IBM Content Navigator

Version 2 Release 0

Developing Applications with IBM

Content Navigator APIs



SC19-3716-00
IBM Content Navigator
Version 2 Release 0

Developing Applications with IBM

Content Navigator APIs



SC19-3716-00
 Note

Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page 79.

This edition applies to version 8, release 5 of later of IBM Content Manager OnDemand for Multiplatforms (product
number 5724-J33), version 8, release 5 or later of IBM Content Manager OnDemand for z/OS (product number
5697-N93), version 7, release 1 or later of IBM Content Manager OnDemand for i (product number 5770-RD1),
version 8, release 4 or later of IBM Content Manager Enterprise Edition (program number 5724-B19), version 8,
release 4 or later of IBM Content Manager for z/OS (program number 5697-H60), version 5 release 0 or later IBM
FileNet Content Manager (program number 5724-R81) and to all subsequent releases and modifications until
otherwise indicated in new editions.
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2012.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract
with IBM Corp.
Contents
ibm.com and related resources. . . . . v Packaging the plug-in components . . . . . . 28
How to send your comments . . . . . . . . vi
Contacting IBM . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi External data services . . . . . . . . 31
Creating an external data service for IBM Content
Developing applications with IBM Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Content Navigator . . . . . . . . . . 1 External data service REST protocol specifications 36
Object types resource . . . . . . . . . . 36
Particular object type resource . . . . . . . 39
IBM Content Navigator development Sample external data service. . . . . . . . . 49
architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Files in the sample external data service . . . . 49
IBM Content Navigator midtier services . . . . . 5 Deploying the sample external data service . . . 50

Sample applications for IBM Content IBM Content Navigator API reference 53
Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 IBM Content Navigator modeling library structure 53
IBM Content Navigator visual widget catalog . . . 56
Constructing a URL for IBM Content Widgets package . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Administration widgets package . . . . . . 67
Administration model package . . . . . . . 70
Dialog box widgets package . . . . . . . . 71
Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Layout widgets package . . . . . . . . . 74
Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Process widgets package . . . . . . . . . 76
Creating the plug-in components . . . . . . . 16 Teamspace builder widgets package . . . . . 76
Creating a menu action . . . . . . . . . 17 Viewer widgets package . . . . . . . . . 78
Creating a menu. . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Creating a feature . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Creating a layout . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Creating a request or response filter . . . . . 22
Creating a service . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Creating a viewer . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Creating a widget . . . . . . . . . . . 27

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 iii

iv IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
ibm.com and related resources
Product support and documentation are available from ibm.com®.

Support and assistance

Product support is available on the web at:

IBM® Content Navigator
http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/overview/software/
Enterprise_Content_Manager/Content_Navigator

Information center

You can view the product documentation in an Eclipse-based information center on

ibm.com. The information is available in the following information centers:
v IBM Content Manager Enterprise Edition Version 8.4 Information Center at
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cmgmt/v8r4m0/index.jsp?topic=/
com.ibm.developingeuc.doc/eucdi000.htm
v IBM Content Manager OnDemand for Multiplatforms Version 8.5 Information
Center at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cmod/v8r5m0/
index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.developingeuc.doc/eucdi000.htm
v IBM FileNet® P8 Version 5.1 Information Center at http://
publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/p8docs/v5r1m0/index.jsp?topic=/
com.ibm.developingeuc.doc/eucdi000.htm

PDF publications

You can view the PDF files online using the Adobe Acrobat Reader for your
operating system. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader installed, you can
download it from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com.

See the following PDF publication web site:

Product Web site

IBM Content Navigator http://www.ibm.com/support/
docview.wss?uid=swg27025015

“How to send your comments” on page vi

Your feedback helps IBM to provide quality information. Please share any
comments that you have about this information or other documentation that
IBM Software Development ships with its products.
“Contacting IBM” on page vi
To contact IBM customer service in the United States or Canada, call
1-800-IBM-SERV (1-800-426-7378).

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 v

How to send your comments
Your feedback helps IBM to provide quality information. Please share any
comments that you have about this information or other documentation that IBM
Software Development ships with its products.

You can use any of the following methods to provide comments:

v Add comments by using the Comments pane at the bottom of every page in the
information center. See Contributing to the information center.
v Send your comments by clicking the Feedback link at the bottom of any topic in
the information center.
v Send your comments by using the online readers' comment form at
http://www.ibm.com/software/data/rcf/.
v Send your comments by e-mail to [email protected]. Include the name of
the product, the version number of the product, and the name and publication
number of the information (if applicable). If you are commenting on specific
text, please include the location of the text (for example, a title, a table number,
or a page number).

Consumability survey

Tell us how you feel about the value of quality content by taking the Importance of
High Quality Technical Information survey at the following link:
http://www.ibm.com/survey/oid/wsb.dll/s/ag2c1. If you want to help IBM
make this product easier to install and use, take the Consumability Survey at the
following link: http://www.ibm.com/software/data/info/consumability-survey/.
Related information:
Contributing to the information center
Share your opinions and contribute to the documentation in the information center.
Simply sign in with your IBM ID to comment on the documentation, start
discussion threads, share examples, rate topics, watch topics or threads, and more.

Contacting IBM
To contact IBM customer service in the United States or Canada, call
1-800-IBM-SERV (1-800-426-7378).

To learn about available service options, call one of the following numbers:
v In the United States: 1-888-426-4343
v In Canada: 1-800-465-9600

For more information about how to contact IBM, see the Contact IBM website at
http://www.ibm.com/contact/us/.

vi IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Developing applications with IBM Content Navigator
IBM Content Navigator provides a powerful platform for building custom web
applications to manage content. You can use various extension points and
application programming interfaces (APIs) to extend the existing web client by
adding custom actions, menus, layouts, or services. You can also use the APIs to
build custom applications that incorporate IBM Content Navigator features without
using the standard web client.

You use the IBM Content Navigator Java API to create plug-ins to implement the
functionality that you want to add to the web client. You use the IBM Content
Navigator JavaScript API to create custom widgets to use with the plug-ins. In
addition, you can use IBM Content Navigator to access the APIs for the content
servers.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 1

2 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
IBM Content Navigator development architecture
IBM Content Navigator uses a model-view-controller (MVC) architecture.

As the following diagram shows, the components of IBM Content Navigator are
separated functionally according to the MVC design:
Web client
The web client acts as a controller that provides the communication
between the view and the model. Users interact with the widgets that are
contained in the web client. The web client translates these interactions
into the actions that are performed by instances of the model classes.
Visual widget library
This library of JavaScript classes defines widgets that are used to build the
view for IBM Content Navigator.
Modeling library
This library of JavaScript classes defines the model for IBM Content
Navigator. The modeling classes provide the business logic and data. These
classes define communication with the midtier services to provide access to
the content repositories and their respective application programming
interfaces (APIs).
You can use the modeling classes to customize the communication and
data exchange between the web client and the repositories.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 3

 IBM
Content
Navigator
web client

IBM Content Navigator visual widget library

Search Content Layout Folder Content Workflow Custom plug-in

form list tree viewer widget

IBM Content Navigator JavaScript modeling library

Desktop Repository Result Request Item Team Custom plug-in

set space JavaScript

IBM Content Navigator midtier services

CM OD P8 IBM Content EDS Custom

Java API Java API Java API CMIS Analytics plug-in plug-in
plug-in services

IBM FileNet P8 IBM Custom Custom

Content Content Content external server or
Manager Manager Analytics data service data store

OnDemand CMIS
repository

Restriction: The CMIS service is provided only for technical preview in IBM
Content Navigator V2.0.

You can customize IBM Content Navigator at each level of the architecture by
using custom plug-ins. You can create plug-ins to implement custom widgets,
services, and other components. By creating custom plug-ins, you can integrate
information and content from external sources and augment or modify the
behavior of IBM Content Navigator.

IBM Content Navigator uses plug-ins to implement various features. For example,
IBM Content Analytics with Enterprise Search is integrated as a plug-in to IBM
Content Navigator. The external data service plug-in augments the behavior of

4 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 many IBM Content Navigator widgets to support the integration of data from
sources other than the content repositories. You can use this feature to add such
features as choice lists, choice list dependencies, and validation to the web client.
“IBM Content Navigator midtier services”
The IBM Content Navigator services provide the connections to the repositories.
In addition, the services support features such as search and document viewing
across the repositories.
Related tasks:
“Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator” on page 13
You can create custom plug-ins to add features such as menus and services to IBM
Content Navigator.
Related reference:
“IBM Content Navigator visual widget catalog” on page 56
The JavaScript classes in the IBM Content Navigator visual widget library are
grouped by package. In some packages, the classes can be further grouped by the
type of widgets that they represent.
“IBM Content Navigator modeling library structure” on page 53
The classes in the modeling library provide the business logic and data for IBM
Content Navigator. These classes are used by the widgets to access and represent
data in the content servers and in the IBM Content Navigator configuration.

IBM Content Navigator midtier services

The IBM Content Navigator services provide the connections to the repositories. In
addition, the services support features such as search and document viewing
across the repositories.

IBM Content Navigator includes services to connect to:

v IBM Content Manager Express® Edition
v IBM Content Manager for z/OS® repositories
v IBM Content Manager Enterprise Edition repositories
v IBM Content Manager OnDemand repositories
v IBM FileNet Content Manager repositories
v Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) repositories

IBM Content Navigator uses the application programming interfaces (APIs) of each
repository type to establish connections to these repositories. You can create custom
plug-ins that use these APIs to perform actions on repository items.

IBM Content Navigator also includes plug-ins to support the following services:
IBM Content Analytics with Enterprise Search plug-in
Supports searching across different repositories and data sources that are
configured for use with IBM Content Navigator. You can search with
simple or advanced queries. In addition, you can use facets to organize
and classify items, which makes it easier to find documents quickly. The
plug-in provides actions that you can use to work with the search results.
For example, you can edit documents that are returned by the search or
add the documents to workflows.
External data service plug-in
Supports integration of data from an external data source into IBM Content
Navigator. You can use this external data to customize field properties and
manage property behavior in IBM Content Navigator.

IBM Content Navigator development architecture 5

 To use this plug-in, you must create a service to pass the data from the
external data source to IBM Content Navigator.
IBM Content Collector viewer plug-in
Supports the use of IBM Content Collector to view archived email, IBM
Lotus® Notes® documents, and IBM Connections archives.
To use this plug-in, you must:
v Provide the URL to your IBM Content Collector web service
v Update the IBM Content Navigator viewer mappings to use the IBM
Content Collector viewer for the IBM Content Collector archive content
types
Related tasks:
“Creating an external data service for IBM Content Navigator” on page 34
Use the EDS REST protocol to create an external data service that specifies requests
to get data from an external data source to customize field properties and manage
property behavior in IBM Content Navigator. You implement an external data
service as a web application.
“Creating a service” on page 24
You can create a plug-in to define a service that performs operations on a content
server. For example, you can create a service that provides a viewer for specific
document types on a IBM FileNet P8 server.

6 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Sample applications for IBM Content Navigator
The IBM Content Navigator software package includes several sample applications:
a plug-in, an external data service, and a set of web pages. You can use these
sample applications to create custom applications.

Sample plug-in application

The sample plug-in application implements a plug-in that provides a custom

viewer. The files in this sample application show you how to create custom
components such as menus, features, and services for use in the IBM Content
Navigator client.

The files for the sample plug-in are available in the ECMClient_installdir\
samples\samplePages directory. The SamplePlugin.jar file that you can deploy by
using the IBM Content Navigator administration tool is available in the
ECMClient_installdir\navigator directory.

Sample external data service

The sample external data service implements a service that is used to obtain values
for a choice list from an external data source.

The sample web pages are available in the ECMClient_installdir\samples\

sampleEDSService directory.

Sample web pages

This sample web application provides HTML pages that use IBM Content
Navigator modeling classes and widget classes. The pages demonstrate different
aspects of the IBM Content Navigator toolkit.

The sample web pages are available in the ECMClient_installdir\samples\

samplePages directory.
Related concepts:
“Sample external data service” on page 49
In the sample external data service, the values for a choice list are used from an
external data source.
Related tasks:
“Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator” on page 13
You can create custom plug-ins to add features such as menus and services to IBM
Content Navigator.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 7

8 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Constructing a URL for IBM Content Navigator
IBM Content Navigator desktops, folders, and documents can be remotely invoked
by using a URL-based mechanism to send the user’s browser to a specified URL
with information about the unique identifier of the item in the repository. This
capability makes plugging documents and folders into a custom application simple
and consistent even when the source code in IBM Content Navigator is changed.

Before you begin

IBM Content Navigator must be installed and configured.

About this task

You can open IBM Content Navigator on a particular desktop, folder, or document
with a URL. For example, you can embed a URL in your custom application to
open IBM Content Navigator to a particular document.

You can get URLs for documents or folders when you select the item and click
Actions > View link.

Each type of URL opens a different view of IBM Content Navigator:

Desktop URL
Opens to the default pane that is associated with the desktop in the full
IBM Content Navigator client.
Folder URL
Opens the IBM Content Navigator link viewer, which provides a view of a
specified folder.
Document URL
Opens the document in the IBM Content Navigator Viewer or the
configured default viewer for the MIME type of the document.

A sample scenario where you can use the URL-based interface is to embed a link
in the portal of a custom application to a particular document or folder in a
particular repository. Review participants can review the contents of the folder or
document. For instance, you can embed a link on your company-wide intranet to a
folder in the repository that contains safety and emergency protocol documents.
For a more advanced example, you can create a web application that adds
documents to a repository, records the docid value, and generates the docid value
as a confirmation number. The docid value can then be used in the URL syntax to
create a valid link to the document.

Procedure

To construct a URL for IBM Content Navigator desktops, documents, or folders:

1. Insert the following base URL into the application:
Desktops
http://server:port/navigator/?
Documents and Folders
http://server:port/navigator/bookmark.jsp?

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 9

 After you enter the base URL, use the question mark (?) before you append any
parameters.
2. Append the appropriate parameters to the URL.
Separate each parameter-value pair with an ampersand (&).
The following lists describe the parameters that you can append to the URL,
the appropriate format, and valid values for each parameter.
Logging in to a particular desktop
Table 1. Valid parameters and values for viewing documents and folders
Parameters Valid values
desktop Specifies which desktop to log in to.
Specify the ID that is
displayed for the desktop in the ID column on the Desktops
tab in the administration tool.

Format: desktop=desktop_ID

Example: http://myserver.mycompany.com:9080/navigator/
?desktop=AccountsPayable
Viewing documents
Valid parameters and values include:
Table 2. Valid parameters and values for viewing documents
Parameters Valid values
desktop Specifies which desktop to log in to.
Specify
the ID that is displayed for the desktop in
the ID column on the Desktops tab in the
administration tool.

Format: desktop=desktop_ID
repositoryId Specifies the server to log in to.
Specify the
ID that is displayed for the server in the ID
column on the Repositories tab in the
administration tool.

Format: repositoryId=repository_ID
docid The system-generated identification number
for the document. Uses the template_name
value as the prefix to this folder ID.

Format: docid=document_ID
template_name Document, Folder, or the name of the custom
document class or item type.

Format: template_name=template_name
version current, released, or a specific version
number.

Format: version=version_number
vsld The IBM FileNet P8 version series object,
which is the Globally Unique Identifier
(GUID), that is associated with the
document.

Format: vsld=GUID_number

10 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 Example: http://myserver.mycompany.com:9080/navigator/
bookmark.jsp?desktop=AccountsPayable&repositoryId=AP_P8_System
&docid=30dd879c-ee2f-11db-8314-0800200c9a66
&template_name=APtemplate&version=released
Viewing folders
Table 3. Valid parameters and values for viewing folders
Parameters Valid values
desktop Specifies which desktop to log in to.
Specify
the ID that is displayed for the desktop in
the ID column on the Desktops tab in the
administration tool.

Format: desktop=desktop_ID
repositoryId Specifies the server to log in to.
Specify the
ID that is displayed for the server in the ID
column on the Repositories tab in the
administration tool.

Format: repositoryId=repository_ID
docid The system-generated identification number
for the document. Uses the template_name
value as the prefix to this folder ID.

Format: docid=document_ID
template_name Document, Folder, or the name of the custom
document class or item type.

Format: template_name=template_name

Example: http://myserver.mycompany.com:9080/navigator/
bookmark.jsp?desktop=AccountsPayable&repositoryId=CM_System
&docid=30dd879c-ee2f-11db-8314-0800200c9a66
&template_name=CHEMtemplate

Constructing a URL for IBM Content Navigator 11

12 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator
You can create custom plug-ins to add features such as menus and services to IBM
Content Navigator.

Before you begin

You must understand the following programming languages to create a plug-in to

IBM Content Navigator:
v Java
v JavaScript

In addition, you must understand web programming to implement the JavaScript

functions for the actions that are defined by the plug-in.

You should also be familiar with the Dojo Toolkit, which is the toolkit that IBM
Content Navigator uses.

About this task

The plug-in that you create to use with IBM Content Navigator must provide:
v The web browser logic that enables users to call the plug-in
v The midtier server logic that enables the plug-in to load the plug-in components.

If administrators must provide additional information for the plug-in to function,

you must also provide a configuration component. For example, the IBM Content
Analytics with Enterprise Search plug-in requires administrators to provide a URL
to the IBM Content Analytics with Enterprise Search server. Administrators use the
IBM Content Navigator administration tool to configure the plug-in.

The plug-in consists of the following components that are contained in a single
JAR file:
The web browser logic
The web browser logic is a required component of the plug-in that enables
users to call the plug-in from the web client.
The web-browser logic component of your plug-in communicates with the
IBM Content Navigator client. The web client is built by using the IBM
Content Navigator visual widgets, which are based on the Dojo Toolkit.
You should use the IBM Content NavigatorC visual widgets and the Dojo
Toolkit to build your plug-in.
The web browser logic is implemented in JavaScript.
The midtier server logic
The midtier server logic is a required component of the plug-in. This logic
calls the APIs for the content servers to retrieve the data that is used by the
plug-in or that is displayed to users.
The midtier logic component of your plug-in communicates with the IBM
Content Navigator services component on the web application server.
The midtier server logic is implemented in Java.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 13

 The configuration component
The configuration component is an optional component of the plug-in that
enables an instance of the plug-in to be configured with the IBM Content
Navigator administration tool. See step 2 in the following procedure for
information about creating a configuration component for your plug-in.
The configuration component is implemented in Java.

Procedure

To create a plug-in to IBM Content Navigator:

1. Extend the Plugin class to create the plug-in.
2. If the plug-in requires configuration, define a configuration pane to display in
the IBM Content Navigator administration tool:
a. Extend the PluginConfigurationPane.js class to define parameters that
need to be configured.
b. Create an HTML file to define a form template to define the user interface
for the configuration pane.
c. In your Plugin class file, implement the getConfigurationDijitClass
method to return the PluginConfigurationPane.js class.
3. Extend the appropriate ecm.extension classes to create the components that
define the functionality to be provided by the plug-in:

Component type ecm.extension class

Menu action PluginAction
Menu PluginMenuType and PluginMenu
Feature PluginFeature
Layout PluginLayout
Request filter PluginRequestFilter
Response filter PluginResponseFilter
Service PluginService
Widget Not applicable. Instead, you extend the Dojo
dijit._widget class or another Dojo dijit
class.

4. In your Plugin class file, implement the appropriate get methods to identify
the custom components that are included in this plug-in:

Component type Method

Menu action getActions
Menu getMenuTypes and getMenus
Feature getFeatures
Layout getLayouts
Request filter getRequestFilters
Response filter getResponseFilters
Service getServices
Widget getScript

5. Package the plug-in files in a JAR file.

14 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
6. Deploy the JAR file into your web application server.

Important: The plug-in JAR file must be available on a URL addressable web
application server or the plug-in will not work in the web client.
7. Use the IBM Content Navigator administration desktop to add the new plug-in.

Sample plug-in definition and configuration files

The following files in the sample plug-in define the plug-in and the configuration:
Table 4. Sample files that define the plug-in and the configuration
File Description
SamplePlugin.java This file extends the Plugin class to list the
custom components that are provided by the
sample plug-in.
SamplePlugin.js This file extends the Plugin class to list the
custom components that are provided by the
sample plug-in.
ConfigurationPane.js This file defines the configuration pane that
is used for the sample plug-in.
ConfigurationPane.html This file provides the HTML form template
that is used for the sample plug-in
configuration pane.

“Creating the plug-in components” on page 16

You can create plug-ins to add components such as menus, services, widgets,
and layouts to IBM Content Navigator.
“Packaging the plug-in components” on page 28
You extend the Plugin class to identify the components that are used for a
custom plug-in. You then create a JAR file to package the components deploy to
IBM Content Navigator.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 15

 Related concepts:
“IBM Content Navigator development architecture” on page 3
IBM Content Navigator uses a model-view-controller (MVC) architecture.
Related reference:
“Sample applications for IBM Content Navigator” on page 7
The IBM Content Navigator software package includes several sample applications:
a plug-in, an external data service, and a set of web pages. You can use these
sample applications to create custom applications.
Related information:
Dojo Toolkit Reference Guide
Find information about the Dojo Toolkit that is used by IBM Content Navigator.
Class ecm.widget.admin.PluginConfigurationPane
Provides a base class that can be extended to create a configuration interface for a
plug-in.
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.

Creating the plug-in components

You can create plug-ins to add components such as menus, services, widgets, and
layouts to IBM Content Navigator.
“Creating a menu action” on page 17
You can create a plug-in to provide an action to use in IBM Content Navigator.
For example, you might define a custom action that imports documents or that
generates a custom report generation for a set of selected documents. This
action can be added to toolbars and context menus.
“Creating a menu” on page 18
You can create a plug-in to provide a custom toolbar or context menu to use in
IBM Content Navigator.
“Creating a feature” on page 20
You can create a plug-in to add a major feature to IBM Content Navigator. For
example, you might create a feature to show statistical data on content usage or
a summary of recent document activity. You might also create a feature or to
select documents for archival. This feature can be displayed with the features
that are provided by IBM Content Navigator such as favorites, browse, search,
and administration.
“Creating a layout” on page 21
You can create a plug-in to provide a custom layout to use in IBM Content
Navigator. The layout defines the arrangement of the widgets that are used in a
desktop.
“Creating a request or response filter” on page 22
You can create a plug-in to filter a request that is made to a service or to filter a
response that is received from a service. For example, you might create a
request filter to modify the parameters that are sent to a service to provide
custom validations and error handling. You can also create a request filter to
override a service. For example, you might create a response filter to apply
custom formatting to the data that is received from a service before the data is
displayed.
“Creating a service” on page 24
You can create a plug-in to define a service that performs operations on a

16 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 content server. For example, you can create a service that provides a viewer for
specific document types on a IBM FileNet P8 server.
“Creating a viewer” on page 26
You can create a plug-in to provide a content viewer. Users can then map the
custom viewer to document types by using the IBM Content Navigator
administration tool.
“Creating a widget” on page 27
You can create a widget to provide the user interface for your plug-in. For
example, you might create a widget that enables users to run a custom action.
You also might create a widget to enable administrators to configure the
plug-in.

Creating a menu action

You can create a plug-in to provide an action to use in IBM Content Navigator. For
example, you might define a custom action that imports documents or that
generates a custom report generation for a set of selected documents. This action
can be added to toolbars and context menus.

About this task

Procedure

To create an action:
1. Implement a JavaScript function to define the behavior of the action. For
information about actions in IBM Content Navigator, see the
ecm.model.Action.js class.
2. If you want to specify when the action is enabled or disabled, extend the
ecm.model.Action.js class.
3. Extend the PluginAction.java class to define the plug-in for the action:
a. Implement the getActionFunction method to return name of the JavaScript
function that you created in step 1.
b. If this action overrides the standard code for enabling actions, implement
the getActionModelClass method to return name of the JavaScript class that
you created in step 2.
4. Add the action as a component in your Plugin.java subclass. To add the
action, implement the getFeatures method to return an instance of the
PluginAction.java class that you created in step 3.

Sample plug-in files for a custom menu action

The following files in the sample plug-in define a custom menu action:
Table 5. Sample files that define a plug-in menu action
File Description
SamplePluginAction.java This file extends the PluginAction.java class
to define a sample action.

The behavior of this action is defined by the

samplePluginAction function that is defined
in the SamplePlugin.js file.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 17

 Table 5. Sample files that define a plug-in menu action (continued)
File Description
SamplePluginCheckInAction.java This file extends the PluginAction.java class
to define a sample action.

The behavior of this action is defined by the

samplePluginAction function that is defined
in the SamplePlugin.js file.
SamplePluginFilteredAction.java This file extends the PluginAction.java class
to define a sample action. This class
implements an action that is available only
for documents with a MIME type of text.

The behavior of this action is defined by the

samplePluginFilteredAction function that is
defined in the SamplePlugin.js file.
CustomAction.js This file implements the isEnabled function
so that an action is enabled only for
documents with a MIME type of text.

What to do next

Add the action to a custom toolbar or context menu by implementing the

getMenuItems method in a PluginMenu subclass to return an instance of this
PluginAction class. This method adds the action to the custom toolbar or menu
that is represented by the PluginMenu subclass.

After you add the plug-in in the web client, use the IBM Content Navigator
administration tool to add the action to a toolbar or context menu.
Related information:
Class ecm.model.Action
Represents a user-executable action. This action can be configured for a desktop in
the IBM Content Navigator administration tool.
Class PluginAction
Provides an abstract class that is extended to define a client-side action that is
provided by a plug-in. The actions that are defined by subclasses of this class
appear on the IBM Content Navigator toolbar and on the context menus within the
content list.
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.

Creating a menu
You can create a plug-in to provide a custom toolbar or context menu to use in
IBM Content Navigator.

About this task

To create a menu, you must first create the menu type. The menu type indicates
where and how the menu will appear in the user interface. For example, you
might define a menu type to create a context menu for a custom widget. You can
use the menu type for multiple menus.

18 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Procedure

To create a custom menu:

1. Extend the PluginMenuType.java class to define the menu type:
If the menu is a toolbar, implement the isToolbar method to return true. If you
do not implement this method or if the method returns false, the menu is a
context menu.
For a default menu, the menu type provides an identifier for the default menu.
When a user creates a copy of this menu, the menu type is identified in the
copy to link it back to the original menu.
2. Extend the PluginMenu.java class to define the menu:
a. Implement the getId method to return the identifier for the menu. Prefix
the identifier with "Default" if users will be able to create copies of this
menu.
b. Implement the getMenuType method to return the PluginMenuType class that
you created in step 1.
c. Implement the getMenuItems method to return instances of the actions that
are included in the menu.
3. Add the menu as a component in your Plugin.java subclass:
a. Implement the getMenuTypes method to return an instance of the
PluginMenuType.java subclass that you created in step 1.
b. Implement the getMenus method to return an instance of the
PluginMenu.java subclass that you created in step 2.

Sample plug-in files for a custom menu

The following files in the sample plug-in define a context menu and two toolbar
menus:
Table 6. Sample files that define a plug-in menu
File Description
SamplePluginContextMenuMenuType.java This file extends the PluginMenuType.java
class to create a menu type for a context
menu.
SamplePluginContextMenuMenu.java This file extends the PluginMenu.java class to
defines a context menu that includes the
following actions:
v A sample action, which is defined in the
SamplePluginAction.java file
v Properties
v Help
v About
v Preview
v Open

The following actions are in the available

actions box:
v Custom Checkin
v Only For Text Docs
SamplePluginToolbarMenuType.java This file extends the PluginMenuType.java
class to create a menu type for a toolbar.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 19

 Table 6. Sample files that define a plug-in menu (continued)
File Description
SamplePluginToolbarMenu.java This file extends the PluginMenu.java class to
defines a toolbar that includes the following
actions:
v A sample action, which is defined in
SamplePluginAction.java file
v Help
v About
SamplePluginToolbarMenuType2.java This file extends the PluginMenuType.java
class to create a menu type for a toolbar.
SamplePluginToolbarMenu2.java This file extends the PluginMenu.java class to
defines a toolbar that includes the following
actions:
v A sample action, which is defined in the
SamplePluginAction.java file
v Custom Checkin, which is defined in the
SamplePluginCheckInAction.java file
v Help

What to do next

After you add the plug-in in the web client, use the IBM Content Navigator
administration tool to add the menu to a desktop.
Related information:
Class PluginMenuType
Provides an abstract class that is extended to define a custom menu type provided
by a plug-in.
Class PluginMenu
Provides an abstract class that is extended to define a menu in a plug-in.
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.

Creating a feature
You can create a plug-in to add a major feature to IBM Content Navigator. For
example, you might create a feature to show statistical data on content usage or a
summary of recent document activity. You might also create a feature or to select
documents for archival. This feature can be displayed with the features that are
provided by IBM Content Navigator such as favorites, browse, search, and
administration.

Procedure

To define a feature:
1. Create an icon to represent the feature in the web client. The icon must be 64
pixels wide by 64 pixels high. For best results, create the icon as a transparent
PNG file.

20 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 2. Create a widget to provide the primary pane that defines the user interface for
the feature. This widget provides users with access to the behavior of the
feature.
3. Extend the PluginFeature class to describe the feature:
a. Implement the getIconUrl method to return the icon that you created in
step 1 on page 20.
b. Implement the getContentClass method to return an instance of the widget
that you created in step 2.
4. Add the service as a component in your Plugin.java subclass. Implement the
getFeatures method to return an instance of the PluginFeature class that you
created in step 3.

Sample plug-in files for a custom feature

The following files in the sample plug-in define a feature:

Table 7. Sample files that define a plug-in feature
File Description
SamplePluginFeature.java This file extends the PluginFeature class to
create a sample feature.

What to do next

After you add the plug-in in the web client, use the IBM Content Navigator
administration tool to add the feature to a desktop. You add the feature on the
Appearance tab for the desktop.
Related information:
Class PluginFeature
Provides an abstract class that is extended to define a feature provided by the
plug-in. Features are major functional areas that typically appear as icons along the
left side of the user interface. Features are configurable for each desktop. Examples
of features include Browse and Favorites.
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.

Creating a layout
You can create a plug-in to provide a custom layout to use in IBM Content
Navigator. The layout defines the arrangement of the widgets that are used in a
desktop.

Procedure

To create a layout:
1. Extend the ecm.widget.layout.MainLayout.js class to create the primary
widget for the layout:
a. Implement the getAvailableFeatures method to return the features that to
be available in the layout. Each feature is declared as an instance of the
ecm.model.Feature class.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 21

 b. Implement the setFeatures method to configure how the features are
arranged in the layout.
2. Extend the PluginLayout.java class. Implement the getLayoutClass method to
return an instance of the widget class that you created in step 1 on page 21.
3. Add the layout as a component in your Plugin.java subclass. To add the
feature, implement the getLayouts method to return an instance of the
PluginLayout.java class that you created in step 2.

Sample plug-in files for a custom layout

The following files in the sample plug-in define a layout:

Table 8. Sample files that define a plug-in layout
File Description
SampleLayout.js This file extends the MainLayout.js class to
create the widget that is used for the sample
plug-in layout.
SamplePluginLayout.java This file extends the PluginLayout.java class
to define sample plug-in layout.

What to do next
After you add the plug-in in the web client, use the IBM Content Navigator
administration tool to associate the layout with a desktop.
Related information:
Class ecm.widget.layout.MainLayout
Provides the main layout for IBM Content Navigator or for similar desktop
layouts. This class displays the launch bar that contains the features on the left side
of the layout.
Class PluginLayout
Provides an abstract class that is extended to define a layout that is provided by a
plug-in. The layout is the main widget for the desktop and defines the overall
arrangement of widgets in the desktop. The particular layout that is used for a
desktop is selected in the IBM Content Navigator administration tool.
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.

Creating a request or response filter

You can create a plug-in to filter a request that is made to a service or to filter a
response that is received from a service. For example, you might create a request
filter to modify the parameters that are sent to a service to provide custom
validations and error handling. You can also create a request filter to override a
service. For example, you might create a response filter to apply custom formatting
to the data that is received from a service before the data is displayed.

About this task

The external data service plug-in uses request and response filters to enable a
service to provide custom choice lists and validation.

22 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
To use a filter, a plug-in must handle the JSONArtifact object that is sent in the
request or the JSONObject object that is returned in the response.

Important: The JSON format that is used for request and response filters is subject
to change without notice. If you create request and response filters for plug-ins,
you might need to make updates to your code if a new version of the IBM Content
Navigator Java application programming interface is released.

Procedure

To create a request or response filter:

1. If you are creating a request filter, extend the PluginRequestFilter class:
a. Implement the getFilteredServices method to return the names of the
services for which this filter is used.
b. Implement the filter method to define the filter that is to be applied to the
request.

Tip: Examine the JSON object that is sent to the service to determine the
requirements for the filter method.
2. If you are creating a response filter, extend the PluginResponseFilter class:
a. Implement the getFilteredServices method to return the names of the
services for which this filter is used.
b. Implement the filter method to define the filter that is to be applied to the
request.

Tip: Examine the JSON object that is returned by the service to determine
the requirements for the filter method.
3. Add the filter as a component in your Plugin.java subclass:

Type of filter Add to the Plugin.java subclass

Request Implement the getRequestFilters method to
return an instance of the
PluginRequestFilter.java class that you
created in step 1.
Response Implement the getResponseFilters method
to return an instance of the
PluginResponseFilter.java class that you
created in step 2.

Sample plug-in files for a custom response filter

The following files in the sample plug-in define a response filter.

Table 9. Sample files that define a plug-in response filter
File Description
SamplePluginResponseFilter.java This file extends the PluginResponseFilter
class to define a filter that applies custom
property formatting to search results.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 23

 Related information:
Class PluginRequestFilter
Provides an abstract class that is extended to create a filter for requests to a
particular service. The filter is provided with the request parameters before being
examined by the service. The filter can change the parameters or reject the request.
Class PluginResponseFilter
Provides an abstract class that is extended to create a filter for responses from a
particular service. The response from the service is provided to the filter in JSON
format before it is returned to the web browser. The filter can then modify that
response, and the modified response is returned to the web browser.

Creating a service
You can create a plug-in to define a service that performs operations on a content
server. For example, you can create a service that provides a viewer for specific
document types on a IBM FileNet P8 server.

About this task

You use the application programming interfaces (APIs) that are native to the
content server to define the operations that are performed by the service.

Tip: Follow best practices for servlets when you implement an IBM Content
Navigator plug-in service:
v Because the application server is multithreaded, the plug-in service needs to
handle multiple threads safely.
v The service will be called on multiple threads for multiple users; therefore, do
not use instance variables. Using instance variables can have side effects such as
unintentional sharing of information among users.

Procedure

To create a service:
1. Extend the PluginService class to create the service:
a. Implement the execute method to provide the service with access to the
APIs for the content server.
b. If this service replaces one of the IBM Content Navigator services,
implement the getOverriddenService method to identify that service.
c. If the service requires configuration, use the
PluginServiceCallbacks.loadConfiguration method to obtain the values
that were configured for the service.
2. If the service provides a custom viewer, extend the PluginViewerDef class to
define the URL template to launch the viewer.
3. Add the service as a component in your Plugin.java subclass:
a. Implement the getServices method to return an instance of the
PluginService.java class that you created in step 1.
b. If the service provides a custom viewer, implement the getViewers method
to return an instance of the PluginViewerDef class that you created in step 2.

24 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Sample plug-in files for a custom service

The following files in the sample plug-in define a service:

Table 10. Sample files that define a plug-in service
File Description
SamplePluginService.java This file extends the PluginService class to
define a service that obtains system-related
details about a document. To obtain this
information, the service invokes the
appropriate API depending on whether the
document is in an IBM Content Manager,
IBM Content Manager OnDemand, or IBM
FileNet P8 repository.
SamplePluginViewerDef.java This file extends the PluginViewerDef class to
define the URL template to launch the
viewer that is defined in the
SamplePluginViewerService.java file.
SamplePluginViewerService.java This file extends the PluginService class to
define a service that provides a custom
viewer that does simple formatting of an
archived RSS feed.

What to do next

Call the service as needed from your custom actions, viewers, or features. You then
use the IBM Content Navigator to associate these components with a desktop,
which makes the service available to users.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 25

 Related concepts:
“IBM Content Navigator midtier services” on page 5
The IBM Content Navigator services provide the connections to the repositories. In
addition, the services support features such as search and document viewing
across the repositories.
Related information:
Class PluginService
Provides an abstract class that is extended to create a class implementing each
service provided by the plug-in. Services are actions, similar to servlets or Struts
actions, that perform operations on the IBM Content Navigator server. A service
can access content server application programming interfaces (APIs) and J2EE
APIs.
Class PluginViewerDef
Provides an abstract class that is extended to define a viewer provided by the
plug-in. The viewer can be used in viewer mappings to identify the types of
documents for which the viewer should be invoked. Viewers are launched within
their own iframes or web browser windows, based on a URL that is built by IBM
Content Navigator by using a template that is defined in this class.
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.

Creating a viewer
You can create a plug-in to provide a content viewer. Users can then map the
custom viewer to document types by using the IBM Content Navigator
administration tool.

Procedure

To create a viewer:
1. Extend the PluginService class to create a service that provides the viewer.
2. Extend the PluginViewerDef class to provide a URL template that will open the
viewer.

Sample plug-in files for a custom viewer

The following files in the sample plug-in define a viewer:

Table 11. Sample files that define a plug-in viewer
File Description
SamplePluginViewerDef.java A definition of a new custom viewer.

This class defines the sample viewer service

as a viewer. The launch URL pattern
describes how to invoke the viewer and
provides the parameters that the viewer
service uses to retrieve and format the
document for viewing.
SamplePluginViewerService.java This class extends the PluginService.java
class to implement a service. The service
provides a custom viewer that performs
simple formatting of an archived RSS feed.

26 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 Related information:
Class PluginService
Provides an abstract class that is extended to create a class implementing each
service provided by the plug-in. Services are actions, similar to servlets or Struts
actions, that perform operations on the IBM Content Navigator server. A service
can access content server application programming interfaces (APIs) and J2EE
APIs.
Class PluginViewerDef
Provides an abstract class that is extended to define a viewer provided by the
plug-in. The viewer can be used in viewer mappings to identify the types of
documents for which the viewer should be invoked. Viewers are launched within
their own iframes or web browser windows, based on a URL that is built by IBM
Content Navigator by using a template that is defined in this class.

Creating a widget
You can create a widget to provide the user interface for your plug-in. For
example, you might create a widget that enables users to run a custom action. You
also might create a widget to enable administrators to configure the plug-in.

About this task

You can reuse the widgets in the IBM Content Navigator visual widget library in
the user interface for your custom actions, features, layouts, and services. For
example, rather than creating your own tree widget to browse a folder hierarchy,
you can use the ecm.widget.FolderTree widget.

If no IBM Content Navigator widget meets your requirements, you can create a
custom widget. The classes in the IBM Content Navigator JavaScript modeling
library that make it easier to build new widgets from the basic Dojo dijit widgets.
This library includes models of Dojo data stores that provide common methods for
representing data. These data store model classes enable multiple widgets to easily
use and present data. The library also includes models of Dojo trees that you can
use to obtain data for navigation trees in custom widgets.

Procedure

To create a custom widget:

1. If your widget is extending the Dojo dijit._Templated class, create an HTML
template to define the visual presentation of the widget, including buttons,
fields, and labels. This template is used to generate the initial DOM structure
for the widget.
2. Create a JavaScript file to define the class for the custom widget by extending
the Dojo dijit._widget class or another Dojo dijit class.
Use the Dojo dijit._Templated class and reference the template that you
created in step 1.
3. Create a JavaScript file to instantiate the widget in the plug-in.
4. Add the widget script as a component in your Plugin.java subclass. To add
the script, implement the getScript method to return the JavaScript file that
you created in step 3.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 27

 Sample plug-in files for custom widgets

The following files in the sample plug-in define custom widgets:

Table 12. Sample files that define custom widgets
File Description
MessagesDialog.js This file extends the Dojo dijit.Dialog class
to define widget that provides a message
dialog box.
MessagesDialog.html This file provides an HTML template that is
used for the widget that is defined in the
MessagesDialog.js file.
PopupDialog.js This file extends the Dojo dijit.Dialog class
to define a widget that provides a pop-up
dialog box.
PopupDialog.html This file provides an HTML template that is
used for the widget that is defined in the
PopupDialog.js file.
SamplePlugin.js This file instantiates the MessagesDialog.js
class to display progress messages for the
sample plug-in. The file instantiates the
PopupDialog.js class to open the help file for
the sample plug-in in a pop-up window.

What to do next

Use the widget to provide a user interface for the custom actions or features that
are defined by your plug-in.
Related information:
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.
Writing Your Own Widget
See this web page for detailed information about creating and modifying widgets
by using the Dojo Toolkit.

Packaging the plug-in components

You extend the Plugin class to identify the components that are used for a custom
plug-in. You then create a JAR file to package the components deploy to IBM
Content Navigator.

Procedure

To package the plug-in:

1. Create a JAR file that contains the files that are used for the plug-in.
The JAR file must use the following structure:
packageName
// Include all the Java classes that extend the Plugin class and
// any other Java classes that are required by the plug-in
Java class 1
Java class 2

28 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 ...
WebContent
// Include all the image, JavaScript, and HTML files
// that are required by the plug-in
WEB-INF
manifest.mf
In the packageName folder, include the Java class files that are defined for the
plug-in. Create the subfolders based on the package names of the Java classes.
Follow the standard JAR file structure by using nested folders for nested
packages.

Important: All the Java classes must be included in a named package. You
cannot use the default package.
2. Modify the manifest.mf file for your plug-in to include the following property:
Plugin-Class: pluginClassName
pluginClassName is the name of your Plugin.java subclass.
You can also include any of the standard properties for a JAR file in the
manifest.mf file.
Related information:
Class Plugin
Provides the main class of an IBM Content Navigator plug-in. The abstract
methods provide the name and version of the plug-in, as well as actions, services,
and scripts provided by the plug-in.

Creating plug-ins to IBM Content Navigator 29

30 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
External data services
You can use the external data service (EDS) representational state transfer (REST)
protocol to create an external data service to get data from an external source, such
as a JSON file or a table in a database, to customize field properties and manage
property behavior in IBM Content Navigator. Review the data flow diagram to
understand how an external data service submits and returns requests between the
IBM Content Navigator client and the external data source.

When you create an external data service, your existing data is integrated with
IBM Content Navigator field values and other field properties, but you continue to
store and maintain the data only in the original, authoritative data source. You
access the data without moving or copying that data to a separate repository, so
the source remains in the original data store. The external data source must remain
available to IBM Content Navigator, so that the external data can be accessed
whenever the business user invokes the service through the web client.

An advantage to using an external data service is that you do not need to modify
the IBM Content Navigator source code to customize the user interface properties
and values. Therefore, upgrades and other major changes to IBM Content
Navigator do not affect the property data that is obtained by an external data
service, because the data and external data service are located separately from IBM
Content Navigator source code.

Where external data services can be implemented

You can use an external data service to customize the following field properties
and property behaviors when users add documents, add folders, check-in
documents, use entry templates, process workflow step properties and workflow
filter criteria fields (IBM FileNet P8), and create or use searches:
Look up values in a database to create choice lists
Create choice lists by using existing data that is managed in a different
content repository or data source than the one that is connected to IBM
Content Navigator.
For example, you can use values in a JSON file that is located and
managed in an external server or repository.
Prefill properties
Specify prefilled properties and default values.
For example, you can prefill fields with custom default values that are
based on a particular class ID, authenticated user, or the parent folder.
Specify property dependencies
Define dependencies between properties.
For example, you might specify a dependency between a geographic
region choice list property and an office branch choice list property so that
when a user chooses a geographic region, the subsequent choice list that is
dependent on the selected geographic region contains only the office
branches that pertain to that geographic region.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 31

 Set minimum and maximum values
Specify an integer, float, or date to define the maximum or minimum value
for a property.

Restriction: You cannot reset the minimum value or maximum value to be

less restrictive than the minimum value or maximum value that is
specified in the repository that you are using.
For example, if the minimum value in the repository is 100, the service can
set the value to 150, but not to 50.
Set read-only status
Set a property to be read-only.
For example, you might create a property that requires a particular value.
To prevent users from entering a different value that could cause an error,
you can specify the correct default value and make that property read-only.
Set required status
Set a property to be a required field. When you use this attribute on a
property, an asterisk appears in the user interface to indicate that the field
is required. Users can not proceed from the page or dialog box unless the
field contains a value.
Set hidden status
Hide a property from the user interface.
For example, you might create a choice list that dynamically determines
subsequent text input fields to present in a form. To hide a property that
does not apply in a particular situation, you can use the hidden attribute.
Implement property validation and error checking
Show a custom message or provide assistance when users enter values into
a property field.

Restriction: You cannot use custom validation for object properties,

reference attributes, read-only properties, hidden properties, or search
criteria.

External data service architecture and data flow

When an external data service is implemented for a certain action or property, the
service is invoked when a business user interacts with that item in the web client.
The following diagram shows how an external data service submits and returns
requests.

32 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 IBM Content Navigator client IBM Content Navigator server

1 User selects a choice list by 2

clicking the drop-down menu EDSSupportPlugin
on a property.

6
7 Property in the user interface
is updated with data from the Merge data from
external source. the reponse payload
with underlying
repository
information

Response payload
(POST method)

Request payload
(POST method)

Data source External data service

Examples: GetObject Types

- JSON file 4 Interrogate
Get the list of all classes to handle.
- SQL database

UpdateObject Types
For each class, get current values
and return that information in the
response payload.

The external data service works by using two services, which the application
developer needs to create:
v A GetObjectTypes service to get the list of all classes, item types, or workflow
information that the external data service needs to handle.
v An UpdateObjectType service for each class to get the current attributes or values
and return that information in the response payload.
The external data service is invoked when a user opens a certain dialog box or
tries to set a value on a property in the user interface. The middle tier services
sends a request payload to the external data service, which interrogates the
external data source for the requested information about the classes and attributes.
The information from the response payload is then merged with the underlying
information in the repository that you are using, for example, IBM Content
Manager or FileNet P8.

The precedence order in which data appears in the user interface is that IBM
Content Navigator first uses the class attributes, then checks for values that are
specified in the active selected entry template, and finally, IBM Content Navigator
checks for values specified by the external data service.
“Creating an external data service for IBM Content Navigator” on page 34
Use the EDS REST protocol to create an external data service that specifies

External data services 33

 requests to get data from an external data source to customize field properties
and manage property behavior in IBM Content Navigator. You implement an
external data service as a web application.
“External data service REST protocol specifications” on page 36
Understand the specifications for the object type request, the particular object
type request, and the responses that you need to create for each request.
“Sample external data service” on page 49
In the sample external data service, the values for a choice list are used from an
external data source.

Creating an external data service for IBM Content Navigator

Use the EDS REST protocol to create an external data service that specifies requests
to get data from an external data source to customize field properties and manage
property behavior in IBM Content Navigator. You implement an external data
service as a web application.

Before you begin

Understand which properties and areas in IBM Content Navigator you can
customize through an external data service.

Review the specifications for defining an object types request and a particular
object type request.

You need the following skills to implement an external data service:

v Java
v Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition
v Implement a web application with two services, for example, two Java servlets
v Database development
v Read and write JSON

About this task

As you design your service, consider the following tips to improve the usability of
your choice lists and other field properties:
Reduce the size of choice lists by adding properties that can narrow subsequent
lists For example, you can use questions to narrow the scope of the list, or use
dependencies between properties to break long choice lists into shorter
choice lists.
Create dependent choice lists
Dependent choice list values are replaced with a different list depending
on the value that is selected in the preceding parent list. For example, you
can set up Region and Branch Office choice lists, where the Branch Office
list depends on the Region list selection. If the user selects a different
region, the Branch Office list is cleared and populated by a different list of
branch offices.
Implement custom validation so that users can immediately resolve any errors in
data entry.
For example, if you implement text fields that have character restrictions,
instead of using a custom validation error message to display only a

34 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 description of the error, you can also provide users with a list of the
unsupported characters so that users can avoid typing those characters in
the future.

Procedure

To create an external data service:

1. Create a service that gets the list of classes to be handled by the external data
service. For workflow information, you create a service that gets the list of
registered service types instead of classes.
For example, you might create a GetObjectTypes service:
v Request: GET /types?repositoryId=repository_Id.
v Response:
[
{
“symbolicName” : “object_type_or_service_type”
}
// More object types
]

This service is invoked with the GET request, which provides the repository
ID. The response in this example is an array of name values in a JSON file.
This list must contain all the classes that are to be supported by the external
data service.
2. Create a service that gets current attributes and values for each class that is
included in the service that you created in the previous step. This service gets
current attributes and values for a class and then returns information about
those properties to the middle tier services. The data that is posted is JSON,
and the response is also JSON.
For example, you might create an UpdateObjectType servlet that handles a
POST method with a URL of the form /type/object_type_name:
v Request:
POST /type/class_name_or_item_type_name

{
"repositoryId":"target_repository",
"objectId" : "if_an_existing_instance,_the_GUID_or_PID",
"requestMode" : "indicates_context_that_info_is_being_requested",
"externalDataIdentifier" : "opaque_identifier_meaningful_to_service",
"properties":
[
{
"symbolicName" : "symbolic_name",
"value" : "the_current_value",
}
// More properties ...
]
}
v Response:
{
"externalDataIdentifier": "opaque_identifier_meaningful_to_the_service",
"properties":
[
{
"symbolicName": "symbolic_name",
"choiceList":
{
"displayName": "display_name",

External data services 35

 "choices":
[{
"displayName": "name",
"value": value
},
// More choices in the choice list
]
}
}
// More properties
]
}

What to do next

After you write the external data service, you must deploy and start your service
in the web application server, and register the EDSSupportPlugin plug-in in the
IBM Content Navigator administration tool.
Related concepts:
“IBM Content Navigator midtier services” on page 5
The IBM Content Navigator services provide the connections to the repositories. In
addition, the services support features such as search and document viewing
across the repositories.
Related tasks:
Registering and configuring plug-ins
Related reference:
“Example: GET method request and response” on page 39
This sample code submits a GET request to an external data service. The service
then returns the supported object types, which includes the classes, workflow
information, or item types for whose properties are to be updated with the values
that are obtained from the external data source.
“Example: POST method request and response” on page 48
This sample code submits a request to an external data service when an IBM
Content Navigator user selects a value for the region property, Region. The service
then updates the choice list for the branch office property, BranchOffice, which
depends on the Region property.

External data service REST protocol specifications

Understand the specifications for the object type request, the particular object type
request, and the responses that you need to create for each request.
“Object types resource”
The object type resource represents the classes, item types, workflow step
processors, or workflow in-basket filters to get for the external data service.
“Particular object type resource” on page 39
The particular object type resource represents the properties for which property
values are obtained from an external data source. When the user creates a new
item or modifies an item of the particular object type, the EDS REST protocol
uses the particular object type resource to obtain data for the corresponding
class, item type, workflow step processors, or workflow in-basket filters from
the external data source.

Object types resource

The object type resource represents the classes, item types, workflow step
processors, or workflow in-basket filters to get for the external data service.

36 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 “GET method”
The GET request gets the list of object types for the external data service.
“External data service integration into FileNet P8 workflows” on page 38
The external data service (EDS) can be implemented in data fields for process
in-basket filter criteria, in step processors, and in launching workflows. You
must construct a multi-part String that finds the service and identifies the
in-basket filter, step, or workflow.
“Example: GET method request and response” on page 39
This sample code submits a GET request to an external data service. The service
then returns the supported object types, which includes the classes, workflow
information, or item types for whose properties are to be updated with the
values that are obtained from the external data source.

GET method
The GET request gets the list of object types for the external data service.

URI syntax

For the response, you create the object types resource, for example, an
ObjectTypes.json file, which contains the class names, item type names, or
workflow information for whose properties are to be updated with the values that
are obtained from the external data source.

For IBM FileNet P8 workflow information, multi-part String values are used
instead of a class or item type name.
/types?repositoryId=Repository_ID

The repository ID is the symbolic name of the data source that contains the class
names, item type names, or workflow information that is used in the service.

Request content
GET /types?repositoryId=Repository_ID

Response content

The response to the request must include a JSON payload that contains the
following parameters:
{
"types":
[
{
"symbolicName": "TypeOne",
},
//More object types
...
]
}

Response codes
Table 13. Response codes for the GET method
Code Description
200 OK The method completed successfully. The response that is returned by the GET method
includes the JSON payload that contains the list of object types.
400 Bad Request One of the required parameters was missing or a parameter value was invalid.

External data services 37

Table 13. Response codes for the GET method (continued)
Code Description
404 Not Found Class names or item type names were not found in the repositoryId data source. This error
indicates that the external data service does not manage any property values for the class
because the object types request is not implemented by this external data service. The EDS
REST protocol does not return an error to IBM Content Navigator. IBM Content Navigator
ignores the external data service and does not call the service for the particular object type
for any class.
500 Internal Server A server error occurred. For information about the error, see the userMessage element in the
Error JSON response.

Related reference:
“External data service integration into FileNet P8 workflows”
The external data service (EDS) can be implemented in data fields for process
in-basket filter criteria, in step processors, and in launching workflows. You must
construct a multi-part String that finds the service and identifies the in-basket filter,
step, or workflow.

External data service integration into FileNet P8 workflows

The external data service (EDS) can be implemented in data fields for process
in-basket filter criteria, in step processors, and in launching workflows. You must
construct a multi-part String that finds the service and identifies the in-basket filter,
step, or workflow.

You can implement an EDS in workflow data fields for the following areas:
v Process in-basket filter criteria
v Launch workflow and step processor properties

The EDS must register multiple-part values to identify the service request type. For
workflow information, the multiple-part values are used instead of the class or
item type name.

Process in-basket filter criteria

Construct the multiple-part string to identify the in-basket filter that you are using
in your EDS implementation. Use the following format to identify the in-basket
filter:
application_space_name.process_role_name.in-basket_name

Example:
{"symbolicName": "DefaultApplication.Personal_Items.My_Personal_Work"}

Launch workflow and step processor

Construct the multiple-part string to identify the launch workflow step or other
steps in the step processor that you are using in your EDS implementation. Use the
following format to identify the step:
workflow_name.sheet_name.step_name

Example:
{"symbolicName": "Data_Field_Workflow.Workflow.LaunchStep"}

The workflow registry supports an optional fourth part to the tokenized,

multiple-part string:

38 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 workflow_name.sheet_name.step_name.EDS_Service_value

The EDS_Service_value value comes from the value of an exposed custom data
field that is called EDS_Service on that particular step. The workflow designer
must manually create the EDS_Service data field and specify for that data field to
be exposed for steps that require the EDS_Service value for EDS processing. When
a workflow exposes this string on a step, the string is not displayed in the
processors properties user interface; instead, the string is a hidden property.

For example, this string identifies a step called Approval_Step with the
EDS_Service value of MyService:
{"symbolicName": "Data_Field_Workflow.Workflow.Approval_Step.MyService"}

Example: GET method request and response

This sample code submits a GET request to an external data service. The service
then returns the supported object types, which includes the classes, workflow
information, or item types for whose properties are to be updated with the values
that are obtained from the external data source.
Request example
GET /types?repositoryId=Repository_ID
Response example
[
{"SymbolicName": "Book"},
{"SymbolicName": "Invoice"},
{"SymbolicName": "Folder"}
{"SymbolicName": "Document"}
]

Particular object type resource

The particular object type resource represents the properties for which property
values are obtained from an external data source. When the user creates a new
item or modifies an item of the particular object type, the EDS REST protocol uses
the particular object type resource to obtain data for the corresponding class, item
type, workflow step processors, or workflow in-basket filters from the external
data source.

The EDS REST protocol calls the POST method for resources when an item is
created or a property is modified. The service then returns the required
information in the response to the POST request.
“POST method” on page 40
The POST method obtains data from an external data source for item types of a
specific class. You do not call this method directly. Instead, the EDS REST
protocol calls this method automatically when workflow information or a
content item is being added or modified.
“Request modes” on page 42
When an item is created or modified in the web client, IBM Content Navigator
calls the POST method for the particular object type resource to submit a request
to the external data service. This request payload contains a request mode that
indicates the action that is being performed.
“Response payload to a POST method request payload” on page 43
The external data service responds to a POST method that was submitted by the
EDSSupportPlugin plug-in. The response payload contains values for the
properties that are managed by the service.

External data services 39

 “Error responses for an external data service” on page 47
If the POST method call fails, the response code that the external data service
returns indicates the type of error that occurred. Write the error responses for
your external data service.
“Example: POST method request and response” on page 48
This sample code submits a request to an external data service when an IBM
Content Navigator user selects a value for the region property, Region. The
service then updates the choice list for the branch office property, BranchOffice,
which depends on the Region property.

POST method
The POST method obtains data from an external data source for item types of a
specific class. You do not call this method directly. Instead, the EDS REST protocol
calls this method automatically when workflow information or a content item is
being added or modified.

When IBM Content Navigator calls the POST method, the request payload contains
the current value for each property. The current value can be one of the following
values:
v The default value
v The value persisted for the property in the repository
v The working value that the user entered for the property

The response payload that the external data service returns includes changes to the
properties that it manages. The service can modify attributes of properties in
addition to modifying property values.

IBM Content Navigator then merges these changes with the base data in the
repository and returns the data to IBM Content Navigator.

URI syntax
/type/{class name}
Path elements
Table 14. Path elements for the POST method
Name Type Description
{object type name} String The symbolic name of the class name or item type name that defines the
property that is being updated.

Request content
{
"repositoryId":"target_object_store_name",
"objectId" : "GUID_or_PID_of_item_that_is_being_edited",
"requestMode" : "request_context",
"externalDataIdentifier" : "identifier_for_the_service",

"properties":
[
{
"symbolicName" : "property_name",
"value" : current_value,
}

// More properties ...

],

40 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 "clientContext":
{
"Key1":"Value1",
"Key2":"Value2"
}

Table 15. Request parameters for the POST method

Name Type Required? Description
repositoryId String Yes The symbolic name of the target external data store that contains the property
data.
objectId String No The globally unique identifier (GUID) or persistent identifier (PID) that
identifies the item that is being edited.
requestMode String Yes One of the following request modes that indicates the reason that the POST
method is being called:
v initialNewObject
v initialExistingObject
v inProgressChanges
v finalNewObject
v finalExistingObject
See Request modes for information about the request modes.
externalData String Yes A string that indicates the state of the data that was returned by the external
Identifier data service. The request must include this identifier if the requestMode
parameter is set to one of these values:
v inProgressChanges
v finalNewObject
v finalExistingObject
properties Array Yes An array that contains values for the properties that are defined for the class
or item type. For each property, the request contains the symbolic name and
the property value.
clientContext Array No An array that contains a series of key value pairs that specify contextual
information for a specific class or item type. This parameter is used to send
information to an external data service when an IBM Content Navigator user
begins to add a document, add a folder, use an entry template, or create a
search.

Response codes
Table 16. Response codes for the POST method
Code Description
200 OK The method completed successfully. The response that is returned by the POST method
includes the updated information for the property.
400 Bad Request One of the required parameters was missing or a parameter value was invalid.
404 Not Found The class that was specified in the request was not found. This error does not indicate that
the class is invalid. Instead, it indicates that the external data service does not manage any
property values for the class. The EDS REST protocol does not return an error to IBM
Content Navigator.
500 Internal Server A server error occurred. For information about the error, see the userMessage element in the
Error JSON response.

External data services 41

 Related reference:
“Request modes”
When an item is created or modified in the web client, IBM Content Navigator
calls the POST method for the particular object type resource to submit a request to
the external data service. This request payload contains a request mode that
indicates the action that is being performed.

Request modes
When an item is created or modified in the web client, IBM Content Navigator
calls the POST method for the particular object type resource to submit a request to
the external data service. This request payload contains a request mode that
indicates the action that is being performed.

You must configure the external data service to respond with the data that is
required for that action. For example, if the request is to add a document, when
the Add Document wizard is opened, the service needs to respond with the initial
property values that are defined for the Add Document class.

The requestMode parameter indicates the action that is being performed in IBM
Content Navigator. This action determines the response that is returned by the
external data service.

For input payloads, the following values are provided on the context ID:
Table 17. Values provided on the context ID for input payloads
Value Description
userid The user ID for the user who is logged in to
IBM Content Navigator.
locale The locale of the browser that initiated this
call to the external data service.
desktop The desktop ID for the desktop that is in use.

The requestMode parameter can have the following values:

initialNewObject
Indicates that a new object is being created. For each property, the input
payload contains the symbolic name and the default value that is defined
in the repository.
initialExistingObject
Indicates that an existing object is being edited. For each property, the
input payload that is passed to the service contains the symbolic name and
the value that is currently stored in the repository.
The input payload also contains the objectId parameter that specifies the
globally unique identifier (GUID) or persistent identifier (PID) of the
content item that is being edited. The service can use the GUID to refer to
the content item. However, remember that the values stored in the
repository for the class can change. Therefore, the values that are provided
in the input payload might not match the values that are currently stored
in the repository for the class.
The input payload does not contain the externalDataIdentifier
parameter. Instead, this parameter is set by the external data service and
returned in the response payload. Subsequent requests made during the

42 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 update of the class include the externalDataIdentifier parameter to
indicate the current state of the data to the service.
inProgressChanges
Indicates that the external data service is being called in response to
changes in one or more properties that have dependent properties. The
input payload can contain the following information:
v The current working value for each property in the class or item type
v The externalDataIdentifier parameter, which indicates to the service
the previous state of any properties that it updated
v For an existing class, the objectId parameter, which specifies the GUID
or the PID of the content item that is being edited
The external data service responds to this request if the attributes or
working value of any property that it manages changed. The service also
responds to return a custom validation error.
finalNewObject
Before the object is persisted in the repository, this value indicates that the
external data service is being called for the final time in the sequence of
exchanges to create the object. After this call, the new object is created and
the property values are persisted in the repository.
For each property, the input payload that is passed to the service contains
the working values for all properties that are defined by the class.
finalExistingObject
Indicates that the external data service is being called for the final time in
the sequence of exchanges to update an existing property. After this call,
the updated property values are persisted in the repository.
For each property, the input payload that is passed to the service contains
the working values for all properties that are defined by the class or item
type.

Response payload to a POST method request payload

The external data service responds to a POST method that was submitted by the
EDSSupportPlugin plug-in. The response payload contains values for the properties
that are managed by the service.

Response content

The response to the request must include a JSON payload that contains the
following parameters:
{
"externalDataIdentifier": "opaque_identifier_meaningful_to_the_service",

"properties":
[
{
"symbolicName": "symbolic_name",
"value": potential_new_value,
"customValidationError": "Description of an invalid reason",
"customInvalidItems": [0,3,4,8], // Invalid multi-value items
"displayMode": "readonly_or_readwrite",
"required": true_or_false,
"hidden": true_or_false,
"maxValue": overridden_maximum_value,
"minValue": overridden_minimum_value,
"maxLength": underlying_maximum_length,

External data services 43

 "choiceList":
{
"displayName": "display_name",
"choices":
[
{
"displayName": "name",
"value": value
},

{
"displayName": "name",
"value": value
},

// More choices ...

]
}

"hasDependentProperties": true_or_false,

// More properties ...

Table 18. Response parameters for the POST method

Name Type Required? Description
externalData String No The identifier provides contextual information to indicate the state of the data
Identifier that the service is returning.

You implement this parameter with values that are meaningful for your data
source. Typically, the parameter references the specific configurations that
define attributes other than the property value such as the minimum value,
maximum value, or the choice list. These configurations can be selected
dynamically based on other property values. To select configurations
dynamically, the service can use the externalDataIdentifier parameter to
determine that the configuration changed since the previous call.

If you do not implement dynamic behavior or dependencies for any attributes,

you might not need to capture the data state. In this situation, you might
implement the parameter to return a fixed string value.

If the external data service returns data that is dynamic, you must capture the
data state. For example, the service might manage a property whose value or
other attributes are determined by the value of another property. In this
situation, you must implement the parameter to return a value that references
the specific configuration that was used to determine the value or other
attributes of the dependent property. The parameter must capture enough
information to identify changes in property data when the
externalDataIdentifier parameter is returned to the service in an
inProgressChanges request.

For example, assume that a list of conditions is used to select a set of

configurations based on the working property values. The data that is
captured in the externalDataIdentifier parameter might include the indexes
of the matching conditions.
properties Array Yes An array that contains values for the properties that are managed by the
external data service. For each property, you can specify the symbolic name
and the attributes, such as value, choice list, and maximum length.

44 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 Property attributes

The Properties parameter contains the following attributes for each property that
is managed by the external data service. The external data service can determine
many of these values dynamically so that the service can return a different value in
each response.
Table 19. Attributes of properties in the response payload
Name Type Required? Description
symbolicName String Yes The symbolic name of the property. The name must match the
symbolic name that was specified in the request payload.
value Determined No The value of the property. The value that is set by the external data
by setting in service must correspond to the data type that is specified for the
the class property in the class.

The external data service can dynamically determine the property

value based on the values of another other property.

If the service does not specify a value, the current working value for
the property is unchanged.
custom String No A message that describes why a property value is invalid.
Validation
Error You can configure the external data service to validate the current
value of a property. If the value is invalid, the service can leave the
value unchanged and return an error message in the
customValidationError parameter.

For example, the service might determine that an account number is

invalid. However, you do not want the service to replace the account
number. Instead, you can configure the service to return an error
message in the customValidationError parameter.

If this parameter is included in the response, the property value is

deemed invalid. However, the absence of this attribute indicates only
that the parameter passed the validation that is performed by the
external data service. The value might still be invalid based on
attributes that are not validated by the service.

Values are validated by using regular expressions. For example, the

following regular expression can be used to validate a simple email
address:
"\\b[\\w\\.-]+@[\\w\\.-]+\\.\\w{2,4}\\b"

Restriction: You can use custom validation for properties in

workflow properties, teamspaces, and entry template properties. You
cannot use custom validation for object properties, reference
attributes, read-only properties, hidden properties, or search criteria.
custom Array of No An array of indexes for a list of values for a multi-valued property.
Invalid indexes
Items When the external data service validates a multi-valued property, it
can return this parameter to indicate the specific values that are
invalid. If a multi-valued property is invalid and this parameter is not
set, the property value as a whole is considered invalid.

This attribute is applicable only if the customValidationError

parameter indicates that the property is invalid.

External data services 45

Table 19. Attributes of properties in the response payload (continued)
Name Type Required? Description
displayMode String No A string that specifies whether IBM Content Navigator is to display
the property value as read-only.

The external data service can set this parameter to one of the
following values:
readonly
The user can view the property value but cannot modify it.
readwrite
The user can modify the property value. This setting is the
default value.
If the property value is set to readonly in the class, the
external data service cannot make the value writable. In this
situation, a value of readwrite is ignored.
format String No An expression that describes the correct format for values to enter
into the property. Uses formatDescription to provide a description for
the format parameter.
format String No The description that is displayed in a tooltip if the user enters a
Description format that does not match the expression specified in the format
parameter.
required Boolean No A Boolean value that is set to true to indicate that a value is required
for the property.

The external data service can dynamically determine this setting

based on the values of other properties. However, the service cannot
override the required parameter if the required parameter is set to
true in the class.
hidden Boolean No A Boolean value that is set to true to indicate that the property is to
be hidden in IBM Content Navigator.

The external data service can dynamically determine this setting

based on the values of other properties.

If this parameter is not specified, the value specified in the class is

used.
maxValue Integer, No A number that indicates the maximum value of the property.
float, or
date-time The external data service can dynamically determine this setting
based on the values of other properties.

If a maximum value is specified for the property in the repository, the

service cannot make the setting less restrictive. That is, the service can
set the maximum only to a smaller value. It cannot increase the
maximum value. For example, if the maximum value in the
repository is 100, the service can set the value to 50, but not to 150.
minValue Integer, No A number that indicates the minimum value of the property.
float, or
date-time The external data service can dynamically determine this setting
based on the values of other properties.

If a minimum value is specified for the property in the repository, the

service cannot make the setting less restrictive. That is, the service can
set the minimum only to a larger value. It cannot decrease the
minimum value. For example, if the minimum value in the repository
is 100, the service can set the value to 150, but not to 50.

46 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Table 19. Attributes of properties in the response payload (continued)
Name Type Required? Description
maxLength Integer No A number that indicates the maximum length of characters in the
property value.

The external data service can dynamically determine this setting

based on the values of other properties.

If a maximum length is specified for the property in Content Engine,

the service cannot make the setting less restrictive. That is, the service
can set the maximum length only to a smaller value. It cannot
increase the maximum length. For example, if the maximum length in
Content Engine is 100, the service can set the value to 50, but not to
150.
choiceList Object No An array that defines a list of choices for the property value.

The external data service can specify a choice list only if one is not
defined for the property in the repository. The service can determine
the choices in the list dynamically based on the values of other
properties.

The choiceList value can contain a flat list of choices:

"choiceList":
{
"displayName": "display_name_for_the_choice_list",
"choices":
[
{
"displayName": "display_name_for_a_specific_choice",
"value": value
},

{
"displayName": "display_name_for_a_specific_choice",
"value": value
},

// More choices ...

]
}

Important: Do not implement choice lists in the Content Engine

definitions for the same properties that are associated with the choice
lists that you provide by using the external data service.
hasDependent Boolean No A Boolean value that is set to true if other properties depend on the
Properties value of this property.

When this parameter is set to true, the POST method is called to

update the dependent properties based on the new value whenever
this property is updated.

By default, this parameter is set to false.

Error responses for an external data service

If the POST method call fails, the response code that the external data service
returns indicates the type of error that occurred. Write the error responses for your
external data service.

External data services 47

 For example, the response code 404 Not Found indicates that the method did not
find a resource, such as the class or item type. The response code 400 Bad Request
indicates that a required parameter was not provided or that an incorrect value
was specified for a parameter.

The JSON response that is returned by the method contains additional information
about the error condition. The following example shows the format that the
response uses to provide that information:
#Response
HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Content-Type: application/json;charset-UTF-8
{
"userMessage":
{
"text":"The specified object type is not a valid object type.",
}
"underlyingDetails":
{
"causes":
[
"More detailed message 1",
"More detailed message 2",
]
}
}

Example: POST method request and response

This sample code submits a request to an external data service when an IBM
Content Navigator user selects a value for the region property, Region. The service
then updates the choice list for the branch office property, BranchOffice, which
depends on the Region property.
Request example
POST /type/class_name_or_item_type_name

{
"repositoryId":"ObjectStore1",
"objectId" : "{EC4D244B-5980-4...6978-8796-A5B4C3D2E1F0}",
"requestMode" : "inProgressChanges",
"properties":
[
{
"symbolicName" : "Region",
"value" : "Western",
}
],
"clientContext":
{
"userid":"user1",
"locale":"en_US",
"desktop": "default"
}
}
Response example
{
"externalDataIdentifier": "opaque_identifier_meaningful_to_the_service",
"properties": [
{
"symbolicName": "BranchOffice",
"dependentOn": "Region",
"dependentValue": "Western",
"choiceList": {
"displayName": "Western Branch Offices",

48 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 "choices": [{
"displayName": "Los Angeles",
"value": "Los Angeles"
},
{
"displayName": "San Francisco",
"value": "San Francisco"
},
{
"displayName": "Salt Lake City",
"value": "Salt Lake City"
},
{
"displayName": "Seattle",
"value": "Seattle"
}]
}
}
]
}

Sample external data service

In the sample external data service, the values for a choice list are used from an
external data source.

A sample external data service and JSON files, which are the sample data source,
are available in the ECMClient_installdir\samples\sampleEDSService\WEB-INF\
classes directory.
“Files in the sample external data service”
You can use the sample service as an example and as a starting point for your
own external data service. The sample service consists of a GetObjectTypes
servlet, an UpdateObjectTypes servlet, the object types resource JSON file, JSON
files as the data source, and the web.xml deployment file.
“Deploying the sample external data service” on page 50
You modify the sample external data service to be appropriate for your content
classes and then deploy the service in the web application server.
Related reference:
“Sample applications for IBM Content Navigator” on page 7
The IBM Content Navigator software package includes several sample applications:
a plug-in, an external data service, and a set of web pages. You can use these
sample applications to create custom applications.

Files in the sample external data service

You can use the sample service as an example and as a starting point for your own
external data service. The sample service consists of a GetObjectTypes servlet, an
UpdateObjectTypes servlet, the object types resource JSON file, JSON files as the
data source, and the web.xml deployment file.

The sample service consists of the following files:

GetObjectTypesServlet.java servlet
This servlet gets the list of all classes to handle in the external data service.
UpdateObjectTypeServlet.java servlet
For each class, this servlet gets the current attributes or values and returns
that information in the response payload.

External data services 49

 ObjectTypes.json file
This JSON file determines which classes you are using for the external data
service.
JSON files as the data source
These JSON files are the external data sources for the sample EDS, and can
be used to understand the required format of the JSON. The
ECMClient_installdir\samples\sampleEDSService\WEB-INF\classes
directory contains the following sample JSON data source files:
v Article
v Book
v Document
v Email
v Folder
v Invoice
v NOINDEX
v DefaultApplication*
v Data_Field_*

Important: These files are provided primarily to help you understand the
expected JSON format and to help you start creating the JSON for your
own external data service. To use the sample files for EDS deployment,
extensive configuration is required.
The JSON needs to match the classes, item types, and the corresponding
custom properties on your system. To use the provided JSON files in the
sample, the JSON files need to be modified so that the correct custom
properties are aligned with the actual classes and custom properties in
your IBM FileNet P8 or IBM Content Manager repository.
Similarly, to use the workflow JSON files (IBM FileNet P8), the JSON must
be modified to match your IBM Content Navigator workflows, including
the appropriate steps, step names, workflow data fields, and other custom
properties.
To apply the sample EDS on a workflow filter, the Application Space,
Role, Inbasket, and filter criteria must be set up accordingly.
A sample localized file is included in the sample to help illustrate that the
EDS can send locale information in the request. The EDS developer can
specify for the EDS to look at the locale information in the request and
return the response JSON in the proper correct translation.
web.xml file
The web.xml file provides configuration and deployment information for
the web application. This file must reside in the WEB-INF directory under
the context of the hierarchy of directories that exist for the external data
service.

Deploying the sample external data service

You modify the sample external data service to be appropriate for your content
classes and then deploy the service in the web application server.

About this task

An Eclipse project is provided with the sample EDS service. You must modify the
libraries that are referenced in the project to fit your configuration. For example,
the \navigator\build\lib\j2ee\j2ee.jar might not be the correct path to your

50 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
j2ee.jar file. Find the equivalent JAR file for your environment and update the
project configuration to point to that JAR file.

Procedure

To deploy the sample external data service:

1. Copy the sample external data service from the installation directory into a
dynamic web project in Rational® Application Developer.
2. Modify the JSON files in the sample so that the correct custom properties are
aligned with the actual classes and custom properties in your IBM FileNet P8
or IBM Content Manager repository.
3. Compile the project and build a WAR file. You can use the build.xml file that is
included in the sample as a starting point.
4. Deploy the WAR file into your web application server.
5. Register and configure the external data service support plug-in, which is called
edsPlugin, to use the sample external data service:
a. Load the edsPlugin.jar file. In the IBM Content Navigator administration
tool, in the configuration options for the plug-in, define the URL or the file
path to the edsPlugin.jar file:
v Enter the URL in the following sample format: http://
host_name:port_number/ECMClient_installdir/plugins/edsPlugin.jar.
v Enter the path to the file that is installed on the server, for example:
– Microsoft Windows: C:\Program Files\IBM\ECMClient\plugins\
edsPlugin.jar
– Linux or AIX®: /opt/IBM/ECMClient/plugins/edsPlugin.jar
The ECMClient folder is the IBM Content Navigator installation directory.
b. After the edsPlugin.jar file is loaded, you must specify the URL to where
the EDS is deployed. For example, you can specify: http://
host_name:port_number/sampleEDSService.
c. Click Save and Close.
d. Refresh your web browser.

Results

When you select values from choice list properties, the list contains the values
from your external data source, which is specified by the external data service.

What to do next

In the IBM Content Navigator client, verify that the fields and properties are
showing the correct data and are behaving as you expect.

External data services 51

52 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
IBM Content Navigator API reference
IBM Content Navigator provides JavaScript and Java application programming
interfaces (APIs) so that you can create custom applications. The JavaScript API
includes the classes for the visual widget library and the modeling library. The
Java API includes the classes that you can use to create plug-ins to IBM Content
Navigator.

For screen reader users on Mozilla Firefox web browsers, traverse through the
landmark navigation area in the JavaScript API reference documentation by using
the Tab key.

Important: The IBM Content Navigator APIs are subject to change without notice.
If you use the APIs to develop applications or plug-ins, you might need to make
updates to your code if a new version of the APIs are released.
“IBM Content Navigator modeling library structure”
The classes in the modeling library provide the business logic and data for IBM
Content Navigator. These classes are used by the widgets to access and
represent data in the content servers and in the IBM Content Navigator
configuration.
“IBM Content Navigator visual widget catalog” on page 56
The JavaScript classes in the IBM Content Navigator visual widget library are
grouped by package. In some packages, the classes can be further grouped by
the type of widgets that they represent.

IBM Content Navigator modeling library structure

The classes in the modeling library provide the business logic and data for IBM
Content Navigator. These classes are used by the widgets to access and represent
data in the content servers and in the IBM Content Navigator configuration.

The following diagram shows the hierarchy of the primary classes in the modeling
library:

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 53

 Desktop

Repository Action Viewer Feature

Workspace
Workspace
Template

Search Entry Content Worklist

User
Template Template Class Folder

Search Attribute User

Worklist
Criterion Definition Group

Result
Set

Item

Content
Result Result
Work
Item
Set Item
Set

As shown in this diagram, an instance of the Desktop class encompasses the other
objects in the model. The Desktop object specifies the repositories, features, actions,
and viewers to which a set of users will have access.

An instance of the Repository class represents a specific repository. The repository

can be an IBM Content Manager or IBM Content Manager OnDemand server, or
an IBM FileNet Content Engine object store.

The Repository object gives users the ability to access and perform actions on
repository objects. These objects are also represented by classes in the modeling
library:
SearchTemplate class
This class represents a search that is stored in the repository. In an IBM
Content Manager or IBM FileNet P8 repository, a SearchTemplate object
represents a saved search. In an IBM Content Manager OnDemand
repository, a SearchTemplate object represents a folder.

54 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 A SearchTemplate object gives users the ability enter or modify the criteria
that is used to perform a search. The criteria is represented in the model
library by the SearchCriterion class.
EntryTemplate class
This class represents an entry template that is stored in an IBM FileNet P8
repository. An EntryTemplate object gives users the ability to create a
document, folder, or custom object. An EntryTemplate object also provides
the default values for the destination folder, properties, and security.
ContentClass class
This class represents a document or folder class in a IBM FileNet P8
repository or an item type in an IBM Content Manager repository. A
ContentClass object gives users the ability to access the item and to edit
the properties and attributes of the item.
Each property or attribute is represented by an instance of the
AttributeDefinition class that contains information about the property or
attribute, such as type and allowed values.
WorklistFolder class
This abstract class represents a collection of work lists, which are
sometimes called in-baskets or inboxes. The subclasses of the
WorklistFolder class represent collections of the different types of work
lists and in-baskets. For example, the ProcessApplicationSpace class
represents a collection of process roles that determine who can access an
IBM FileNet P8 process application. The ProcessRole class represents a role
that is defined on an IBM FileNet P8 server. An instance of this class
determines who has access to the in-baskets that are defined in an
application space.
Worklist class
This class represents a single work list. A Worklist object provides users
with the ability to process the work items that are assigned to them.
The model includes the ProcessInBasket subclass for IBM FileNet P8
repositories.
Workspace class
This class represents a teamspace. A Workspace object provides users with
the ability to organize and share the content that a team needs to complete
its tasks.
The individual users and groups who belong to a teamspace are
represented in the model by the User and UserGroup classes.
WorkspaceTemplate class
This class represents a teamspace template. A WorkspaceTemplate object
provides users with the ability a set of predefined options for creating a
teamspace.
ResultSet class
This class represents a set of items that are returned by a search. A
ResultSet object provides users with the ability to locate and select
documents, folders, or work items.
An individual item in a ResultSet object is represented in the model by
the Item class or one of its subclasses:
v The ContentItem class represents a document, folder, or other content
item in the repository.
v The WorkItem class represents a workflow item.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 55

 Other classes in the modeling library support the classes that are shown in the
diagram. For example, the model includes the following classes:
v The SearchTemplateFolder class and WorkspaceFolder class represent collections
of search templates and teamspaces. These abstract classes provide collections
for items such as such the recent folders or all folders that are displayed in
navigation trees in the user interface.
For an IBM Content Manager OnDemand repository, a SearchTemplateFolder
object represents a cabinet.
v The Request class represents a request that is made to an IBM Content Navigator
service.
v The PropertyFormatter class represents the formatting that is applied to
properties when they are displayed. This class can be extended or overridden to
provide custom formatting of certain types of properties.
v The _ModelStore class and the classes that are suffixed with TreeModel represent
Dojo data stores and trees. These classes can be used with Dojo dijit classes to
populate widgets with data.
Related concepts:
“IBM Content Navigator development architecture” on page 3
IBM Content Navigator uses a model-view-controller (MVC) architecture.

IBM Content Navigator visual widget catalog

The JavaScript classes in the IBM Content Navigator visual widget library are
grouped by package. In some packages, the classes can be further grouped by the
type of widgets that they represent.
“Widgets package” on page 57
The classes in the ecm.widget package define widgets that you use to create,
edit, and search repository objects such as documents, folders, and work items.
This package also includes classes that define common user interface
components such as buttons, menus, and tabs.
“Administration widgets package” on page 67
The classes in the ecm.widget.admin package define the widgets that make up
the IBM Content Navigator administration tool. You can use these widgets to
customize the administration user interface.
“Administration model package” on page 70
The classes in the ecm.widget.admin.model package provide the model for the
user interface of the IBM Content Navigator administration tool. You can use
the widgets in this package to extend the capabilities of the IBM Content
Navigator administration tool. Alternatively, you can use these widgets to
provide a separate administration user interface that is based on the IBM
Content Navigator user interface.
“Dialog box widgets package” on page 71
The ecm.widget.dialog package contains classes that define the dialog boxes
that are used in the IBM Content Navigator web client.
“Layout widgets package” on page 74
The ecm.widget.layout package contains classes that define components of the
web client layout.
“Process widgets package” on page 76
The ecm.widget.process package contains classes that are used to build custom
launch processors and step processors for an IBM FileNet P8 workflow.
“Teamspace builder widgets package” on page 76
The ecm.widget.workspaceBuilder package contains the widgets that create and

56 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 edit teamspaces and teamspace templates. In IBM Content Navigator, these
widgets are used for the teamspace builder.
“Viewer widgets package” on page 78
The ecm.widget.viewer package contains classes that are used to view
document content.
Related concepts:
“IBM Content Navigator development architecture” on page 3
IBM Content Navigator uses a model-view-controller (MVC) architecture.

Widgets package
The classes in the ecm.widget package define widgets that you use to create, edit,
and search repository objects such as documents, folders, and work items. This
package also includes classes that define common user interface components such
as buttons, menus, and tabs.

Document and folder widgets

These widgets are used to view and edit documents and folders.
Table 20. Widgets that are used to view and edit documents and folders
Widget class Description
AddContentItemGeneralPane Provides a pane that is used in the
AddContentItemDialog widget to add a
document or folder to a repository. This pane
is also used in the CheckInDialog widget to
check a document in to a repository.
AddContentItemPropertiesPane Provides a pane that is used in the
AddContentItemDialog widget to edit
properties when a user adds a document or
folder to the repository. This pane is also
used in the CheckInDialog widget to edit
properties when a user checks a document in
to the repository.
AddContentItemSecurityPane Provides a pane that is used in the
AddContentItemDialog widget to view and
edit the security settings of a document or
folder that is being added to a repository.
This pane is also used in the CheckInDialog
widget to view and edit the security settings
of a document or folder that is being checked
in to a repository.
AttributeDefinitionsForm Provides a widget that is used to define
attributes for an IBM Content Manager class
or item type.
ChildComponentPropertiesPane Provides a widget that is used to view and
edit the attributes of a child component of an
IBM Content Manager item type.

A child item type can have unique attributes.

For example, IBM Content Collector uses
child components to store email instance
information and references to attributes of
the distinct email item type.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 57

 Table 20. Widgets that are used to view and edit documents and folders (continued)
Widget class Description
ChildComponentSelector Provides a widget that is used to display the
child components of an IBM Content
Manager item type.
CommonPropertiesPane Provides a widget that is used to view and
edit properties. This widget can be used in
dialog boxes for adding documents, creating
folders, and editing properties.
ContentClassSelector Provides a widget that contains a tree or
drop-down list that is used to select the class
for a document or folder.
ContentList Provides a widget that displays the results of
a search, the contents of a folder, or the work
items in a work list. This widget can be used
to navigate folders and launch actions for the
items that are displayed.
ContentListDropDownDialog Provides a widget that contains a drop-down
list that is used in a content list.
ContentListToolbar Provides a widget that is used as a toolbar
for the ContentList widget.
FolderSelector Provides a widget that is used to select
folders in a repository, workspace, or parent
folder.
FoldersFiledInPane Provides a widget that shows the folders in
which a document is filed.
FolderTree Provides a widget that is used to browse the
folders in a repository.
ItemEditPane Provides a widget that is used to edit a
folder or a document in a repository.
ItemPreviewPane Provides a widget that displays a preview of
the content for an item.
ItemPropertiesDisplayPane Provides a widget the displays a read-only
view of the properties for an item.
ItemPropertiesPane Provides a widget that is used to edit the
properties of an item.
ItemPropertiesStackPane Provides a pane that contains a stack of
ItemPropertiesPane widgets. Typically, the
ItemPropertiesStackPane contains a single
ItemPropertiesPane widgets. However, for
reference attributes, a separate
ItemPropertiesPane widget is added to the
stack for each reference attribute the user
opens. The user sees the top widget in the
stack.
ItemSecurityPane Provides a widget that contains the
SecurityPane widget and is used by the Edit
Properties dialog. This class retrieves the
item permissions and other item information
that is required by the SecurityPane widget
to display the security information.

58 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Table 20. Widgets that are used to view and edit documents and folders (continued)
Widget class Description
ModifyPermissionPane Provides a pane that is used to edit the
permissions for accessing a document or
folder.
SecurityPane Provides a widget that contains a list of users
and roles that have access to an item.
VersionsPane Provides a widget that is used to view the
versions of an item.

Search widgets

These widgets provide the mechanisms for searching a repository.

Table 21. Widgets that are used to search repositories
Widget class Description
AttributeDefinitionWidget Provides a widget that is used by the search
builder to represent an attribute in a search
template.
BasicSearchBuilder Provides a widget that is used for the search
builder interface. The search builder is used
for creating and editing searches and for
performing ad hoc searches.
BasicSearchDefinition Provides a widget that is used by the
BasicSearchBuilder widget to define and save
the search criteria.
ClassCriteria Provides a widget that is used to display the
item class on which a saved search is defined
to search. For a saved search that was
defined in IBM FileNet Workplace XT to
support searching multiple item classes, this
widget includes a link to open a drop-down
list of the item classes from which users can
select.
SearchBuilder Provides a wrapper widget that contains the
BasicSearchBuilder widget. This widget
handles relationships with other widgets
such as maintaining opened searches and
closing the widget when a search is canceled.
This widget also locks or unlocks a saved
search when the search is opened or closed.
SearchForm Provides a widget that is used to render a
search form for a saved search. Users with
the appropriate access rights can use this
widget to edit a saved search.
SearchInCriteria Provides a widget that displays the folder or
repository to be searched by a saved search.
For a saved search that was defined in IBM
FileNet Workplace XT to support searching
multiple folders or repositories, this widget
includes a link to open a drop-down list of
the folders or repositories from which users
can select.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 59

 Table 21. Widgets that are used to search repositories (continued)
Widget class Description
SearchMoreOptions Provides a widget that displays additional
options for a search. The additional options
include the object type, version, and join
relationship of the property, and text
conditions.
SearchPropertyOptions Provides a widget that contains property
search criteria in a drop-down dialog box.
The dialog box can be defined to return
results that match all conditions or any
condition.
SearchResultsDisplayOptions Provides a widget that contains the columns
that are used to display search results. The
search results can be sorted by a property in
descending or ascending order. If the text
search is enabled, the search results can be
sorted by rank in descending order.
SearchSelector Provides a widget that contains a tree or
drop-down list that is used to select a search
template.
SearchTab Provides a widget that contains a
SearchForm widget and a ContentList widget
with the widget events wired together.
SearchTabContainer Provides a widget that contains and controls
the search tabs that are open.
TextSearchOptions Provides a widget that is used to enter text
search options in an IBM FileNet P8
repository. The search options include the
text search operator that is to be used. Users
can show or hide the text search section to
enable or disable the text search feature.

Teamspace and user widgets

These widgets support the definition of teamspaces and the selection of users.
Table 22. Widgets that are used to define teamspaces and select users
Widget class Description
TeamList Provides a widget that displays a list of the
users and groups that are assigned to a
teamspace.
UserGroupSelector Provides a widget that is used to select a
user or group. This widget can be configured
to display both users and groups or only
users. The widget can also be configured to
support multiple selections or only single
selections.
UserGroupSelectorPane Provides a pane that is used by the
_PropertiesMixin class to select users or
groups for assigning property value. The
widget can be configured to display voting
approval properties for Entry Template
workflows.

60 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
User interface widgets

These widgets provide common user interface components.

Table 23. Widgets that are used to define common user interface components
Widget class Description
_HoverHelpMixin Provides a base class for creating and
displaying hover help in the user interface.
_MoveUpDownMixin Provides a base class for a widget that is
used to move items up or down in a list.
_PropertiesMixin Provides a base class that contains methods
for working with property metadata. This
class provides a function is used to create
form fields for the properties and to hold the
values in a private array variable.
_RepositoryDepWidgetBase Provides a base class for all widgets that
change based on the repository that is being
used. This class provides common properties
and connections for the widgets that inherit
from it. For example, this class is used for a
widget that must load a different toolbar
based on whether the user is using an IBM
FileNet Content Manager repository or an
IBM Content Manager repository.
_SecurityMixin Provides a base class that contains methods
for working with IBM FileNet P8 security
data.
_TilesListItemFactory Provides a class that is used to generate
entries for the ecm.widget.TilesList widget.
ActionMenu Provides a widget that is used as a context
menu.
Banner Provides a banner that is displayed in the
user interface for an IBM Content Navigator
application.
BookmarkPane Provides a widget that is provides a
URL-addressable page that can display a
bookmarked folder. The URL for the page
can be created from the View Link action or
the Email as Link action for a folder.
Breadcrumb Provides a widget that displays the position
of a user in the IBM Content Navigator
application.
Button Provides a widget that is used as a button in
the user interface.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.Button class to provide hover
help for the button.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 61

 Table 23. Widgets that are used to define common user interface components (continued)
Widget class Description
CheckBox Provides a check box that can be used to
select several values for the same property.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.CheckBox class to provide hover
help for the check box.
ComboBox Provides a widget that displays a
combination box that consists of a field and a
drop-down list. The user can select a value
from the list or type a value in the field. The
value in the field does not need to match a
value in the list.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.ComboBox class to provide hover
help for the combination box.
CompositeButton This widget provides a button that can be
configured to display a button icon on the
left of the container, a button title in the
middle, or an action button icon on the right.
This button is used by the SecurityPane
widget to display item security entries.
DatePicker Provides a widget that is used to select a
date. This class extends the
idx.form.DatePicker class to provide
additional formatting patterns.
DesktopPane Provides a widget that is used to display a
desktop.
DropDownDialog Provides a widget that is used to display a
drop-down list.
DropDownInput Provides a widget that combines a
drop-down list and a field. A user can enter
a value in the field or select a value from the
drop-down list.
DropDownLink Provides a widget that contains a link with a
drop-down menu and summary.
Ellipsis Provides a widget that displays an ellipsis
(...) to indicate that data is truncated so the
user is not seeing all the values. The widget
can be configured to truncate data on the left
or on the right. By default, data is truncated
on the right.
FavoritesTree Provides a widget that contains a tree that is
used to display the user’s favorites.

62 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Table 23. Widgets that are used to define common user interface components (continued)
Widget class Description
FilteringSelect Provides a combination box that consists of a
drop-down list and a field. The user can
select a value from the list or type a value in
the field. The list is filtered to display values
that begin with the value entered in the field.
A valid entry must match completely a value
from the list.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.FilteringSelect class to support
hover help.
FilterTextBox Provides a widget that is used to filter the
input in a text box.
GlobalToolbar Provides a widget that is used as a global
toolbar for an IBM Content Navigator
application.
HoverHelp Provides a widget that is used to display the
question mark icon that links to help in the
user interface.
HoverHelpText Provides a widget that is used to display
hover help and text in a grid cell in the user
interface.
InbasketContainer Provides a widget that is used to display the
in-baskets that are associated with an IBM
FileNet Process Engine role. Each in-basket is
displayed in a ContentList widget that is
contained in the InbasketTabContainer
widget.
InbasketFilterContainer Provides a widget that is used to display the
query filters that are specified on the
in-basket content. The filters can be used to
refine the query for the items that are
displayed in the in-basket.
InbasketFiltersPane Provides a widget that is used to display the
Filter and Reset buttons for working with the
in-basket filters. In addition, this widget
displays the number of filters that are
currently in effect.
LoginPane Provides a widget that is used to log in to a
content management server. This widget
prompts the user for credentials to
authenticate to the server.
MessageBar Provides a widget that is used as a message
bar in an IBM Content Navigator application.
MultiColumnList Provides a simple multiple-column list that is
used to select items.
MultiValueChoicePane Provides a widget that is used to select
multiple values from a choice list. This
widget is used for IBM FileNet Content
Manager repositories.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 63

 Table 23. Widgets that are used to define common user interface components (continued)
Widget class Description
MultiValueInputPane Provides a widget that is used to enter
multiple values. This widget is used for IBM
FileNet Content Manager repositories.
NumberTextBox Provides a widget that contains a text box
that is used to enter a numeric value.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.NumberTextBox class to support
hover help.
RadioButton Provides a widget that contains a set of
choices from which only one can be selected.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.RadioButton class to support
hover help.
RangeBoundTextBox Provides a widget that contains a text box for
which a range of valid values is specified.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.RangeBoundTextBox class to
support range checking for large exponents.
ReferenceAttributeButton Provides a widget that is used as a button to
display a the object identified by a reference
attribute in an IBM Content Manager
repository.
RepositorySelector Provides a widget that is used to select a
repository.
Select Provides a widget that is used as a button
that displays a drop-down list when it is
clicked.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.DropDownButton to provide hover
help for the button.
SelectObject Provides a widget that is used to select a
repository object by entering a query.
ShowHyperlinkPane Provides a widget that is used to display the
hyperlink for a document or folder.
SingleSelectTree Provides a widget that contains a tree in
which the user can select one node in the
tree at a time.
SingleValueTreePane Provides a widget that contains a tree in
which the user can select one value at a time.
This widget is used for IBM FileNet Content
Manager object stores.

64 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Table 23. Widgets that are used to define common user interface components (continued)
Widget class Description
SloshBucket Provides a widget that is used to pick a
subset of unique items from a larger set of
items.

The widget contains two single column lists.

One list contains the available items and the
other list contains the selected items. The
Add button and a Remove button that are
used to move items from one list to the other
appear between the columns. Optionally, the
widget includes an Up button and a Down
button that are used to order the selected
items.
StateSelect Provides a widget that contains a drop-down
selection box. This class extends the Dojo
dijit.form.Select class to support options
that can be set programmatically for the
selection box, but that are hidden from users.
TextBox Provides a widget that contains a text box.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.TextBox class to provide hover
help for the text box.
TilesList Provides a widget that displays content in a
tiles list view, which is similar to the tiles
view in Microsoft Windows Explorer. In IBM
Content Navigator, this widget lists of
teamspaces and teamspace templates;
however, it can be used to display any type
of content.
TilesListItem Provides a widget that contains a single row
item that is displayed in the TilesList widget.
TimePicker Provides a widget that is used to select a
time.

This class extends the idx.form.TimePicker

class to provide additional formatting
patterns.
TitlePane Provides a widget that contains a content box
with a title. This widget can be opened or
collapsed.

This class extends the idx.layout.TitlePane

class to provide hover help for the widget.
TreeDndSource Provides a widget that contains a tree that is
used to navigate the folders in a repository.
This widget extends the Dojo
dijit.tree.dndSource class to prevent users
from using the drag-and-drop feature to
move the More node. (The More node is
shown in a tree when more results exist. The
additional results are displayed with the user
clicks this node.)

IBM Content Navigator API reference 65

 Table 23. Widgets that are used to define common user interface components (continued)
Widget class Description
TreeSelector Provides a widget that contains a tree that is
used to navigate the folders in a repository.
This widget allows users to select multiple
folders, but it does not allow them to select
nodes with no item value.
TreeSloshBucket Provides a widget that contains a slosh
bucket that uses a tree to display available
and selected items.
ValidationTextBox Provides a widget that contains a text box in
which the user input is validated against the
specified criterion.

This class extends the Dojo

dijit.form.ValidationTextBox class to add
validation for byte maximum length.

Teamspace widgets

These widgets are used to view and edit teamspaces.

Table 24. Widgets that are used to view and edit teamspaces
Widget class Description
WorkspacePropertiesPane Provides a widget that is used to view or
edit the properties of a teamspace template.
WorkspaceSelector Provides widget that contains either a tree or
a drop-down list that is used to select a
teamspace.

Workflow widgets

These widgets are used to view and edit workflows, work lists, and work items.
Table 25. Widgets that are used to view and edit workflows, work lists, and work items
Widget class Description
ReassignToUserDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to reassign
an IBM FileNet P8 workflow item to another
user.
StartWorkflow Provides a widget that is used to start folders
and documents on a workflow.
SuspendWorkItems Provides a widget that is used to suspend
folders and documents on a workflow.
TrackerHistoryPane Provides a widget that is used to view the
history of an IBM FileNet P8 workflow.
TrackerMilestonesPane Provides a pane that is used to view the
milestones for a tracker.
WorkItemAttachmentsPane Provides a widget that is used to view or
edit work item attachments.
WorkItemPropertiesPane Provides a widget that is used to view or
edit the properties of a work item.

66 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 Table 25. Widgets that are used to view and edit workflows, work lists, and work
items (continued)
Widget class Description
WorklistSelector Provides a widget that contains a tree that is
used to navigate process workflow items.
This widget displays the available work lists,
process roles, and in-baskets for selection.

Administration widgets package

The classes in the ecm.widget.admin package define the widgets that make up the
IBM Content Navigator administration tool. You can use these widgets to
customize the administration user interface.

General widgets

These widgets define the general layout of the administration tool.

Table 26. Widgets that define the general layout of the administration tool
Widget class Description
ActionMenu Provides a context menu that is used in the
IBM Content Navigator administration tool.
AdminGrid Provides a scrollable, tabular grid that is
used to display administration objects.
AdminLoginDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to log in
to a selected repository from the IBM
Content Navigator administration tool.
AdminTabs Provides a container for the IBM Content
Navigator administration tool that has
multiple panes with a tab that corresponds to
each pane.
AdminTree Provides a navigation tree for administration
objects such as desktops, labels, menus,
plug-ins, repositories, settings, and viewer
maps.
IconMappingDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to map
icons to MIME types.
IconStatusDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to edit the
icons that are mapped to the document
states.
NexusAdminPane Provides the administration view for the
application layout. This view is used for
administration and configuration tasks.
ViewerMappingDialog Provides a dialog box to create or edit a
viewer map.

Desktop configuration widgets

These widgets are used to configure the desktops that are available in the web
client.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 67

 Table 27. Widgets that are used to configure desktops
Widget class Description
DesktopAppearance Provides a pane that is used to customize the
appearance of the desktop and to specify
which features users can access from this
desktop.
DesktopMenus Provides a pane that is used to specify the
menus that are to be accessible from a
desktop.
DesktopRepositories Provides a pane that is used to specify the
repositories that are to be accessible from a
desktop.
DesktopWorkflows Provides a pane that is used to specify the
IBM FileNet P8 application spaces that are
displayed in a specific desktop.
TabDesktop Provides a widget that is used to create or
edit a desktop. The widget displays the
desktop properties in a tabbed pane.
TabDesktops Provides a widget that lists all available
desktops. The widget displays the list in a
tabbed pane.

Label configuration widgets

This widget is used to customize labels that are used in the web client.
Table 28. Widgets that are used to customize labels
Widget class Description
TabInterfaceText Provides a widget that is used to customize
the text of labels that are displayed in
specific areas of the web client.

Menu configuration widgets

These widgets are used to configure the context menus and toolbars that are
available in the web client.
Table 29. Widgets that are used to configure menus
Widget class Description
TabMenu Provides a tab that is used to edit a toolbar
or a context menu.
TabMenus Provides a tab that lists the available toolbars
and context menus. This tab is used to select
a toolbar or a menu to edit or copy.

68 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Plug-in configuration widgets

These widgets support configuration of plug-ins.

Table 30. Widgets that are used to configure plug-ins
Widget class Description
PluginConfigurationPane Provides a base class that can be extended to
create a configuration interface for a plug-in.
TabPlugin Provides a tab that is used to add a plug-in
or edit the information for a plug-in.
TabPlugins Provides a tab that shows the available
plug-ins. This tab is used to select a plug-in
to edit or delete.

Repository configuration widgets

These widgets are used to configure the repositories that IBM Content Navigator
connects to.
Table 31. Widgets that are used to configure repositories
Widget class Description
ODCustomPropertiesDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to edit
custom properties for the connection to an
IBM Content Manager OnDemand repository.
RepositoryConfigurationParameters Provides a widget that is used to configure
the properties for a repository.
RepositoryFolders Provides a pane that is used to specify the
properties for repository folders. The pane
also determines the order in which the
folders are displayed when users browse a
repository.
RepositorySearch Provides a pane that is used to configure the
search properties, search operators, and
search results for a repository.
RepositorySystemProperties Provides a pane that is used to specify the
system properties that are displayed for the
documents and folders in a repository.
TabRepositories Provides a tab that shows the available
repositories.
TabRepository Provides a tab that is used to view and
configure a repository. Users use this tab to
edit repository parameters, system properties,
and folders.

Settings widgets

These widgets support general configuration tasks.

Table 32. Widgets that are used to configure settings
Widget class Description
SettingAdminUsers Provides a widget that is used to specify the
users that have administrative privileges.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 69

 Table 32. Widgets that are used to configure settings (continued)
Widget class Description
SettingIconMapping Provides a widget that is used view and edit
the mappings of icons to the MIME types
and states that they represent.
SettingLogging Provides a widget that is used to customize
the logging that is performed by the web
client.
SettingMimeTypeIconMapping Provides a widget that is used to map a list
of MIME types to a predefined icon that is
provided with the web client or to a custom
icon.
SettingOnDemand Provides a widget that is used to configure
the settings that are used by the OnDemand
Web Enablement Kit.
SettingStatusIconMapping Provides a widget that is used to customize
the icons that are displayed next to the
documents, folders, and work items on your
repositories.
TabSettings Provides a widget that contains the widgets
that are used to set values that apply to all of
the desktops in a configuration. The widgets
are displayed in a tabbed pane.

Viewer mapping widgets

These widgets support the mapping of content viewers to specific file types.
Table 33. Widgets that are used to configure viewer mappings
Widget class Description
TabViewer Provides a tab that is used to add or edit a
viewer that is used to open files.
TabViewers Provides a tab that lists the viewers that are
available to open files.

Administration model package

The classes in the ecm.widget.admin.model package provide the model for the user
interface of the IBM Content Navigator administration tool. You can use the
widgets in this package to extend the capabilities of the IBM Content Navigator
administration tool. Alternatively, you can use these widgets to provide a separate
administration user interface that is based on the IBM Content Navigator user
interface.

These widgets define the model for the administration user interface.
Table 34. Widgets that define the model for the administration user interface
Widget class Description
AdminTreeModel Provides a widget that contains a hierarchical
navigation tree for administration objects.

70 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 Table 34. Widgets that define the model for the administration user interface (continued)
Widget class Description
NexusAdminCategoryObject Provides methods that are used to handle
category objects in the IBM Content
Navigator administration tool. These
category objects represent the Desktops,
Repositories, Plugins, Viewer Maps, and
Menus nodes in the main navigation tree in
the administration tool.

The methods behave differently based on the

category. For example, the onClick method
opens a tab and displays the children for the
selected category.
NexusAdminInstanceObject Provides methods that are used to handle
Desktop, Repository, Plugin, Viewer Map,
and Menu objects in the IBM Content
Navigator administration tool.

The methods behave differently based on the

type of object. For example, the
getMenuActions method lists the menu
actions that are available for an object. This
method returns the Edit and Copy actions for
the default Viewer Map object. The method
returns the Edit and Delete actions for a
Repository object.
NexusAdminInterfaceTextObject Represents the general interface text in the
IBM Content Navigator administration tool.
NexusAdminSettingsObject Represents the general settings such as
logging and icon mapping in the IBM
Content Navigator administration tool.

Dialog box widgets package

The ecm.widget.dialog package contains classes that define the dialog boxes that
are used in the IBM Content Navigator web client.

Message dialog boxes

These widgets define dialog boxes that are used to display messages.
Table 35. Widgets that are used to display messages
Widget class Description
ErrorDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to display
an error message that was generated by a
service request.
MessageDialog Provides a dialog box that displays a simple
message to the user.
StatusDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to display
a status message during the processing of a
request to the server.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 71

 Search dialog boxes

These widgets define dialog boxes that support the searching.

Table 36. Widgets that are used to search for items
Widget class Description
ODManageSaveSearchDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to choose
a saved search in an IBM Content Manager
OnDemand repository.
ODSaveSearchDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to edit
saved searches in an IBM Content Manager
OnDemand repository.
SaveSearchDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to create a
saved search for an IBM Content Manager
OnDemand repository.
SearchBuilderDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to add
search templates.
SearchDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to open
and run saved searches.
SearchSelectorDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to select
search templates.

Selection dialog boxes

These widgets define dialog boxes that are used to select objects and users.
Table 37. Widgets that are used to select items
Widget class Description
ContentClassSelectorDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to select
content classes.
SelectObjectDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to search
for and select repository items.
SelectUserGroupDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to select
users and groups.

Work item and workflow dialog boxes

These widgets define dialog boxes that are used with work items and workflows.
Table 38. Widgets that are used with work items and workflows
Widget class Description
ReassignToUserDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to reassign
an IBM FileNet P8 workflow item to another
user.
StartWorkflow Provides a dialog box that is used to start
folders and documents on a workflow.
StepProcessorWindow Provides a mechanism that is used to display
the IBM FileNet Business Process Manager
widget in a separate browser window.
SuspendWorkItems Provides a dialog box that is used to suspend
work items in a workflow.

72 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Table 38. Widgets that are used with work items and workflows (continued)
Widget class Description
WorkflowSubscriptionsDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to suspend
work items in a workflow.
WorkspacePropertiesDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to edit
workspace properties.

Miscellaneous dialog boxes

These widgets define various dialog boxes.

Table 39. Widgets that define dialog boxes
Widget class Description
AboutDialog Provides a dialog box that displays
information about the application such as
version information.
AddAnnotationDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to add
annotations to a document in an IBM
Content Manager OnDemand repository.
AddContentItemDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to add
documents or folders to a repository. Users
can use this dialog box to specify all required
parameters for adding documents or folders.
AddPermissionDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to add
permissions to a document or folder.
AddToFavoritesDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to add a
repository item as a favorite.
AnnotationDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to add and
view annotations for an item in an IBM
Content Manager OnDemand repository.
ApplyRemoveHoldDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to apply
or remove holds on IBM Content Manager
OnDemand documents.
BaseDialog Provides the base dialog box from which all
other ecm.widget.dialog dialog box classes
are derived.
ChangePasswordDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to change
the password on an IBM Content
Managerserver or an IBM Content Manager
OnDemand server.
CheckInDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to check
documents in to a repository.
ConfirmationDialog Provides a dialog box that displays a
question and prompts the user to approve or
cancel the action.
ContentViewerWindow Provides a separate browser window that
displays the ContentViewer widget.
CreateHoldDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to create a
hold on an IBM Content Manager
OnDemand item.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 73

 Table 39. Widgets that define dialog boxes (continued)
Widget class Description
EditPropertiesDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to edit the
properties of documents, folders, and content
items.
LoginDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to log in
to a content server.
MoveFileDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to move a
document or folder from one folder to
another folder.
PrintDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to print
one or more documents.
ShowHyperlinkDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to display
the hyperlink to a folder or the hyperlink to
a specific version of a document.
UnfileDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to remove
a document or a folder from a folder.
YesNoCancelDialog Provides a dialog box that displays a
question and the buttons Yes, No, and
Cancel.

Layout widgets package

The ecm.widget.layout package contains classes that define components of the
web client layout.

These widgets define components of the web client layout.

Table 40. Widgets that define components of the web client layout
Widget class Description
_TabContainerBase Provides the outermost tab container for a
tabbed layout.
AdminPane Provides a pane that is used to display the
administration interface in the layout.
BaseLayout Provides the base class from which all other
layout widgets are derived.
BookmarkActionsHandler Extends the CommonActionsHandler class to
provide additional handlers for actions that
are related to bookmarks.
BookmarkLayout Provides a desktop layout that is used to
display bookmarks.
BrowseFlyoutPane Provides a fly-out pane that is used to
browse folders and documents.
BrowsePane Provides a pane that is used to browse
folders and documents.
CommonActionsHandler Provides the default implementation for
many of the common actions. This class
invokes methods from the ecm.widget.dialog
package and ecm.model package.
FavoritesPane Provides a pane that is used to store and
access the documents, folders, or predefined
searches that a user uses most frequently.

74 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Table 40. Widgets that define components of the web client layout (continued)
Widget class Description
FlyoutMenuContainerChild Provides a container for the fly-out panes
that are used for features.
HorizontalScrollPane Provides a pane that can be scrolled
horizontally.
LaunchBarContainer Provides a vertical bar that displays the
features available in a layout.
LaunchBarDialogPane Provides a widget that is extended for any
pane that is placed in a LaunchBarContainer
fly-out. This pane provides flags and
callbacks that are used by the parent
container to control loading content in the
fly-out and opening panes in the content area
of the LaunchBarContainer widget.
LaunchBarPane Provides a widget that is extended for any
pane that is placed in the content area of the
LaunchBarContainer widget. This class
provides flags and callbacks that are used by
the parent container to control navigation
and content loading.
MainLayout Provides the main layout for IBM Content
Navigator or for similar desktop layouts.
This class displays the launch bar that
contains the features on the left side of the
layout.
ManageTeamspacesPane Provides a widget that displays a list of all
teamspaces and teamspace templates that a
user can access. From the list, a user with
appropriate authority can open, edit, and
delete teamspaces and teamspace templates.
A user with the appropriate authority can
also open the builder to create new templates
and teamspaces from this widget.
NavigatorMainLayout Extends the MainLayout class to provide
additional interactions that are specific to
IBM Content Navigator.
RecentActivityPane Provides a pane that displays information
about the recent activity on items.
SearchFlyoutPane Provides a fly-out pane that contains the
search interface for a layout.
SearchPane Provides a pane that contains the search
interface for a layout.
TeamspaceBuilderPane Provides a pane to display the teamspace
builder in the layout.
TeamspaceFlyoutPane Provides a fly-out pane that is used for the
teamspaces feature in the launch bar.
TeamspacePane Provides a pane that is used to display a
teamspace in the layout.
WorkFlyoutPane Provides a fly-out pane that is used to select
repositories and to navigate IBM Content
Manager worklists and IBM FileNet P8
application spaces.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 75

 Table 40. Widgets that define components of the web client layout (continued)
Widget class Description
WorkPane Provides a pane that contains workflow
navigation components. This pane restricts
repository selection to IBM FileNet P8
repositories with workflow privileges and
IBM Content Manager repositories.

Process widgets package

The ecm.widget.process package contains classes that are used to build custom
launch processors and step processors for an IBM FileNet P8 workflow.

These widgets define launch processors and step processors.

Table 41. Widgets that define launch processors and step processors
Widget class Description
_ProcessorMixin Provides a mixin that defines methods for
working with step processor metadata. This
class creates the IBM FileNet P8 workflow
response buttons. In addition, the class
provides utility functions for working with
filed data.
LaunchProcessorLayout Provides a layout that is used to launch
workflow processes.
MilestonesLayout Provides a layout that is used to display
milestones for an IBM FileNet P8 workflow.
ProcessorLayout Provides the basic layout for IBM FileNet P8
workflow processors.
StepProcessorLayout Provides the basic layout for step processors.
TrackerLayout Provides the basic layout for the IBM FileNet
P8 workflow tracker page. Users can use the
tracker page to monitor the progress of a
running workflow.

Teamspace builder widgets package

The ecm.widget.workspaceBuilder package contains the widgets that create and
edit teamspaces and teamspace templates. In IBM Content Navigator, these
widgets are used for the teamspace builder.

These widgets are used to create a teamspace or teamspace template.

Table 42. Widgets that are used to create teamspaces and teamspace templates
Widget class Description
ClassesPane Provides a widget that is used to specify the
classes that teamspace users can use to add
documents to the repository.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget

defines the Select Classes pane.
EditRoleDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to edit the
name and description for a role.

76 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Table 42. Widgets that are used to create teamspaces and teamspace templates (continued)
Widget class Description
FoldersAndDocsPane Provides a widget that is used to select the
default documents and folders to include in
the teamspace.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget

defines the Include Folders and Documents
pane.
ManageTeamspaceDialog Provides a widget that lists the teamspaces
and teamspace templates that are defined for
a repository.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget

defines the Teamspaces View pane.
Pane Provides the base class from which all
teamspace builder panes are derived.
PropertiesPane Provides a widget that is used to specify
properties for teamspaces and teamspace
templates. For a teamspace, this widget is
used to specify the name, description, and
template. For a teamspace template, this
widget is used to specify the name,
description, and security.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget

defines the Define Teamspace pane and the
Define Teamspace Template pane.
RenameFolderDialog Provides a dialog box that is used to rename
a folder in a teamspace.
RoleSloshBucket Provides a slosh bucket that is used to assign
roles to users in a teamspace.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget is

used in the Select Users pane.
RolesPane Provides a widget that is used to add users
to the teamspace and assign roles to the
users.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget

provides the Select Users pane.
SearchTemplatesPane Provides a widget that is used to select the
searches that will be available to teamspace
users.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget

provides the Select Searches pane.
SelectionToolbar Provides a toolbar that supports selection of
multiple items in teamspace builder.
TeamspaceBuilder Provides the widget that contains the user
interface for teamspace builder.
TeamspaceColumnPropsPane Provides a widget that displays the columns
of information that are returned by a search.
TeamspacePropertiesDialog Provides a widget that is used to edit the
properties of a teamspace.

IBM Content Navigator API reference 77

 Table 42. Widgets that are used to create teamspaces and teamspace templates (continued)
Widget class Description
UsersPane Provides a widget that is used to add users
to the teamspace and to assign roles to these
users.

In IBM Content Navigator, this widget

provides the Select Users pane.
VerticalSloshBucket Provides a vertical slosh bucket that is used
in teamspace builder to add classes or entry
templates, searches, and existing roles to
teamspace templates.

Viewer widgets package

The ecm.widget.viewer package contains classes that are used to view document
content.

These widgets define dialog boxes that are used to view content.
Table 43. Widgets that are used to view content
Widget class Description
AjaxViewer Provides a widget that supports
page-by-page viewing of documents.
ContentViewer Provides a widget that contains tabs in which
individual viewers for documents are
displayed.
ContentViewerPane Provides a widget that supports a single
document viewer. This widget is contained in
the ContentViewer widget.

78 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
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COPYRIGHT LICENSE:

This information contains sample application programs in source language, which

illustrate programming techniques on various operating platforms. You may copy,
modify, and distribute these sample programs in any form without payment to
IBM, for the purposes of developing, using, marketing or distributing application
programs conforming to the application programming interface for the operating
platform for which the sample programs are written. These examples have not
been thoroughly tested under all conditions. IBM, therefore, cannot guarantee or
imply reliability, serviceability, or function of these programs.

80 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
 Portions of this product are:
v Copyright © 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
The Oracle Outside In Technology included herein is subject to a restricted use
license and can only be used in conjunction with this application.
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Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks
of others.

Notices 81
82 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs
Index
A ecm.widget.layout package
class summary 74
J
actions ecm.widget.process package JavaScript API
creating plug-ins for 17 class summary 76 ecm.model package 53
menu actions ecm.widget.viewer package ecm.widget package 57
creating plug-ins for 17 class summary 78 ecm.widget.admin package 67
administration tool widgets ecm.widget.workspaceBuilder package ecm.widget.admin.model 70
desktops 67 class summary 76 ecm.widget.dialog package 71
graphical interface 67 edsPlugin.jar file ecm.widget.layout package 74
labels 67 registering 50 ecm.widget.process package 76
menus 67 external data services ecm.widget.viewer package 78
applications creating 34 ecm.widget.workspaceBuilder
creating features 20 deploying 50 package 76
creating layouts 21 edsPlugin.jar file 50
creating menu actions 17 error responses
creating menus 18
creating plug-in components 16
external data service REST L
protocol 48 label widgets
creating plug-ins 13 object types resource 37 administration tool 67
creating request or response overview 31 layout widgets
filters 22 particular object type resource 39, 48 ecm.widget.layout package 74
creating services 24 POST method 40 layouts
creating viewers 26 registering 50 creating plug-ins for 21
creating widgets 27 request modes 42
developing with IBM Content requirements 34
Navigator 1
development architecture 3
response content 43
REST protocol specifications 36
M
midtier services 5 sample external data service 49 menu widgets
packaging plug-in components 28 sample files 49 administration tool 67
sample applications 7 workflow integration 38 menus
architecture creating plug-ins for 18
development 3 message widgets
midtier services 5 dialog boxes 71
F modeling library
features structure 53
D creating plug-ins for 20
finalExistingObject request mode
desktop widgets
administration tool 67
particular object type resource
finalNewObject request mode
42
O
developing applications particular object type resource 42 object types request
architecture 3 folder widgets error responses 48
midtier services 5 ecm.widget package 57 external data service 37
dialog box widgets GET method 37
messages 71 GET method example 39
searches 71 response content 43
selection 71 G
work items 71 graphical interface widgets
workflows 71
document widgets
administration tool 67
P
particular object type resource
ecm.widget package 57
example 48
I external data service 39
IBM Content Navigator POST method 40
E developing applications 1 plug-in components
ecm.model package initialExistingObject request mode creating 16
structure 53 particular object type resource 42 features 20
ecm.widget package initialNewObject request mode layouts 21
class summary 57 particular object type resource 42 menu actions 17
ecm.widget.admin package inProgressChanges request mode menus 18
class summary 67 particular object type resource 42 packaging 28
ecm.widget.admin.model request or response filters 22
class summary 70 services 24
ecm.widget.dialog package viewers 26
class summary 71 widgets 27

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2012 83

plug-ins visual widget library (continued)
creating 13 teamspace builder widgets
POST method package 76
particular object type resource 40 viewer widgets package 78
process widgets widgets package 57
ecm.widget.process package 76

W
R widgets
request filters administration model widget
creating plug-ins for 22 classes 70
request modes administration widget classes 67
finalExistingObject 42 creating plug-ins for 27
finalNewObject 42 dialog box widget classes 71
initialExistingObject 42 documents 57
initialNewObject 42 folders 57
inProgressChanges 42 layout widget classes 74
requestMode parameter process widget classes 76
particular object type resource 42 searches 57
response filters teamspace builder widget classes 76
creating plug-ins for 22 teamspaces 57
users 57
viewer widget classes 78
S widget classes 57
workflows 57
sample applications
work item widgets
customizing 7
dialog boxes 71
sample external data service
workflow widgets
customizing choice lists 31
dialog boxes 71
search widgets
ecm.widget package 57
dialog boxes 71
ecm.widget package 57
selection widgets
dialog boxes 71
services
creating plug-ins for 24

T
teamspace builder widgets
ecm.widget.workspaceBuilder
package 76
teamspace widgets
ecm.widget package 57

U
URLs
creating for IBM Content
Navigator 9
user interface widgets
ecm.widget package 57
user widgets
ecm.widget package 57

V
viewers
creating plug-ins for 26
visual widget library
administration model widgets
package 70
administration widgets package 67
dialog box widgets package 71
layout widgets package 74
process widgets package 76

84 IBM Content Navigator: Developing Applications with IBM Content Navigator APIs



Product Number: 1234-SS1

SC19-3716-00