XPage Overview

8/8/2019 XPage Overview

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2008 IBM Corporation

A Closer Look at XPages in IBM Lotus DominoDesigner 8.5

Ray ChanAdvisory I/T SpecialistLotus, IBM Software Group


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IBM Software Group | Lotussoftware

IBM Software Group | Lotus software

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Agenda

XPage overview

From palette to properties: Controls, Ajax & Localization

Look and feel: CSS & Themes

Where's the logic? Events, simple actions, JavaScript and more

Measure twice, cut once: Custom controls

It's a wrap


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XPages A Big Leap Forward Visual Web page construction

Advanced U/I controls

Drag and drop development

Instant Application Development

XML markup with source

Full control of HTML

Business logic using JavaScript

Presentation using CSS

Skinning using themes

Leverages existing NSF assets

Web agents, formulas, security,...


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XPages What is it? A new Domino design element

A runtime designed to generate modern Web applications

Pure XML markup, defining:

Controls, data sources, business logic, custom controls

Solves age-old limitations expressed by the Domino community

UI/Data separation, HTML generation control, server state, localization,extensibility

Capable of targeting multiple clients

Highly extensible runtime and design time

Standards-based technology: JSF

Full integrated into Domino Designer 8.5

Visual Design Page, Source Page, Control Palette, Outline View etc


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XPage Prerequisites

Installation and configuration

XPage runtime is installed by default

If doing custom install, make sure its checked

HTTP task must be running

Skills

Knowledge of Domino object model

HTML, CSS, XML and JavaScript are very beneficial but you can

built an application without them

Question = Do I need to learn Java?

Answer = NO!


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XPage Security

XPages use agent security model.

Settings for Xpage application access

XPage signer must have explicit

access to server or select users

listed in all trusted directories.

Other settings which likelyrequire XPage design element

signature to be added

XPage Web user access

Standard Domino Web authentication applies

See Xpage User Guide: Designing with XPages \ Creating XPages \ Signing XPages


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Agenda

XPage overview





It's a wrap


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XPages in Domino Designer 8.5

XPagedesign

element

Controlspalette

Custom Controlspalette

Outline Propertysheets

Scripting & SimpleActions

Optional sourcemode


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XPage Controls

Extensive palette of pre-built controls

All the basic controls and containers

expected for developing Web 2.0 apps

Two categories of controls

Core single entities used in XPage or custom control

Container more complex and contain other controls

Extensible palette of controls

Custom controls

More on that later...


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XPage in 5 min Demo


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Built-In AJAX Support

AJAX partial page refresh

Available on any event

Pre-built on View Pager

AJAX Typeahead

Add behavior to any edit control

Content can be returned through a simpleformula in the page

No need to write a separate service

Dojo is provided as the client side library

Will share some common controls with theclassic Web applications


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Partial Update Demo


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CSS Support

All look and feel is driven by CSS

Enforce consistency between applications

Help solving accessibility issues (Section 508 compliant)

XPages feature global references to CSS files

Style classes and inline styles can be applied per control


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CSS Skinning Themes

Allows an application to pick up a look and feel without touching the actual

application code

Default styles are applied to controls without any explicit style set per

control every property can be set

Skinning can be disabled per application/control

Association between control done through a Theme

Defined at different levels: server or application

Stored in a shared database

Easily customizable by a developer and/or an administrator


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Switch from this


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To This... In seconds, the flexibility and agility of Themes


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Apply Theme Demo


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Application Properties

XPages tab

GZip support

Localization


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Localization Demo


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Agenda

XPage overview





It's a wrap


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Supported Languages JavaScript

On the Client

On the Server Access to back-end classes, @function support

Global objects

Extended API for i18n, XPages data...

Server Side state: application scope, session scope & request scope Simple Actions

Java

Adding a Java class/library to an NSFJavaScript/Java bridge

JSF managed beans Using EL


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XPages Events Model XPages events

Page events

Control EventsData sources events

Computed Properties Data binding

Server side JavaScript Libraries

Validating dataValidation can occur on the client and on the server

The predefined validators

Creating custom validators


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Leveraging Existing Business Logic

Forms

Default Values

Validation Formulas

Views

The query engine

Agents

Calling an agent (LotusScript)


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Custom Controls

Made by assembling existing controls

Behave exactly as native controls

Appear in the Control palette

Define their own set of properties

Hierarchical properties, with custom editors

Editable areas

Can be used

As reusable UI assets (ex: an address control, a toolbar...)

As a way to share some layout (ex: common page layout)

Can be shared through templates (NTF) as any other designelement


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Agenda

XPage overview





It's a wrap


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XPage - Help

Accessed from menu

Two reference guides

F1 for

contextsensitivehelp


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Resources New XPage Tutorial

Use instead of one in publicbetas kits

Will ship with Designer

Learning objectives

Set up and view an applicationcontaining XPage elements

Create an XPage

Add controls to an XPage

Bind data to an Xpage

Add navigation to an Xpage

Create a custom control

Use advanced binding and scripting

No need for server use Designer preview in Web browser

Download new XPage Tutorial here


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Resources Continued

Discussion 8.5

Coming soon to Lotus Greehouse

https://greenhouse.lotus.com

XPages articles and examples

http://www.thenorth.com/northern.nsf/html/XpagesArticle

http://www.jmackey.net/

http://www.lotus911.com/nathan/escape.nsf/d6plinks/NTFN-

7FRG79

Documents

XPage Overview