Chapter 41 Understanding the Sample Portal



Note	This chapter describes the sample portal that you can choose to install on your system during the Sun Java System Portal Server installation. See the Installation Guide for more information on installing the sample portal.

Overview

Conceptually, the Desktop is split into the following three well-defined components (see Figure 41-1 also):

This includes Provider Java classes (based on the Provider API), provider display profile definitions and resource bundles (also referred to as properties files), display profile definitions of channels referenced by base Desktop XML or base Desktop JSPs and templates, default templates and JSPs (installed in /etc/opt/SUNWps/desktop/default directory), and help files.

This includes organization level display profile definitions (such as themes and channel display profile definitions), templates and JSPs for the example Desktops in the sample portal (installed in /etc/opt/SUNWps/desktop/sampleportal directory), and user definition, Desktop display profile definitions, and templates and JSPs for the Authless user.

This includes the Provider Java classes for their component specific providers, provider display profile definitions for their component specific providers and provider resource bundles (properties files), display profile definition for channels referenced by component display profile XML or component templates and JSPs, default templates and JSPs, and help files.

The sample portal has a dependency on the base Desktop and other components and cannot be installed if the base Desktop and other components are not installed. The base Desktop and other components are installed as part of the Portal Server software.

When you install the Portal Server software, you can choose to install the sample portal. The sample portal is an authentication-less (authless) desktop that consists of containers, channels, portlets, services, and templates which can be used to demonstrate what the Portal Server software is capable of. It includes five example Desktops that show the possibilities of the Portal Server software. In this way you can quickly get a feel for the kinds of containers that are possible to design.

Sample Portal Installation Directories

If you choose to install the sample portal, the installer locates the appropriate files in the following directories:

PortalServer-base/samples/desktop


dp-org.xml	Contains the display profile definitions for channels and containers.
dp-anon.xml	Contains the display profile definitions for channels and containers for the authlessanonymous and anonymous users in the default organization.

/etc/opt/SUNWps/desktop/sampleportal

Contains the JSP, template, and other support files for the Portal Server software sample portal.

/etc/opt/SUNWps/desktop/anonymous

Contains the JSP, template, and other support files for the Portal Server software Desktop anonymous user.


Note	The sample portal has a dependency on the base Desktop and other components and cannot be installed if the base Desktop and other components are not installed. The base Desktop and other components are installed in the /etc/opt/SUNWps/desktop/default directory.

Sample Desktops

Table 41-1 shows the five Desktops, which make up the sample portal. This two column table lists the containers (Desktops) in the first column and a brief description in the second column.

Table 41-1 Sun Java System Portal Server Sample Desktop Containers
Container (Desktop) Type	Description
JSPTabContainer	Generates a JSP-based tab Desktop.Creates a Desktop that contains multiple containers selected using different tabs. Normally, each tab is constructed by using the corresponding PredefinedTabPanelContainer. This container is JSP-based. Its provider is JSPTabContainerProvider.
JSPTableContainer	Generates a JSP-based table Desktop. Creates a Desktop that arranges a maximum of five sub-containers into the channel arrangement. This container is JSP-based. Its provider is JSPTableContainerProvider.
TemplateTableContainer	Generates a template-based table Desktop. Creates a Desktop that arranges a maximum of five sub-containers into the channel arrangement. This container is template-based. Its provider is TemplateTableContainerProvider.
TemplateTabContainer	Generates a template-based tab Desktop. Creates a Desktop that contains multiple containers selected using different tabs. Normally, each tab is constructed by using the corresponding PredefinedTemplatePanelContainer. This container is template-based. Its provider is TemplateTabContainerProvider.
FrameTabContainer	Generates a frame-based Desktop. Creates a Desktop using frames. The left-hand frame enables you to navigate, and the right-hand frame displays the channels. This container is JSP-based. Its provider is JSPTabContainerProvider.

The sample portal can also serve as a place to start when building your own site’s portal. You can customize the containers and use the building-block providers, such as XMLProvider and JSPProvider, to add customized content. The sample portal also includes content providers, such as BookmarkProvider, that cannot be extended but that can be used to provide content.

If the existing building-block and content providers do not meet your needs, you can either extend an existing building-block provider (content providers are not public and hence not extendible), or develop custom building-block providers. If either of these methods do not suit your needs, you can develop a custom provider.

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Sun Java System Portal Server 6 2005Q1 Technical Reference Guide


Note	The Portal Server software distinguishes between building-block providers, which you can extend using the Portal Server software APIs, and content providers, which you cannot extend. See the Portal Server Developer’s Guide for more information on extending the providers.