Prototype: Alfresco Web Scripts + extjs ajax lib

[jpfi]

Hi,

Along with a colleague I played around with Web Scripts and extjs (a fabulous ajax lib).
After a couple of days we've finished a first prototype of a ajax-based Alfresco repository browser - we named it opsoro.

feature overview:
- ria-feeling (sortable & movable columns, view/hide components, async loading…)
- live Search (search as you type)
- folder browser
- category browser
- tag cloud browser
- My Alfresco portal (draggable portlets)
- document tagging
- embedded preview (crop content & image preview)
- inline view (text, pdf, images … IE only: ms office et. al.)

You find a flash screemcam here: http://opensource-ecm.com/opsoro/opsoro.html

This Web Script API is truly first-rate! It is impressive to find out how easy  and rapid to develop things can be;-)

[mikeh]

You'll probably find you need to run Opsoro against a v2.9 Alfresco install.

Also see http://forums.alfresco.com/viewtopic.php?p=38858#p38858 earlier in this thread.

Thanks,
Mike

[jpfi]

Hi Richard,
if you've installed the AMP-Module cropContent should work correctly, it is the same function Alfresco for their ajax-preview i-Icon in the normal web client. It is the same freemarker extension/function.
Mike is right while saying you should use an 2.9 Alfresco install. If you want to use another version you've to write a short AMP and bootstrap the tag-root classification into the repo. Currently I don't find the time to do this, so this would be a nice contribution.

I want to raise another question here:
ExtJS, the AJAX Framework we are using in Alfresco is now supporting GWT: http://www.extjs.com/products/gxt/ & samples http://www.extjs.com/explorer/#overview
At the moment the client side of opsoro is completely written in javascript. This GWT-Ext bundle gives us the possibility to write Java instead and transform/compile this to javascript via GWT mechanism. If you're a swing developer or similar your extjs learning curve will be much smaller.
So, what is your opinion: should we stay on the plain javascript side or should we move towards Java by using GWT-Ext?

Cheers, Jan

PS: Many thanks to all opsoro fans for all the nice words in Barcelona

[ricard]

Thanks for your replies.

I am quite new both at Java and Alfresco so I didn't get that the post you say was related to what I was asking for. Anyway i-Icon default ajax functionality is working correctly so I don't understand what else is missing.

Anyway thanks for the demonstration of what can be done with web script. Great work!

[davtrasher]

Hi,
Wonderful work Jan!
It will be great to use GWT :wink:

[davtrasher]

Do you plan to use ext GWT (mygwt) for build the opsoro interface?

[jpfi]

Hi,
I'll take a deeper look into GXT: http://www.extjs.com/products/gxt/
But currently gxt  doesn't support all extJS features and widgets I've used in opsoro.
From my point of view it sounds very intersting to implement ExtJs interface using java. I'll keep an eye on the GXT roadmap and release cycle.
For the moment I'll update the opsoro code soon to a more modular codebase and probably with a few new features.
Cheers, Jan

[davtrasher]

Hi,
I don't understand how authentification is managed in opsoro. This is apparently not a webscript?
Could you enlighten me?

[jpfi]

Hi,
it is currently done via HTTP Basic Authentication (http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Web_Scripts_Framework#HTTP_Basic_Authentication)
Cheers, Jan

[myj]

Is there a simple way to implement a logout function in opsoro ?

[jpfi]

Hi,
as far as I know you don't have a chance realizing a real logout while using HTTP basic Authentication.
The reason is, that you don't have a session context at the server. Instead a browser keep your credentials in mind and submit them with each request.
So the only way will be closing the browser window(s).
The opsoro authentication mechanismn isn't production ready. Instead of using basic authentication someone have to write a getLoginTicket-Webscript.
This ticket will be stored at the opsoro client and passed with every request. Doing a logout will than mean to delete the ticket.
Are there other opinions?…this is not really one of my strong points…

Cheers, Jan