RIA for Enterprise 3.0

FlexSpaces Google Code Project   (open source community version is LGPL)

In the new version of FlexSpaces (0.94),  there is now also a special build “FlexSpaces for LiveCycle” that is preconfigured for LiveCycle Content Services ES2 instead of regular Alfresco. The flexspaces-0.94-LiveCycleES2.zip download has both an AIR version and an in-browser version.

This has the new features added in FlexSpaces 0.94 (less steps editing in AIR version, navigation panel, new bigger labeled toolbar icons,  show logged in as).  This version also takes advantage of some things added in Content Services ES2 to avoid getting some initial extra authentication prompts. (FlexSpaces for LiveCycle now requires ES2 and doesn’t support ES1). Also the setup for FlexSpaces with LiveCycle is easier than in the past. Just install the integratedsemantics.zip webscripts and set host name in FlexSpacesConfig.xml as described in the readmeLC.txt in the zip.

Calais Integration

Note that the Calais Integration in the Alfresco Forge works fine with LiveCycle Content Services ES2 and  FlexSpaces has UI for it (auto semantic tagging, tag suggestion, tag clouds, google map displaying geo-tags). The ES2 installer allows you to include custom AMP files such as the CalaisIntegration.amp. 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.  For instructions on adding an amp to an existing install see Dr Flex & Dr LiveCycle (although the paths are different in ES2).

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CMIS Spaces in Alfresco Forge ,  CMIS Spaces Google Code Project

CMIS Spaces has been updated with the following features in build 15:

• Update Existing file support added (Update toolbar button, Edit / Update menu)
• FlexSpaces AIR offline features added (CMIS Spaces AIR only): Tools / Make Available Offline menu (multiple select, not deep into folders), Tools / Update from Offline menu (single select)
• Features added in FlexSpaces 0.94 (less steps editing in AIR version, new bigger labeled toolbar icons,  show logged in as)
• The less steps editing feature gives you WebDAV like simpler editing /  and save directly in application to save in the CMIS Server.  Supporting this alternative to WebDAV with CMIS could be an important feature since the CMIS standard doesn’t have WebDAV.
• Also updated the optional CMIS Spaces SOAP web services support (setup in CMISSpacesConfig.xml, search and navigation only currently) and tested with Alfresco 3.3 http://cmis.alfresco.com Tested the more full featured CMIS Spaces atompub rest support with Alfresco 3.2R2, Alfresco 3.3, quick test with Nuxeo. Tested previous build of CMIS Spaces with Documentum and IBM FileNet also.
• Note: CMIS Spaces has had a DAM feature since the beginning (play video from the context menu).

FlexSpaces in Alfresco Forge ,  FlexSpaces Google Code Project   (open source community version is LGPL)

The new version of FlexSpaces (0.94)  has the following new features:

• The AIR version can offline a file in the repository and launch the default application for the file type on the offline copy with one click of the edit button in FlexSpaces. (This can be turned on by setting useLessStepsEdit to true in FlexSpacesConfig.xml).  With this feature, the user avoids getting file browse dialog to choose a download location and then having to navigate through their file system to launch the file in an editing application.
• The AIR version can automatically update the online file when the user saves in applications while editing an offlined file launched from the edit button.   (This can be turned on by setting both useLessStepsEditing to true and autoUpdateOnlineOnAppSave to true in FlexSpacesConfig.xml) (The online file will be versioned if it has the versionable aspect.)   With this feature, you avoid having to go back to the content management client, choose update, and pick the file to update with from a file browse dialog.
• Basically these two features together give you the simpler editing you get with WebDAV or with CIFS, but with the full features of FlexSpaces. With WebDAV your editing application may need to support direct WebDAV URLs.  Also you don’t have to worry as you do with WebDAV or CIFS,  if it works with a  particular client OS version or needs a client OS patch.
• The toolbar of FlexSpaces now has bigger, labeled toolbar buttons. Hopefully this will make figuring out what to do easier.
• A navigation panel was added combining the existing Company Home tree, an added User / My Home tree,  and Categories / Tag Cloud / Semantic Tag Clouds/Map / Favorites moved from the search view.
• Added displaying “Logged in as:” user name
• Fixes for LiveCycle Content Services ES2 version of Alfresco

CMIS Spaces and FlexibleShare were also updated to have these new FlexSpaces features:

CMIS Spaces in Alfresco Forge ,  CMIS Spaces Google Code Project

FlexibleShare in Alfresco Forge ,  FlexibleShare Google Code Project

Interesting Project: BigBlueButton open source web conferencing system (with a Flex UI)

BigBlueButton.org

BigBlueButton google code project

Although Blindside Networks (who provides commercial support) focuses on the distance learning / higher education market, it looks like it could be a general purpose open source alternative to other products.

FlexibleDashboard (new google code project)
1. Has both Flex+Browser and Flex+AIR versions
2. Based on the non doc mgt code from FlexibleShare
3. Based on esria dashboard / adobe flex devnet dashboard sample with added flexmdi cascade/tile (esria pod drag/drop in tile mode)
4. Flex+Browser pods: line, bar, pie charts, form, todo list, JasperReports viewer, Pentaho dashboard, BlazeDS samples, external Flex app SWFLoader, calendar, iframe html (iframe has not hiding issues)
5. Flex+AIR additional pods: webkit HTML, web browser, Google gadgets, Liferay portlets, local files browser

FlexibleShare
1. Now has Flex+Browser in addition to Flex+AIR
2. Adds Alfresco, Alfresco Share, LiveCycle Content Services features to FlexibleDashboard

FlexibleLiferay (new google code project)
(Flex+AIR based portal container application for Liferay)
1. Can display regular Liferay portlets (JSR-168, JSR-286, HTML/Ajax etc.)
2. All of Liferay backend, standards it supports can be leveraged
3. Can display Flex portlets (swfs) without html wrapper (no need for special handling of restarting when resize portlet) from within a portlet war
4. Leverage Liferay app catalog to also manage Flex portlets
5. Leverage Liferay security / authentication (ldap, sso, etc.) to also manage Flex portlets
6. Flex portlets can take advantage of AIR specific features (native desktop file drag / drop, native clipboard, local files, offline db)
7. No Flex+Browser version yet due to iframe issues

FlexibleLiferay Implementation:
1. Uses BlazeDS to remote to some Java Apis added via Liferay Ext environment (used Liferay 5.2.3)
2. Built on top of FlexibleDashboard

FlexibleLiferay Implemented:
1. Sign in (Login dialog), Sign out
2. My Places menu
3. Display of tabs for pages in selected place
4. Display of a Liferay pod (uses HTML with Liferay widget) for each portlet in selected page

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).

I recently added both a FlexSpaces/Alfresco Gadget (Google) and a Portlet for the new GateIn (eXo+JBoss) Portal. See Alfresco Forge for downloads, Google Code  for source.  See previous posts on other portlets ( Liferay Portal portlet ,  JBoss Portal portlet).

The gadget and the portlet  work on both app server versions (Tomcat, JBoss AS) of the GateIn beta1. (I had to add a tld file to get the portlet to work on JBoss).

The gadget can be used on dashboard layouts. The portlet can be used in other layouts. In the screenshot, the FlexSpaces gadget is maximized, so it doesn’t look like the usual gadget layout. The beta1 seemed to not allow saving an edit to change from a 3 column to a 1 or 2 column. (FlexSpaces can made to take up less space by setting the show header area preference to false, and hiding the tree with the show / tree menu). Also the beta1 didn’t display default values for the FlexSpaces gadget when the edit UI mode is used, so editng the gadget xml is easier (This is only on gadgets, regular portet preferences UI edit mode was fine).

See the readmes in the flexspaces-gadget.zip file and the flexspacesGateInPortlet.zip file for setup instructions.

In addition to a Liferay portlet, I recently added a JBoss Portal portlet for FlexSpaces (Alfresco Forge, Google Code).  See previous post about the Liferay portlet since some of the same things apply (setting up two app servers, pointers to SSO info, etc.).

How to setup:
1. Install Alfresco community or enterprise (I used Alfresco 3.2 community bundled with Tomcat)
2. Start alfresco user admin pw admin, install flexspaces 0.91+ webscripts, see readmeWebScripts.txt
3. shutdown Alfresco
4. Install a JBoss Portal community or enterprise (I used 2.7.2 community bundled with a 4.2.3 JBoss app server)
5. Change port 8080 to 9080 and port 8009 to 9009 in jboss-portal-2.7.2/server/default/deploy/jboss-web.deployer/server.xml
to not conflict with ports in alfresco running in a separate app server
6. Copy flexspaces-jboss-portlet.war to jboss-portal-2.7.2/server/default/deploy/
7. start jboss portal with jboss-portal-2.7.2\bin\run.bat
8. run http://localhost:9080/portal and log in with admin/admin (so portlet edit UI will be enabled)
9. startup alfresco
10. in jboss portal switch to FlexSpaces tab, click on “Edit” on the flexspaces portlet and setup alfresco url  if needed and other options and click update.
11. log into FlexSpaces portlet (admin/admin or other user/pw)

JBoss+eXo GateIn Portal (See GateIn website)
I tried the FlexSpaces JBoss portlet with the beta1 of GateIn and it didn’t work. I am looking into creating a FlexSpaces portlet and a gadget for this new portal)

Steve

FlexSpaces 0.93 was recent released (Alfresco Forge, Google Code).  This now includes a Liferay portlet (runs FlexSpaces inside a portlet), fixes progress bar color in new styling/skinning from 0.92, adds short-term state save for portlet resize / browser refresh (config only enabled in portlet pkg), adds additional parms/flashvars to support config in portlet preferences dialogs, adds parms to enable adding sso.  A JBoss Portal portlet will be available later. Also will have portlets for CMIS Spaces.

The Liferay portlet is also available from the Liferay website community plugins download area and also from within Liferay itself: Add Application / Install More Applications (use refresh button at bottom to refresh plugin list)  (Note: installing the integratedsemantics.zip web scripts in Alfresco is still required, see readmeWebScripts.txt)

The FlexSpaces Liferay portlet configuration UI allows setting what views to show (doclib, search, tasks, wcm) and the Alfresco web script URL.

This portlet was developed/tested with Liferay 5.2.3 and Alfresco 3.2 running in separate Tomcats. Running Liferay and Alfresco in separate Tomcats is recommended (easier, can switch to new versions independently, and is more scalable). To adapt the FlexSpaces portlet to Liferay 5.1.x, etc. look at the source inside the Liferay Flash portlet war for your version of Liferay and adapt the jsps (different dtds) and  maybe the java file of the FlexSpaces portlet.

How to setup:
1. Install Alfresco enterprise or community
2. Start alfresco user admin pw admin, install flexspaces 0.91+ webscripts, see readmeWebScripts.txt
3. Install a separate Liferay 5.2.x tomcat bundle from liferay.com
4. I changed all the ports in <liferay>/<tomcat>/conf/server.xml to start with 9 instead of 8 (8005->9005, 8080->9080 twice, 8009->9009) to not conflict with tomcat running alfresco
5. Start liferay tomcat and login bruno@7cogs.com (password: bruno)
6. Within Liferay install the FlexSpaces portlet: Add Application / Install More Applications (use refresh button at bottom to refresh plugin list) and click add on FlexSpaces item from the Alfresco or Flex category
7. Configure the portlet in its configuration UI to have the views wanted and for your Alfresco web script URL (may need different host,port), and save.
8. Login to the FlexSpaces portlet (user: admin, pw: admin)
9. The FlexSpaces portlet also works with LiveCycle Content Services ES:
a. in the portlet configuration UI set the Alfresco webscript URL in to http://localhost:8080/contentspace/service and set show tasks to false
b. in FlexSpacesConfig.xml set is LiveCycleContentServices to true, serverVersion to 2.1 for LC 8.2.1, and set useSessionData to false (need to do some more work to get the short term state save to work with LC CS, and avoid the re-login on portlet resize)

Haven’t tried using SSO approaches yet:
1. Rivet Logic STAr (Secure Token Authentication rivet amp for Alfresco) used with AWPr
2. Jonas Yuan / Cignex LDAP ADS and SSO CAS  and also blog post on a combined install
3. Sourcesense Alfresco OpenSSO integration
Other references
1. Luis Sala’s portlet dev wiki page and blog
2. Jeff Pott’s blog

Steve

I released new builds of FlexSpaces, CMIS Spaces,  and FlexibleShare. These have a new ‘look” (with added skinning of menus/tabs,  and expanded/changed style files):

FlexSpaces+AIR 0.92 ( Alfresco Forge , Google Code )  (Tested with Alfresco 3.2, Adobe LiveCycle Content Services ES 8.2.1)

CMIS Spaces +AIR build 8 ( Alfresco Forge , Google Code ) (Tested with Alfresco 3.2)
Note: CMIS Spaces build 8 is for the CMIS 0.61 spec. I will do a new build soon for the CMIS 0.62 spec.

FlexibleShare +AIR build 2 ( Alfresco Forge , Google Code ) (Tested with Alfresco 3.2, Adobe LiveCycle Content Services ES 8.2.1)