Catalyst::Manual::Tutorial - Catalyst Tutorial: Overview
The Catalyst framework is a flexible and comprehensive environment for
quickly building high-functionality web applications. This tutorial is
designed to provide a rapid introduction to its basics and its most
commonly used features while focusing on real-world best practices.
The tutorial is divided into the following sections:
NOTE: CLICK THESE LINKS TO JUMP TO CHAPTERS (the index links above
only navigate inside this page).
A tarball of the final application is available at
http://dev.catalyst.perl.org/repos/Catalyst/trunk/examples/Tutorial/Final_Tarball/MyApp.tgz.
VERSIONS AND CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS TUTORIAL
CATALYST INSTALLATION
DATABASES
WHERE TO GET WORKING CODE
CREATE A CATALYST PROJECT
CREATE A SQLITE DATABASE
EDIT THE LIST OF CATALYST PLUGINS
DATABASE ACCESS WITH DBIx::Class
Create a DBIC Schema File
Create the DBIC ``Result Source'' Files
Use Catalyst::Model::DBIC::Schema to Load the Model Class
CREATE A CATALYST CONTROLLER
CATALYST VIEWS
Create a Catalyst View Using TTSite
Using RenderView for the Default View
Globally Customize Every View
Create a TT Template Page
RUN THE APPLICATION
USING THE DEFAULT TEMPLATE NAME
FORMLESS SUBMISSION
Include a Create Action in the Books Controller
Include a Template for the url_create Action:
Try the url_create Feature
MANUALLY BUILDING A CREATE FORM
Add a Method to Display the Form
Add a Template for the Form
Add Method to Process Form Values and Update Database
Test Out the Form
A SIMPLE DELETE FEATURE
Include a Delete Link in the List
Add a Delete Action to the Controller
Try the Delete Feature
BASIC AUTHENTICATION
Add Users and Roles to the Database
Add User and Role Information to DBIC Schema
Create New ``Result Source Objects''
Sanity-Check Reload of Development Server
Include Authentication and Session Plugins
Configure Authentication
Add Login and Logout Controllers
Add a Login Form TT Template Page
Add Valid User Check
Displaying Content Only to Authenticated Users
Try Out Authentication
USING PASSWORD HASHES
Get a SHA-1 Hash for the Password
Switch to SHA-1 Password Hashes in the Database
Enable SHA-1 Hash Passwords in Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication::Store::DBIC
Try Out the Hashed Passwords
BASIC AUTHORIZATION
Update Plugins to Include Support for Authorization
Add Config Information for Authorization
Add Role-Specific Logic to the ``Book List'' Template
Limit Books::add to admin Users
Try Out Authentication And Authorization
ENABLE ACL-BASED AUTHORIZATION
Add the Catalyst::Plugin::Authorization::ACL Plugin
Add ACL Rules to the Application Class
Add a Method to Handle Access Violations
LOG STATEMENTS
RUNNING CATALYST UNDER THE PERL DEBUGGER
DEBUGGING MODULES FROM CPAN
RUNNING THE ``CANNED'' CATALYST TESTS
RUNNING A SINGLE TEST
ADDING YOUR OWN TEST SCRIPT
SUPPORTING BOTH PRODUCTION AND TEST DATABASES
HTML::WIDGET FORM CREATION
Add the HTML::Widget Plugin
Add a Form Creation Helper Method
Add Actions to Display and Save the Form
Update the CSS
Create a Template Page To Display The Form
Add Links for Create and Update via HTML::Widget
Test The <HTML::Widget> Create Form
HTML::WIDGET VALIDATION AND FILTERING
Add Constraints and Filters to the Widget Creation Method
Rebuild the Form Submission Method to Include Validation
Try Out the Form
Enable DBIx::Class::HTMLWidget Support
Add DBIx::Class::HTMLWidget to DBIC Model
Use populate_from_widget in hw_create_do
APPENDIX 1: CUT AND PASTE FOR POD-BASED EXAMPLES
``Un-indenting'' with Vi/Vim
``Un-indenting'' with Emacs
APPENDIX 2: USING MYSQL AND POSTGRESQL
APPENDIX 3: IMPROVED HASHING SCRIPT
This tutorial would not have been possible without the input of many
different people in the Catalyst community. In particular, the
primary author would like to thank:
Sebastian Riedel for founding the Catalyst project.
The members of the Catalyst Core Team for their tireless efforts to
advance the Catalyst project. Although all of the Core Team members
have played a key role in this tutorial, it would have never been
possible without the critical contributions of: Matt Trout, for his
unfathomable knowledge of all things Perl and Catalyst (and his
willingness to answer lots of my questions); Jesse Sheidlower, for his
incredible skill with the written word and dedication to improving the
Catalyst documentation; and Yuval Kogman, for his work on the Catalyst
``Auth & Authz'' plugins (the original focus of the tutorial) and other
key Catalyst modules.
Other Catalyst documentation folks like Kieren Diment, Gavin Henry,
and Jess Robinson (including their work on the original Catalyst
tutorial).
Everyone on #catalyst and #catalyst-dev.
People who have emailed me with corrections and suggestions on the
tutorial. As of the most recent release, this include: Florian Ragwitz,
Mauro Andreolini, Jim Howard, Giovanni Gigante, William Moreno,
Bryan Roach, Ashley Berlin, David Kamholz, Kevin Old, Henning Sprang,
Jeremy Jones, David Kurtz, and Ingo Wichmann.
Kennedy Clark, hkclark@gmail.com
Please report any errors, issues or suggestions to the author. The
most recent version of the Catalyst Tutorial can be found at
http://dev.catalyst.perl.org/repos/Catalyst/trunk/Catalyst-Runtime/lib/Catalyst/Manual/Tutorial/.
Copyright 2006, Kennedy Clark, under Creative Commons License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/).