---
name: tinystruct-patterns
description: Expert guidance for developing with the tinystruct Java framework. Use when working on the tinystruct codebase or any project built on tinystruct — including creating Application classes, @Action-mapped routes, unit tests, ActionRegistry, HTTP/CLI dual-mode handling, the built-in HTTP server, the event system, JSON with Builder/Builders, database persistence with AbstractData, POJO generation, Server-Sent Events (SSE), file uploads, and outbound HTTP networking.
origin: ECC
---

# tinystruct Development Patterns

Architecture and implementation patterns for building modules with the **tinystruct** Java framework – a lightweight, high-performance framework that treats CLI and HTTP as equal citizens, requiring no `main()` method and minimal configuration.

## Core Principle

**CLI and HTTP are equal citizens.** Every method annotated with `@Action` should ideally be runnable from both a terminal and a web browser without modification. This "dual-mode" capability is the core design philosophy of tinystruct.

## When to Activate

### When to Use

- Creating new `Application` modules by extending `AbstractApplication`.
- Defining routes and command-line actions using `@Action`.
- Handling per-request state via `Context`.
- Performing JSON serialization using the native `Builder` and `Builders` components.
- Working with database persistence via `AbstractData` POJOs.
- Generating POJOs from database tables using the `generate` command.
- Implementing Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time push.
- Handling file uploads via multipart data.
- Making outbound HTTP requests with `URLRequest` and `HTTPHandler`.
- Configuring database connections or system settings in `application.properties`.
- Debugging routing conflicts (Actions) or CLI argument parsing.

## How It Works

The tinystruct framework treats any method annotated with `@Action` as a routable endpoint for both terminal and web environments. Applications are created by extending `AbstractApplication`, which provides core lifecycle hooks like `init()` and access to the request `Context`.

Routing is handled by the `ActionRegistry`, which automatically maps path segments to method arguments and injects dependencies. For data-only services, the native `Builder` and `Builders` components should be used for JSON serialization to maintain a zero-dependency footprint. The database layer uses `AbstractData` POJOs paired with XML mapping files for CRUD operations without external ORM libraries.

## Examples

### Basic Application (MyService)
```java
public class MyService extends AbstractApplication {
    @Override
    public void init() {
        this.setTemplateRequired(false); // Disable .view lookup for data/API apps
    }

    @Override public String version() { return "1.0.0"; }

    @Action("greet")
    public String greet() {
        return "Hello from tinystruct!";
    }

    // Path parameter: GET /?q=greet/James  OR  bin/dispatcher greet/James
    @Action("greet")
    public String greet(String name) {
        return "Hello, " + name + "!";
    }
}
```

### HTTP Mode Disambiguation (login)
```java
@Action(value = "login", mode = Mode.HTTP_POST)
public String doLogin(Request<?, ?> request) throws ApplicationException {
    request.getSession().setAttribute("userId", "42");
    return "Logged in";
}
```

### Native JSON Data Handling (Builder + Builders)
```java
import org.tinystruct.data.component.Builder;
import org.tinystruct.data.component.Builders;

@Action("api/data")
public String getData() throws ApplicationException {
    Builders dataList = new Builders();
    Builder item = new Builder();
    item.put("id", 1);
    item.put("name", "James");
    dataList.add(item);

    Builder response = new Builder();
    response.put("status", "success");
    response.put("data", dataList);
    return response.toString(); // {"status":"success","data":[{"id":1,"name":"James"}]}
}
```

### SSE (Server-Sent Events)
```java
import org.tinystruct.http.SSEPushManager;

@Action("sse/connect")
public String connect() {
    return "{\"type\":\"connect\",\"message\":\"Connected to SSE\"}";
}

// Push to a specific client
String sessionId = getContext().getId();
Builder msg = new Builder();
msg.put("text", "Hello, user!");
SSEPushManager.getInstance().push(sessionId, msg);

// Broadcast to all
// Broadcast to all
SSEPushManager.getInstance().broadcast(msg);
```

### File Upload
```java
import org.tinystruct.data.FileEntity;

@Action(value = "upload", mode = Mode.HTTP_POST)
public String upload(Request<?, ?> request) throws ApplicationException {
    List<FileEntity> files = request.getAttachments();
    if (files != null) {
        for (FileEntity file : files) {
            System.out.println("Uploaded: " + file.getFilename());
        }
    }
    return "Upload OK";
}
```

## Configuration

Settings are managed in `src/main/resources/application.properties`.

```properties
# Database
driver=org.h2.Driver
database.url=jdbc:h2:~/mydb
database.user=sa
database.password=

# Server
default.home.page=hello
server.port=8080

# Locale
default.language=en_US

# Session (Redis for clustered environments)
# default.session.repository=org.tinystruct.http.RedisSessionRepository
# redis.host=127.0.0.1
# redis.port=6379
```

Access config values in your application:
```java
String port = this.getConfiguration("server.port");
```

## Red Flags & Anti-patterns

| Symptom | Correct Pattern |
|---|---|
| Importing `com.google.gson` or `com.fasterxml.jackson` | Use `org.tinystruct.data.component.Builder` / `Builders`. |
| Using `List<Builder>` for JSON arrays | Use `Builders` to avoid generic type erasure issues. |
| `ApplicationRuntimeException: template not found` | Call `setTemplateRequired(false)` in `init()` for API-only apps. |
| Annotating `private` methods with `@Action` | Actions must be `public` to be registered by the framework. |
| Hardcoding `main(String[] args)` in apps | Use `bin/dispatcher` as the entry point for all modules. |
| Manual `ActionRegistry` registration | Prefer the `@Action` annotation for automatic discovery. |
| Action not found at runtime | Ensure class is imported via `--import` or listed in `application.properties`. |
| CLI arg not visible | Pass with `--key value`; access via `getContext().getAttribute("--key")`. |
| Two methods same path, wrong one fires | Set explicit `mode` (e.g., `HTTP_GET` vs `HTTP_POST`) to disambiguate. |

## Best Practices

1. **Granular Applications**: Break logic into smaller, focused applications rather than one monolithic class.
2. **Setup in `init()`**: Leverage `init()` for setup (config, DB) rather than the constructor. Do NOT call `setAction()` — use `@Action` annotation.
3. **Mode Awareness**: Use the `Mode` parameter in `@Action` to restrict sensitive operations to `CLI` only or specific HTTP methods.
4. **Context over Params**: For optional CLI flags, use `getContext().getAttribute("--flag")` rather than adding parameters to the method signature.
5. **Asynchronous Events**: For heavy tasks triggered by events, use `CompletableFuture.runAsync()` inside the event handler.

## Technical Reference

Detailed guides are available in the `references/` directory:

- [Architecture & Config](references/architecture.md) — Abstractions, Package Map, Properties
- [Routing & @Action](references/routing.md) — Annotation details, Modes, Parameters
- [Data Handling](references/data-handling.md) — Builder, Builders, JSON serialization & parsing
- [Database Persistence](references/database.md) — AbstractData POJOs, CRUD, mapping XML, POJO generation
- [System & Usage](references/system-usage.md) — Context, Sessions, SSE, File Uploads, Events, Networking
- [Testing Patterns](references/testing.md) — JUnit 5 unit and HTTP integration testing

## Reference Source Files (Internal)

- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/AbstractApplication.java` — Core base class with lifecycle hooks
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/system/annotation/Action.java` — Annotation & Modes
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/application/ActionRegistry.java` — Routing Engine
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/Builder.java` — JSON object serializer
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/Builders.java` — JSON array serializer
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/AbstractData.java` — Base POJO class with CRUD
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/Mapping.java` — Mapping XML parser
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/tools/MySQLGenerator.java` — POJO generator reference
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/FieldType.java` — SQL-to-Java type mappings
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/Condition.java` — Fluent SQL query builder
- `src/main/java/org/tinystruct/http/SSEPushManager.java` — SSE connection management
- `src/test/java/org/tinystruct/application/ActionRegistryTest.java` — Registry test examples
- `src/test/java/org/tinystruct/system/HttpServerHttpModeTest.java` — HTTP integration test patterns
