Creating the Screenlet Class

The Screenlet class is the main component that governs the Screenlet’s behavior. When using a Screenlet, app developers primarily interact with its Screenlet class. A list Screenlet’s Screenlet class must extend the BaseListScreenlet class. Since BaseListScreenlet provides most of the functionality needed by Screenlet classes, extending it lets you focus on the functionality unique to your Screenlet. The Screenlet class must also define the configurable IBInspectable properties the Screenlet needs, create and return an instance of your Interactor, and respond to the Screenlet’s events via the delegate.

The Screenlet class you created while creating the delegate is currently empty. You’ll complete it now.

Follow these steps to complete the GuestbookListScreenlet class in GuestbookListScreenlet.swift:

1. Define a public, IBInspectable, Int64 property for the groupId. Although the app developer can set this value via liferay-server-context.plist, it’s also a good idea to let them set it in Interface Builder when using the Screenlet. Give this property an initial value of 0. Your Screenlet class should now look like this:

   public class GuestbookListScreenlet: BaseListScreenlet {
   
       @IBInspectable public var groupId: Int64 = 0
   
   }
   

2. Override the createPageLoadInteractor method to create and return an instance of your Interactor, GuestbookListPageLoadInteractor. This method includes page and computeRowCount arguments, which you can pass to the Interactor’s constructor along with groupId:

   override public func createPageLoadInteractor(
       page: Int,
       computeRowCount: Bool) -> BaseListPageLoadInteractor {
   
       return GuestbookListPageLoadInteractor(screenlet: self,
                                                    page: page,
                                                    computeRowCount: computeRowCount,
                                                    groupId: self.groupId)
   }
   

3. Create a computed property to get a reference to your delegate, GuestbookListScreenletDelegate:

   public var guestbookListDelegate: GuestbookListScreenletDelegate? {
       return delegate as? GuestbookListScreenletDelegate
   }
   

   You’ll use this property to handle the Screenlet’s events via the delegate’s methods.

4. Override the BaseListScreenlet methods that handle the Screenlet’s events. Because these methods correspond to your delegate methods, you’ll call your delegate methods in them:

   • onLoadPageResult: Called when the Screenlet loads a page successfully. Override this method to call the superclass’s onLoadPageResult method, then call your delegate’s screenlet(_:onGuestbookListResponse:) method:

       override public func onLoadPageResult(page: Int, rows: [AnyObject], rowCount: Int) {
           super.onLoadPageResult(page: page, rows: rows, rowCount: rowCount)
     
           guestbookListDelegate?.screenlet?(screenlet: self, 
               onGuestbookListResponse: rows as! [GuestbookModel])
       }
     

   • onLoadPageError: Called when the Screenlet fails to load a page. Override this method to call the superclass’s onLoadPageError method, then call your delegate’s screenlet(_:onGuestbookListError:) method:

       override public func onLoadPageError(page: Int, error: NSError) {
           super.onLoadPageError(page: page, error: error)
     
           guestbookListDelegate?.screenlet?(screenlet: self, 
               onGuestbookListError: error)
       }
     

   • onSelectedRow: Called when an item is selected in the list. Override this method to call your delegate’s screenlet(_:onGuestbookSelected:) method:

       override public func onSelectedRow(_ row: AnyObject) {
           guestbookListDelegate?.screenlet?(screenlet: self, 
               onGuestbookSelected: row as! GuestbookModel)
       }
     

Awesome! Your Screenlet class is finished. You’re also done with Guestbook List Screenlet! The next section in this Learning Path shows you how to create Entry List Screenlet to display a guestbook’s entries.