Core Models & Interfaces: Foundation Phase 1

Hey guys! Let's dive into the first phase of our project: laying the groundwork. This phase, aptly named the Foundation Phase, is all about creating the core models and interfaces that will power our application. Think of it as building the skeletal structure upon which everything else will be built. We're aiming for a robust and well-defined foundation to ensure stability and scalability down the road. So, buckle up, and let's get started!

Core Models: The Building Blocks

In this section, we'll be crafting the fundamental data structures that represent our domain. These models will be used throughout the application, so it's crucial to get them right. We need to think about what data we'll be working with, how it's related, and how we can represent it in a clean and efficient way.

Session.cs: Capturing the User's Journey

At the heart of any interactive application is the concept of a user session. Our Session.cs model will be responsible for encapsulating all the information related to a user's interaction with the system. This includes things like the user's name, the current working directory, and any other relevant context. Imagine a user logging in and navigating through different parts of the application; the Session model keeps track of their journey. A well-defined session model is the cornerstone of managing user context and state within our application.

Consider the properties we'll need: a unique session identifier, the user's username, the current directory they're working in, and perhaps a timestamp for when the session started. We might also want to include information about the user's role or permissions. It's important to think about the lifecycle of a session – how it's created, how it's updated, and how it's terminated. We'll also need to consider how sessions are persisted, whether in memory, in a database, or some other storage mechanism. Think about the operations we'll need to perform on a Session object: creating a new session, retrieving an existing session, updating session information, and ending a session. We also need to think about how we'll handle concurrent sessions and session timeouts. These are all important considerations that will shape the design of our Session model.

StorageItem.cs: The Abstract Ancestor

In the world of cloud storage, everything is essentially a storage item. This could be a file, a folder, or even a container. To represent this hierarchy, we'll create an abstract base class called StorageItem.cs. This class will define the common properties and behaviors that all storage items share, such as name, path, and creation date. Think of it as the blueprint for all things storable. By creating this abstraction, we can write generic code that operates on any type of storage item, making our code more flexible and maintainable. Inheritance is the key here; StorageItem will serve as the parent class for more specific storage types like containers and blobs. This allows us to treat different types of storage items uniformly, which simplifies our code and makes it easier to add new storage types in the future. The StorageItem class will likely include properties such as name, path, size, last modified date, and potentially metadata. We'll also need to define common operations, such as getting the item's properties, deleting the item, and moving the item. Consider the potential for different storage providers – we might want to support Azure Blob Storage, Amazon S3, or other storage services in the future. A well-designed StorageItem class will allow us to seamlessly integrate with different storage providers without major code changes.

Container.cs: Organizing Our Blobs

In Azure Blob Storage, containers act as folders for organizing blobs. Our Container.cs model will represent these containers, allowing us to manage and interact with them programmatically. This model will likely inherit from StorageItem.cs, inheriting common properties and behaviors. Think of containers as the organizational units within our storage system. They allow us to group related blobs together, making it easier to manage and locate them. A container is more than just a folder; it also has properties like access policies and metadata. We'll need to consider how to represent these properties in our model. We'll also need to define operations for creating, deleting, listing, and updating containers. Think about the relationship between containers and blobs – a container can contain multiple blobs, but a blob can only belong to one container. This relationship will influence the design of our models and the way we interact with them. Consider the potential for nested containers – can a container contain other containers? This is an important design decision that will affect the complexity of our code. A well-designed Container model will be essential for managing our blob storage effectively.

Blob.cs: The Data Itself

The blob is the fundamental unit of storage in Azure Blob Storage. Our Blob.cs model will represent individual blobs, whether they're text files, images, videos, or any other type of data. This model will also inherit from StorageItem.cs, providing a consistent interface for interacting with storage items. Blobs are the actual data we're storing, so it's crucial to have a robust and efficient way to represent them. A blob can have various properties, such as content type, size, and metadata. We'll need to consider how to represent these properties in our model. We'll also need to define operations for uploading, downloading, deleting, and updating blobs. Think about the different types of blobs – block blobs, page blobs, and append blobs. Each type has its own characteristics and use cases. Our Blob model should be flexible enough to handle all of these types. Consider the potential for large blobs – we might need to implement streaming or chunking mechanisms to handle large files efficiently. A well-designed Blob model will be essential for storing and retrieving our data reliably.

NavigationState.cs: Guiding the User's Path

To provide a smooth user experience, we need to keep track of the user's navigation state. The NavigationState.cs model will be responsible for tracking the current context within the application, such as the current directory, selected items, and any other relevant navigation information. Think of it as a breadcrumb trail that allows the user to easily navigate back and forth. This model will be crucial for implementing features like tab completion and history. The NavigationState model will likely include properties such as the current directory, the current view, and any filters or sorting criteria that are applied. We'll need to consider how to update the navigation state as the user interacts with the application. Think about the potential for different navigation contexts – the user might be browsing files, editing a file, or running a command. Each context might have its own navigation state. A well-designed NavigationState model will be essential for providing a user-friendly and intuitive experience.

Interfaces: Defining the Contracts

Now that we've defined our core models, let's move on to the interfaces. Interfaces define the contracts that our services will adhere to. They specify what operations a service can perform without dictating how those operations are implemented. This promotes loose coupling and makes our code more modular and testable. Think of interfaces as blueprints for our services. They define the capabilities of each service without specifying the implementation details. This allows us to swap out different implementations of a service without affecting other parts of the application. Interfaces are crucial for building a maintainable and scalable application. They allow us to change the implementation of a service without breaking other parts of the system.

IStorageService.cs: Interacting with Azure Storage

The IStorageService.cs interface will define the operations for interacting with Azure Storage. This includes things like listing containers, uploading blobs, downloading blobs, and deleting blobs. This interface will serve as the gateway to our storage layer, abstracting away the complexities of the Azure Storage API. Think of IStorageService as the single point of contact for all storage-related operations. It will provide a consistent and predictable way to interact with Azure Storage, regardless of the underlying implementation. The interface will likely include methods for creating, deleting, listing, and updating containers and blobs. It might also include methods for managing access policies and metadata. We'll need to consider how to handle errors and exceptions within the interface. A well-defined IStorageService interface will be essential for isolating our application from the specifics of Azure Storage. This will make it easier to test our application and to switch to a different storage provider in the future.

ISessionManager.cs: Managing User Sessions

The ISessionManager.cs interface will be responsible for managing user sessions. This includes creating new sessions, retrieving existing sessions, updating session information, and ending sessions. This interface will provide a centralized way to manage user sessions, ensuring consistency and security. Think of ISessionManager as the gatekeeper for user sessions. It will handle all the details of session management, such as session creation, session retrieval, session update, and session termination. The interface will likely include methods for authenticating users, creating new sessions, retrieving existing sessions, updating session information, and ending sessions. We'll need to consider how to handle session timeouts and concurrent sessions within the interface. A well-defined ISessionManager interface will be essential for managing user context and state within our application.

IAuthenticationService.cs: Securing Our Application

The IAuthenticationService.cs interface will handle Azure CLI authentication. This includes logging in, logging out, and verifying user credentials. This interface will ensure that only authorized users can access our application. Think of IAuthenticationService as the security guard for our application. It will handle all the details of user authentication and authorization. The interface will likely include methods for logging in, logging out, and verifying user credentials. It might also include methods for managing user roles and permissions. We'll need to consider how to integrate with Azure Active Directory or other authentication providers within the interface. A well-defined IAuthenticationService interface will be essential for securing our application and protecting sensitive data.

IConfigurationService.cs: Accessing Configuration Settings

The IConfigurationService.cs interface will provide access to configuration settings. This includes things like connection strings, API keys, and other application-specific settings. This interface will allow us to externalize configuration settings, making our application more flexible and maintainable. Think of IConfigurationService as the settings panel for our application. It will provide a centralized way to access configuration settings, such as connection strings, API keys, and other application-specific settings. The interface will likely include methods for retrieving settings by name or by category. We'll need to consider how to handle different configuration sources, such as environment variables, configuration files, or databases. A well-defined IConfigurationService interface will be essential for making our application flexible and maintainable.

IReplEngine.cs: The Heart of the REPL

The IReplEngine.cs interface will define the core functionality of our REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop). This includes reading user input, evaluating commands, and printing results. This interface will be the heart of our interactive shell, providing a seamless user experience. Think of IReplEngine as the conductor of our REPL orchestra. It will handle all the details of reading user input, evaluating commands, and printing results. The interface will likely include methods for processing user input, executing commands, and displaying output. We'll need to consider how to handle errors and exceptions within the interface. A well-defined IReplEngine interface will be essential for creating a user-friendly and powerful interactive shell.

ICommandProcessor.cs: Executing User Commands

The ICommandProcessor.cs interface will be responsible for command execution. This includes parsing commands, validating arguments, and invoking the appropriate service methods. This interface will provide a consistent way to execute user commands, making our application more extensible and maintainable. Think of ICommandProcessor as the command dispatcher for our application. It will handle all the details of parsing commands, validating arguments, and invoking the appropriate service methods. The interface will likely include methods for registering commands, parsing command input, and executing commands. We'll need to consider how to handle command aliases and command history within the interface. A well-defined ICommandProcessor interface will be essential for creating a powerful and extensible command-line interface.

Acceptance Criteria: Ensuring Quality

To ensure that we're building a solid foundation, we've defined a set of acceptance criteria. These criteria will serve as a checklist to ensure that our models and interfaces meet our quality standards. Let's take a look at what these are:

• All models have proper validation and ToString() methods: This ensures that our models are robust and that we can easily inspect their contents for debugging purposes.
• Interfaces define clear contracts for services: This ensures that our services are loosely coupled and that we can easily swap out implementations.
• Models support serialization if needed: This allows us to persist our models to storage or transmit them over the network.
• XML documentation on all public members: This ensures that our code is well-documented and easy to understand.

Phase Details: Timeline and Effort

This phase, being the foundational one, is estimated to take 1-2 days of focused effort. It's crucial we dedicate this time to crafting these core components with precision and care, as they'll influence the entire project's trajectory. Remember, a strong foundation leads to a sturdy and successful build! Let's get this done, guys!