[cms-users] Building an API for CMS

[Alexandre G. <gr...@so...>]

Hello,

I have started work on building an API for CMS that would allow different
modules to be programmed for it. For example, one module could use a SQL
database for storage as another could use the local filesystem. The
administrator could then decide how to store the content depending on the
software available and storage needed.

I am thinking about building a basic interface class from which all the
modules would be extended. This would use the object-oriented features of
Perl and could in the end simplify very much the future development of CMS.

Should we make the authentification and storage modules as separate ? I have
received emails suggesting the use of the HTTP authentification mechanisms
to control access, and I was thinking about building an authentification
method based on text and configuration files.

What I have to do is to decide how the base classes of the API will be
built. Here's what I have in mind:

--storageAPI
  |--setDirectory (sets the current directory)
  |--getSubdirectories (returns a list of subdirectories in the current
directory)
  |--getFiles (returns a list of files in the current directory)
  |--getFileProperties (returns the properties of the filename passed in
parameter
  |                     ie. Reserved or not, comments, date of last
modification, etc.)
  |--checkOut (returns the content of the file passed in parameter. Sets ir
reserved
  |            depending on a second parameter)
  |--checkIn (takes the filename and its content by parameter)
  |--discardReservation (discards the reservation on a filename passed in
parameter)
  |--setComment (sets a comment on a filename, both passed in parameter)
  |--createDirectory (creates a new subdirectory in the current directory)
  |--deleteFile (deletes a file)

--authentificationAPI
  |--login (takes a username and password in parameter and returns wether it
was
  |         successfull or not)
  |--logout (logs out a given user)

Now, this API would allow us to have one main file where calls are made to
the right API depending on the configuration selected.

Any comments, suggestions ?

Alexandre Gravel
Infivia Solutions
gr...@in...
http://www.infivia.com