Flex for Enterprise 3.0

FlexSpaces Easier To Use With LiveCycle Content Services ES
I finally updated FlexSpaces  (version 0.931) to not need a recompile for a server URL change with LiveCycle Content Sevices ES (changes to FlexSpacesConfig.xml and to server side services-config.xml still required).

Calais Integration

I tested with LiveCycle ContentSevices ES 8.2.1  and also with the LiveCycle ES2 M3 R3 beta. On ES2, I also tested with the Alfresco Calais Integration and it works fine via the FlexSpaces Calais UI (auto semantic tagging, tag suggestion, google map geo-tagging).  Nice thing about the ES2 installer is it allows you to include custom AMP files. I used the turnkey install, selected the custom option when the Configuration Manager ran.  I had the calaisIntegration.amp release 1.1  in c:\amps.  When the config mgr is deploying content services, check the include custom amps checkbox, and browse to choose c:\amps.

Remaining Problems
Still have two remaining problems with FlexSpaces on LC Content Services.  Get an authentication prompt on upload that can cause the first upload not work on AIR/Windows (on Mac/AIR, Windows/Mac/browser get errors on upload). Alfresco has an alf_ticket URL arg that makes it easy to authenticate with. You can’t use this with LiveCycle ContentServices. You have to use authentication headers. Flex doesn’t let you use  headers with FileReference.upload()   or navigateToURL()   (view a file given an Alfresco download URL).    For navigateToURL, it works other than getting an authentication prompt the first time using file viewing.

For uploading, I think by switching to upload to  /remoting/lcfileupload  instead directly to a webscript url will be the part of the solution. This will get files into the LiveCycle “Repository”.  Just need to get files from there to the LiveCycle Content Services repository.  Unlike this ADC article I don’t want to have to require the LC Process Mgt option. If anybody has some suggested APIs or sample code, let me know. Don’t think there is a work around for the navigateToURL issue.

Details
1. Changed to new up a ChannelSet with channel URLs coming from the FlexSpaceConfig.xml Spring ActionScript file instead of compiling in a services-config.xml.
2. See doc\livecycle\readmeLiveCycleContentServices.txt for FlexSpacesConfig.xml LC CS specific changes, and server side services-config.xml changes still required.
3. Note FlexSpaces needs its FlexSpacesConfig.xml configured with a Calais key and a Google Map api key to get UI for the Calais Integration enabled (see doc\flexspacesAir\readmeFlexSpacesForAIR.txt)
4. For instructions on adding an amp to an existing install (of 8.2.1, dir name, deploy areas different on ES2) see Dr Flex & Dr LiveCycle. (Haven’t tried the Calais Integration on LC CS 8.2.1. It should work since it works with Alfresco 2.1).

Here are some links to screencam demos, previous posts about FlexSpaces (both Flex+Browser and Flex+AIR), an open source RIA client for Alfresco ECM (and for Adobe LiveCycle Content Services ES too).  FlexSpaces has many features including multiple views (icon/thumbnail/grid/coverflow),  doclib, search, workflow,  and wcm. The AIR version has desktop native drag/drop/clipboard support. These clients also have UI (auto-tagging, tag suggesting, geo-location tag google map) for the Alfresco Calais integration.  FlexSpaces uses Cairngorm and has been refactored to use the presentation model pattern.

FlexSpaces showing Calais Integration features

FlexSpaces Downloads

Additionally,  prototype work has started on FlexibleShare, which leverages FlexSpaces components in an open source Flex based portal container / dashboard with Flex based pods for open source enterprise software (Alfresco ECM, Alfresco Share,  reporting/BI, BPM, Liferay portal backend) and also LiveCycle. Also plan to enable the pods to be used as Adobe Genesis Tiles.

FlexibleShare prototype

Other FlexSpaces Screenshots / Screencams
Liferay + FlexSpaces + Alfresco
Alfresco Share 3.0 Integration, Thumbnail, CoverFlow View, Advanced Search
Tagging, Categorization, WCM
General Features and AIR specific features
Start workflow, Tasks dashboard tab,  preview, dual pane drag/drop

Integrated Semantics
Integrated Semantics Blog
FlexSpaces Forum Topic
FlexSpaces on Google Code
Follow on Twitter

Steve

Here is a screencam video of FlexSpaces 0.8 (which is ready for release). This new screencam shows auto-tagging, semi-automatic tag suggesting,  multiple semantic tag clouds, and automatic geo-location tagging (displayed on a Google map). It uses the Calais Integration  forge project for Alfresco and the Open Calais service.

This map, uses the Google Map Flash API (Flex), displays markers where there is location info provided in the semantic tags  (location info from Calais via the Calais integration).  When you click on a marker, it works just like a tag cloud,  and drives search results.

(Note: the previous part 1 post  also showed showed auto-tagging and multiple semantic tag clouds in FlexSpaces).

FlexSpaces with the semantic tagging / Calais features can be run in 4 different ways:

• FlexSpaces+AIR with Adobe AIR (1.1, 1.5)
• FlexSpaces+Browser in FireFox, IE, Chrome browsers (with Flash 9.x, 10.x)
• FlexSpaces site page components inside Alfresco Share
• FlexSpaces views as portlets in a portal (such as Liferay, JBoss, etc.)

FlexSpaces supports Alfresco Enterprise/Labs 2.x/3.x, Adobe LiveCycle Content Services ES (currently have just been testing FlexSpaces 0.8 and the semantic / Calais features with Alfresco Enterprise 3.0).

FlexSpaces 0.8 will have the following new Flex based components (and Cairngorm non ui apis): node semantic tag properties editor, auto-tag action, tag suggestion dialog, semantic tag cloud, semantic tag category tree, general Google map, semantic geo-tag map.

Steve

HOW TO: FlexSpaces in Liferay IFrame portlet

screencam video demo

I just tried a quick test of running FlexSpaces+Browser in a Liferay IFrame portlet. It worked! All features of flexspaces worked:

• Doc library, search, tasks, wcm views
• Drag/drop of files between dual panes, internal cut/copy/paste between spaces
• File upload, file download, file viewing, preview, play video
• Checkin, checkout, edit, cancel checkout, update, make versionable, version history panel
• Icon, thumbnail, grid list, cover flow view modes
• Search, advanced search, tag cloud, category navigation
• Create space, properties edit, tags/categories edit
• Make pdf, make flash, start workflow
• Coming flexspaces 0.8 features with Calais integraion (auto-tag, manual semantic tag properties edit, multiple semantic tag clouds)

Issues noticed: works best when portlet maximized, when not, doesn’t use full portlet area, when switching portlet between regular and max size looses login, liferay dialog not always on top of iframe/flash. Things might work better with the Liferay Flash portlet.

(Update 8/16/09: Added short term state save/restore in SharedObject of ticket/doclibPath/tabIndex in FlexSpaces. Now works much better (don’t loose login, view state when resize portlet. Used Liferay Flash portlet instead of IFrame portlet. Also Liferay dialogs z order was fine. Also would work with flexspaces webapp installed in either Liferay tomcat or in Alfresco tomcat (just different Flash portlet swf url config) )

Didn’t try more integrated approaches yet:
Webscripts as Liferay portlets on ecmarchitect.com
Full Integration of Liferay 5.1.2, Alfresco 3.0 E, SSO, LDAP
Use Liferay Flash portlet instead of iframe portlet

Config used: Alfresco enterprise 3.0 in one tomcat, Liferay 5.1.2 in another tomcat, windows vista

How to:
0. Install Alfresco enterprise or labs
1. Normal install of flexspaces+browser flexspaces dir in alfresco tomcat webapps area, flexspaces+browser 0.7
2. Flexspaces webscripts installed in alfresco, flexspaces 0.7 webscripts
3. Install separate liferay + tomcat bundle from liferay.com
4. I changed all the ports in liferay tomcat conf/server.xml to start with 9 instead of 8 (9080, etc.) to not conflict with tomcat running alfresco
4. Start alfresco tomcat
5. Start liferay tomcat and login test@liferay.com (password: test)
6. With liferay “Add application” add a IFrame portlet from the Sample category
7. Configure the portlet to have the source url: http://localhost:8080/flexspaces/FlexSpaces.html
8. Title of portlet can be changed to “FlexSpaces” by clicking on “IFrame” text in the title and editing
9. If portlets of the FlexSpaces individual views instead of all 4 views in one portlet, (or 2 views only in one portal, etc.) the srcUrl args doclib=true&search=true&tasks=false&wcm=false to FlexSpaces.swf can be used like in the flexspaces 0.7 page site components for share (See FlexSpaces Share integration blog post with screenshots)

Steve

Here is a sneak peak video of  semantic auto-tagging and multiple semantic tag clouds coming in the next release of FlexSpaces+AIR / FlexSpaces+Browser. This uses the  Calais Integration  Alexander and  I have been working on, the Open Calais service, and Alfresco.  The Calais integration auto-tag action can also be used from the “run action” UI in the Alfresco web client (now called Explorer).

Things in the works: Flex UI for tag suggestions, storing URIs in the integration for future linked data use, storing geo-location info from Calais 3.1, and map UI to display geo-location points to filter search results.

The Calais integration amps including web scripts are in the Calais Integration forge project. Note we may use the Semantics for Alfresco merged project for certain pieces in the future. A google code project, semantics4alfresco has also been reserved.   Current FlexSpaces downloads are in the FlexSpaces forge project. Its svn is in the flexspaces google code project.

Steve