The uPortal Framework and Channels Robert Sherratt Digital University Project (www.digital.hull.ac.uk) University of Hull

The uPortal Framework and Channels Background – uPortal and JA-SIG Channels APIs deployment in the portal What next…

JA-SIG Java Architectures Special Interest Group Formed in 1999 Formerly Administrative Computing Formed in 1999 Consortia of over 200 institutions Clearinghouse uPortal JA-SIG UK www.ja-sig.org(.uk)

What is uPortal Open source portal framework Developed by JA-SIG Based on open standards Java, XML, XSL Used for production of institutional portals Staff, students (alumni, perspective students) c. 35 live sites

uPortal details Designed to integrate with existing IT infrastructure Servlet containers, databases, directory services, authentication systems Very flexible layout engine Layout details stored in db via JDBC Output (XML), Structure (XSL), Skins (CSS + graphics) Customization

uPortal details - 2 User profile Framework contributions LDAP/JDBC storage Uses eduPerson standard Add your own attributes Framework contributions Development community plus core team Both commercial and higher education

uPortal versions 1.0 - July 2000 1.5/1.6 – 2001 2.0 – February 2002 Roles, performance 2.0 – February 2002 XSLT 2.1 – December 2002 Groups & Permissions, Composite group service 2.2 – October 2003 Aggregated layouts, i18n

What is a channel? User Channel Portal layer Content Data Applications

uPortal Channels For displaying content within uPortal Access back-end content/functions and present to user Default channel types Applet, Image, Inline Frame, Remote Channel Proxy, RSS, Web Proxy, XML Transformation “Proprietary” Channel APIs IChannel – simple structure Multithreaded/cacheable - base classes and interfaces

The Channel APIs - IChannel setStaticData called once when the channel is started setRuntimeData called every time the channel is used renderXML transforms the channel content

IChannel – Hello Name setRuntimeData public void setRuntimeData (ChannelRuntimeData rd) { runtimeData = rd; sName = runtimeData.getParameter ("name"); }

IChannel - renderXML public void renderXML (ContentHandler out) throws PortalException { StringWriter w = new StringWriter (); w.write ("<?xml version='1.0'?>\n"); w.write ("<content>\n"); if (sName != null) w.write (" <name>" + sName + "</name>\n"); w.write ("</content>\n"); XSLT xslt = new XSLT(this); xslt.setXML(w.toString()); xslt.setXSL(sslLocation, "main", runtimeData.getBrowserInfo()); xslt.setTarget(out); xslt.setStylesheetParameter("baseActionURL", runtimeData.getBaseActionURL()); xslt.transform(); }

Transforming content – Stylesheet list private static final String sslLocation = "CHelloName/CHelloName.ssl"; <?xml-stylesheet title="main" href="CHelloName/xhtml.xsl" type="text/xsl" media="netscape"?> <?xml-stylesheet alternate="yes" href="CHelloName/xhtml.xsl" type="text/xsl" media="explorer"?> Use to support different devices/formats

Transforming content - XSL <xsl:template match="content"> <xsl:choose> <xsl:when test="name"> Welcome to uPortal <xsl:value-of select="name"/> .<br /> </xsl:when> </xsl:choose> Please enter your name:<br /> <form action="{$baseActionURL}" method="post"> <input type="text" name="name" size="10" class="uportal-input-text"/> <input type="submit" value="Submit" class="uportal-button"/> </form> </xsl:template>

Multithreaded and cacheable channels Multithreaded channels are trusted to keep their own state/session the same methods as IChannel and also include channel instance key renderXML the same except for: ChannelState channelState = (ChannelState)channelStateMap.get(uid); ChannelStaticData staticData = channelState.getStaticData(); ChannelRuntimeData runtimeData = channelState.getRuntimeData(); additional methods for generating a channel instance key

The channel within the framework

General settings

Channel specific data

Channel categories

Channel groups

What next Easier deployment with CARs JSR 168 awaiting final release Web Services… WSRP awaiting approval as an OASIS standard Next version of uPortal, 2.2, will have: WSRP producer channel WSRP consumer channel

Questions? Digital University Project (www.digital.hull.ac.uk) www.ja-sig.org(.uk) r.sherratt@hull.ac.uk