Building XML Portals with Cocoon Matthew Langham S

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Building XML Portalswith CocoonMatthew
Langham SN AGmlangham_at_s-und-n.de
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Matthew Langham

• Technical Director Open Source Group
• SN AG, Paderborn Germany
• Co-Author
• Cocoon Building XML Applications
• SN donated Portal and authentication components
  to Cocoon
• Main development by Carsten Ziegeler
• Committer and Release Manager

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Agenda

• Starting with Apache Cocoon
• Adding Authentication
• Opening the Portal
• Building a Portal
• Examples and Outlook

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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

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Cocoon

• Document generation on the server
• Logical names used http//myserver/cocoon/hellowo
  rld
• Runs in different environments
• Servlet-Engine
• Command Line

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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

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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)

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Cocoon Architecture

• Pipelines
• Pipeline processes a request
• Request matched to pipeline with a Matcher
• Contains chain of Java components
• Generator
• Transformer
• Serializer

ltmapmatch patternwelcomegt ltmapgenerate
srcwelcome.xml/gt ltmaptransform
srcstylesheets/welcome-page2html.xsl/gt
ltmapserialize typehtml/gt lt/mapmatchgt
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ltmapsitemapgt ltmapcomponentsgt
ltmapgenerators/gt ltmaptransformers/gt
ltmapserializers/gt ltmapreaders/gt
ltmapselectors/gt ltmapmatchers/gt
ltmapactions/gt lt/mapcomponentsgt lt...gt
ltmappipelinesgt ltmappipeline/gt
ltmappipeline/gt lt...gt lt/mappipelinesgt lt/maps
itemapgt
S
T
T
G
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Cocoon Architecture
PDF
HTML
XSL Stylesheets
Personal News
Database
News Provider
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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

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sunShine built on Cocoon

• Commercial product developed by SN
• 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

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Authentication (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.authenti
cation)

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

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Authentication (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.authenti
cation)

• 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

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Authentication (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.authenti
cation)
Document Protection - Flow
Authentication Framework
Request Document A
Document Protected ?
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Authentication (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.authenti
cation)

• Configuration
• Mapping Function ? Pipeline Call
• Flexible Integration of data-sources
• Simple Development of Management Tools

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Authentication (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.authenti
cation)
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Authentication (org.apache.cocoon.webapps.authenti
cation)
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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!

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

• 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

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

• 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 ...

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Portal

• Everything is configurable
• Available coplets and their features
• Layout information
• User rights
• Example features of a coplet
• Minimizing / Maximizing
• Hiding
• Configuration

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Portal
Portal Generator
Get User Profile
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Portal

• Flexible Presentation
• Stylesheets for multi-channel
• Coplets can be channel-dependent
• Flexible Integration of
• Authentication
• Data-sources
• Management Tools

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Portal
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Portal
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Portal
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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

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Coplet Pipelines
ltmapmatch pattern"sunbanksunlet-onlinesundn.xml"
gt ltmapgenerate src"http//www.s-und-n.de/aktue
lles/news.xml"/gt ltmaptransform
src"sunbank/styles/sunLet_sundnNews.xsl"/gt
ltmapserialize type"xml"/gt lt/mapmatchgt ltmapmat
ch pattern"sunbanksunlet-account.xml"gt
ltmapgenerate src"sunbank/resources/auth/sunlet-a
ccount.xml"/gt ltmaptransform src"sunbank/styles
/sunlet-account.xsl"/gt ltmapserialize
type"xml"/gt lt/mapmatchgt ltmapmatch
pattern"sunbanksunlet-online-.xml"gt
ltmapgenerate src"http//p.moreover.com/cgi-local
/page?index_1xml"/gt ltmaptransform
src"sunbank/styles/sunLet_MoreoverDotCom.xsl"/gt
ltmapserialize type"xml"/gt lt/mapmatchgt
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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

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A News Portal
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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

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From a bank
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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!!!

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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 minute
• demonstration of the SN Cocoon Portal to
  convince everybody the company
• needs 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 manage
• and adjust.

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Closing the Portal

• XML Portal available in Cocoon today!
• Tried and trusted
• Used by NASA, BASF-IT Services and others
• Its open source
• You dont like it? help us make it better!
• Example portal included
• Show your customers!
• Change the stylesheet for more Wows!
• Documentation is available

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Cleaning Up

• The Company
• http//www.s-und-n.de
• Email me
• mlangham_at_s-und-n.de
• Cocoon Authentication and Portal
• http//xml.apache.org/cocoon
• CVS checkout and build
• Contains documentation
• Contains tools

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Q A