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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The community versions of FlexSpaces, FlexSpaces portlets, CMIS Spaces, and CMIS Spaces portlets (coming) are now LGPL instead of GPL. FlexSpaces supports both Alfresco and Adobe LiveCycle Content Services ES2.  LiveCycle Mosaic ES2 tiles for FlexSpaces and CMIS Spaces are also planned. The community version of FlexSpaces has very full featured support for doc management, search,  start workflow, task list (Alfresco only), and some wcm (Alfresco only). It even supports semantic auto-tagging using Calais.

An enterprise version of  FlexSpaces (including portlets, tiles) with a commercial license, support, and additional features will also be available.  An expanded enterprise version of CMIS Spaces (including portlets, tiles) is also in the works.

FlexibleShare is now LGPL instead of GPL.  FlexibleDashboard and FlexibleLiferay have been LGPL for awhile. These are in the early stages, experimental. FlexibleShare adds a Flex portal interface around FlexSpaces doc management pods, Flex UI pods for Alfresco share collaboration, and some sample BI/reporting pods. Plan to also add pods for CMIS Spaces into FlexibleShare. FlexibleShare and its base project FlexibleDashboard need to have modularity support added (loading of modules). They need to be flexible.  FlexibleLiferay, a Flex+AIR front end to Liferay, gets its modularity support already from Liferay with each portlet (pure Flex or regular portlet) being a separate war file. FlexibleDashboard needs to have its BI/reporting support expanded beyond samples.

FlexSpaces Alfresco Forge , FlexSpaces Google Code

CMIS Spaces Alfresco Forge , CMIS Spaces Google Code

FlexibleShare Alfresco Forge , FlexibleShare Google Code

FlexibleDashboard Google Code

FlexibleLiferay Google Code

Steve
integratedsemantics.com
twitter.com/stevereiner

After reading about the iPhone app for LiveCycle Workspace ES2 (product page, blog article), I thought I would get something to work with LiveCycle ContentServices ES2. Dr. Yong Qu, who works at Alfresco, created a  sample web script based  Alfresco web app for the iPhone. I got this web app to work with LiveCycle ContentServices ES2. The navigation works, display of some properties works, viewing files works (after one change to a webscript for contentspace), and search works.  (Alfresco 3.2 has an iPhone web app UI for Share. Getting this to work on ES2 would be more involved.)

Two zip files are needed from Yong’s blog page
iui.zip
iphone-navigator.zip

Webscript file changed (in iphone-navigator.zip and rezipped)
on line 362 of org/alfresco/demo/iphone/iPhoneNavigation.get.html.ftl (the line with “Read Document”) change /alfresco to /contentspace

Different steps to install on LC Content Services vs. steps for Alfresco
1. stop “JBoss for Adobe LiveCycle ES2″ service
2. I already had c:\Adobe\Adobe LiveCycle ES2\jboss\server\lc_turnkey\deploy\adobe-contentservices.ear and the contentservices.war inside it exploded
3. copy iui folder (nested in iui folder in iui.zip) to adobe-contentservices.ear\contentservices.war\
4. start “JBoss for Adobe LiveCycle ES2″ service
5. start Contentspace, login as administrator
6. same step as Alfresco to import iphone-navigator.zip file into Data Dictionary/Web Script Extensions/ folder
7. button to refresh webscripts is on http://localhost:8080/contentspace/service/ page
8. You can now run http://localhost:8080/contentspace/service/iphone/navigation in a regular or mobile browser

Notes:
1. This is not iPhone specific so it would work with other smartphones with browsers
2. I used the LC ES2 M3 R3 beta turnkey deploy JBoss / Windows 64 bit
3. Should work with LC Content Services ES (8.2.1). The deploy dir would be different.
4. I used it with an iPod Touch (not an iPhone). Also used with testiphone.com in a regular browser in the screenshot.

Steve

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 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)

I was able to get FlexSpaces UI for document management with Adobe LiveCycle Content Services ES integrated with LiveCycle Workspace UI for  starting processes/forms/task-lists.  The workspace start process, to-do, and tracking are in tabs. The workspace preferences, messages, help are available from menus.  It works on Flex+Browser.   Also will SSO from/to other LC apps. (I can’t make this available as open source).

For an integration of FlexSpaces+AIR with Workspace, getting PDF Form controlling code to work in Flex+AIR looks challenging.  I could also create some Workspace pods for FlexibleShare (although FlexibleShare is Flex+AIR currently, could also do a +Browser version)

Document Library Tab (click image twice for larger):

Workspace Tab / start process (click image twice for larger):

A first build and source for FlexibleShare+AIR, an open source, Flex based dashboard/portal container focused on document management (Alfresco, Adobe LiveCycle Content Services ES), collaboration (Alfresco Share),  and BI/charting/reporting, is now available on the Alfresco Forge and on Google Code.

As a Flex based dashboard for FlexSpaces view pods (doc mgt, wcm, search, workflow tasks), its further along. (Note that the WCM pod is commented out in data/pods.xml).

The Flex based pods (blog, wiki, discussions, doclib, calendar) for Share back-end are prototypes. No commenting/reply feature yet. The calendar doesn’t hook into the Share backend yet. The Share dashboard html pod runs the Share overall dashboard (no pods for individual Surf dashlets yet).  (Note that you need to confgure Share pods with the correct site short url name in the siteUrlName attributes in pods.xml)

The Charting, Pentaho charting, JasperReports report viewer pods are samples only (additional BI/reporting capabilities to come). Liferay html pod runs the full Liferay portal (no pods for individual Liferay portlets yet).

FlexibleShare uses the Esria dashboard sample. I still need to look into leveraging the  Anvil project to provide more modular support for loading Flex portlets. (Note see previous blog post with more details on FlexibleShare)

Do to use of AIR, you can drag desktop files into FlexibleShare folder views. Regular AIR drag / drop also allows you to drag files from the local files pod to folder view pods and between folder view pods. Calais semantic auto-tagging, tag suggesting can be used in Doclib pods and in the search pod (switch from having the “simplesearch” pod to the “search” pod in pods.xml), and setup the Calais key / set enableCalais in FlexSpacesConfig.xml

To get FlexibleShare to run on LiveCycle Content Services (8.2.1), FlexSpacesConfig.xml needs to be changed following its LiveCycle comments (different setting for alfresoUrlPart, set isLiveCycleContentService value to true, and set serverVersion to 2.1 to reflect its embedded Alfreso. Also in data/pods.xml comment out the tasks pod, and remove the pods in Share section. Note: for FlexibleShare on LiveCycle on non localhost, currently need to recompile with service-config.xml changed.

FlexibleShare Document Management (WCM pod not shown) screenshot (click on for larger):

FlexibleShare Collaboration screenshot (click on for larger):

FlexSpaces 0.9 (Flex+AIR, Flex+Browser) RIA Clients for Alfresco  (and Adobe LiveCycle Content Services)
Refactored to use Presentation Model pattern, added SampleApp1, severside paging in webscripts (doclib, search results), favorites/shortcuts, now 6 languages, preview now more usable and uses same content model REST api as Alfresco Share, Spring ActionScript XML config of: what views to show (doclib, search, tasks, wcm, share),  whether to have coverflow view mode,  default view page sizes, page size picklist, thumbnail info (id/name, size). Menu config more usable now that all menu enable/disable code is position independent, thumbnails fixed, bug fixes.  FlexSpaces on Google Code FlexSpaces on Alfresco Forge (Update: note in FlexSpacesConfig.xml, for LiveCycle, the alfrescoUrlPart should be “/contentspace/service” not “/contentspace/servicee” in the comment. )

CMIS Spaces RIA clients (Flex+AIR, Flex+Browser) preview build 6
CMIS Spaces clients are for ECM / CMS servers supporting the Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) standard. CMIS Spaces supports CMIS on both REST Atom and SOAP. Changed to keep in sync with FlexSpaces 0.9 code, performance fix to remove overhead of undisplayed coverflow, CMIS Spaces specifc menu XML config file, Spring ActionScript XML config of: what views to show (doclib, search, checked out), default view page sizes, page size picklist. CMIS Spaces on Google Code CMIS Spaces on Alfresco Forge

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