Skip to main content

Week 2

(June 10, 2025 - June 16, 2025)

Meeting 1​

Meeting for this week didn't happen because I was busy with my end semester examinations

Progress​

Didn't make much progress this week because of my end semester examinations, but still got some work done this week.

  • Created a new page under Admin --> Text Management to allow the user to perform CRUD operations for the custom text phrases he want to add.
  • For this, I created a new table called custom_phrase table and made the creation of this table with the existing build process of FOSSology.
  • Tested everything with both docker build process and bare metal installation setup of FOSSology.

Implementation of the new page​

I divided the implementation of the new page into 4 steps.

  • Database Foundation
  • Backend Logic
  • User Interface
  • Comprehensive Test Coverage

Feature Architecture​

The implementation follows FOSSology's plugin architecture and MVC pattern:

├── Database Layer (PostgreSQL)
│   ├── custom_phrase table
│   └── Migration scripts
├── Backend Layer (PHP)
│   ├── AdminCustomTextManagement controller
│   └── Database operations
├── Frontend Layer (Twig Templates + JavaScript)
│   ├── Management interface
│   ├── Edit/Add forms
│   └── Ajax interactions
└── Testing Layer
    └── Unit tests for functionality

Key Features Implemented​

  • Full CRUD Operations: Create, read, update, and delete custom text phrases
  • License Association: Link custom text to specific licenses in the system
  • User Tracking: Track who created and manages each custom text entry
  • Status Management: Active/inactive toggle for text entries
  • Ajax-powered Interface: Responsive UI with real-time updates
  • Form Validation: Comprehensive input validation and error handling
  • DataTables Integration: Professional table interface with sorting, pagination, and search

Implementation Steps​

1st Step taken: Database Foundation​

  • Database Migration: Created migration from version 4.3.0 to 4.4.0
  • Table Structure: Implemented custom_phrase table with complete schema
  • Performance Optimization: Added strategic indexes
  • Permissions Setup: Configured proper database permissions

2nd Step taken: Backend Logic​

  • Controller Implementation: Full CRUD operations
  • Security Integration: Admin permission checks
  • Ajax Endpoints: Real-time data operations
  • Form Validation: Input validation and error handling

3rd Step taken: User Interface​

  • Management Interface: Professional DataTables-based listing
  • Form Interface: User-friendly add/edit forms
  • Responsive Design: Mobile-friendly interface
  • Ajax Integration: Seamless user experience

4th Step taken: Comprehensive Test Coverage​

  • Unit Tests: Comprehensive test coverage
  • Access Testing: Admin privilege verification
  • Form Testing: UI element validation
  • Smoke Testing: Basic functionality verification

Technical Implementation Details​

Database Schema​

The custom_phrase table was designed with the following structure:

CREATE TABLE custom_phrase (
  cp_pk SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,              -- Auto-incrementing primary key
  rf_fk INTEGER REFERENCES license_ref(rf_pk), -- Foreign key to license
  user_fk INTEGER,                       -- User who created the entry
  group_fk INTEGER,                      -- Group association
  text TEXT NOT NULL,                    -- Main custom text content
  acknowledgement TEXT,                  -- Acknowledgement text
  comments TEXT,                         -- Additional comments
  created_date TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, -- Creation timestamp
  is_active BOOLEAN DEFAULT TRUE         -- Active/inactive status
);

Key Design Features:

  • Foreign key relationship to license_ref for data integrity
  • Audit trail with user tracking and timestamps
  • Soft delete mechanism using is_active flag
  • Performance indexes on commonly queried fields

Backend Controller Features​

The AdminCustomTextManagement controller implements:

Core Functionality:

  • Full CRUD operations with proper validation
  • Admin-only access with authentication checks
  • Ajax endpoints for real-time operations
  • POST-redirect-GET pattern to prevent duplicate submissions

Security Implementation:

  • Input validation and sanitization
  • SQL injection prevention with parameterized queries
  • XSS protection using proper output escaping
  • CSRF protection and admin access control

Ajax Endpoints:

GET ?action=get_phrases    // Data retrieval for DataTables
POST ?action=delete        // Phrase deletion
POST ?action=toggle        // Status toggle

Frontend User Interface​

Management Interface Features:

  • Professional DataTables-based listing with sorting and pagination
  • Ajax-powered data loading for better performance
  • Real-time operations (delete/status toggle) without page refresh
  • Responsive design for different screen sizes

Form Interface Features:

  • User-friendly add/edit forms with proper validation
  • Context-aware submit buttons (Save/Update)
  • License dropdown integration
  • Text truncation for better readability in table view

User Experience Enhancements:

  • Confirmation dialogs for destructive operations
  • Loading states and visual feedback
  • Full internationalization support
  • Scrollable content for overflow handling
// Key functionality implementation
function createBrowseTable() {
  tableColumns = [
    { sTitle: "Edit", sClass: "center", bSearchable: false },
    { sTitle: "Text", sClass: "left", bSearchable: true },
    // ... more columns
  ];
}

function deletePhrase(phraseId) {
  /* Ajax deletion with confirmation */
}
function togglePhraseStatus(phraseId, currentStatus) {
  /* Status toggle via Ajax */
}

Testing Implementation​

Test Coverage Areas:

  • Admin access control verification
  • Page navigation and element presence
  • Form functionality and field rendering
  • Basic smoke testing for core features

Test Methods Implemented:

function testAdminCustomTextManagementAccess() {
  // Verify admin can access the management page
  // Check for proper page elements and navigation
}

function testAddCustomText() {
  // Test form accessibility and field rendering
  // Ensure validation elements are present
}

Testing Framework:

  • Built on FOSSology's fossologyTestCase extension
  • Browser automation for UI testing
  • Custom assertion methods for validation

Week Summary​

What was accomplished:​

  • Full-Stack Feature: Complete implementation from database to user interface
  • Security Focus: Comprehensive security measures including input validation, XSS protection, and admin access control
  • Professional UI: DataTables integration with Ajax-powered interface
  • Test Coverage: Basic smoke tests for critical functionality
  • Performance: Strategic database indexing and efficient query design

Technical Highlights:​

  • Database migration system integration
  • POST-redirect-GET pattern for form security
  • Real-time Ajax operations without page refresh
  • Responsive design with mobile-friendly interface
  • Proper error handling and validation throughout

Security Implementation:​

// Input validation example
$text = trim($request->get('text', ''));
if (empty($text)) {
    return "ERROR: Text field is required";
}

// XSS protection
htmlentities($row['text'])

Files Modified/Created:​

  1. install/db/dbmigrate_4.3-4.4.php - Database migration
  2. src/www/ui/core-schema.dat - Schema update
  3. src/www/ui/page/AdminCustomTextManagement.php - Main controller (357 lines)
  4. src/www/ui/template/admin_custom_text_management.html.twig - Management interface
  5. src/www/ui/template/admin_custom_text_edit.html.twig - Add/edit form
  6. src/www/ui_tests/BasicTests/AdminCustomTextManagementTest.php - Unit tests

Testing Status:​

  • Basic functionality tests passing
  • Admin access control verified
  • Form rendering and navigation tested
  • Ready for integration with FOSSology build process

Future Enhancements Planned:​

  • Bulk operations for multiple entries
  • Rich text editor integration
  • Advanced search and filtering
  • API endpoints for external integrations