=====Wikka as a Rapid Development Framework=====

===Background===
While researching various PHP frameworks, such as [[http://www.cakephp.org | CakePHP]] and [[http://www.codeigniter.com | CodeIgniter]], I couldn't help but think about something I've mentioned here before: Why couldn't Wikka be used as a rapid development framework as well?

Both Cake and CodeIgniter use an MVC (model-view-controller) framework. For the most part, Wikka provides the same framework. Much of the work involved with setting up any PHP application involves mundane things such as look-and-feel, session management, authentication, back-end support, etc. -- things that Wikka already provide. The groundwork for [[Docs:InvisibleWiki | making Wikka "invisible"]] has already been laid. The purpose of this page is to discuss the possibilities of using Wikka as a rapid development framework.

<<The idea isn't to hack Wikka into a usable application prototype, but rather to use Wikka as the engine for application prototype development.<<::c::

===Discussion===
Some of the components off the top of my head I think would be necessary to start with:

- A generic back-end interface that would permit client-side implementation (via Wikka markup) given the proper ACLs (maybe in combination with StructDataAction and/or TypedPages)
- Codebase hooks that would provide a workable interface to the Wikka engine with no code changes required in the core
- Rapid widget generation, preferably from the client side via Wikka markup (such as extensions to the excellent SimpleTables functionality)

It might be useful to "unify" these components with the end goal of providing framework functionality, rather than existing as discrete components that may or may not function well together.

==Category==
CategoryDevelopment