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Viewing by month: March 2004

Mar
23

Why use a framework

4 comments Posted by: Laura

While working with the C2 architecture I realized the real purpose of using a framework. By definition, a framework is "a structure for supporting or enclosing something else". That is, a structure that allows us to do things such as using messages as communication between components (as in C2) or implementing implicit invocation (as in MachII) when the underlying language does not provide native facilities for that.

It is not only to be able to rapidly develop an application. Rather, it is to be able to use an architectural style to inherit all its advantages: modularity, anticipation of change, abstraction, low coupling, and high cohesion (all the properties that styles aim at). That, in turn, allows us to develop more quickly because the style put us constraints and we have some predefined configurations of component arrangement. We also achieve faster development by means of using proven patterns and reusing components. We could achieve the same results by applying other styles (as long as the language allows us) and skipping the framework.

So why use a framework? Because I am lazy and I don't want to have to think so much about how to realize a style or pattern. And by using a framework correctly, I get a free ride to a well organized application and I can focus on other things.

Category: Software Engineering |
Mar
22

Working with the C2 architecture

3 comments Posted by: Laura

I have been working on a little project where it was required to use the C2 architecture. If you've never heard of this architectural style, you are in the great majority. It was developed by the Institute for Software Research at the University of California, Irvine.

It is event-based or better "component and message"-based. Components communicate using messages sent through a connector. What is interesting about it is that it differentiates between type of messages as "Notifications" and "Requests". Notifications are sent "down" and the component has no expectation that some other component is listening whereas Requests are sent "up" and the component sending them makes the assumption that the service will be provided by some other component above it (but it doesn't care who).

read more Category: Software Engineering |
Mar
19

Implementation of the List Iterator in Flash

2 comments Posted by: Nahuel I made an AS2.0 class that implements a similar interface to the Java List Iterator. This class is useful for going through every element in an Array, but without the famous i++ variable. A nice use of this class is when you have a loop on an EnterFrame so that you don’t need to maintain the variable i across the frames but simply evaluate hasNext() and call next() if there are more elements.
If you want to know more about this Interface you can take a look in the Sun site.
You can download the source and an example.
You can view the code in the browser. Category: Flash |
Mar
18

Flash in the Can finalist

1 comments Posted by: Nahuel Yeah!! Our site Metal Tracer is finalist in the Technical Excellence category of Flash in the Can awards. We share this place with another two interesting sites: Logoyes from 2advanced and Roxemedia. But the best part of Flash in the Can is the festival itself and this will be a huge one. There will be more than 80 speakers and a few workshops, one of them by Colin Moock and another by Grant Skinner that will be very interesting.
Flash in the Can site.
2004 Flash in the Can Finalist Awards Category: Flash |

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