Extending the Administration Console

Setting Up a Development Environment

BEA provides all of the JSP tag libraries, schemas, and base Java classes that you need to develop a console extension. Because an Administration Console extension is a collection of XML files, Java classes, JSPs, and other standard Web-related resources, you can use any text editor or Integrated Development Environment to develop your extension.

The following sections describe setting up an environment for developing Administration Console extensions:

Set Up the Classpath (Optional)

If you are creating Apache Struts classes or Beehive Page Flow classes for your extension, you need a set of Apache classes in your classpath. If you are adding nodes to the NavTreePortlet, you need a set of BEA classes.

To add these classes to your classpath, run the following script:
WL_HOME\server\bin\setWLSEnv.cmd (or setWLSEnv.sh)
where WL_HOME is the directory in which you installed WebLogic Server.

Instead of using BEA's script, you can add the following JAR files to your environment's classpath, all of which are in the WL_HOME/server/lib/consoleapp/webapp/WEB-INF/lib directory:

beehive-netui-tags-template.jar
beehive-netui-tags-html.jar
beehive-netui-scoping.jar
console.jar
controls.jar
netuix_taglib.jar
netuix_servlet.jar
struts.jar

Import Tag Libraries Into IDEs (Optional)

If you are using BEA's JSP templates to create JSPs in your extension, you must use JSP tags from the JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL), the BEA Administration Console Extension Tag Library, and the Apache Beehive Page Flows Tag Library.

The WebLogic Server runtime environment already provides these tag libraries. For development support, add the following tag libraries to your development environment:
WL_HOME/server/lib/consoleapp/webapp/WEB-INF/beehive-netui-tags-html.tldWL_HOME/server/lib/consoleapp/webapp/WEB-INF/fmt.tldWL_HOME/server/lib/consoleapp/webapp/WEB-INF/console-html.tld

Create a Directory Tree for the Extension

An Administration Console extension is a portion of a Web application and its resources must be organized into a directory structure that satisfies the requirements for standard J2EE Web applications. In addition, the WebLogic Portal framework, Apache Struts, and Apache Beehive require configuration files to be in specific locations.

To start working on your Administration Console extension, create a directory tree that matches the skeletal structure in Table 3-1.

Table 3-1 Directory Tree for an Administration Console Extension

Directory	Description
`root-dir`	The root directory of your extension. BEA recommends that you do not create files in this directory. The name of the directory has no programmatic significance. Choose a name that is meaningful to you. When specifying URIs in your extension, the "`/`" (forward slash) character by itself represents this root directory.
`root-dir/WEB-INF`	This directory must contain a file named `netuix-extension.xml`. This XML file functions as your extension's deployment descriptor. If you use Apache Struts, you must locate your Struts configuration file in this directory.
`root-dir/WEB-INF/classes`	If your extension uses a message bundle, your properties files must be in this directory. If your extension uses custom classes, your package structure must start in this directory. For example, if you packaged your class files in a package named `com.mycompany.extension`, then create the following directory structure in the `classes` directory: `com/mycompany/extension`. Then save your compiled class files in this `extension` directory.
(optional) `root-dir/WEB-INF/src`	If your extension uses custom classes, BEA recommends that you save your pre-compiled Java source files in a package structure that starts in this directory. When you archive your extension, you do not include this `src` directory.
(recommended) `root-dir/ext_jsp`	BEA recommends that you save all of your extension's JSP files below a directory named `ext_jsp`. Creating a separate directory for your JSPs shields content developers from needing to learn about other support files such as the Portal framework XML files. If your extension contains many JSPs, consider creating subdirectories below `ext_jsp`. If you follow this recommendation, URIs for your JSPs will start with `/ext_jsp`. For example, `/ext_jsp/myContent.jsp` The directory named `root-dir/jsp` is reserved. The root directory of your extension must not contain a directory named jsp.
(recommended) `root-dir/controls`	BEA recommends that you save all of your extension's portal include files (`.pinc`) below a directory named `controls`. If your extension contains many books or pages, consider creating subdirectories below `controls`. If you follow this recommendation, URIs for your books or pages will start with `/controls`. For example, `/controls/myBook.pinc`
(recommended) `root-dir/portlets`	BEA recommends that you save all of your extension's portlet files (`.portlet`) below a directory named `portlets`. If your extension contains many portlets, consider creating subdirectories below `portlets`. If you follow this recommendation, URIs for your portlets will start with `/portlets`. For example, `/portlets/myContent.portlet`

If you are extending the Administration Console's Look and Feel, your root directory will contain additional subdirectories. See Copy and Modify the Sample Look and Feel: Main Steps.

Deploy a Development Look and Feel to See UI Control Labels

WebLogic Server provides a Look and Feel that reveals the labels of the Administration Console's extension points. You use these labels to specify where you want your extension to display.

Note: If you plan only to create a Look and Feel extension or add a portlet to the desktop, you do not need to deploy the development Look and Feel.

To use this Look and Feel:

Download the Look and Feel archive from the Code Samples section of the dev2dev Web site.

The archive is distributed in a Code Samples project named Console Extension Developer Look and Feel (code-sample ID S118) and is available at the following URL:
https://codesamples.projects.dev2dev.bea.com/servlets/Scarab?id=S118

From the archive that you download, extract the devlaf-1.0.jar file and save it in domain-root/console-ext
where domain-root is the root directory of any WebLogic Server domain in your development environment.

Restart the domain's Administration Server.

Each labeled control displays the value of its definitionLabel in brackets ([]) next to its user-visible title. In a separate pair of brackets, the control displays whether it is a book or a page. See Figure 3-1.

Figure 3-1 A Control Label in the Administration Console User Interface

A Control Label in the Administration Console User Interface