Transcript Ajax Webtop
Bringing Web 2.0 to Webtop MWDUG March 23, 2006 The opening credits Sean Iams [email protected] The Talent Todd Pierzina [email protected] Manager Hair Potential Web 2.0 and Webtop in 75 min. Problem definition Web 2.0 A potential solution Almost-Live Demo “Making Of” documentary Discussion I love working with my boss, but… So many great things! TODO: Think of some great things Some things could be improved… POWERPOINT OVERFLOW: Too many list items. I love working with Webtop, but… So many great things! It’s not RightSite! Elegant development framework Extensible Flexible Standards-based Some things could be improved… Performance Performance Performance I’m a lover, not a hater! The WDK framework is incredibly complex The most aggressive caching cannot overcome: Complex user, group and ACL structure Complex object model and business rules Networks with “issues” Just one real-life example Johnson & Johnson has just launched OneSource 2.0 Based on Webtop 5.3SP1 and TSG’s Active Wizard 3.4 Users love the functionality! Here’s a sample properties page… An actual screenshot! Object properties page Several layers of cascading value assistance Multiple, often painful, screen refreshes C’mon, we need fancy Web 2.0 to solve THIS? We could load everything up front in JavaScript Recode business rules in JavaScript Could be a long page load time No cascading value assistance—rather, do a “post-check” Could be good for a small set of knowledgeable users Again, long page load time Could be duplicating business rules already defined in docbase Some web-geek definitions JavaScript Scripting programming language supported by just about every web browser, PDA—maybe even your microwave XML (Extensible Markup Language) Everything XML, all the time! Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) The “heart and soul” of Web 2.0, at least so far JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) Non-XML alternative to Ajax Why is this stuff hot now? Common browsers support necessary technologies Nobody uses IE4 anymore Easier to control platform on intranet/internal projects How’d they do that? Google Maps, Yahoo Maps Yahoo! Mail (beta) Del.icio.us Etc. Almost-Live Demo “Before Ajax” and “After Ajax” Not a realistic environment! No network lag Simple object properties Small amount of test data But let’s look anyway… Under the Hood Single registered table Component and Docbase Object Configuration files attributes_dm_document.jsp OOTB except for JavaScript at top ContentLoader JavaScript would come out into an external web resource A small amount would be custom to each object And the heavy lifters… Picklist.java Actually does all the work, gets zero credit Kind of the Sean Iams of this POC AjaxDocbaseAttributeValueTag.java Used by customized docbaseobjectonfiguration_dm_sysobject.xml AjaxDropDownListTag.java Helper class for the Value Tag Actually constructs HTML GetPickListServlet Used for “onchange” events Wrap-up Potential gotchas Minimum browser requirements Upgrade-friendly? Minor upgrades Major upgrades Where else in Webtop might this apply? Re-paging and re-sorting folder contents Others? The End Questions? Items for discussion? This presentation will be posted on www.mwdug.com. We’d love to open a dialogue with one and all…here today and beyond. Again, I’m [email protected], 312.372.7777 x254.