UI development for my application

[shanmmugarajak]

Hi,

I am new, using Alfresco, I find this tool awesome. We decided to go with developing our application using Alfresco as the tool itself provides various features we are looking to, like search, uploading, search engine etc.

Is it possible to develop UI (JSP) to use it in Alfresco. If so can anyone walk me through?

Any sample third party application code available, that using Alfresco?

Thanks

[rdanner]

Hi,

I am new, using Alfresco, I find this tool awesome. We decided to go with developing our application using Alfresco as the tool itself provides various features we are looking to, like search, uploading, search engine etc.

Is it possible to develop UI (JSP) to use it in Alfresco. If so can anyone walk me through?

Any sample third party application code available, that using Alfresco?

Thanks

Are you looking to build a completely separate application on top of alfresco? then the answer is yes

Are you looking modify the existing application on top of alfresco repository? then the answer is yes

If you are going to build a new app on top of the repository and keep the webclient as an admin tool (thats what we are up to), then you need to decide how that is going to happen.  We are planning on remoting to the actual repository, treat it as a resource.

In such a case you have a bunch of options
JCR
JCR over RMI
Alfresco remote API
Alfresco web services

[shanmmugarajak]

Hi Russ,

Thanks for your efforts to reply. I actually wanted to build an application on top of Alfresco i.e. using Alfresco API, its features like search, upload, rule engine etc.

The user will need a interface to access these services, I want to first bother and decide on how to first address this issue of building a UI to use these services - kind of JSP which will trigger the services based on the user action. My question is, in case of triggerring such an action will call for coding Alfresco API's am I right?

Now can any one help me with your knowledge on how to go about building a UI (that doesn't expose Alfresco usage - like logo etc, but then my own logo, page coloring etc) and then from there trigerring a Alfresco utility service like search, uploading file, rule engine etc.?

Thanks
Raja

[rdanner]

Hi Russ,

Thanks for your efforts to reply. I actually wanted to build an application on top of Alfresco i.e. using Alfresco API, its features like search, upload, rule engine etc.

The user will need a interface to access these services, I want to first bother and decide on how to first address this issue of building a UI to use these services - kind of JSP which will trigger the services based on the user action. My question is, in case of triggerring such an action will call for coding Alfresco API's am I right?

Now can any one help me with your knowledge on how to go about building a UI (that doesn't expose Alfresco usage - like logo etc, but then my own logo, page coloring etc) and then from there trigerring a Alfresco utility service like search, uploading file, rule engine etc.?

Thanks
Raja

Raja,

In this case it is pretty simple.  Afresco view is JSF.  The JSF is done in this case with JSP files.  You can "work-over" the existing jsp files to do whatever it is that you want.  Or you can write a whole new set of JSP files.


Backing up the JSP files is a set of "backing beans" these beans then map down in to various other service beans provided by spring.

If what you need can rely on an existing backing bean then you have no issues, just use the existing backing bean. look in the faces-config.xml and spring context xml for bean defintions.

If you create forms that require different backing beans then you will need to do coding.  You will need to get familiar with alfresco / spring and to some extent JSF.


There is also the ability to use templates in alfresco and this will possibly provide some mileage for you.  It sounds as though you are mustly concerned with removing branding.

I have not looked too see how much of alfresco style and branding are controlled by style sheets and configuration but there is a strong possibility that this is the case.  If it is only look and feel in terms of branding and colors you are looking to change then I suggest you look to see (or one of alfresco guys can tell you) how to change what config/stylesheet.

[shanmmugarajak]

Hi Russ,

Buddy thanks a lot for your immediate content-full response.

Ya I am aware of template, I will surely work on your suggestions, decide on the appropriate and get back.

Meanwhile, if any of the Alfresco guys as you told can put their pointers, to add your suggestion, on how to change the template to add our specific logo, style etc will be good to our Alfresco community.

Alfresco guys is it possible? Do I sound reasonable for our good?

Thanks
Raja

[davidc]

You will find the Web Client css and logos in (within the source bundle):

/projects/web-client/source/web/css
/projects/web-client/source/web/images

[hsp]

Using to advantage in this topic, I would like to know if is possible to do an application web (MVC) with jsp/struts/facades, using the alfresco core. How could it be, any thoughts?

[davidc]

Yes, you should be able to use any Java ui toolkit against the Alfresco java API - the API documentation can be found at:

http://www.alfresco.org/mediawiki/index.php/Alfresco_Content_Management_Java_API

[shanmmugarajak]

Hi,

In line with my previous doubt, I attempted the following to change login.jsp file available (I also restarted the server)

1. In webclient.properties file available at web-client\config\alfresco\messages, I modified username property value from "User Name" to "User Id", it is not getting reflected!

2. In login.jsp I  modified the image - <%=request.getContextPath()%>/images/logo/AlfrescoFadedBG.png); to <%=request.getContextPath()%>/images/logo/cglib.png), this image change is also not getting reflected!

Is there any general procedure, so as to make these chagnes reflect, like changing some configurationi file etc. If any procedure exist, does that hold true for any modificaton?

Any example code online or documentation that walks through a customized application using Alfresco?

Thanks
Raja

[gavinc]

Hi,

Did you change the files within the Tomcat webapps folder or are you changing the files in an area you extracted from the nightly source or SVN?

If it's the former re-starting the server should pick up the changes. If it's the latter you will need to rebuild the WAR file and re-deploy and re-start the server to see the changes. You can use the "incremental-tomcat" target in the Ant build script to achieve this.

Changes to images can also be 'hidden' in Firefox due to it's cache, try refreshing the page with CTRL+R, or if that doesn't work clear the cache from the options panel.