Chapter 1 Introduction to Communications Express and Customization

Sun Java^TM System Communications Express 6.3 provides an integrated web-based communication and collaboration client that caters to the needs of Internet Service Providers, Enterprises, and Original Equipment Manufacturers.

Components of Sun Java System Communications Express 6.3

As a web-based client, Communications Express needs to be deployed on a web container to host and provide access to its various components, and a web browser for presentation. Communications Express consists of three clients - Calendar, Address Book, and Mail. These clients are deployed as a single application on the web container and are collectively referred to as the Unified Web Client.

Calendar uses JSP pages as the presentation layer. These JSP pages can be customized to suit the requirements of the client.

Address Book uses XML/XSL files that contain XSL tags, static HTML and JavaScript. The XSL and JavaScript code are used to display dynamic data. These XSL files can be edited for customizing the Address Book component.

Mail uses HTML, JavaScript, and JSP files. The web client requests mail data from the same proprietary HTTP server and renders them using the JavaScript functions in the downloaded HTML files. All modifications and customization therefore should be done in the HTML and JavaScript files.

Most of the features in Communications Express are fully customizable. Most features can also be customized easily during an upgrade. This guide explains the important features that are customizable.