Per Context Catalyst Component - John Napiorkowski - TPRC 2024 - Lightning Tak

#tprc2024 #perl #lightningtalk #catalyst

Elevator....

Give your Catalyst components superpowers when you make them context aware. Have a model that strongly types your form or query parameters, create a controller that permits request level attributes or a view that can reconstitute itself from session information.

Description...

Supercharge Your Catalyst Components with Context-Aware Capabilities
Give your Catalyst components superpowers by making them context-aware. Imagine a model that strongly types your form or query parameters, a controller that dynamically adapts based on request-level attributes, or a view that reconstitutes itself seamlessly from session information.

Per request components significantly expand the lifecycle options you have when architecting your Catalyst web application. However, this powerful feature is often under-documented and not widely understood. The goal of this lightning talk is to succinctly explain the concept of per request components and demonstrate their practical use with three quick, real-world examples.

Example 1: Context-Aware Models
By making models context-aware, you can enforce strong typing on form or query parameters. This ensures data integrity and reduces the risk of errors. For instance, you can define a model that validates user input against specific types, providing immediate feedback and preventing invalid data from reaching your business logic.

Example 2: Dynamic Controllers
Controllers that adapt based on request-level attributes offer a flexible approach to handling different user scenarios. Imagine a controller that changes its behavior based on user roles, request origins, or specific query parameters. This allows for more personalized and secure request handling, improving user experience and security.

Example 3: Self-Reconstituting Views
Views that can reconstitute themselves from session information enhance user experience by maintaining state across different requests. This is particularly useful for multi-step forms or wizards, where maintaining user progress and data consistency is crucial. By leveraging session data, views can reconstruct the necessary context, providing a seamless and continuous interaction for users.

By the end of this talk, you’ll have a clear understanding of per request components in Catalyst and how to leverage them to create more robust, adaptable, and user-friendly web applications. Join me to discover how you can give your Catalyst components superpowers and take your web development skills to the next level.

Author...
I’m John Napiorkowski. I’ve been programming Perl since the mid 90s and have authored dozens of CPAN modules under the handle JJNAPIORK (maybe you’ve used some?). On IRC I go by ‘jnap’