RFC: Deep Linking

Purpose of deep links in Apotomo

• offering URLs that point to different states of the application (e.g. dashboard/#admin=quick-edit would automatically open the correct tab in a panel)
• allowing widgets to change the URL (remember, widgets often appear via AJAX and can’t change the path/query string)
• make back- and forward button work as expected

Note: deep linking in Apotomo is not limited to TabPanels only, it’s just for demonstration.

Scenarios

• TabPanel A [A]
• TabPanel A containing TabPanel B [A <— B]
• TabPanel A and TabPanel B on same level [A—B]

Basic Implementation

• we use SWFAddress for detecting internal and external URL events
  • internal: JS on page changes deep link via SWFAddress.setValue()
  • external: back/forward button, user changes deep link in address panel
• events are reported to a DeepLink cell
• we decide which widgets need to be informed in the Ruby world (NOT in JS)
• widgets that use deep links have to register for that
  • generic constructor hook :is_url_listener => true
• widgets are informed with an :urlChanged event
• widgets have to find out themselves what to do