Developing and Deploying a Java User Inbox

Developing a custom Java User Inbox involves customizing the user interface and using the Process Java APIs to perform the step operations, such as logging in and establishing a session, querying queues for Step elements, updating parameters, etc. You can build a Java User Inbox using your own graphics (gifs, jpegs, etc.) and Swing UI components and controls in your IDE (e.g., JBuilder, etc.). Note that all User Inboxes, whether HTML or Java, must at a minimum, perform certain basic operations. For information on these basic operations, see the Basic User Inbox Operations topic.

Subtopics include:

Customizing a Java User Inbox

The following table provides a summary description of general guidelines that summarize some, but not all, of the various ways that you can customize a User Inbox as a Java applet.

Customize

Changes

Description

User Interface Customize the basic appearance and page layout of the User Inbox. Modify colors, logos, graphics, fonts, and banners to fit your company's "look and feel".

Using your IDE (such as JBuilder, etc.) or text editor, using you can develop your own Java User Inbox user interface, using your organization's graphics, etc. Similarly, you can modify the page layout and structure in your IDE.

  Add new User Controls, modify existing Controls, or hide existing Controls.

To add new User controls, modify, or hide existing controls, you may use standard Java Swing controls (e.g., JButton, etc.), or your own Swing-based or AWT-based controls, or you can mix and match as you wish.

Building the Java User Inbox Create the User Inbox using a framework that incorporates a custom user interface and integrates Process Engine services.

When building a custom Java User Inbox, the following guidelines apply:

  • Be sure your User Inbox performs, at a minimum, all the basic operations described in the topic, Basic User Inbox Operations.
  • Your new User Inbox will need to use the Process Java APIs to login to the Process Engine and establish a Process session to perform User Inbox runtime operations (for information, see Working with Process Java API Classes). For information on API runtime calling sequences used to query a queue and retrieve Step elements, etc., see Runtime API Relationships.
  • As indicated above, to add new User controls, modify, or hide existing controls for Java User Inboxes, etc., you can use standard Java Swing controls (e.g., JButton, etc.), or your own Swing-based or AWT-based controls, or you can mix and match as you wish.
  • When developing a Java User Inbox, you will need to consider whether to deploy it as an application or an applet. For guidance on which might be most appropriate for your environment, see Developing Custom Java Processors - Applications vs. Applets.

 

Deploying a Java User Inbox

You deploy a custom Java User Inbox in a manner similar to the way you deploy a custom Java Step Processor. For details, see the Deploying Java Applications (Step Processors) topic.