Focus - A NodeJS Web Framework and Utilities

Focus in a nutshell is a framework that lets you not write to a framework. By this focus gives you the ability to start a web based project like you would any simple export based app. Focus takes care of controller / routing by way of files and exports so there is no need to scaffold or generate anything.

Something Important: The web framework was originally designed around a specific purpose, and in instances uses methods that are outside of the 'usual' framework patterns. There is no application generation, directory generation, resources or scaffolding. I'm super aware of this and having said that, if you are looking for a more complete framework Geddy / Connect / Express / et. al are super awesome.

Focus is stand-alone and based on a simple configuration. Please see the associated config.js included in the distribution. Once you have deployed and set your configuration you can jump right in. Below is a basic sample script. Feel free to copy this script into a file.

Features - To name a few (Please refer to the documentation)

Cookies
Static file server
HTTP chunked responses
HTTP file / form uploads
HTTP 1.0 / 1.1 compatible
Simple plugin architecture
Basic HTML templates built in
Session Management, see the session plugin (Basic & Redis)
Easily create REST API end-points with a few lines of code
Web built-ins with stuff like basic auth and redirects, (web plugin)

Focus should come ready to start if node is installed. Simply download the repo and start with:

node index.js start

Once started go to the congiured host / port to view the default config:

http://localhost:8080/

For more information refer to the documentation or look at the included test scripts.

API Documentation

Example

//_enter_ is script wide and will be called as an entry point.

module.exports._enter_ = function(plugins) {
    var web = plugins.web;
    var script = plugins.script;
    var sessions = plugins.session;

    //request storage is a place we can store properties 
    //through the life of a script _enter_ to _exit_
    web.requestStorage.sum = 42;

    script.done();
};

//index is the default action if no other is specified (assuming myscript.js)
    
module.exports.index = function(plugins) {
    var web = plugins.web;
    var script = plugins.script;

    web.echo("e.g. http://localhost:8080/myscript");
    script.done();

    return;
};

//Use some node patterns.

module.exports.fancy = function(plugins) {
    var web = plugins.web;
    var script = plugins.script;

    web.echo("Start long query. . . http://localhost:8080/myscript/fancy");
    setTimeout(function() {
        web.echo("...Finish long pretend query");
        script.done();
    }, 2500);

    script.wait();
};

module.exports.sayhello = function(plugins) {
    var web = plugins.web;
    var script = plugins.script;

    var name = web.getQuery('name');
    if (!name) {
        web.echo("Hello there!");
    }
    else {
        web.echo("Hello " + name + "!");
    }

    script.done();
};

module.exports.myapi = function(plugins) {
    var web = plugins.web;
    var script = plugins.script;

    web.responseIsJSON();

    web.echo(JSON.stringify({api_version: 1, api_result: true, api_data: [1, 2, 3, 4]}));

    script.done();
};

module.exports._exit_ = function(plugins) {
    var web = plugins.web;
    var script = plugins.script;

    script.done();
}

Config for local development

Required - NodeJS and NPM (My local node configuration make sure these paths are okay)

cd ~/Projects
curl -O https://nodejs.org/dist/v0.12.7/node-v0.12.7.tar.gz
tar -zxvf node-v0.12.7.tar.gz
cd node-v0.12.7
./configure --prefix=$HOME/Projects/node

make
make install

echo 'export PATH=$HOME/Projects/node/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bash_profile
echo 'export NODE_PATH=$HOME/Projects/node/lib/node_modules' >> ~/.bash_profile

source ~/.bash_profile

npm install npm -g
npm install node-gyp -g

Required - Get the REPO | (I'm using ~/Projects/focus)

cd ~/Projects
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email your_email@address.com

git clone git@github.com:joelakhani/focus.git .

Optional - Node Modules

npm install ioredis

Optional - Redis.io (Optional session store)

* Note: $HOME does not work in configuration files, expand according to your configuration

curl -O http://download.redis.io/releases/redis-3.0.3.tar.gz
tar -zxvf redis-3.0.3.tar.gz
cd redis-3.0.3
make 
make PREFIX=$HOME/Projects/redis install

echo 'export PATH=$HOME/Projects/redis/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bash_profile
source ~/.bash_profile

mkdir ~/Projects/redis/db

cp redis.conf ~/Projects/redis/redis.conf

vi ~/Projects/redis/redis.conf
    daemonize yes
    pidfile $HOME/Projects/redis/redis.pid
    logfile $HOME/Projects/redis/redis.log
    dir $HOME/Projects/redis/db

(Optional) ~/.bash_profile
alias redis-start='redis-server $HOME/Projects/redis/redis.conf'
alias redis-stop='redis-cli -h 127.0.0.1 -p 6379 shutdown';

Optional - my vi settings

set nocompatible
set autoindent
set smartindent
set smarttab
set expandtab
set tabstop=4
set softtabstop=4
set shiftwidth=4
set showmatch
set guioptions-=T
set vb t_vb=
set ruler
set nohls
set incsearch
nmap X gt
nmap Z gT
nmap <C-n> :tabnew<CR>

travenasty / focus