configure::write('debug', 0);

is evil,
$this->debug = 0;

is the

Lithium: The Framework for People Who Hate Frameworks

class Service {

protected $_timeout = 30;

public function send($method, $data = null, array $options = array()) {

// WTF does this do?
$this->_prepare();

$response = $this->_connection->send($request, array(
'timeout' => $this->_timeout
));
// ...
}
}

OO doesn’t make you
think (about state).

ActiveRecord
Data Access Object

Unit of Work
Dependency Injection
Registry

Front Controller MVC

Value Object
Data Mapper Service Layer

Design patterns
• Each pattern is only useful in a limited
context

• Layering many design patterns on top of
each other often indicates poor design
choices

• Mis-application arises from trying to run
before you can walk

Tools do not mean...

...you can build a house.

Aspect-Oriented Design
• Separation of concerns
• Domain classes should not know or care about cross-
cutting concerns

• Examples:
• Caching
• Logging
• Access Control, etc.

Functional Programming

• Only possible when functions are first-class
citizens

• Referential transparency
• Function purity

Referential transparency is not...

$this date()

$_*

These Are Not
Design Patterns.

Less Suck
• Draws on years of experience building web
frameworks

• PHP 5.3+ only
• Doesn’t assume you’re stupid

<?php

namespace applicationbar;

use lithiumutilString;
use lithiumutilCollection;

class Foo extends lithiumcoreObject {

'cache' => 'lithiumstorageCache',
'logger' => 'lithiumanalysisLogger'
);

public function __construct(array $config = array()) {
// ...
}

// ...
}
}

?>

<?php




);

// ...
1
}

// ...
}
}

?>

public function __construct(array $config = array())
<?php


use public function __construct(array $config =
lithiumutilString; array())
public function'lithiumstorageCache', =
'cache' => __construct(array $config array())
public function __construct(array $config =
); array())

// ...
}

// ...
}
}
?>

<?php
<?php
$or = $some->highOverHead($operation);
$or()->otherwise(HARD_TO_TEST)->code();
}
} 'logger' => 'lithiumanalysisLogger'
);

?>
// ...
}

// ...
2
}
}

?>

<?php
<?php
$or = $some->highOverHead($operation);
$or()->otherwise(HARD_TO_TEST)->code();
}
} 'logger' => 'lithiumanalysisLogger'
);

?>
// ...
}

// ...
2
}
}
$foo = new Foo(array('init' => false));
?>

<?php

namespace applicationbar; 3
new applicationbarFoo();
// loads app/bar/Foo.php

);

// ...
}

// ...
}
}

?>

<?php


4


);

// ...
}

// ...
}
}

?>

<?php




'logger' => 'lithiumanalysisLogger' 5
);

// ...
}

// ... = $this->_classes['cache'];
$cache
} $cache::write(__CLASS__, $this->_someGeneratedValue());
} }
}
?>
?>

<?php




'logger' => 'lithiumanalysisLogger' 5
);

$foo = new Foo(array('classes' => array(
'cache' => 'applicationextensionsCache'
// ...
)));
}

// ... = $this->_classes['cache'];
$cache
} $cache::write(__CLASS__, $this->_someGeneratedValue());
} }
}
?>
?>

Keeps parameter lists short
&
Makes class APIs more extensible

Same idea. But...!
Modifies class / object state.

Adaptable

Auth

Cache

Catalog

Connections

Logger

Session

use lithiumsecurityAuth;

Auth::config(array(
'customer' => array(
'adapter' => 'Form',
'model' => 'Customer',
'fields' => array('email', 'password')
)
));

use lithiumstorageCache;

Cache::config(array(
'local' => array('adapter' => 'Apc'),
'distributed' => array(
'adapter' => 'Memcached',
'servers' => array('127.0.0.1', 11211),
),
'default' => array('adapter' => 'File')
));

use lithiumdataConnections;

Connections::config(array(
'old' => array(
'type' => 'database',
'adapter' => 'MySql',
'user' => 'bobby_tables',
'password' => '******',
'database' => 'my_app'
),
'new' => array(
'type' => 'http',
'adapter' => 'CouchDb',
'database' => 'my_app'
)
));

use lithiumstorageSession;

Session::config(array(
'cookie' => array(
'adapter' => 'Cookie',
'expire' => '+2 days'
),
'default' => array('adapter' => 'Php')
));

use lithiumstorageSession;

Session::config(array(
'default' => array(
'adapter' => 'MyCustomAdapter',
'expires' => '+2 days',
'custom' => 'Whatevah!'
)
));


use lithiumstorageCache;

Cache::config(array(
'default' => array(
'development' => array(
'adapter' => 'Apc'
),
'production' => array(
'adapter' => 'Memcached',
'servers' => array('127.0.0.1', 11211)
)
)
));

Works identically for all adapters.

If you remember nothing
else about configuration
state...

Immutability.
Set it and forget it.

Zoom!

• Use native extensions (PECL) whenever
possible.

• Don’t like a class? Change it. At runtime.
• Profiled at every step of the way.

Lithium is the most
flexible framework.

Most class dependencies
are dynamic.

class Service extends lithiumcoreObject {

'request' => 'lithiumnethttpRequest',
'response' => 'lithiumnethttpResponse',
'socket' => 'lithiumnetsocketContext'
);
}

$service = new Service(array('classes' => array(
'socket' => 'mycustomSocket'
)));

The Filter System:
Aspect-Oriented Design
for PHP.

Example: Caching & Logging

Caching

Logging

Post::find()

use lithiumanalysisLogger;

Post::applyFilter('find', function($self, $params, $chain) {
// Generate the log message
$conditions = $params['options']['conditions'];
$message = 'Post query with constraint ' . var_export($conditions, true);

Logger::write('info', $message);
return $chain->next($self, $params, $chain);
});

Post Logger
use lithiumanalysisLogger;

Post::applyFilter('find', function($self, $params, $chain) {
// Generate the log message
$conditions = $params['options']['conditions'];
$message = 'Post query with constraint ' . var_export($conditions, true);

Logger::write('info', $message);
return $chain->next($self, $params, $chain);
});

What about Observer?

• Dependent on a centralized publish/
subscribe system

• Extra layer of abstraction
• Fewer possibilities

What about Observer?

• Filters are self-contained and attach
directly to objects

• Direct and intuitive

Features: Everything is an adapter.

G11n (Globalization)
• CLDR
• Gettext
• PHP arrays
• Code
• Pecl/intl support on the way

Databases

• 1st-class support for document-oriented
databases

• MongoDB & CouchDB: production ready
• Relational databases coming soon

<?php

$post = Post::create(array(
'title' => 'Forget the words and sing along',
'body' => 'Everything you know is wrong'
));
$post->save();

$post = Post::find($id);

?>

<h2><?=$post->title; ?></h2>
<p><?=$post->body; ?></p>

This works on...

• MongoDB
• CouchDB
• MySQL
• SQLite (almost)

Databases

• Adapter based. Plugin aware.
• Will ship with MySQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL &
SQL Server.

• Query API

Integration with other
frameworks

• Easily load & use libraries from other
frameworks:

• Zend Framework, Solar, Symfony

/* add the trunk */
Libraries::add("Zend", array(
"prefix" => "Zend_",
"includePath" => '/htdocs/libraries/Zend/trunk/library',
"bootstrap" => "Loader/Autoloader.php",
"loader" => array("Zend_Loader_Autoloader", "autoload"),
"transform" => function($class) { return str_replace("_", "/", $class) . ".php"; }
));
// Note that 'path' can be dropped if trunk/library/Zend is placed
// directly into your /libraries directory.

/* add the incubator */
Libraries::add("Zend_Incubator", array(
"prefix" => "Zend_",
"includePath" => '/htdocs/libraries/Zend/incubator/library',
"transform" => function($class) { return str_replace("_", "/", $class) . ".php"; }
));

namespace appcontrollers;

use Zend_Mail_Storage_Pop3;

class EmailController extends lithiumactionController {

public function index() {
$mail = new Zend_Mail_Storage_Pop3(array(
'host' => 'localhost', 'user' => 'test', 'password' => 'test'
));
return compact('mail');
}

}

This has been a presentation by:

Joël Perras (@jperras)
Nate Abele (@nateabele)

Sucks. But check it out anyway.

Lithium: The Framework for People Who Hate Frameworks

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