Robotlegs is a popular framework to build Flex applications. This presentation will walk you through some handy extensions which can be used with Robotlegs.

1. Extensions & Utilities

2. Who am I
Yennick Trevels
Rich Application Consultant @ iDA MediaFoundry
Adobe Flex 4 Certified Expert

3. Robotlegs
3rd generation MVC(S) Micro architecture
Lightweight
Dependency Injection

5. Signals extension
Use signals to trigger commands
Automatic injection of signal parameters
into the commands

6. AS3-Signals: example
var contactsLoaded:Signal = new Signal(ArrayCollection);
contactsLoaded.add(contactsLoadedHandler);
contactsLoaded.dispatch(contacts);
private function contactsLoadedHandler(contacts:ArrayCollection):void
{
// handler code
}

7. Signals extension: Usage
Context
public class MyContext extends SignalContext {
override public function startup():void {
… //other injection mappings
injector.mapSingleton(SaveContactSignal);
signalCommandMap.mapSignalClass(
SaveContactSignal, SaveContactCommand);
}
}

8. Signals extension: Usage
Mediator
public class ContactFormMediator extends Mediator{
[Inject]
public var saveContact:SaveContactSignal;
...
private function saveButton_click(event:MouseEvent):void {
saveContact.dispatch(contact);
}
}

9. Signals extension: Usage
Command
public class SaveContactCommand extends SignalCommand {
[Inject]
public var contact:Contact;
...
override public function execute():void {
contactService.saveContact(contact);
}
 }

10. ModuleContext
Modular extension
Without the extension:
 One Context per module
 Each module works independently
 No communication between modules
Facilitates communication between modules
Shell
IModuleEventDispatcher
ModuleContext
Module
ModuleContext
Module

11. Modular extension: Usage
Module Context
public class MyModuleContext extends ModuleContext { ... }
Module general Mediator
public class MyModuleMediator extends ModuleMediator {
...
private function exitModuleHandler():void {
var exitModuleEvent:ModuleEvent = new
ModuleEvent(ModuleEvent.EXIT_MODULE);
dispatchToModules(exitModuleEvent);
}
}

12. Modular extension: Usage
Shell/Module Mediator
public class ShellMediator extends ModuleMediator {
override public function onRegister():void {
eventMap.mapListener(moduleDispatcher,
ModuleEvent.EXIT_MODULE, moduleExitHandler,
ModuleEvent);
}
...
}

13. Signals & Modular
extension?
Not possible by default
Solution
1. Take the SignalContext code and copy it into a new
ModuleSignalContext class
2. Take the ModularContext code and merge it into the new
class
3. Done & works like a charm

14. OptionCommandMap utility
Run different command based on selected option
Use case:
1. User has the choice between several options
2. Based on the chosen option a different command will
run
Automatic removal of mappings after one option
has been processed
Removes the need for an custom event per option

15. OptionCommandMap utility
Streamlines the following:
Setup
commandMap.mapEvent(SelectCharacterEvent.MAGE,
SelectMageCommand, SelectCharacterEvent);
commandMap.mapEvent(SelectCharacterEvent.WARRIOR,
SelectWarriorCommand, SelectCharacterEvent);
Once a command has been processed
commandMap.unmapEvent(SelectCharacterEvent.MAGE,
SelectMageCommand, SelectCharacterEvent);
commandMap.unmapEvent(SelectCharacterEvent.WARRIOR,
SelectWarriorCommand, SelectCharacterEvent);

16. OptionCommandMap:
Usage
Context
override protected function mapInjections():void {
super.mapInjections();
injector.mapValue(IOptionCommandMap, new
OptionCommandMap(eventDispatcher, injector, reflector));
}
Inside Mediator or Command
//map the options
optionCommandMap.mapOption(1, SelectMageCommand);
optionCommandMap.mapOption(2, SelectWarriorCommand);

17. OptionCommandMap:
Usage
Trigger an option
var event:OptionEvent = new OptionEvent(OptionEvent[“OPTION_1”]);
dispatch(event);

18. Macrobot utility
execute commands in:
Sequence: SequenceCommand
Parallel: ParallelCommand

19. Macrobot: Usage
Parallel
var command:ParallelCommand = new ParallelCommand();
command.addCommand(FirstCommand);
command.addCommand(SecondCommand);
Command.addCompletionListener(command_completeHandler);
command.execute();
private function command_completeHandler(success:boolean):void
{
//perform completion code here
}

20. Macrobot: Usage
Sequence
var command:SequenceCommand = new SequenceCommand();
command.addCommand(FirstCommand);
command.addCommand(SecondCommand);
Command.addCompletionListener(command_completeHandler);
command.execute();
private function command_completeHandler(success:boolean):void
{
//perform completion code here
}

21. Resources
Robotlegs
http://www.robotlegs.org/
Signals extension
https://github.com/joelhooks/signals-extensions-CommandSignal
Modular extension
https://github.com/joelhooks/robotlegs-utilities-Modular
OptionCommandMap utility
https://github.com/Stray/robotlegs-utilities-OptionCommandMap
Macrobot utility
https://github.com/Aaronius/robotlegs-utilities-Macrobot