Understanding the ADK

 

If you are an adapter provider or developer, you can use the WebLogic Integration Adapter Development Kit (ADK) to create your own J2EE-compliant EIS adapters.

This section provides information on the following topics:

• Components Included in the ADK

  • Design-Time Framework

  • Run-Time Framework

  • Logging and Auditing Framework

  • Packaging Framework

 

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Components Included in the ADK

The ADK consists of a collection of tools and Java class frameworks. Together, these frameworks let you quickly develop adapters that you can easily test, package, and distribute. There are four frameworks of tools and Java classes:

• Design-Time Framework

• Run-Time Framework

• Logging and Auditing Framework

• Packaging Framework

For details on using the ADK frameworks to develop adapters, see the document Developing Adapters.

Design-Time Framework

An adapter's design-time interface lets you define and deploy application views on a WebLogic Integration server. In WebLogic Integration, when you build any adapter with the ADK, you can develop a design-time user interface for it. An adapter's design-time user interface is accessed from any common Web browser and lets non-programmers interact with the adapter without writing code. For example, if an adapter has a user interface, business analysts can log in to the adapter and define their own custom application views. Without a design-time user interface, an adapter is usable only by highly-technical users.

To facilitate the development of design-time user interfaces for adapters, the ADK includes a set of Java classes and tools known as the design-time framework. This design-time framework provides a tool set to support the development of a user interface for an adapter. A design-time interface is a powerful feature because it makes it easy for non-programmers to use an adapter. This ease-of-use gives the adapter a wider audience and upgrades the role of the business analysts when implementating business processes.

Run-Time Framework

The ADK includes a run-time framework that provides a complete, extensible event generator to support the development of event adapters. If you are developing service adapters, the run-time framework provides a complete, but minimally functional J2EE-compliant adapter. Adapter developers save coding and debugging time by starting with and extending this base framework.

Logging and Auditing Framework

If you are an administrator, it is essential for your system's adapters to automatically log alert messages that can be audited later. To make it easy to develop an adapter with built-in logging and auditing support, the ADK includes a logging and auditing framework. Any adapter you develop can generate internationalized and localized alert messages and can deliver these messages to multiple output destinations.

Packaging Framework

If you are a third-party adapter provider, you can use the ADK packaging framework included with application integration. The packaging framework provides Java classes and tools for packaging an adapter for delivery to a customer. This framework makes it easy to create the necessary archive and environment files.