WebLogic Server requires a manifest file (MANIFEST.mf) for your exploded archive. The manifest includes information about the customizations shared library contained in the exploded archive including the entries listed in Table 8-1.

For more information on JAR manifests, see the Java documentation at https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/21/docs/specs/jar/jar.html#jar-manifest.

To create a MANIFEST.mf file for your exploded archive:

1. Start NetBeans IDE.

2. Select the Files tab.

3. Expand the project directory to view the myproject/web/META-INF/ directory where myproject is the previously created project directory.

4. Right-click the META-INF folder and select New.

5. Select Other.

6. Under Categories, select Other.

7. Under File Types, select Empty File.

8. Click Next.

9. In the File Name field, enter MANIFEST.MF.

10. Click Finish.

    The MANIFEST.MF file is shown in the NetBeans IDE text editor.

11. Create your manifest file with the entries shown in Table 8-1. A sample manifest file is shown in Example 8-1.

    Note:

    Oracle recommends you use Specification-Title and Extension-Name values clearly identifying your shared library as a development version.

12. Click File, then Save.

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Built-By: Oracle
Specification-Title: BillingCareSDKDevelopment
Specification-Version: 1.0
Implementation-Title: Custom SDK WAR file for Billing Care
Implementation-Version: 1.0
Implementation-Vendor: Oracle
Extension-Name: BillingCareSDKDevelopment

Create a new Billing Care deployment plan that includes your customizations shared library. The deployment plan includes an entry for your customizations shared library referencing the exploded archive NetBeans IDE project. When the Billing Care application starts, the exploded archive contents are also loaded providing access to your customizations.

See "Deployment Plans" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Developing Applications for Oracle WebLogic Serverfor more information on deployment plans.

To create a new deployment plan:

1. Start NetBeans IDE.

2. Select the Files tab.

3. Right-click the myproject folder and select New.

4. Select Other.

5. Under Categories, select Other.

6. Under File Types, select Empty File.

7. Click Next.

8. In the File Name field, enter a name for your deployment plan with an .xml extension. For example:

   billingCareSDKDeploymentPlan.xml

9. Click Finish.

   The deployment plan is shown in the NetBeans IDE text editor.

10. Create your deployment plan using the sample shown in Example 8-2.

    Note:

    Use the same string in the Custom-LibraryName element in your deployment plan as the Extension-Name parameter in the MANIFEST.MF file you previously created. For example, the string in the sample files provided is:

    BillingCareSDKDevelopment

11. Click File, then Save.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<deployment-plan xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/weblogic/deployment-plan" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://xmlns.oracle.com/weblogic/deployment-plan http://xmlns.oracle.com/weblogic/deployment-plan/1.0/deployment-plan.xsd" global-variables="false">
   <application-name>BillingCare.war</application-name>
   <variable-definition>
      <variable>
         <name>Custom-ImplementationVersion</name>
         <value xsi:nil="false">1.0</value>
      </variable>
      <variable>
         <name>Custom-SpecificationVersion</name>
         <value xsi:nil="false">1.0</value>
      </variable>
      <variable>
         <name>Custom-LibraryName</name>
         <value xsi:nil="false">BillingCareSDKDevelopment</value>
      </variable>
      <variable>
         <name>Custom-ExactMatch</name>
         <value xsi:nil="false">true</value>
      </variable>
      <variable>
         <name>Custom-ContextPath</name>
         <value />
      </variable>
   </variable-definition>
   <module-override>
      <module-name>BillingCare.war</module-name>
      <module-type>war</module-type>
      <module-descriptor external="true">
         <root-element>weblogic-web-app</root-element>
         <uri>WEB-INF/weblogic.xml</uri>
         <variable-assignment>
            <name>Custom-LibraryName</name>
            <xpath>/weblogic-web-app/library-ref/library-name</xpath>
         </variable-assignment>
      </module-descriptor>
   </module-override>
</deployment-plan>

After creating your manifest file and new deployment plan for Billing Care, deploy the exploded archive shared library to your Billing Care domain.

To deploy your shared library to your Billing Care domain:

1. Log in to WebLogic Server Remote Console.

2. Click Monitoring Tree, then Deployments, and then Application Management.

   A page with a list of installed Java EE applications and standalone application modules appears.

3. Select the BillingCare deployment.

4. Click Stop and then Force Stop Now to stop Billing Care.

5. Click Edit tree, then Deployments, and then Libraries.

6. Click +New.

7. Enter the Name using the same string used in the Custom-LibraryName element in the deployment plan, and the Extension-Name parameter in the MANIFEST.MF file you previously created.

   For example, the string in the sample files provided is:

   BillingCareSDKDevelopment

8. In Targets, select AdminServer and move it to the Chosen section.

9. In Source field, click the upload option and upload the .war file.

10. Click +Create.

11. Once the changes are applied, go to the shopping cart, and then click Commit Changes.

After deploying the exploded archive as a customizations shared library, redeploy Billing Care using the new deployment plan created in "Creating a New Deployment Plan for Billing Care with your Shared Library". Redeploying Billing Care using the new deployment plan configures Billing Care to use the exploded archive customizations shared library in your NetBeans IDE project and restarts Billing Care.

After successful deployment, customize Billing Care by editing the configuration files in the NetBeans IDE project.

To redeploy Billing Care:

1. Log in to WebLogic Server Remote Console.

2. Click Monitoring Tree, then Deployments, and then Application Management.

   A page with a list of installed Java EE applications and standalone application modules appears.

3. In the table, select BillingCare.

4. Click Update/Redeploy and do one of the following:

   • If your updated deployment plan is located on the server containing WebLogic Server, select Update Deployment Plan on Server and enter the location of the file in the Plan Path field.

   • If your updated deployment plan is located on your local machine, select Update Deployment Plan on Local Machine and click Choose File
     
     to browse to the file or enter the file name in the Plan field.

5. Enter (or browse to) the location of your new deployment plan (for example, the myproject folder), and select the new deployment plan.

6. Click Done.

7. Select BillingCare, then click Start, and then select Servicing all requests.

8. Ensure that BillingCare is set to Active.