System Architecture
Overview
The Comserv system is built on the Catalyst framework and follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern. This document provides a detailed explanation of the system architecture, component interactions, and design principles.
Architectural Layers
The system is organized into the following architectural layers:
Presentation Layer
The presentation layer handles the user interface and is primarily implemented using:
- Template Toolkit - For rendering HTML templates
- CSS - For styling and theming
- JavaScript - For client-side interactivity
Application Layer
The application layer contains the business logic and is implemented using:
- Catalyst Controllers - Handle user requests and coordinate responses
- Service Classes - Implement business logic and domain rules
- Utility Classes - Provide common functionality across the application
Data Access Layer
The data access layer manages database interactions and is implemented using:
- Catalyst Models - Represent data entities and relationships
- DBIx::Class - Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) for database access
- Schema Classes - Define database structure and relationships
Component Interactions
The components in the Comserv system interact as follows:
- User requests are received by the web server and passed to Catalyst
- Catalyst routes the request to the appropriate controller action
- The controller processes the request, interacting with models as needed
- Models retrieve or update data in the database
- The controller prepares data for the view and selects a template
- The view renders the template with the provided data
- The response is sent back to the user
Key Subsystems
Authentication and Authorization
The authentication system verifies user identities and controls access to resources based on user roles and permissions.
Theme System
The theme system allows customization of the application's appearance through configurable themes, layouts, and style sheets.
Documentation System
The documentation system provides comprehensive information about the application, including user guides, technical documentation, and API references.
Schema Management
The schema management system allows administrators to create, compare, and migrate database schemas through a web interface.
Directory Structure
The main directories in the Comserv system include:
- /lib - Contains Perl modules and application code
- /root - Contains templates, static files, and documentation
- /script - Contains utility scripts and tools
- /t - Contains test files