Re: 3 things from MVC list.

Folks:

The proposed project will rock. Yes, killer applications will pay the bill
and keep Java developers very cost effective on best-of-breed deliverables.

For container managed authentication, please leverage on Tomcat5 efforts,
via JAAS plugins to be in compliance with JSR 115 (Java Authorization
Contract for Containers).

BaTien

----- Original Message -----
From: "Vic Cekvenich" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 7:18 PM
Subject: [MVC-Programmers] 3 things from MVC list.


> Thanks,
> Vic
>
> ps:
>
> I would like to propose a project for the incubator.
>
> Background
>
> Scope: basicPortal.sf.net, is a portal vertical applications suite, or a
> portal web application containing a set of frequently used vertical
> business applications that you install from setup.exe.
> It use Jakarta many sub projects, it’s main verticals are CMS and
> Community building.
> It is not a framework, but actual solutions to business problems/needs.
> It’s based on Struts tiles, but includes Tomcat, a PostgreSQL  (which
> has a liberal license) DB, in which XML content is stored as a varchar
> filed in a db, and it is rendered via JSTL x:transform tag. One of it’s
> goals it to be able to run J:Meter right out of the box to find out how
> many transactions it can support. Also, it is being ported to Commons
> SQL for DAO.
> The goal of it’s UI is something like “my.netscape.com” where you can
> move verticals around (some verticals like carigslist.com) so an admin
> can assign a suite for a “role” (based on JDBC Realms).
>
> The problem so far has been to write sample apps for a Jakarta project,
> for example Master Detail processing of users in Struts, or JDBC Relms
> in Tomcat. This suite provides a place where a project can be plugged in.
>
> It is similar to JetSpeed, but based on Struts and JSTL. It is similar
> to Forest and Caccon, one day jakarta web site could have it’s XML moved
> to something like basicPortal and have it be a dynamic content with RSS
> feeds, and approval, etc.
> I believe JetSpeed can get better with some competition; Jakarta has a
> tradition of similar systems, such as Velocity, Turbine and Struts.
>
> I think it should be in incubator and become a Jakarta project one day
> as a show case of what a business user can do with Jakarta. Most
> projects now are framework type for developers.
>
> Community and Developers: It could use a better community and more
> involvement.
> It’s developers list
> https://sourceforge.net/project/memberlist.php?group_id=55539
> but I did most of the development.
> I have several commercial sites that use it, and baseBeans.com is
> running it.
> I have mailing list, that is not specific to basicPortal at
> http://www.basebeans.net:8080/mailman/listinfo/mvc-programmers
> It is as popular or more than OJB/Tapestry, the latest 2 projects.
> BasicPortal will work more on building a community before and after
> acceptance, as is required by the Subproject proposal page. (“understand
> what it means to build a community”). One developer is using Nullsoft
> Open source setup to make a setup.
> It is already packaged as org.apache.xyz
>
>
> Alignment: It  also does try to demonstrate some of the good practices
> designs in developing an application that uses Tomcat, Struts, JSTL, SQL
> Commons, DBCP, J:meter, and any other Jakarta project, that could be
> used. I realy think some projects could build a demo app, since Tomcat
> and working PostgreSQL will be provided to basicPortal.
> It’s an application that was developed using KISS, everything in it is
> simple code that is very teachable, and each pieces is simple.
>
> Some of the features:
> - New content can be approved (in a multi row update, so you can check a
> lot of content at once) before it is available.
> - Wiki style, non approved comments on any page (from a comments db table)
> - RSS based feed (digester based-into content table)
> - Tomcat based declarative users security of JDBC realms (a users table,
> each role has it’s module actions)
> - Modules for Contact Management (user table), Task tracking, E-mail web
> client, Store, Auction, Bloeger.
> - It allows for people to upload an image into a DB (as BLOB) and
> display it from a JSP (via a servlet link)
>
>
> Like I said it is simple, combined systems to make a useful application.
> For example, anyone can write a user maintenance web module, basicPortal
> uses it for JDBC Realms, so in Struts in order to long in you need to be
> a user.
>
> CMS: users enter an XML record in a XML field in DB. Simple. But since
> it is DB, it can be flagged a approved, and rendered to another HTML
> filed in same table.
>
> Ad sub system uses GIF images stored in a DB. When user is browsing
> certain content, we can find out ads with similar metatags and display
> it. (as well as measuer click troughs via count++;)
>
> The entire application is tile (Sturts tiles action, vs Struts action)
> based, so that users in the Relm of admin, can move tiles around similar
> to my.netscape.com to change the look and feel for the group.
>
> Other modules are even simpler.
>
> The foundation of application is Struts Tiles Action (MVC), so as above,
> it can have several different presentations.
> It can also have several different DB layers, such as RowSet or
> SQL-Commons. Other can be added by implementing a simple DAO interface.
> (we did not do OJB or JDO yet since they tend to be more heavyweight).
>
> The system comes with PostGreSQL DB and can alternatively be installed
> via Setup.exe, since it is an application useful for business (as
> opposed to a framework like Struts that is used by a programmer).
>
> Upon installation, once can immediately run J:Meter on it, to find out
> how quickly the master/detail processing would happen in your
> environment. It is popular to have performance of a system (and you can
> change your layers here).
>
> And if I can say useful again, J:Meter is cool and so is DBCP, but when
> combined and we code a simple master/detail processing, now that is
> greater than the sum of the parts.
>
> Other Jakarta projects might want to demo a sample of it’s features, and
> basicPortal could provide the rest, for example it’s working and
> updateable beans.
>
>
> And I think we should move past the Apache HTTP static web server.
> Apache is not as powerful as a DB based Java CMS, such as basicPortal.
> Also…. If you are old enough to remember the days of Shareware, things
> like Sidekick. I miss those days, when you could develop an application
> (not a framework) and offer it to the community. I hope for an explosion
> of web applications/share ware, free ware similar to basicPortal
setup.exe.
>
> Orphaned and Inexperience, etc: basicPortal is not. It has more
> production sites (non-compete) than Jetspeed, etc. Development on
> basicPortal has gone on for more than 6 months.
>
> It has plenty of ties to Apache products, except where there are none.
>
> Lastly, every now and then, there are talented people between the gigs.
> System programming is cool, but if we can write a killer bus. app., that
> can pay the bills.
>
> BasicPortal is Apache license already. It does use JasperReports for
> repotting (Apache license) and PostgreSQL, both of which are non-Jakrta,
> and it comes out of the box with Eclipse, like Jboss. So you get a full
> environment for the download.
>
> It will also cross over to xml.apache, for Soap and Forest features to
> make dynamic db.
>
> BasicPortal can be named something else (Jasic? for Jakarta Basic ), or
> have logos, or some other infrastructure. It’s future, as always,
> depends on the kind souls that implement features like to see. So I am
> all for Meritocracy. I would not mind at all if someone with more
> Jakarta background decided to guide it some.
>
> Summary:
>
> basicPortal leverages a combination of Jakarta projects to solve
> business problems, and shows some ways of writing a CMS/Community
> project for high performance sites via dynamic and not static content,
> as well as commonly needed verticals. 80% of projects need for example
> container based authentication and a way to manage users/roles. So start
> with something that works and just do the missing parts.
> It is always in the top 10% of sf.net and has about 1,600 downloads per
> month.
> I would like to re-package the screens/src and place on Jakarta, if you
> like the idea.
>
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