Web based plugin architecture for simple user interfaces - plugins

I have a web based application using Primefaces with a very basic plug-in like architecture. The configuration of these plug-ins was all handled with xml, which is not so user friendly system.
I would now like to allow for each plug-in to be configurable via the web application, what are my options?
I have looked into Portals and Portlets but that seems like a rather big change to my application and my plug-ins do not require such complex user interfaces, a textbox or two of configuration is more than enough.
Does anyone have any suggestions or advice and what would be the best route here?

Create a simple page , per plugin that read the XML file, parse the option that you want to change , present it to the user with a simple interface, and save back the XML file.
Take care of the saving part and password-protect this page!

Related

EPiServer migrate content from home grown CMS

Hopefully someone can help me, I'm new to EPiServer and have been given a data migration task. We are using the latest version 8.5. I need to migrate content from a clients home grown CMS (that luckily is in a tree like structure) to EPiServer. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information about this on the web - perhaps I just don't know the right thing to search for.
It looks like using the EPiServer.ServiceApi might be the route to go but again locating useful documentation is proving difficult.
I was thinking of setting up the client CMS in SQL Server and writing a simple console application to call the EPiServer.ServiceApi inserting the content. If anyone has any information on this or better still and example i would be very grateful.
Thanks,
Dan
If you are just importing content from another CMS I would write a scheduled job in EPiServer:
http://world.episerver.com/code/dannymurphy/Stoppable-Scheduled-Job-with-feedback/
That job then uses the standard IContentRepository to create content:
http://world.episerver.com/documentation/Items/Developers-Guide/EPiServer-CMS/8/Content/Persisting-IContent-instances/
That way you can run it whenever you want and have access to EPiServers complete API. Also you can see progress of the import through the job status.
In the job you can read the content as a file in any format you like or directly from the source CMS database or some xml or RSS feed perhaps.
I have moved content from PHP, Java and .NET CMS this way. In .NET you could even access the source CMS via WCF or SOAP if available.
The ServiceApi is relatively new and more focused on Commerce products and media assets rather than CMS page and block content so I wouldn't use that.
There is complete documentation below for the ServiceApi by the way, did you not find it?
http://world.episerver.com/documentation/Items/EPiServer-Service-API/
Regarding language management you can read more in the below links:
http://cjsharp.com/blog/2013/04/11/working-with-localization-and-language-branches-in-episerver-7-mvc/
http://tedgustaf.com/blog/2010/5/create-a-new-page-language-branch-programmatically-in-episerver/
Basically you have two options for multiple languages. If the content is just straight translations you should create nine different language versions (branches) of the same page. You can also have multiple sites in an EPiServer installation but that requires 9 separate licenses (and the associated costs).
I've done a lot of EpiServer content migration projects. The easiest way if it's possible is to export your current sites tree in Json and then import that into EpiServer. I've had to do it on a recent project and mixed with Json.net it's pretty easy.
If you want to go that route you can find all the code to do it here: EpiServer Content Migration With Json.Net/

Structure of Enterprise Web Application using JSF

I'm developing enterprise web application which is using JSF with Eclipse IDE. But i'n not experienced at JSF web application architect, just not familiar with name classes ,projects,packages,web pages, template pages etc.. , is it possible to name packages like following:
CompanyName.systemName.controller (there would be controllers in it )
CompanyName.systemName.Model (there would be managed beans and other things in it )
even how to choose best structure for my project(mean Architecture of folders,classes,packages,web pages, template pages etc). if anyone has an idea ? i'd be glad if have sample project.
thanks
Those are fine package names. Some people like to group packages by purpose:
org.mycompany.myapp.controller
org.mycompany.myapp.dao
org.mycompany.myapp.service
etc...
For larger applications, I like to group them by feature:
org.mycompany.myapp.billing
org.mycompany.myapp.signup
org.mycompany.myapp.webservices
etc...
As for folder structure, a good Maven archetype can be very helpful. Here's a web page that gives a good walkthrough of setting up a few types of JSF projects using Maven archetypes: http://www.javaserverfaces.org/get-started
If you look from architecture point of view, your JSF application should mirror very much like any other well architected Java-Web application.
For packaging I like to break first by functionality (like core, gui) and then by business unit level.
Something like:
com.comp.core.db.beans
com.comp.extension.ui.extension //If my application is going to give extension point for others to implement, extend the functionality.
com.comp.core.ui.controller
On a similar note pages, config files can be broken into separate logical units.

How can I extract data from a Java applet (inside the browser)

Well, well, here we go...
We have a java applet running on a regular browser (ff4+ or ie5+).
I do NOT have access to the java code / servlet. Nor even to the server.
I NEED to send/retrieve data from this applet. This means i must emulate an user onto it by clicking buttons and filling form's textboxes and also return data (after server response) wich ll be inside textboxes.
So the technologies avaibles to be used are C, VB, .NET (webbrowser object mainly), PHP (cUrl avaible), JavaScript, Sniffing the browser/server communication using Fiddler.
We really need this. But if thats impossible so we may have to know also.
The data is owned by my company so no copyrigth is inflicted.
Also i'm open to non traditional solution such as saving the html as an image and then retrieve the data using some OCR software...
Well so any suggestion or pointing directions would be gratefully appreciated.
Thx
Paulo Bueno.
Having to emulate a user browsing is wrought with problems and i would suggest an alternate route, if its feasible. These are the steps I would take:
Grab the applet class or jar from my cache (anyone accessing the page / applet can do this).
Decompile the code into Java source (Using jad or other preferred tool)
Review the process with which the applet communicates to the service
Write an application to submit my data to the service that the applet connects to and handle any responses just as the applet would.
You can run any applet without a browser using the "appletviewer" that is shipped in a JRE. This way it is possible but not practicable to read and send fake input with http://code.google.com/p/windowlicker/ to control the SWING GUI.
But within a regular browser environment with access to the code you would rather do this:
using the "scriptable" and "mayscript" attributes/elements in your object tag. standard browser JREs include a "plugin.jar" that contains the needed function to do this job. This interface lets Java-Applet code communicate vice versa to Javascript, from wich you can do whatever you want (i.e. ajax request)
this topic is rather complex, so check out what google tells us:
http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/applets/_APPLET_MAYSCRIPT.html
http://www.raditha.com/java/javascript.php
Using this interface is a real pain, so i suggest to implement HTTPRequests within your applet to tell the PHP server whatever you want to tell it.
regards,
Michael
I do NOT have access to the java code / servlet. Nor even to the
server.
Emm... It is quite unusual situation. If you have the applet, of course, you should have access to its src files to modify :)
I NEED to send/retrieve data from this applet. This means i must
emulate an user onto it by clicking buttons and filling form's
textboxes and also return data (after server response) wich ll be
inside textboxes.
Anyway, to "emulate" user you can use the Robot object but still it will demand you to modify the applet code to make it support some additional functionality... As I can remember, JS etc cannot control Java Applet from the outside commands unless the applet does contain JS supported functionality for web page interaction... But still you say you don't have any access to the applet src so there is no information does the applet support netscape.javascript or not and how it support it so it is quite unclear... So I must ask do you have any docs of this applet?
Comming around the question text and getting back to the question title itself which says
"How can I extract data from a Java applet (inside the browser)"
I may suppose to say that
To extract data from Java Applet you can use netscape lib which supports Java Applet and JS interaction example, docs. That is the most optimal way in this case
Good luck
Might not be too difficult to de-compile/change/compile again the applet unless it is obfuscated.
I use JAD.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31353/is-jad-the-best-java-decompiler
If you must get your data by interacting with the java applet instead of reverse engineering it, check out FEST (Fixtures for Easy Software Testing). FEST is designed for testing Java Swing GUIs by simulating user interaction, but you can easily use it to automate your applet as well.
Check out the documentation page on testing applets to get started.

Best practices for designing GUI in GWT

I have recently started studying Google Web Toolkit. I have went through some walkthroughs, and I think I understand the basics and the idea. However, I have some questions on the overall architecture and design of the applications.
Let's start with the GUI. I want to build a "common" web application, where the user first sees a login page. After successful login, the user is redirected to some kind of index page and a menu is added. I created a new LoginComposite for the login page, and tried to design a nice looking HTML table using the GWT Designer. However, I find that really hard to do, as you cannot set any individual properties on the individual cells (TDs)? There's no way to specify colspan or rowspan, and I can't set any padding or margin on the cells themselves. In short, I know exactly how I would have written the HTML code, but I can't translate that to the designer. Is that just me?
Also, I am wondering about the best practice for code layout and design. I went through the StockWatcher tutorial, but that's really not a very realistic web application. For example, I would like to know how I should design different forms (should each be in a own class inheriting the Composite-class)? How should I switch between forms (for example, first a list view, then a form for editing a chosen item from the list, then a totally different page)? If I have one Composite for each page, and instantiate them when needed in my EntryPoint, would that mean that the client will download all the JavaScript for all those Composites at page load? Should I stick with only one HTML page, or should I have many?
These are questions not really covered by any GWT tutorial. If anyone know a good example of a "real" web application built using GWT, I would love to see it.
Thanks for your input!
There are a whole bunch of resources in Google IO talks. For example:
http://www.google.com/events/io/2011/sessions/high-performance-gwt-best-practices-for-writing-smaller-faster-apps.html
http://www.google.com/events/io/2011/sessions/highly-productive-gwt-rapid-development-with-app-engine-objectify-requestfactory-and-gwt-platform.html
http://www.google.com/events/io/2010/sessions/architecting-production-gwt.html
http://www.google.com/events/io/2010/sessions/architecting-performance-gwt.html
http://www.google.com/events/io/2010/sessions/gwt-ui-overhaul.html
http://www.google.com/events/io/2009/sessions/EffectiveGwt.html
Also, don't expect to be able to edit absolutely everything if you are using the GUI to build your GWT app. Good luck!

Google web toolkits - multiple pages

On the google website there an example of a simple GWT appliatoin, following is a link:
http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/doc/1.6/tutorial/create.html
The above application has a host page:StockWatcher.html
and StockWatcher.java is the entry point.
If I wanted to add more html pages to this application, we keep one single host page and the entry point will add different panels depending on which link the user clicked on? In this case, how to know which link the user clicked on? If I create a navigation panel and each link has a request parameter, then after the user clicks on the link, How to get the request parameter?
Are there any tutorials available online on how to create a fully functional application? The one example google provides is too simple.
Thanks so much in advance
You have two options to have multiple page web application using gwt.
1) Use gwt history feature and listen for the history change. In this approach at the initial page load itself browser downloads all the javascripts(Including the widgets which are not useful in current link). Still this can be avoided by using gwt code splitting.
2) Create multiple modules. In this case you have to create multiple html pages and GWT entry points. For each major functionality create a gwt module and link that with [modulename].html file. In this approach browser downloads only particular feature's javascript. Not all the javascripts.
Based on your application requirement you can pick one of the option. IMHO I would suggesst second option.