Building XML Portals with Cocoon M atthew Langham S&N AG [email protected].

Building XML Portalswith Cocoon

Matthew Langham S&N AG

[email protected]

Matthew Langham, S&N AG

Matthew Langham

• Technical Director Open Source Group– S&N AG, Paderborn Germany

• Co-Author: – Cocoon: Building XML Applications

• S&N donated Portal and authentication components to Cocoon– Main development by Carsten Ziegeler

• Committer and Release Manager


Agenda

• Starting with Apache Cocoon

• Adding Authentication

• Opening the Portal

• Building a Portal

• Examples and Outlook


Cocoon

• Apache Open Source project– http://xml.apache.org/cocoon

• Originally Started by Stefano Mazzocchi– Original goal: Redesign Apache.org

• XML Publishing Platform– Makes extensive use of XML and XSL

• Aim: To Separate Concerns (SoC)– Site Administrator, Content Deployer,

Layout Deployer


Cocoon

• Document generation on the server– Logical names used

„http://myserver/cocoon/helloworld“

• Runs in different environments – Servlet-Engine– Command Line


Cocoon

• Used for various Web application scenarios

– From Web sites to complete XML Portals– XML processing systems

• Extensible Architecture– Based on Apache Avalon– Integrates other open source projects

• Xalan, Xerces, FOP, Batik

– Add new components written in Java


Cocoon Architecture

• Sitemap– Centralized Configuration File in XML

• Sub-sitemaps possible

– Contains set of ready-to-use components• Use them to build functions• Write and „drop-in“ your own

– Contains collection of Pipelines (Functions)


Cocoon Architecture

• Pipelines– Pipeline processes a request

• Request matched to pipeline with a Matcher

– Contains chain of Java components• Generator• Transformer• Serializer

<map:match pattern=“welcome”> <map:generate src=“welcome.xml”/> <map:transform src=“stylesheets/welcome-page2html.xsl”/> <map:serialize type=“html”/></map:match>


Request<map:sitemap> <map:components> <map:generators/> <map:transformers/> <map:serializers/> <map:readers/> <map:selectors/> <map:matchers/> <map:actions/> </map:components> <...> <map:pipelines> <map:pipeline/> <map:pipeline/> <...> </map:pipelines></map:sitemap>

<map:sitemap> <map:components> <map:generators/> <map:transformers/> <map:serializers/> <map:readers/> <map:selectors/> <map:matchers/> <map:actions/> </map:components> <...> <map:pipelines> <map:pipeline/> <map:pipeline/> <...> </map:pipelines></map:sitemap>

GT

TS

Sitemap

Request

XSL

HTML

XML DB


HTMLHTMLPDFPDF

Cocoon Architecture

XSLStylesheets

XSLStylesheets

XML Pipeline ConfigurationXML Pipeline Configuration

XSL Layout generationXSL Layout generation

XMLProcessing

XMLProcessing

DatabaseDatabase News Provider

PersonalNews

XML

SQL

LoginWeather

Stocks


Building XML Applications

• Cocoon is great .. for …– Publishing, Data source integration, multi-

channel

• But we wanted to do more!– Build XML Applications with additional

functionality

• While evaluating existing portal solutions– We decided that what was really needed

was an integrated Cocoon XML portal


sunShine – built on Cocoon

• Commercial product developed by S&N– Based on Cocoon– Additional components and project

specific additions

• sunRise (auth) and sunSpot (portal)– Cocoon components– Completed in mid 2001– Used in various projects (production!)– Donated to Cocoon in Feb. 2002


Authentication (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.authentication)

• Mission– Authentication of Users– Protect Documents– Flexible Integration of User Databases– Support for Web Applications– Completely Designed using Cocoon-

Concepts!



• Solution– New Cocoon components for

• Common Session Handling• Actions for Authentication

– Everything configurable in Sitemap• Flexibility through pipelines• Mapping: Function Pipeline Call• Documents grouped by Handlers



Authentication Framework

Request Document A

DocumentProtected ?

YES

Get handler

UserAuthenticated?

YES: Respond with A

NO: Respond with A

Redirect Document

NO

Respond with Redirect-to Document

Document Protection - Flow



• Configuration– Mapping: Function Pipeline Call– Flexible Integration of data-sources– Simple Development of Management

Tools


Portal (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.portal)

• Mission– Flexible integration of User Databases– Profiles and Configuration completely defined in XML– Integration of “data-feeds” (portlets)– Portal user functionality– Multi-Channel – Completely designed using Cocoon-Concepts!



• Solution– Use “sunRise” for User Management– New Cocoon components for

• Portal generation• Portal configuration

– Everything configurable in Sitemap• Mapping Function Pipeline Call

– Coplets can be• A URI• A Cocoon Pipeline• A Java Class



• Portal Profile in XML per User– Selected Information Blocks (coplets)– Ordering and Configuration of coplets– Selected Layout (Colors etc)

• Profile Hierarchy for flexible maintenance– Changes reflected on next login– Profile Caching

• Profiles can be stored in files, databases ...


Portal

• Everything is configurable– Available coplets and their features– Layout information– User rights

• Example features of a coplet– Minimizing / Maximizing– Hiding– Configuration


PortalPortal Generator

Get UserProfile

Add contentof each coplet

XSLT Transformer

Layout Portal

HTML Serializer

Generate Response


Portal

• Flexible Presentation– Stylesheets for multi-channel– Coplets can be channel-dependent

• Flexible Integration of– Authentication– Data-sources– Management Tools


Portal


Building A Portal

• Download the Cocoon distribution– Build from CVS

• Use the included example Portal as a base

• Choose some feeds– Standard format such as RSS helps

• News, Weblogs, …

– Other formats via Pipeline

• Define the coplet pipeline– Just a regular Cocoon pipeline


Coplet Pipelines

<map:match pattern="sunbanksunlet-onlinesundn.xml"> <map:generate src="http://www.s-und-n.de/aktuelles/news.xml"/> <map:transform src="sunbank/styles/sunLet_sundnNews.xsl"/> <map:serialize type="xml"/></map:match>

<map:match pattern="sunbanksunlet-account.xml"> <map:generate src="sunbank/resources/auth/sunlet-account.xml"/> <map:transform src="sunbank/styles/sunlet-account.xsl"/> <map:serialize type="xml"/></map:match>

<map:match pattern="sunbanksunlet-online-*.xml"> <map:generate src="http://p.moreover.com/cgi-local/page?index_{1}+xml"/> <map:transform src="sunbank/styles/sunLet_MoreoverDotCom.xsl"/> <map:serialize type="xml"/></map:match>


Building A Portal

• Configure the coplets– Edit coplet definition file or use provided

tools

• Add new coplet to profile– Edit profile definition file or use provided

tools

• Define your Portal Layout– Just change the stylesheet– Use a Selector to have a “night” portal


A News Portal


Outlook

• Merging other Cocoon portal ideas

• Flexible architecture– Different pluggable Portal Managers

• Flexible Presentation– Not limited to tables

• JSR 168 support– Evaluation if and when available


From a bank…


…to the moon

• Andrew J Lewis, NASA:

Cocoon 2.x is being used as the core of a new portal that is being built at NASA Kennedy Space Center.

Thanks you all for making my job SOOO much easier!!!


…and other fans

• Bert Van Kets, The Vision Web Belgium NV

Although I'm working in a Microsoft adept environment, where people install every Microsoft Server Product available, it took only 1 little 20 minutedemonstration of the S&N Cocoon Portal to convince everybody the companyneeds this.

... the portal was up and running and ready to be filled with content in 1 day, including presentation adjustments. The underlying technology of XML, XSLT and the implemented Java components make the portal very easy to manageand adjust.


Closing the Portal

• XML Portal available in Cocoon today!– Tried and trusted

• Used by NASA, BASF-IT Services and others

– It‘s open source• You don‘t like it? – help us make it better!

• Example portal included– Show your customers!– Change the stylesheet for more Wows!

• Documentation is available


Cleaning Up

• The Company– http://www.s-und-n.de

• Email me– [email protected]

• Cocoon Authentication and Portal– http://xml.apache.org/cocoon– CVS checkout and build– Contains documentation– Contains tools

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735712352

Building XML Portals with Cocoon M atthew Langham S&N AG [email protected].

Documents

Transcript of Building XML Portals with Cocoon M atthew Langham S&N AG [email protected].