Binary resource packaging

[pharrisee]

Can there be an option at build time to package resources (views, css,js,img and config) into the executable for easy one file deployment?

There are numerous packaging libraries/applications available:

• https://github.com/gobuffalo/packr
• https://github.com/GeertJohan/go.rice
• https://github.com/go-bindata/go-bindata

to name but a few.

---

Updates:

• Feature implemented, available on edge - command is aah build --single or aah b -s
• Documentation

[vzool]

This is really hot, anything will be already loaded and fetched directly from RAM.
Applications will behave so fast, we just touch SSD/HDD to write to Database.
Facebook working for many years to reach this goal, this is great stuff.

[pharrisee]

Not sure if this helps, but this guy has done a fair bit of research and comparison of various resource embedding methods for Go:

http://tech.townsourced.com/post/embedding-static-files-in-go/

[jeevatkm]

@pharrisee Thank you, sure I will read it. I'm currently doing my homework; every input helps to shape an idea.

[jeevatkm]

@pharrisee Given post is really helpful, he has done quite analysis on this topic. I'm gonna a gather plus points from overall and draw a direction for aah.

Will make good start point for aah single binary goal.

[jeevatkm]

Feature implemented, available on edge.

Command is aah build --single or aah b -s

[pharrisee]

1. switched to edge version of AAH and created a new project
2. edited aah.project to get dependencies
3. ran project with 'aah r'
4. get message 'FATAL aah.conf: read \app\config\security.conf: mount does not exist'

Same happens when running 'aah b -s'.

Any ideas?

[jeevatkm]

@pharrisee Interesting. aah VFS is path separator is always forward slash /. I will verify it with windows OS and get back to you. Thanks.

[jeevatkm]

@pharrisee I have verified on windows and addressed the path handling on VFS and embed build.

Since you're already on aah edge, run aah s -r to refresh edge version.

Now it should be alright, please let me know if you come across any issues.

Build: aah b -s

[pharrisee]

OK, updated to new release with 'aah s -r' had error:

FATAL Unable to refresh dependencies:
# aahframework.org/aah.v0
..\..\aahframework.org\aah.v0\aah.go:278:16: a.VFS().IsEmbeddedMode undefined (type *vfs.VFS has no field or method IsEmbeddedMode)
..\..\aahframework.org\aah.v0\aah.go:282:9: a.VFS().SetEmbeddedMode undefined (type *vfs.VFS has no field or method SetEmbeddedMode)

removed all of the {src,pkg}/aahframework.org directories, and the bin/aah.exe and did another install

ran 'aah s' and get the same error.

[jeevatkm]

@pharrisee I'm really sorry. I have committed aahframework.org/vfs.v0 but missed to tag the prerelease version before commenting here.

Just did it. Please try again.

[pharrisee]

OK, did a complete cleanup and reinstalled, switched to edge and get:

FATAL Unable to refresh library: tools.v0

[jeevatkm]

Just now docker build got successfully completed the aah edge version.

https://hub.docker.com/r/aahframework/aah/builds/br68v54j4p9cxr9sski7fcu/

aah cli executes git cmd internally; it may be the interim git issue.

I am going to verify the edge version build on fresh VM.

[pharrisee]

had to pop to pharmacy, just got back and switched to release, then back to edge seems ok this time. Apologies for that :)

[pharrisee]

Quick test shows that it compiled a new Out-of-the-box app fine :)

woohoo!

Good Job.

[jeevatkm]

No worries, thank you for your patience and time.

[jeevatkm]

🎉 I am very glad to hear your feedback. Thank you.

[pharrisee]

you are very welcome, and thank you for your work on these features, will make it so much easier to get it adopted at my work place.

Just FYI I work in a major UK university (I'm the web architect) and will be doing my damndest to introduce Aah there on a major new project. If I manage it I'll be writing up the experience at a later date. If you're interested in the results I can let you know how it goes.

[jeevatkm]

Yes, I am interested in it. Please keep me posted when you get a chance.

Also, your pointers for improving aah are very welcome.

[jeevatkm]

@pharrisee I thought to share with you. Because documentation gonna take a while.

• You could mount any directory into aah
• Accessible via aah.AppVFS() as mounted path regardless of OS and environment
• Mount directories gets embedded in to binary on aah b -s

Configuration goes in aah.project (you may have noticed in newly generated app from aah new)

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Virtual FileSystem (VFS) configuration
#
# Doc: https://docs.aahframework.org/vfs.html
#------------------------------------------------------------------------
vfs {
  # Adding custom mount points.
  #
  # Configured mount points directories and sub-directories
  # are embedded into the aah binary during the single binary build.
  #
  # Note: Embed packaging uses same exclusion list from config `build.excludes`.
  mount {
    # Choose a unique key name
    #my_mount {
    #  # Mount point (path separator is '/').
    #  mount_path = "/my_mount"
    #
    #  # Physical FileSystem path.
    #  # Note: Only absolute path is accepted.
    #  physical_path = "/Users/jeeva/path/to/physical"
    #}
  }

  # This config speeds up the single binary build process.
  # No need to spend time in gzipping; compressed content type.
  #
  # Even without this config, aah decides best on what to gzip.
  no_gzip = [".png", ".jpeg", ".jpg", ".gif", ".bmp", ".tiff", ".tif"
    ".woff", ".woff2"]
}

[jeevatkm]

Documentation is done 😄
https://github.com/go-aah/docs/blob/v0.11-edge/vfs.md