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Project | DSpace ClientUI built on RESTful API |
Student | |
Mentors |
|
Location for project | (not received yet) |
Technologies | DSpace REST |
Proposal | |
Repository | |
Demo | |
Presentation | |
Notes |
Project Requirements
- Client run interface
- Attractive look and feel
- Easy to customize
Features
DSpace REST | Built on the DSpace REST API developed as GSoC project in 2009-10 |
FireSpark | Interface powered by FireSpark - JavaScript Service Computing Platform - which is an experimental platform currently |
RESTClient Extensions | Services and Workflows built for RESTClient using FireSpark for providing core UI functionality while interfacing the |
jQuery Templates | Client side processing supported by flexible templates written in JavaScript thereby enabling easier evolution of the UI |
CKEditor | HTML Rich Text Editor supported for easier text input during repository manipulation |
User Documentation
Source Structure
File / Directory / Subdirectory | Description | Files |
---|---|---|
index.html | initialization page for loading all necessary client scripts + basic document layout |
|
README |
|
|
ui/ | top level folder containing interface resources |
|
ui/css/ | styles and themes directory |
|
ui/css/default.css | global styles |
|
ui/css/jquery.css | jquery styles |
|
ui/css/restclient-styles.css | RESTClient styles unified from dev/ |
|
ui/img/ | images directory |
|
ui/js/ | scripts directory |
|
ui/js/jquery-1.6.1.min.js | jQuery |
|
ui/js/jquery-ui-1.8.13.min.js | jQuery UI |
|
ui/js/jquery.tmpl.min.js | jQuery Templates |
|
ui/js/jquery-firespark.js | jQuery FireSpark |
|
ui/js/ckeditor | CKEditor directory |
|
ui/js/restclient-jquery.js | RESTClient Extensions unified from dev/ |
|
ui/js/restclient-templates.js | RESTClient Templates unified from dev/ |
|
dev/ | top level folder containing developer resources |
|
dev/styles/ | individual styles directory |
|
dev/templates/ | individual templatesdirectory |
|
dev/build.bat (build.sh for linux) | Build script for unification |
|
dev/init.js | RESTClient initialization |
|
dev/helpers/ | individual helpers directory |
|
dev/services/ | individual services directory |
|
dev/workflows/ | individual workflows directory |
|
Customizations
Customization | Support | Description |
---|---|---|
Stylesheets (CSS) | Yes | Individual stylesheets in dev/styles/ control the styles for different pages |
Layout | Yes | Layout is configured in dev/styles/layout.css |
Themes | Yes | Themes are supported natively by jQuery UI |
Internationalization | No | Support for i18n is planned to be integrated into FireSpark soon using the i18n plugin |
Developer Documentation
RESTClient Extensions
Services
Name | Description | Options (Parameters passed to service in FireSpark) | Return Values |
---|---|---|---|
SessionWrite | Saves session information (email/password) for use in further requests |
| None |
ResourceRESTURL | Generates REST URL from resource information |
|
|
SessionRESTURL | Appends Session information (email/password) to URL |
|
|
Workflows
Name | Description | Options (Parameters passed to service in FireSpark) | Return Values |
---|---|---|---|
SessionBegin | Stores login information into session, authenticates and loads account template |
| None |
SessionEnd | Deletes session and loads account template |
| None |
ResourceLoad | Loads resource using GET and applies template into selected element |
| None |
ResourceEdit | Edits resource fields using PUT |
| None |
ResourceDelete | Deletes resource fields using DELETE |
| None |
Helpers
Name | Description | Arguments | Return Value |
---|---|---|---|
getDate | Returns timestamp as properly formatted date string | time : number : Timestamp | date : string : Formatted Date |
readFileSize | Returns size in bytes as properly formatted string | size : number : Size in bytes | size : string : Formatted Size |
init.js
Option | Description | Default Value |
---|---|---|
RESTClient.urls | URLs to be used | { |
RESTClient.jquery.constant.loadmsg | HTML content to show while loading content | '<p class="loading">Loading ...</p>' |
RESTClient.jquery.constant.successimg | HTML content to indicate successful execution | '<img src="ui/img/icons/ok.gif">' |
RESTClient.jquery.constant.errorimg | HTML content to indicate erroneous execution | '<img src="ui/img/icons/error.gif">' |
Documentation Resources
Name | Available | Description |
---|---|---|
FireSpark | No | Partially available in the heavily commented source code |
jQuery Templates | Yes | Available as jQuery plugin API documentation |
Screenshots
Functional Specifications
- Features to be supported
- Respository Browsing
- Repository Manipulation
- Content Searching
- Statistics
- Administration
- Customizations to be supported
- Stylesheets (CSS)
- Layout
- Themes
- Internationalization
Project Timeline
| Ready |
| Base done, Improvement phase |
| In Progress |
Before May 24
- Obtain access to :
Wiki
Project repository
Download, build and install local DSpace instance
Download, build and install DSpace REST module
Test and verify the installation
Go through the functionality of DSpace and DSpace REST API
Compare possible JavaScript UI frameworks -- Ext JS preferred
Note |
---|
Mark: I would like to see a bit more dialog with Bojan concerning the REST API contracts and migration to Spring, mainly, are we happy with these API contracts and using them for the students project, or do we need to consider some possible changes int he API to adopt to using Spring REST instead of Entity Broker. And if so, is there a timeline for providing those changes in scope of the 1.8 release? Vibhaj: Confirmed that the possible migration shall not affect the REST interface and hence RestClient project. |
May 25 - June 15
Get familiar with DSpace REST API
- collections, communities, items and bitstreams
- create
view
edit
delete
- users and groups
view
- search
generating statistics
- collections, communities, items and bitstreams
Decide the JavaScript Library to be used by discussing with the DSpace community: jQuery [decided by community]
Learn the jQuery JavaScript Library
Selectors
Actions and Methods
Events
UI Widgets
Design architecture for client run EntityBrowser supported by FireSpark framework supporting JavaScript UI for RESTful (JSON) servicesImplement first working version
Design generic Services and Workflows in FireSpark
Plan these extensions for RestClient
RESTUI.Resource.Load Workflow
RESTUI.Resource.Edit Workflow
RESTUI.Resource.Delete Workflow
ParseItemMetadata helper
June 15 -
...
July 10
Implement extensions (Services and Workflows) to FireSpark in RESTClient Configure EntityBrowser to provide support for :
- Respository Repository Browsing and Manipulation
- Communities
All
Single
Subcommunities
Recent Submissions
- Sort
- Collections
All
Single
- Sort
- Items
All
Single
Read Metadata
- Bitstreams
Download
- Communities
- Respository Repository Browsing and Manipulation
July 11 - July 15
GSoC Mid Term Evaluations
July 15 - July 31
Implement extensions (Services and Workflows) to FireSpark in RESTClient to provide support for :
- Repository Manupulation
- Communities
Edit
Delete
- Collections
Edit
- Communities
- Administration
- Users
Login
Logout
All
Single
- Groups
All
Single
- Users
- Content Searching
- Statistics
Reports (simple)
- Graphs and visualization
- Administration
- Groups
- Users
- Repository Manupulation
July 01 - July 11
- Testing
- Partial documentation
July 12 - July 18
Charts and Visualization (simple)
August 1 - August 15
Enhancing the look and feel
Look into and improve scope for customizations
Improve the architecture of RESTClient and FireSpark
Testing
Complete Documentation
Final Improvements
...