An alpha version/developer preview of the new OXID Admin NG (Admin Next Generation) based on the Symfony 2 framework has been released today. From now on we will test the alpha in cooperation with selected partners and continue the developing process considering their precious feedback – thanks to all, who participate.
The following text passages (taken from the documentation) give you some insights into this project.
Main focus
The main focus of this admin project is set on what everything is really about, the pure e-Commerce domain. The intention is to model a clean and pure representation of this domain, where business logic and application logic are completely separated, so that the domain representation has no application related dependencies. It should also be easily possible to have access to this business logic without depending on a certain framework. To master this challenge we chose a domain-driven approach.
For the first release version of the Admin NG by domain we mean everything that deals with products and product management. We invested lots of time in evaluating and designing models that represent the domain around products activity. Furthermore this project is not built upon the OXID eShop code base. A new application has been created by using the Symfony 2 framework. The application uses a layered architecture as shown in the following graphic.
The Admin NG is an application that is to be run in parallel to the OXID eShop.
A big challenge hereby is that this new application uses the same database as the current eShop to facilitate the adminstration of the eShop via the new Admin NG. So the Admin NG has to read the current database and produce more or less the same output the admin currently integrated into the OXID eShop does.
REST Interface
One objective is to make the business logic layer easily accessible. To realize this REST interfaces will be implemented. Having well defined REST interfaces creates many opportunities for interacting systems like creating custom GUIs for shop front and back ends, mobile apps, ERP or PIM systems, stand-alone checkouts and so on.
So far the alpha version realizes one REST interface for categories as a proof of concept.
Further domains
After finishing the product management we will turn our focus on the representation of another part of the e-Commerce domain. Further parts are order management, checkout processes and so on.
Current admin functionality
This project does not intend to replace the current admin of the OXID eShop completely. The main focus is set on pure e-Commerce business logic rather than on managing a CMS or a web shop application. Yet this is not impossible, as the new application will be modularized or bundled. It will be possible to write bundles for the new admin back end to access the eShop database, so every feature of the current admin could easily be reimplemented and improved. An example for such a bundle (although it is not properly bundled yet, but will be in near future) is the categories management. It is already realized in the new application and can be used.
Author
Ina El-Kadhi has learnt all the facets of software development first hand, with her 15 years diverse experience in the business field as developer, chief software architect, (agile) team leader, requirements engineer, product manager up to contributing member of senior management. A qualified Scrum Product Owner and Master, Head of Development at OXID repsonsible for all core platform products.
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