THE FRAMEWORK YOUR FRAMEWORK COULD CODE LIKE

app.js

var flatiron = require('flatiron'),
    app = flatiron.app;

console.log('What\'s that in your hand? Look down,');
app.use(require('./tickets'));

console.log('look up. I HAVE IT. It\'s ' + app.qty + ' TICKETS to ' + app.description + '!');

console.log('Look again.');
app.use(require('./diamonds'));

console.log('THE TICKETS ARE NOW DIAMONDS');
app.sparkle();

setTimeout(function () {
  app.stopSparkling();
}, 6000);

app.on('sparkling::done', function () {

  console.log('Anything is possible when you use flatiron and stop using express.');
  console.log('I\'m on a horse.');
});

diamonds.js

exports.attach = function () {
  var sparkling = false;

  var that = this;

  this.sparkle = function sparkle () {
    sparkling = true;

    setTimeout(function () {
      console.log('* bling *');

      if (sparkling) {
        sparkle();
      }
      else {
        that.emit('sparkling::done');
      }

    }, 2000 * Math.random());
  };

  this.stopSparkling = function () {
    sparkling = false;
  };

}

output.log

22:35 josh@onix /tmp/old-spice
% node app.js
What's that in your hand? Look down,
look up. I HAVE IT. It's 2 TICKETS to that thing you love!
Look again.
THE TICKETS ARE NOW DIAMONDS
* bling *
* bling *
* bling *
* bling *
* bling *
* bling *
* bling *
* bling *
* bling *
Anything is possible when you use flatiron and stop using express.
I'm on a horse.
22:35 josh@onix /tmp/old-spice
% 

tickets.js

exports.attach = function (opts) {
  opts = opts || {};

  var that = this;

  this.qty = opts.qty || 2;
  this.description = opts.description || 'that thing you love';

  this.redeem = function () {
    console.log('You go to see ' + that.description + ' and it\'s SPECTACULAR.');
    that.qty--;
  };

}

devil's advocatingly, with express you could do something like:

var diamonds = require('./diamonds.js');
app.use(diamonds);
diamonds.sparkle();
setTimeout(function () { diamonds.stopSparkling() }, 6000);

I'm not sure how applicable that approach would be to flatiron but it seems like a better way of organizing functionality since everything isn't glued onto the app object.

How would this work though? I mean, what's the point of doing an express app.use if you're not handling any http requests? Flatiron stock is basically just an IoC container with some utility functions strapped on unless you app.use(flatiron.plugins.http).