I have tried many ways to validate data in ColdBox, and there are many ways! I have used 3rd party plug-ins and followed many blogs posts on the subject. I want to share one of my preferred ways to validate data in ColdBox. Its not the most polished method and it has its flaws (persisting values) but it has worked well for me!

First I will create an example handler (show below). This handler is used to display School data based on the ID and School URL passed to it. I won't go into the Application or the model here.

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I spent most of Friday morning with a strange ColdFusion and XML issue. A number of customers reported that a flash application we run was hanging on the loading screen. The flash accepts a XML file created by ColdFusion. The flash application appeared to be working in FireFox and Chrome but not in good old IE! The plot thickens, when the request was made on port 80 and not SSL the flash worked in IE and the load was successful.

The problem got even more strange, some IE users were successfully loading the flash. The only difference between the two IE users where some had installed a set of IE updates (xml did not load) and the other had not (xml worked, flash loaded).

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I had some CFGRID code I needed to implement into an existing ColdBox application. The grid run out of the box without any intervention from the ColdBox Framework. However it would be necessary for the CFGRID to access my service layer and properties injected from ColdSpring if I wanted it to take full advantage of the CB Framework. I assumed this would be a nightmare, I mean how to I get my AJAX grid to use the same reusable ColdBox and model code?

With ColdBox Proxy of course! The ColdBox proxy enables remote calls like AJAX to communicate with ColdBox and take advantage of all the goodies it has to offer, thanks ColdBox!

So how easy was it to get working? Very, it only took a few extra lines of code to work, really!

First I told my CFGRID to access the proxy directly and not the CFC.

bind="cfc:admin.coldboxproxy.getAllproducts({cfgridpage},
                              {cfgridpagesize},
                              {cfgridsortcolumn},
                              {cfgridsortdirection})"

Next using the ColdBox proxy template already provided (which extends coldbox.system.extras.ColdboxProxy) I created a new function that works the same was as handlers in ColdBox.

<cffunction name="getAllproducts" output="false" access="remote" returntype="any" hint="Process a remote call and return data/objects back.">
  <cfargument name="page" type="numeric" required="yes">
  <cfargument name="pageSize" type="numeric" required="yes">
  <cfargument name="gridsortcolumn" type="string" required="no" default="">
  <cfargument name="gridsortdir" type="string" required="no" default="">

    <cfset var results = "">    
    <cfset results = getBean("storeService").getAJAXProducts(page=#arguments.page#,					 pageSize=#arguments.pageSize#,
			gridsortcolumn=#arguments.gridsortcolumn#,
			gridsortdir=#arguments.gridsortdir#) />

    <!--- Convert Query for Paging --->
    <cfreturn QueryConvertForGrid(results,page,pageSize)>
</cffunction>

getBean("storeService") interact directly with the service layer. Once this was done I could then take advantage of my dependency injection framework and ColdBox features. How cool is that!

My venture in ColdBox has been so far very enjoyable. It has really changed the way I plan my applications. My stumble in to using objects (correctly) has also brought with it some challenges and changed my approach to building maintainable and reusable applications.

So far my blog entries on ColdBox have mainly been on objects, validation and persistent, all straight forward when doing simple updating/creating/deleting actions.

Anyway, going back to challenges and objects, my first real stumbling block came a few weeks ago. How do I insert multiple records from data that comes from a form using a object?

I asked this question on both the ColdBox forums and CFTALK list. They all make it sound so simple, not sure they had this in mind.

My problem was as follows: when creating/updating a product I need to insert/update or delete multiple records for the product options based on what the user ticked or not ticked. So my first attempt worked that's a start right? here goes....

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I have never found a way to validate data I feel is 100% right for me, but I think I am getting close, let me explain.

I have a simple ColdBox 'view' containing my user form. This form is used to both create and update user's credentials.

user view

<cfoutput>
  <fieldset>
    <div class="fm-req">
      <label for="firstname">First Name</label>
      <input id="firstname" name="firstname" type="text" class="text" value="#rc.bean.getfirstname()#" maxlength="15">
    </div>
    <div class="fm-req">
      <label for="surname">Last Name</label>
      <input id="surname" name="surname" type="text" class="text" maxlength="15" value="#rc.bean.getsurname()#">
    </div>
    <div class="fm-req">
      <label for="email">Email Address</label>
      <input id="email" name="email" type="text" class="text" maxlength="100" value="#rc.bean.getemail()#">
    </div>
    <div class="fm-req">
      <label for="username">Username</label>
      <input id="username" name="username" type="text" class="text" maxlength="12" value="#rc.bean.getusername()#">
    </div>
    <div class="fm-req">
      <label for="password">Password</label>
      <input id="password" name="password" type="password" class="text" maxlength="20" value="#variables.PasswordEncrypt#">
    </div>
  </fieldset>
</cfoutput>

example handler

<!--- Edit User --->
<cffunction name="editUser" access="public" returntype="void" output="false">
<cfargument name="Event" type="coldbox.system.beans.requestContext">
     <cfscript>
	  var rc = event.getCollection();// RC Reference
      var userBean = variables.adminUsersService.createAdminUserBean(); //Create adminUserBean
	  getPlugin('beanFactory').populateBean(userBean);//the magic bean machine
	  variables.adminUsersService.getUserByID(userBean);
	  rc.bean = userBean;
	  event.setValue("pageTitle","Edit System User");//Form H1 Title
	  event.setValue("formURL","/users/updateUser?adminId=#rc.adminId#");
	  event.setValue("buttonValue1","Update User");//H1 Title
	  runEvent(event='users.createUserTabs',private=true); // Create User Tabs 
	  Event.setView("user/edit"); // Set the View To Display, after Logic 
     </cfscript>
</cffunction>

I use one handler to create a new user and another to update, the only difference is the update handler pre populates the object from the database. So far simple stuff. Next I needed to validate my input. Again simple, I would submit to an intermediate handler that would validate my data against the object. However my dilemma is what to do if validation fails!

<!--- Validation  --->
<cffunction name="validation" access="public" returntype="void" output="false">
<cfargument name="Event" type="coldbox.system.beans.requestContext">
     <cfscript>
	  var rc = event.getCollection();// RC Reference
      var userBean = variables.adminUsersService.createAdminUserBean(); //Create adminUserBean
      getPlugin('beanFactory').populateBean(userBean);//the magic bean machine
	  
	 errors = userBean.validateUserALL();//Check For Validation Errors  
	  
	 if (NOT ArrayLen(errors)){//No Validation Errors
	  
		  if ( variables.adminUsersService.updateUser(userBean)) {//Update Was OK
			 getPlugin("messagebox").setMessage("info", "User was successfully updated."); 
		  }
		  else {//Could Not Update User Show Error Message
			   getPlugin("messagebox").setMessage("error", "Sorry, for some reason this user was not updated!"); 
		  }
		  
	  setNextEvent('users.overView');  // Set the Event To Run, After Logic  
	 }//End Of No Validation Errors 
	  
	  else {//We Have Validation Errors Show The User A Message
         getPlugin("messagebox").setMessage("error", "<b>The Following Validation Errors Occurred:</b><br />",errors);
		 
             ///what to do here?
		 
     }
     </cfscript>
</cffunction>

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It has been a few weeks now of me getting to grips with ColdBox and ColdSpring. My question has been mainly on why I would use ColdSpring at all. Some will be glad to hear I am starting to see how ColdSpring helps with managing CFC's. I also just wanted to recommend Jason Dean's Blog. He has provided a very insightful step by step guide to using ColdBox and ColdSpring which has really helped me. I got it late, I know but if for some strange reason you have not read his series, do it, do it now!

The Hard Lesson

When I was creating my object i.e "userservice().init()" CF was throwing an error. It seemed ColdSpring knew nothing about my injected properties to the CFC, can you spot why? Well either ColdSpring or ColdBox (not sure which) handles the .init() it calls the constructor and passes in the correct argument without my help. So because I was trying to call the init() myself it was not being managed by ColdSpring. Simple, but it held me up for a long time. Because I always try and follow the best practice it never occurred to me this could be the culprit. A quick post on the ColdSpring user group and Brian Kotek quickly put me on the right track, thanks again.

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The more I work in ColdBox the more I want to learn, so pardon my ramblings but yesterday ColdBox and ColdSpring took my fancy. I have never worked with ColdSpring nor any other AOP for CFC's.

So ColdSpring, what's all that about then? To be honest I am still not sure why I would use it. I started by playing around, I wanted to inject my ColdBox DNS setting into my common.cfc (database gateway).

<beans default-autowire="byName">
<bean id="coldboxFactory" class="coldbox.system.extras.ColdboxFactory" />
<bean id="ConfigBean" factory-bean="ColdboxFactory" factory-method="getConfigBean" />
<bean id="dsnBean" factory-bean="ColdboxFactory" factory-method="getDatasource">
	<constructor-arg name="alias">
	<value>DBDetails</value>
	</constructor-arg>
</bean>	
	<bean id="userService" class="model.UserService" />
	
	<bean id="userGateway" class="model.common" >
	    <property name="dsnBean">
            <ref bean="dsnBean" />
        </property>
     </bean>

</beans>

I then created a UserService.cfc. The idea I think behind this is that I access the userService.cfc to get to common.cfc (gateway) and common.cfc gets the DNS setting injected.

<cfcomponent name="User Service">

<cffunction name="init" access="public" returntype="any" hint="Constructor.">
  <cfreturn this />
</cffunction>

<cffunction name="getUserGateway" access="public" returntype="any" output="false" hint="Return the UserGateway.">
  <cfreturn variables.instance['userGateway'] />
</cffunction>

<cffunction name="setUserGateway" access="public" returntype="void" output="false" hint="Set the UserGateway.">
  <cfargument name="userGateway" type="any" required="true" hint="UserGateway" />
  <cfset variables.instance['userGateway'] = arguments.userGateway />
</cffunction>
</cfcomponent>

common.cfc
<cffunction name="setdsnBean" access="public" returntype="void" output="false" hint="Set the dsnBean.">
    <cfargument name="dsnBean" type="any" required="true" hint="dsnBean" />
    <cfset variables.instance['dsnBean'] = arguments.dsnBean />
</cffunction>

Why is this any better? I could have achieved this all in the init() method without ColdSpring, or I could have extended my CFC, or I could have even created a config CFC and injected that into the common.cfc.

Sorry, If these questions are just ignorant.

Now I am getting more to grips with CB I have recreated an ecommerce site using the framework. I have also created a simple plugin for the Coldbox Framework that allows you to integrate SagePay VSP Direct payment system in your website. It seems to work very well the site I used it on has been running the new plugin for few days, taking transactions with no errors.

In case you don't know, SagePay VSP Direct is a method of processing a transaction through the Sage Pay gateway using server to server communication with the customer remaining on your website throughout the whole process.

This plugin will setup, send and handle the response from their gateway. You will need an understanding of Sagepay and a SSL cert to use this plugin. Sage Pay only support UK merchants at the moment!

I will be adding some example of the handler, checkout forms, and cart to a zip download soon at the moment all I have included the plugin CFC code below.

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So, my first attempt at a ColdBox Plugin works, however I cannot help but feel I could have done it better/right. You see, I know the theory of OOP it's in my nightmares as student, but applying it practically in CF is still a learning experience.

I have posted my code below. Encapsulation is the key I think, you see I am coming outside of the CFC to put back in 'SagePayURLStruct'

So my question is, how to I setup the 'setEnvironment' function in the CFC so it accessible inside the CFC, only the CFC and without going outside the CFC? For example could this be done using the init(). Could it be called on create component, so its accessible in the CFC itself after creation?

I would really welcome any feedback here, rip it to pieces it's the only way I learn! :)

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