Integration

dRofus web application offers integration through embedding, in which the embedder clients can display dRofus data panels inside their application space. dRofus integrated application runs in a browser context and expected to be embedded through HTML iframe or run in a browser widget (e.g. WebView on Android, BrowserControl for C#/WPF) in app.

Remarks for apps

  1. integrated dRofus uses browser cache to boost startup performance, application assets (static files like html, css, javascript, images, etc.) are only being loaded first time (or if changed) and subsequent startups are being served from browser cache. To utilize this in apps, make sure browser widget cache is not being discarded if the application is closed.
  2. In some cases, integrated dRofus opens a new browser tab/window (when downloading files or opening the full dRofus webapp with the same context). Browser widgets default implementation is ignoring such external navigation (target="_blank") Embedders should implement then handle such event, for example in WPF WebView, NewWindowRequested event.

Login and startup

dRofus applications, both web and desktop, require a logged in user. At login, username, password and project selection is required. Project selection consists of selecting server, database and project (if multiple configured in a database).

Login to dRofus integrated application relies on OIDC-standard. The following steps summarizes the login workflow:

  1. Embedder fetches token from Drofus OIDC server
  2. Embedder passes fetched token to dRofus application server
  3. dRofus integrated application verifies the token and notifies embedder

Remark: Token is just a string. We use JWT token, but you do not need to parse it.

Fetching the token

Each database server has a corresponding OIDC server instance, so to fetch a token, embedder should connect to a chosen OIDC server's authorize endpoint. Our integrating solution supports OIDC implicit or code grant type. We recommend using implicit in browser web application and code in desktop/mobile apps.

1. Implicit grant

The following parameters are required in such OIDC request:

Redirect URI (may also be referred as "callback URI") must be registered with us beforehand. You may also register multiple redirect URIs for your application. The token fetching request must include the redirect URI, which must match any of the previously registered URIs.

2. Code grant

The following parameters are required in such OIDC request:

Remark: If code grant is used in a web application, redirect_uri must be a valid URL pointing to a web application the embedders control and thus has to be registered same way as with implicit grant. Redirect URI has less importance in apps and any URI can be used, does not need to point to an actual website. But still, must be filled

After login

After login, the browser session will be redirected to the requested redirect URI. As of default response type, result is added to the url fragment. Alternatively, form post result can be chosen. Token is encoded into the acces_token result parameter. Unsuccessful login (error or user cancellation) does not contain token.

Remark: In browser environment CORS restrictions apply. We register the origin of the redirect URI(s), but please let us know, if the initiator origin differs from the redirect URI(s).

Passing the token

Embedder is responsible for handling the token. If the token is missing, experid or invalid, dRofus integrated web application will send an error message and won't start. Embedder may store token or discard and re-login between startups of Drofus integrated application.

Embedder should create an integrated Drofus environment and load the corresponding application server's address with the following path and hash, where the hash includes the token from the previous step. After the token is received, Drofus integrated application is validating the token. When validated, both successful and unsuccesful, dRofus integrated will signal it to the embedder.

Remark: Although validation is short, but it is not instantaneous, because an HTTP call is required to the corresponding OIDC server, to verify the signature of the token. Do not rely on timeout, but rather accept messages.

After successful token verification, the application is ready to display data.

The nature of inter-process communication between integrated dRofus and embedder differs in each context. Integrated dRofus supports window.postMessage and "redirect-with-parameters" approach. It is possible to implement both in all environments, however, we recommend using messaging in HTML iframe environment and redirect in apps. Workflow details are shown below

1. Messaging

Embedder should pass the token to integrated Drofus by calling the following application server with the following path and hash.

/embedded/signin#access_token=<insert token here>

When token is validated, a message event sent to the embedder's window object. Message payload contains an object called DrofusEmbedded and a successful flag. A successful message is:

{ "DrofusEmbedded": { "success": true } }

2. Redirect

Embedder should pass the token to integrated Drofus by calling the following application server with the following path and hash.

/embedded/signin?response=redirect#access_token=<insert token here>

When token is validated, the application will redirect to /embedded/signin-ready, so embedder has to listen to url change events. Query string will indicate if successful and eventuelly include also error message. The successful url is:

/embedded/signin-ready?success=true

Demo

OIDC is a well-known standard, and many public and free libraries are available for almost all platforms.
We have created a demo applications for your convinience

1. HTML iframe, implicit grant, messaging

https://code.drofus.com/projects/BALAZS/repos/embed-demo

oidc-client-js library: https://github.com/IdentityModel/oidc-client-js is being used, but may be also implemented without supporting library

2. App, code grant, redirect

https://code.drofus.com/projects/DC/repos/api.samples/browse/WpfEmbedSample

Server setup

databaseapplication serveroidc server
db2.nosyko.nohttps://app-db2.drofus.comhttps://ids-db2.drofus.com
oslt2https://app-oslt2.drofus.comhttps://ids-oslt2.drofus.com



Showing dRofus content

Application requires a logged in user, please do login first! The content of dRofus integrated application is displayed as a result of either by embedder's control or by user interaction (i.e. clicking on links). Embedder controls the content through application URL.

Remark: dRofus integrated application uses Single Page Application-technique for navigation. That means, that the application is loading the HTML-document and assets on startup, and only loads data from the server on user interactions (as in contrast with traditional applications, where the full rendered HTML-document is loaded, where data is blended in). It is often referred as client side navigation. This does not effect the embedder

The URL of dRofus integrated application is /embedded path on the corresponding application server and followed by one frontend URL (as a URL fragment/hash) as listed below.

Allowed frontend Urls

User navigation

dRofus Web and integrated application in many cases displays links for relations between entities (i.e. item-occurrence, room-occurrences, etc.). dRofus integrated application allows the users to follow these links, we refer this as user navigation. If a user navigation occurs, dRofus integrated application notifies the embedder.

Notification is a message event sent to the embedder's window object. Message payload contains the name of destination and parameters (i.e. entity ID).

Remarks:

  1. This feature is experimental, and implementation details might be changed on short notice. Actual message format will be added to documentation, once it is settled
  2. It is currently not possible to cancel a user navigation by the embedder. 
  3. The current implementation only supports message-based workflow, which aligns well with HTML iframe environment, however might be inconvinient for apps. One proposal for apps would be that embedder hosts an HTTP-server, which dRofus integrated application would post data to. Please contact us if you have a proposal.