gmosx

Using app.yaml in AppengineJS and the App Engine Java SDK

by gmosx, at 12 Jul 2010

AppengineJS is a port of the App Engine Python SDK to JavaScript. While we have taken great pains to closely emulate the Python APIs, given the fact that AppengineJS is actually powered by the App Engine Java SDK, it is difficult to emulate the directory structure of Python Web applications. The developer has to maintain a standard Servlet directory organization, with WEB-INF, web.xml, etc. That's a show-stopper for complexity-averse developers.

Not any more! The latest version of the Java SDK (1.3.5) introduces undocumented support for app.yaml, cron.yaml and the rest of the Python's SDK configuration files. The dev_appserver utility, automatically generates and maintains the WEB-INF directory from these configuration files, making simplified file organizations a reality.

I have updated the standard AppengineJS examples (appengine-example and appengine-blog-example) to demonstrate what is possible with app.yaml. I am sure you will find the updated examples much easier to understand. More information about app.yaml in the Java SDK can be found here.

17 Comments

by Adrian Scott, at 12 Jul 2010
Cool progress! (p.s. you may want to make it clear you mean the App Engine Java SDK 1.3.5 in there ;)
by John Hardy, at 13 Jul 2010
Grat stuff George. I will be checking this out very soon
by George Moschovitis, at 13 Jul 2010
John: thanks, AppengineJs is slowly but definitely maturing, I would love to see comments/ideas from actual users...
by John Scott, at 14 Jul 2010
George, this is a good step forward. I will give it a try soon and let you know how i go.
by Giacecco, at 14 Jul 2010
Great news!
by John Hardy, at 28 Jul 2010
I'm using it now. MUCH better.

Converting my ringojs style app to nitrojs style as part of the learning process

thanks for your efforts! JS on the AppEnginw is starting to rock!
by George Moschovitis, at 28 Jul 2010
JohnH: cool if you have nitro related problems or ideas, please post to the Nitro group. I pretty much like the current design of Nitro, but I am always open to new ideas...
by Eugene Lazutkin, at 19 Sep 2010
It looks like Java SDK 1.3.7 has removed app.yaml support. What now? Back to manual editing of XML files?
by Eugene Lazutkin, at 19 Sep 2010
Nope, not for me. First I changed app.yaml, and no XML files were updated. I deleted them and dev_appserver started to fail on start complaining that it cannot read those XML files. Reverted to 1.3.5 and all worked fine, but alerted me that I should switch to 1.3.7. So, no, I was not telling it because I wanted to post something in the commetns. :-) Try it yourself.
by George Moschovitis, at 19 Sep 2010
just move app.yaml into WEB-INF/app.yaml and it will work.
by damian, at 30 Sep 2010
I think app.yaml is not longer working on 1.3.7 even placing the file inside web-inf , it is strange.. the official google docs say they support it
by R.J.Rim, at 25 Dec 2010
Hi,

is the APPENGINEJS still uptodate? Does anybody use it productive? Or is it just a proof of concept?
The last development on this framework is 5 month ago....

/r.
by George Moschovitis, at 26 Dec 2010
There are some new patches in the edge repository: https://github.com/gmosx/appengine/tree/edge
(including Channel API support).

this was not proof of project, but I haven't devoted much time lately due to lack of resources...