Hex is not an MVC framework, it just looks like one.
Idealistic, hexagonal architecture inspired, pie in the sky Java development without all the weird J2EE servlet stuff but still being 100% J2EE compatible.
Put hex in your existing Java app to start living the dream.
<!------------------------ web.xml ------------------------>
<listener>
<listener-class>hex.action.Application</listener-class>
</listener>
<filter>
<filter-name>HexFilter</filter-name>
<filter-class>hex.routing.RoutingFilter</filter-class>
</filter>
<filter-mapping>
<filter-name>HexFilter</filter-name>
<url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>Yup! /*! That is the nice thing about using a filter. If hex doesn't know what to do with a route it just lets the rest
of your application deal with it.
There is a second set of configuration classes you can use in development mode for creating hex applications. This mode refreshes your applications classes on every request so there is no need to:
- Compile your application yourself (during development)
- Restart the Java server every time you make class changes.
<!------------------------ web.xml ------------------------>
<filter>
<filter-name>HexFilter</filter-name>
<filter-class>hex.dev.DevRoutingFilter</filter-class>
<init-param>
<param-name>hex.action.Application.ROOT</param-name>
<param-value>/path/to/hex/application</param-value>
</init-param>
</filter>
<filter-mapping>
<filter-name>HexFilter</filter-name>
<url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>Note the lack of the ServletContextListener configured in development mode. The DevRoutingFilter manages the lifecycle
of a hex application differently so it takes care of what the hex.action.Application context listener normally
initializes.
Define routes in your ApplicationRoutes class.
// adapters/config/ApplicationRoutes.java
package config;
public class ApplicationRoutes extends RouteManager {
public void defineRoutes() {
matches("/", HomeController::new, "home");
}
}Create your controller!
// adapters/controllers/HomeController.java
package controllers;
public class HomeController extends Controller {
public void home() {
// we don't do anything here if we're just forwarding to a view
}
}Define an application layout:
<!-- views/layouts/application.html.jsp -->
<%@ taglib uri="http://hex.org/tags" prefix="hex" %>
<html>
<head>
<title>My Hex Application</title>
<hex:view-content name="styles"/> <!-- optional named content block -->
</head>
<body>
<h1>My Hex Application</h1>
<hex:view-content/> <!-- no name means write out the view contents -->
</body>
</html>Create an action view:
<!-- views/home/home.html.jsp -->
<%@ taglib uri="http://hex.org/tags" prefix="hex" %>
<hex:content-for name="styles">
<style type="text/css">
h2 {
color: green;
}
</style>
</hex:content>
<h2>Welcome Home!</h2>This is just the main project overview. hex is composed of several modules that are responsible for various sections of an application. For more information on the controller and view layer, checkout the hex_action README.
For information on hex's repository pattern, checkout the hex_repo module.
If you want to dig through the anatomy of standard hex application, checkout the example application.
hex is very much in alpha stages. Don't use it yet. Seriously. There isn't a whole let here. In fact, I could use some help getting it going!
If you're excited about creating hex applications and want to help jump start the development, checkout the Contribution Guide.