eGroupWare Application Development

This document explains eGroupWare's infrastructure and API, along with what is required to integrate applications into it.

Contents

1. Introduction
1. Overview of application writing
2. What does the eGroupWare API provide?
2. Guidelines
1. Requirements
2. Writing/porting your application
3. Installing your application
1. Overview
2. Automatic features
3. Adding files, directories and icons.
4. Making eGroupWare aware of your application
5. Hooking into Administration page
6. Hooking into Preferences page
4. Infrastructure
1. Overview
2. Directory tree
3. Translations
5. The API
1. Introduction
2. Basic functions
3. Application Functions
4. File functions
5. Email/NNTP Functions
6. Configuration Variables
1. Introduction
2. User information
3. Group information
4. Server information
5. Database information
6. Mail information
7. NNTP information
8. Application information
7. Using Language Support
1. Overview
2. How to use lang support
3. Common return codes
8. Using Templates
1. Overview
2. How to use PHPLIB templates
3. How to use eTemplate templates
9. About this document
1. New versions
2. Comments
3. History
4. Copyrights and Trademarks
5. Acknowledgments and Thanks

1  Introduction

eGroupWare is a web based groupware application framework (API), for writing applications. Integrated applications such as email, calendar, todo list, address book, and file manager are included.

1.1  Overview of application writing

We have attempted to make writing application for eGroupWare as painless as possible. We hope any pain and suffering is cause by making your application work, but not dealing with eGroupWare itself.

1.2  What does the eGroupWare API provide?

The eGroupWare API handles session management, user/group management, has support for multiple databases, using the PHPLIB database abstraction method, we support templates using the PHPLIB Templates class, a file system interface, and even a network i/o interface.

On top of these standard functions, eGroupWare provides several functions to give you the information you need about the users environment, and to properly plug into eGroupWare.

2  Guidelines

2.1  Requirements

These guidelines must be followed for any application that wants considered for inclusion into eGroupWare deluxe:

• It must run on PHP4.1.0
• SQL statements must be compatible with both MySQL, PostgreSQL, M$ SQL Server and SAP-DB
• It must use our default header.inc.php include.
• It must use our $GLOBALS['phpgw']->link($url) for all links (this is for session support).
• It must use "POST" for form submit methods.
• It must respect eGW group rights and eGW user permissions.
• It must use our directory structure, template support and lang (multi-language) support.
• Where possible it should run on both Unix and NT platforms.
• For applications that do not meet these requirements, they can be available to users via the eGroupWare "3rd Party Apps" listing on our website. If you need help converting your application to templates and our lang support, we will try to connect you with someone to help.

2.2  Writing/porting your application

Include files

Each PHP page you write will need to include the header.inc.php along with a few variables.
This is done by putting this at the top of each PHP page.

<?php
$GLOBALS['phpgw_info']['flags']['currentapp'] = 'appname';
include('../header.inc.php');
?>

• The phpgwAPI - The eGroupWare API will be loaded.
• The eGW navbar will be loaded (by default, but can be disabled until a later point.
• appname/inc/functions.inc.php - This file is loaded just after the phpgwAPI and before any HTML code is generated. This file should include all your application specific functions.. You are welcome to include any additional files you need from within this file.
  Note: Depricated and not used for OOP (/index.php?menuaction=app.obj.method) calls.
• appname/inc/header.inc.php - This file is loaded just after the system header/navbar, and allows developers to use it for whatever they need to load.
  Note: Depricated and not used for OOP (/index.php?menuaction=app.obj.method) calls.
• appname/inc/footer.inc.php - This file is loaded just before the system footer, allowing developers to close connections and whatever else they need.
  Note: Depricated and not used for OOP (/index.php?menuaction=app.obj.method) calls.
• The eGW footer will be loaded, which closes several connections.

3  Installing your application

3.1  Overview

It is fairly simple to add and delete applications to/from eGroupWare.

3.2  Automatic features

To make things easy for developers we go ahead and load the following files.

• appname/inc/functions.inc.php - This file should include all your application specific functions.
  Note: Depricated and not used for OOP (/index.php?menuaction=app.obj.method) calls.
• appname/inc/header.inc.php - This file is loaded by $phpgw->common->header just after the system header/navbar, and allows developers to use it for whatever they need to load.
  Note: Depricated and not used for OOP (/index.php?menuaction=app.obj.method) calls.
• appname/inc/footer.inc.php - This file is loaded by $phpgw->common->footer just before the system footer, allowing developers to close connections and whatever else they need.
  Note: Depricated and not used for OOP (/index.php?menuaction=app.obj.method) calls.

3.3  Adding files, directories and icons.

You will need to create the following directories for your code
(replace 'appname' with your application name)

--appname

  +--inc

  |   |--functions.inc.php

  |   |--header.inc.php

  |   |--hook_preferences.inc.php

  |   |--hook_admin.inc.php

  |   +--footer.inc.php

  +--js

  |   |--base

  |   +--js_package_name

  +--setup

  |   |--default_records.inc.php

  |   |--setup.inc.php

  |   +--tables_current.inc.php

  +--templates

      +--default

3.4  Making eGroupWare aware of your application

To make the application aware of your application, add your application details to the applications table. This can be done via the GUI administration screen, or via a SQL script. The script below should only be used during initial development. You should use the eGroupWare setup system for install and updating the final version of your application.

INSERT INTO phpgw_applications (app_name, app_title, app_enabled)
	VALUES('appname', 'The App name', 1);

3.5  Hooking into Administration page

When a user goes to the Administration page, it starts appname/inc/hook_admin.inc.php for each application that is enabled, in alphabetical order of application title. If the file exists, it is include()d in the hopes it will display a selection of links to configure that application.

Simple Example:

<?php
// Old linear script style
$file['Site Configuration'] = $GLOBALS['phpgw']->link('myapp/myAdminPage.php');
// OR - OOP Style
$file['Site Configuration'] = $GLOBALS['phpgw']->link('/index.php',
					array(menuaction => 'myapp.uiobj.admin_method');
display_section('myapp',$file);
?&#gt;

• Links are relative to the admin/index.php file, not your application's base directory. (so use "appname" in your link() calls)
• The file is brought in with include() so be careful to not pollute the name-space too much

3.6  Hooking into Preferences page

The mechanism to hook into the preferences page is identical to the one used to hook into the administration page, however it looks for appname/inc/hook_preferences.inc.php instead of appname/inc/hook_admin.inc.php. The same functions and variables are defined.

4  Infrastructure

4.1  Overview

eGroupWare attempts to provide developers with a sound directory structure to work from.
The directory layout may seem complex at first, but after some use, you will see that it is designed to accommodate a large number of applications and functions.

4.2  Directory tree

--eGroupWare
  |
  +--admin
  |
  +--docs (installation docs)
  |
  +--files (Note: must be out of webserver document root!)
  |   |
  |   +--groups
  |   |
  |   +--homes
  |   |
  |   +--users
  |
  +--phpgwapi
  |   |
  |   +--cron (eGroupWare's optional daemons)
  |   |
  |   +--doc (developers docs)
  |   |
  |   +--inc
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--class.phpgw.inc.php
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--phpgw_info.inc.php
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--class.common.inc.php
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--etc..
  |   |
  |   +--js (javascript)
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--base
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--js_package_name
  |   |
  |   +--manual
  |   |
  |   +--setup
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--baseline.inc.php
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--default_records.inc.php
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--tables_current.inc.php
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--tables_update.inc.php
  |   |
  |   +--templates
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--default
  |   |   |   |
  |   |   |   +--images
  |   |   |
  |   |   +--verilak
  |   |       |
  |   |       +--images
  |   |
  |   +--themes
  |       |
  |       +--default.theme
  |
  +--preferences
  |
  +--setup

4.3  Translations

The translations are now being done thru the database, and may be configurable to use other mechanisms in future releases.

You can use the developer_tools translations application for creating the "lang files", which will be installed through the setup application. Alternatively you can edit the files manually. The file naming convention for the lang files is phpgw_<langcode>.lang. The files are stored in the app/setup directory. The format of the files is as follows:

english phrase in lower case	appname	**	Translated phrase in desired case.

• replace ** with the desired language code, as used in the filename
• tabs are used to deliniate "columns"

5  The API

5.1  Introduction

eGroupWare attempts to provide developers with a useful API to handle common tasks.

To do this we have created a multi-dimensional class $GLOBALS['phpgw']->.

This allows for terrific code organization, and help developers easily identify the file that the function is in. All the files that are part of this class are in the inc/core directory and are named to match the sub-class.

Example: $phpgw->send->msg() is in the inc/phpgwapi/class.send.inc.php file.

5.2  Basic functions

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->link

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->link($url, $args)
Add support for session management. ALL links must use this, that includes href's form actions and header location's.

If you are just doing a form action back to the same page, you can use it without any parameters.

This function is right at the core of the class because it is used so often, we wanted to save developers a few keystrokes. Example:

<form name=copy method=post action="<?php echo $GLOBALS['phpgw']->link();?>">
/* If session management is done via passing url parameters */
/* The the result would be */
/* <form name=copy method=post action="somepage.php?sessionid=87687693276?kp3=kjh98u80"> */

5.3  Application Functions

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->common->phpgw_header

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->phpgw_header()
Print out the start of the HTML page, including the navigation bar and includes appname/inc/header.php, if using deprecated linear scripts style.

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->common->phpgw_footer

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->phpgw_footer()
Prints the system footer, and includes appname/inc/footer.php

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->common->appsession

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->common->appsession($data)
Store important information session information that your application needs.
$GLOBALS['phpgw']->appsession will return the value of your session data is you leave the parameter empty [i.e. $GLOBALS['phpgw']->appsession()], otherwise it will store whatever data you send to it.
You can also store a comma delimited string and use explode() to turn it back into an array when you receive the value back.

Example:

$GLOBALS['phpgw']->common->appsession("/path/to/something");
echo "Dir: " . $GLOBALS['phpgw']->common->appsession();

5.4  File functions

See Virtual File System (VFS) Developers Guide for more info.

5.5  Email/NNTP Functions

$phpgw->send->msg

$phpgw->msg->send($service, $to, $subject, $body, $msgtype, $cc, $bcc)
Send a message via email or NNTP and returns any error codes.
Example:

$to = 'someuser@domain.com';
$subject = 'Hello buddy';
$body = "Give me a call\n Been wondering what your up to.";
$errors = $GLOBALS['phpgw']->msg->send('email', $to, $subject, $body);

6  Configuration Variables

6.1  Introduction

eGroupWare attempts to provide developers with as much information about the user, group, server, and application configuration as possible.

To do this we provide a multi-dimensional array called "$GLOBALS['phpgw_info']", which includes all the information about your environment.

Due to the multi-dimensional array approach. getting these values is easy.

Here are some examples:

<?php
// To do a hello username
echo "Hello " . $GLOBALS['phpgw_info']['user']['fullname'];
//If username first name is John and last name is Doe, prints: 'Hello John Doe'
?>
<?php
// To find out the location of the imap server
echo 'IMAP Server is named: ' . $GLOBALS['phpgw_info']['server']['imap_server']; 
//If imap is running on localhost, prints: 'IMAP Server is named: localhost'
?>

6.2  User information

$x = 42;
echo lang("The counter is %1",$x)."<br>";

The counter is 42*<br> 

il contatore è 42<br&#gt;

lang($key, $m1="", $m2="", $m3="", $m4="", $m5="", 
	$m6="", $m7="", $m8="", $m9="", $m10="")

REPLACE INTO lang (message_id, app_name, lang, content)
VALUES( 'account has been deleted','common','en','Account has been deleted');

echo check_code(13);

Your message has been sent