strongSwan

h1. libfast - [[FastCGI]] Application Server w/ Templates

libfast is a small library built around libfcgi and ClearSilver. It wrapps these libraries properly and integrates session management and a MVC-like architecture. It targets embedded systems or servers where processing power and footprint is limited and should work with any [[FastCGI]] cappable webserver.

h2. Architecture

A web application based on libfast has a global and a session context:

** Global context

**** inter-session data

**** [browser:trunk/src/libstrongswan/database/database.h database connections]

**** ...

** [browser:trunk/src/libfast/context.h Session context]

**** per-session data

**** [browser:trunk/src/libfast/controller.h controllers]

**** [browser:trunk/src/libfast/filter.h filters]

libfast automatically creates and manages a session for each connecting user and allocates a private session context. In that context, a defined set of controllers and filters are allocated. These instances are per session, so you might save session-specific data in them.

The session context is synchronized, only one thread enters a session. The global context is accessed by all sessions, so you'll need to write global objects thread-save.

h2. Building a web application

Here a small example how to set up a web application:

<pre>

dispatcher_t *dispatcher;

your_global_context_implementation_t *global;

global = initialize_your_global_context();

dispatcher = dispatcher_create(NULL, FALSE, 180,

   (context_constructor_t)your_session_context_create, global);

dispatcher->add_controller(dispatcher, your_controller1_create, param1);

dispatcher->add_controller(dispatcher, your_controller2_create, param2);

dispatcher->run(dispatcher, 20);

dispatcher->waitsignal(dispatcher);

dispatcher->destroy(dispatcher);

global->destroy();

</pre>

Have a look at the [browser:trunk/src/manager manager] for a more complete example.