Chapter 26 Overview of Desktop JavaServer Pages

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Introduction

• Installation Location

• The Desktop and JavaServer Pages

• File Lookup Scenario

Introduction

To generate the rendered Desktop user interface (what the industry refers to as the “presentation”), the Sun Java System Portal Server 7.1 software makes use of either JSPs or template files. JSPs are preferred because they enable a much easier customization process without having to change the provider Java classes. JSPs also provide a way to enable a strict separation of business and presentation logic. Specifically, this means having the business logic in the provider classes and presentation logic in JSPs.

Installation Location

The default set of JSPs are installed in /var/opt/SUNWportal/portals/<portal_id>/desktop/default directory. The developer sample JSPs are installed in /var/opt/SUNWportal/portals/<portal_id>/desktop/developer_sample and /var/opt/SUNWportal/portals/<portal_id>/desktop/developer_anonymous_sample directories. Files in the /var/opt/SUNWportal/portals/<portal_id>/desktop/developer_anonymous_sample directory are specific to the developer sample Anonymous Desktop.

The Desktop and JavaServer Pages

The JSPProvider class reads in the JSP, compiles it, and runs it to produce the channel content.

The JSPProvider class reads at most three JSPs, one for content, one for the Edit page, and one to process the form submission from the Edit page. All other JSPs used in a JSP-based channel are referenced from one of those JSPs, either by an include or a forward statement.

A simple JSP-based channel can have just one JSP. Multiple JSPs are useful when a single part of the Desktop has to be replicated in several places. For example, consider a channel that has several display modes based on links clicked in that channel. Further, assume that the channel has a banner that must be displayed in all modes but one. You could construct a JSP to reference a banner.jsp file that captures common formatting that is used in multiple branches of the logic. If you didn’t use this method, you would need to duplicate the content from the banner.jsp file, which is more difficult to maintain if that content needs to be changed.

File Lookup Scenario

The Portal Server software uses the lookup scenario outlined in this section to find the JSPs it needs. Use this order to decide the final location of your own JSPs.

Example 26–1 JSP Lookup Scenario

            
desktoptype_
            locale/
            channelname/
            clientPath

            desktoptype_
            locale/
            provider/
            clientPath

            desktoptype_
            locale/
            channelname

            desktoptype_
            locale/
            provider

            desktoptype_
            locale/
            clientPath

            desktoptype_
            locale

            desktoptype/
            channelname/
            clientPath

            desktoptype/
            provider/
            clientPath

            desktoptype/
            channelname

            desktoptype/
            provider

            desktoptype/
            clientPath

            desktoptype
default_
            locale/
            channelname/
            clientPath
default_
            locale/
            provider/
            clientPath
default_
            locale/channelname
default_
            locale/
            provider
default_
            locale/
            clientPath
default_
            locale
default/
            channelname/
            clientPath
default/
            provider/
            clientPath
default/
            channelname
default/
            provider
default/
            clientPath
default

            templateroot

If there is no clientPath specified, then the directory search order is as follows:

Example 26–2 JSP Lookup Scenario (no clientPath)

            
desktoptype_
            locale/
            channelname

            desktoptype_
            locale/
            provider

            desktoptype_
            locale

            desktoptype/
            channelname

            desktoptype/
            provider

            desktoptype
default_
            locale/
            channelname
default_
            locale/
            provider
default_
            locale
default/
            channelname
default/
            provider
default

            templateroot

The lookup scenario relies on the following parameters:

desktoptype

For example default (set in the administration console). Note that desktop type is now a comma separated string list and so the look up will be based on the desktop type(s) that are defined in the desktoptype attribute.

locale

Preferred locale is the user’s locale. For example, en_US (set by users through the administration console in the “User” setting)

clientPath

This is an optional file-path containing client-specific templates; for example, html (set through the administration console Client Detection service)

channelname

This is the name of the channel; for example, newSingleContainer (set in the display profile)

provider

This is the provider name; for example, JSPSingleContainerProvider (set in the display profile)

templateroot

This is defined in the desktopconfig.properties file. The root of the search directory (default value of /var/opt/SUNWportal/portals/<portal_id>/config/) can be changed by modifying the templateBaseDir property in the desktopconfig.properties file.