Scaffold a Module

If you are planning to build a module, a great way to get started is Scaffolding a Module using CommandBox. CommandBox has a lot of commands and the one we will be using in this case is the ColdBox command. The ColdBox command inside of CommandBox allows you to do a lot of things, including coldbox create for all of these items:

• view

• app-wizard

• orm-virtual-service

• unit

• integration-test

• interceptor-test

• orm-entity

• orm-service

• app

• interceptor

• orm-event-handler

• model

• layout

• handler

• bdd

• module

• orm-crud

• model-test

• controller

We are of course interested in creating a module. Lets look at that command

coldbox create module

The params for this command are the following:

name=            
author=          
authorURL=       
description=     
version=
modelNamespace=  
dependencies=    
directory=       
script=          

There is also a flag for script: --script

Lets create a module with the command, and see what it produces. Note: Be in the root of your app so the command knows where to put the files. If you are in a subfolder, the command might get lost.

coldbox create module name=customModule2 author="Gavin Pickin" authorURL="http://www.gpickin.com" description="Custom Module 2" version="1.2.3" cfmapping="customModule2Mapping" modelNamespace="customModuleName" directory="modules_app" script=true

Looking at the arguments in more detail

• name=customModule2

• author="Gavin Pickin"

• authorURL="http://www.gpickin.com"

• description="Custom Module 2"

• version="1.2.3"

• cfmapping="customModule2Mapping"

• modelNamespace="customModuleName"

• directory="modules_app"

• script=true

The command outputs this:

Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\handlers
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\handlers\Home.cfc
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\models
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\models\models_here.txt
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\ModuleConfig.cfc
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\views
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\views\home
Created C:\www\wwwplayground\modules_app\customModule2\views\home\index.cfm

Here is a visual display of the directory structure

Module Created by CommandBox Scaffolding

The command creates a Module Config file with all your information. It creates a default handler, called Home.cfc in the handlers folder. It creates a models folder, with just a placeholder file. It also creates a views folder, with the home folder to match the handler, and creates a default index.cfm view.

It is a great way to get started. You can use many of the other ColdBox commands to create additional handlers, views, and layouts. The next time you want to create a module, instead of remembering the conventions, and what files you need, scaffold it with CommandBox's ColdBox create command.

ColdBox modules all work with ContentBox, so what will you create?