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ARCHITECTURE.md

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ARCHITECTURE

This document provides an overview of the architecture for the fdc3-web library and its associated modules. The project is organized into three main modules:

Main Library (lib)

The core of the fdc3-web project is the lib module, which implements the FDC3 specification for web environments. It provides the following key features:

  • FDC3 API Implementation: Implements the FDC3 Desktop Agent API, including context, intents, channels, and app directory.
  • Web Communication Protocol (WCP): Built-in support for the FDC3 WCP protocol, enabling cross-frame, and cross-origin communication.
  • Timeouts and Constants: Centralized configuration for timeouts and other operational constants (see src/constants.ts).
  • App Directory: Provides an interface and implementation for discovering and resolving applications (see src/app-directory/).

Main Library Overview

@startuml
package "fdc3-web" {
  [FDC3 API] --> [WCP]
  [FDC3 API] --> [App Directory]
  [FDC3 API] --> [Intents]
  [FDC3 API] --> [Channels]
}
@enduml

Messaging Provider

The messaging-provider module implements the FDC3 messaging provider interface, enabling communication between browser frames and windows, including across domains. Note: This module is not required by consuming applications, as the main library already includes a built-in WCP-based connectivity layer.

  • Purpose: To provide an alternative messaging mechanism for testing iframe connectivity.

Messaging Provider Sequence

@startuml
actor App1
actor App2
participant "fdc3-web lib" as Lib
participant "Messaging Provider" as MP
App1 -> Lib: sendContext()
Lib -> MP: postMessage()
MP -> App2: deliverContext()
@enduml

UI Provider

The ui-provider module supplies UI components for FDC3 workflows:

  • Intent Resolver: Presents users with options to resolve intents to applications. Note: The resolver UI is only shown in the main browser window.
  • Channel Selector: Allows users to select and join FDC3 channels.
  • Theming: Supports theming for integration with host applications.
  • Intended Usage: Designed for embedding in web applications that require user-driven intent resolution and channel selection. Not suitable for use in background frames or popups.
  • Limitations: UI elements are only rendered in the main window; background or hidden frames will not display UI.

PlantUML: UI Provider Flow

@startuml
actor User
participant "UI Provider" as UI
participant "fdc3-web lib" as Lib
User -> UI: Select Intent
UI -> Lib: resolveIntent()
Lib -> UI: Show Resolver
User -> UI: Choose App
UI -> Lib: Launch App
@enduml

Further Reading

For more details, see the respective module documentation in the projects/ directory.