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Terms, Icons, and Labels

Many classes have shortcut names used when creating (instantiating) a class with a configuration object. The shortcut name is referred to as an alias (or xtype if the class extends Ext.Component). The alias/xtype is listed next to the class name of applicable classes for quick reference.

Access Levels

Framework classes or their members may be specified as private or protected. Else, the class / member is public. Public, protected, and private are access descriptors used to convey how and when the class or class member should be used.

Member Types

Member Syntax

Below is an example class member that we can disect to show the syntax of a class member (the lookupComponent method as viewed from the Ext.button.Button class in this case).

lookupComponent ( item ) : Ext.Component
protected

Called when a raw config object is added to this container either during initialization of the items config, or when new items are added), or {@link #insert inserted.

This method converts the passed object into an instanced child component.

This may be overridden in subclasses when special processing needs to be applied to child creation.

Parameters

item :  Object

The config object being added.

Returns
Ext.Component

The component to be added.

Let's look at each part of the member row:

Member Flags

The API documentation uses a number of flags to further commnicate the class member's function and intent. The label may be represented by a text label, an abbreviation, or an icon.

Class Icons

- Indicates a framework class

- A singleton framework class. *See the singleton flag for more information

- A component-type framework class (any class within the Ext JS framework that extends Ext.Component)

- Indicates that the class, member, or guide is new in the currently viewed version

Member Icons

- Indicates a class member of type config

- Indicates a class member of type property

- Indicates a class member of type method

- Indicates a class member of type event

- Indicates a class member of type theme variable

- Indicates a class member of type theme mixin

- Indicates that the class, member, or guide is new in the currently viewed version

Class Member Quick-Nav Menu

Just below the class name on an API doc page is a row of buttons corresponding to the types of members owned by the current class. Each button shows a count of members by type (this count is updated as filters are applied). Clicking the button will navigate you to that member section. Hovering over the member-type button will reveal a popup menu of all members of that type for quick navigation.

Getter and Setter Methods

Getting and setter methods that correlate to a class config option will show up in the methods section as well as in the configs section of both the API doc and the member-type menus just beneath the config they work with. The getter and setter method documentation will be found in the config row for easy reference.

History Bar

Your page history is kept in localstorage and displayed (using the available real estate) just below the top title bar. By default, the only search results shown are the pages matching the product / version you're currently viewing. You can expand what is displayed by clicking on the button on the right-hand side of the history bar and choosing the "All" radio option. This will show all recent pages in the history bar for all products / versions.

Within the history config menu you will also see a listing of your recent page visits. The results are filtered by the "Current Product / Version" and "All" radio options. Clicking on the button will clear the history bar as well as the history kept in local storage.

If "All" is selected in the history config menu the checkbox option for "Show product details in the history bar" will be enabled. When checked, the product/version for each historic page will show alongside the page name in the history bar. Hovering the cursor over the page names in the history bar will also show the product/version as a tooltip.

Search and Filters

Both API docs and guides can be searched for using the search field at the top of the page.

On API doc pages there is also a filter input field that filters the member rows using the filter string. In addition to filtering by string you can filter the class members by access level, inheritance, and read only. This is done using the checkboxes at the top of the page.

The checkbox at the bottom of the API class navigation tree filters the class list to include or exclude private classes.

Clicking on an empty search field will show your last 10 searches for quick navigation.

API Doc Class Metadata

Each API doc page (with the exception of Javascript primitives pages) has a menu view of metadata relating to that class. This metadata view will have one or more of the following:

Expanding and Collapsing Examples and Class Members

Runnable examples (Fiddles) are expanded on a page by default. You can collapse and expand example code blocks individually using the arrow on the top-left of the code block. You can also toggle the collapse state of all examples using the toggle button on the top-right of the page. The toggle-all state will be remembered between page loads.

Class members are collapsed on a page by default. You can expand and collapse members using the arrow icon on the left of the member row or globally using the expand / collapse all toggle button top-right.

Desktop -vs- Mobile View

Viewing the docs on narrower screens or browsers will result in a view optimized for a smaller form factor. The primary differences between the desktop and "mobile" view are:

Viewing the Class Source

The class source can be viewed by clicking on the class name at the top of an API doc page. The source for class members can be viewed by clicking on the "view source" link on the right-hand side of the member row.

Cmd 6.5.1


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Creating Sencha Cmd Packages

Sencha Cmd includes the Sencha Package Manager. Packages have many uses even if you do not intend to distribute the packages you create. This guide covers to process of creating your own packages as well as distributing them. For information on using packages please refer to Sencha Cmd Packages.

Generating Packages

Before we can generate a new package, we must first create a home for it: a Workspace. For this example we will use Ext JS for this package, so we start with this command:

sencha -sdk /path/to/ext-n.n.n generate workspace /path/to/workspace

Now we navigate to the new workspace and generate the package:

cd /path/to/workspace
sencha generate package foo

Anatomy of a Package

The above steps produce a starter package that contains many commonly used pieces. You can delete many of these but it is important to keep the ".sencha" folder intact.

The structure of a package generated by sencha generate package is as follows:

packages/
    local/
        foo/                        # Top-level folder for the package
            .sencha/
                package/
                    sencha.cfg      # Sencha Cmd configuration for this package
                    build-impl.xml  # Generated build script for package
                    plugin.xml      # Sencha Cmd plugin for this package
                    codegen.json    # Data to support 3-way merge in code generator
            classic/                # Classic toolkit-specific src code
            examples/               # Example applications demonstrating the package
            licenses/               # License agreement
            modern/                 # Modern toolkit-specific src code
            overrides/              # Folder for automatically activated overrides
            resources/              # Static resources (typically has images folder)
            sass/                   # Container for styling code
                etc/                # General, non-component oriented styling
                example/            # - internal use
                src/                # Style rules named by component
                var/                # Variables and mixins named by component
            src/                    # Folder for normal JavaScript code
            build.xml               # Build script (called by `sencha package build`)
            package.json            # Package descriptor
            Readme.md               # High-level information about this package

While the above is quite extensive, the only parts that are required to be a package are "package.json" and ".sencha/package/sencha.cfg".

The "package.json" file contains a description of the package. An example of this from the "theme-neptune" package:

{
    "name": "theme-neptune",
    "type": "theme",
    "creator": "Sencha",
    "summary": "Ext JS Neptune Theme",
    "detailedDescription": "The Neptune Theme provides a clean, modern style for Ext JS",
    "version": "n.n.n",
    "compatVersion": "n.n.n",
    "format": "1",
    "extend": "theme-neutral"
}

The creator property is something you need to set as a package author. There is no verification of this text, but it must match the name you assign to your local package repository discussed later.

Integrating Packages in Application Builds

The purpose of most packages is to (eventually) become integrated in an application. To accomplish this, Sencha Cmd incorporates the various pieces of each required package in to an application during the sencha app build process.

Precisely how this takes place depends on the type of the package.

Package Type

Different types of packages play different roles. Sencha Cmd understands the following types of packages:

  • code - An arbitrary package of code for use by applications or other packages. These packages are general purpose and are included when there is a require statement that selects them.
  • theme - A package to be used as an application's theme. Themes are special in that only one package of type theme is allowed to be "active" in a build. This theme is selected by the theme property in app.json. Themes can also use extend to inherit styling and resources from another theme package.
  • locale - This package type is deprecated in favor of a standard code package that includes theme.name in its classpath. See the Ext JS locale package for an example.

Source Code

The "src" folder is the place for classes such as custom components or other useful code. This code is automatically included in the classpath for applications or other packages to require and use.

This is where you would likely put most of your JavaScript code. Classes placed in this folder should follow the Compiler-Friendly Code Guidelines.

Styling

The "sass" folder contains three sub-folders designed to handle different aspects of style compilation.

  • "sass/etc" - Code that does not relate directly to JavaScript classes
  • "sass/var" - Variable definitions (mirroring JavaScript class hierarchy)
  • "sass/src" - Mixins and rules (mirroring JavaScript class hierarchy)

The folders and files in "sass/var" and "sass/src" are organized such that they are mirror images of the JavaScript classes to which they apply. This correspondence allows Sencha Cmd to include the files needed by the application. Files in these folders that do not conform to this will never be included since the process proceeds by mapping the JavaScript class hierarchy to the file system and not be scanning these folders.

The name correspondence is driven by the namespace property in "package.json":

{
    "name": "MyPkg",
    ...

    "sass": {
        "namespace": "MyPkg",
        ...
}

The namespace comes into play when mapping a class name for a required JavaScript class to the appropriate .scss files. For example, given the class MyPkg.foo.Bar and the namespace above, Sencha Cmd removes "MyPkg." and looks for a relative path of "foo/Bar.js" in the "sass/var" and "sass/src" folders.

Note: Even though Fashion is not an implementation of Sass, the "sass" configuration name is preserved for compatibility sake.

Resources

The "resources" folder is where you place static resources needed by the package. When applications consume the package, they will copy these resources into a sub-folder of their own "resources" folder named by the package name. In this case, "resources/foo". The relative paths used in CSS files will be automatically corrected if you use the provided theme-background-image method.

Overrides

The "overrides" folder is specifically intended for your package to provide mandatory overrides, hence its name. This mechanism should be used cautiously because all code you place in this folder will be automatically required in to any application that uses this package.

The Ext JS Neptune Theme uses this mechanism to change certain default config properties on various components. Locale packages use this to inject their own text on to the prototypes of various components or to provide locale-specific logic for things such as date formatting.

Package Versions

Packages have a version property that describes its current version number. In addition the current version (in the version property), packages can also indicate the degree to which they are backward compatible using the compatVersion property.

These versions are used when resolving package requirements. Each release of a package should have an updated version number. The meaning assigned to version numbers by Sencha may help you:

x.y.z.b

x = Major release number (large, impacting changes and features)
y = Minor release number (new functionality but few if any breaking changes)
z = Patch release number (bug fix / maintenance release - goal of 100% compatible)
b = Build number (assigned by build system)

The version property is typically the easiest to maintain. The compatVersion, however, is an intentional statement about the degree to which users should be able to transparently upgrade and not require code changes.

Package Requirements

Packages can require other packages in the same way that applications can require packages. To do this, you add to the requires array:

{
    "name": "bar",
    "type": "code",
    "creator": "anonymous",
    "summary": "Short summary",
    "detailedDescription": "Long description of package",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "compatVersion": "1.0.0",
    "format": "1",
    "local": true,
    "requires": [
        'ext-easy-button'
    ]
}

NOTE: When using version restrictions as a package author, it is important to consider that an application and all of the required packages will have to agree on a common version. If you are too restrictive, this process can fail to find a mutually agreeable version for all of the required packages.

Package Inheritance

The notion of inheritance for packages is intended exclusively for Themes. These are most important ways in which the inherited package contents are rolled into the derived package:

  • The "resources" folders of inherited packages is copied in to the "resources" folder in the "build" output folder.
  • The overrides of base packages are automatically included in the build output of the derived package.

Building The Package

To publish the package, you will need to build it using:

sencha package build

This produces a "build" folder inside the package. This is needed by applications when they are running in "dev mode" (without being compiled).

It also produces "foo.pkg" file in your workspace's "build" folder. This file is not placed in the package's "build" folder because:

  • It is a ZIP file of your package folder.
  • It is not needed by users of the package.

The "foo.pkg" file is used to add the package to your local repository. See below.

framework

You'll need to manually add a package.framework designation to your "package.json" file.

"framework": "ext"

theme

You'll need to manually add a package.theme designation to your "package.json" file. The value will be the name of the theme package to use for generated CSS.

"theme": "theme-triton"

Local Repository

The local repository was introduced in Sencha Cmd Packages, but there is more to know about it when you want distribute the packages you have created.

Structure

The local repository generated by Sencha Cmd looks like this:

.sencha/
    repo/
        sencha.cfg                  # Sencha Cmd configuration for the repo
        plugin.xml                  # Plugin for repository hooks
        private-key.json            # Private key for repo

        remotes/                    # Storage for remote repositories
            remoteName/             # Name given at `sencha repo add`
                catalog.json        # Last catalog from this remote

        trust/                      # Unused in this release
            <somename>.cert.json    # Copy of `cert.json` (a public key)

pkgs/
    catalog.json                    # Catalog of all packages in this repo
    cert.json                       # Public key for this repo

    Foo/
        catalog.json                # Catalog for all versions of Foo package
        cert.json                   # Public key for creator of Foo package

        1.0/                        # Folder containing version 1.0
            Foo.pkg                 # Zip file of package
            package.json            # Extracted package descriptor
        1.1/
            ...

    Bar/
        ...

Author Identity

When Sencha Cmd generates the default local repository, it does not require you to provide any kind of identity. This is fine for its role as a cache, but as a package author you need to put your name on the packages you publish. Before you can publish packages you need to initialize your local repository with an identity:

sencha package repo init -name "My Company" -email "[email protected]"

After this step, your name and email address will be recorded in the local repository along with a new public/private key pair.

NOTE: The name argument must match the value of the creator property you set in the "package.json".

Public/Private Keys

Your name, email and public key are stored in the "pkgs/cert.json" file. This file will be automatically added to the packages you create to identify you as the package author.

Obviously given its name, your private key is not intended to be shared with others. It is stored in your local repository in ".sencha/repo/private-key.json".

You might want to back up these two files as they will serve more important roles in future releases.

Content

The "pkgs" folder is where all the packages are stored. These may be packages you have created or packages that you have downloaded.

When you add package ".pkg" files, these will be copied in to the "pkgs" folder tree.

Repository Hooks

The ".sencha/repo/plugin.xml" file is an Ant script that you can use to provide "hooks" into repository actions such as sencha package add. For more details on this, refer to the comments in the generated file.

Adding Packages

Once you have the ".pkg" file from the build, and assuming that the name you have set as your identity on your local repository matches the creator property defined in your "package.json", you can run this command:

sencha package add foo.pkg

Sencha Cmd will produce a hash of the ".pkg" file using your private key and add it to the ".pkg" file you specify and it will then copy that file to the local repository.

Now that the package reside in the repository, other developers can require it if they have added your repository as a remote.

The process to request that Sencha add your ".pkg" to the Sencha Package Repository is still being finalized, but you can check Sencha Market for updates on this.

Hosting A Package Repository

The structure of the "pkgs" folder is the structure expected for a remote repository. All that is required for others to require the packages you create is for them to add a remote repository:

sencha package repo add my-company http://my.company.com/packages

That is, assuming you have hosted your "pkgs" folder content at the above HTTP URL. There is nothing required of that hosting beyond HTTP GET access so a static file server or CDN will work.

Cmd 6.5.1