The IBM® FileNet® P8 family of products provides an extensive collection of development and integration tools. This section briefly describes these tools and provides links to more information about them.
The Java™ API is an interface-based API that provides access to the full capabilities of Content Engine. The Java API can be configured to run across either the Enterprise Java Beans (EJB) or Web Services Interoperability (WSI) protocols. When running across the EJB listener, the Java API leverages the full capability of the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) framework to propagate security and transaction context. The Java API also leverage a Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) context, if available.
The Content Engine Java API is installed during Content Engine installation. The API files can be installed anywhere, including a non-Content Engine system.
Documentation for the Content Engine Java API is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation, and includes Java reference documentation and a developer's guide.
The .NET API (which is functionally equivalent to the Java API) provides a Microsoft® .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR)-compliant API for accessing the full capability of Content Engine. The API accepts username and password credentials for authentication. The .NET API works only with the WSI Listener.
The Content Engine .NET API is installed during Content Engine installation. The API files can be installed anywhere, including a non-Content Engine system. Note that the .NET API requires the Microsoft .NET Framework and Web Services Enhancements (WSE). Refer to the IBM FileNet P8 Hardware and Software Requirements document for the latest version requirements of these two components. To download this document from the IBM support page, see Accessing IBM FileNet Documentation.
Documentation for the Content Engine .NET API is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation, and includes .NET reference documentation and a developer's guide.
The Content Java API compatibility layer is a client-side API that allows you to maintain applications written using the 3.5.x Content Java API. The compatibility layer is designed to maximize support for the Content Java 3.5.x API. However, in a few cases, platform technologies diverged too greatly for an interface to be supported.
The Content Java API is provided only as a backward compatibility layer to support preexisting applications, and can be installed during Content Engine installation. While it is possible to install the compatibility layer anywhere, including a non-Content Engine system, the compatibility layer does require the 4.x Content Engine Java API.
Documentation for the compatibility layer is only available as part of a zip file (named FileNet P8 Compatibility Layers for Content Engine APIs Help) on the IBM Information Management support page on www.ibm.com. To download this zip file from the IBM support page, see Accessing IBM FileNet Documentation. The documentation consists of reference help (Javadocs) updated to reflect the compatibility layer, as well as the existing 3.5.x Developer's Guide (not updated for 4.x). For information on upgrading a 3.5.x Content Java API application to run in a 4.x environment, see Upgrade Custom Applications.
The Process Java API provides classes for accessing the workflow definition, administration, configuration, and runtime features of Process Engine. For example, you can use the Process Java API to build a custom step processor, which performs all the operations associated with a step in a workflow.
The Process Java API is installed as part of the typical Application Engine installation; you can also install the API on a non-Application Engine system. For information on setting up your system to develop Process Java API applications, see Configuring the Process Development Environment in the Process Engine Development Help.
Documentation for the Process Java API is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation, and includes API reference documentation and a developer's guide. This documentation also includes reference documentation for the Java Step Processor UI Toolkit beans and interfaces, which are used for the sample Step Processor application's user controls.
The IBM FileNet P8 Platform includes web services for both Content Engine and Process Engine. Both web services are compliant with WS-I Basic Profile 1.0 and WS-Security. Using these web services, you can access most of the same functionality that the Content Engine APIs provide, including all objects and most properties and methods. In addition, you can create and launch workflows as well as perform queue, step, and roster operations. Process Engine also provides process orchestration functionality based on Web Services and BPM standards (BPEL4WS), which you can call from an external client.
Content Engine Web Service and Process Engine Web Service are both installed as part of the typical Content Engine installation. Although these web services are enabled by default, SSL is not. We highly recommend that you use SSL for Web Services in a deployed environment. For more information, see "Set Up Content Engine and Client Transport SSL Security" in the IBM FileNet P8 Platform Installation and Upgrade Guide, available on the IBM documentation web site. To download this document from the IBM support page, see Accessing IBM FileNet Documentation.
Documentation for Content Engine Web Service and Process Engine Web Service is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation. The Content Engine Web Service Help and the Web Service section of the Process Engine Development Help both include reference and conceptual information. Note that the Content Engine Web Service documentation that is installed is for the 4.0 WSDL. Documentation for the 3.5 WSDL is available on the IBM documentation web site.
The IBM FileNet Web Application Toolkit provides an extensible, Model-View-Controller framework of reusable modules for building event-driven, Java™Server Pages (JSP)-based web applications. The Toolkit supplies the behaviors and data structures for authentication, event routing, state information, preferences, localization, and other features of robust and scaleable applications. A number of IBM FileNet applications (such as Workplace) are built using this framework.
NOTE The Web Application Toolkit includes APIs for working with IBM FileNet P8 eForms through the use of the Workplace Application Engine UI Service, eForms commands, and the IBM FileNet P8 Form Data Java API.
The Web Application Toolkit is installed as part of the typical Application Engine installation. For more information, see Overview > Toolkit Resources in the Web Application Toolkit Developer's Guide for descriptions of the resources that are available as part of the toolkit and for information about where the resources are installed.
Documentation for the Web Application Toolkit is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation, and includes API reference documentation and a developer's guide.
IBM FileNet P8 Workplace provides the Application Engine UI Service (formerly named Integration Servlet) to enable custom application developers to leverage reusable Workplace JSP pages with a minimum amount of coding. The Application Engine UI Service allows thin clients to use request-based command and response URLs to communicate with Workplace.
The Workplace Application Engine UI Service is installed as part of the typical Application Engine installation.
Documentation for the AE UI Service is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation, and includes an integration guide.
IBM FileNet Workplace is built using the Web Application Toolkit and provides thin-client web access to content and process management servers. Administrators can customize the out-of-the-box UIs and behaviors of the Workplace application by modifying configuration files to perform such tasks as changing UI labels, redefining actions, filtering classes for Wizard views, or setting Search query criteria.
The Workplace Application and its associated Java API are installed as part of the typical Application Engine installation.
The Application Integration Toolkit enables third-party client applications to integrate with IBM FileNet Workplace by interacting with Workplace Application Integration objects. Win32-based client applications that run on either Microsoft Windows® 2000 or Windows® XP, such as Microsoft® Word and Outlook, can integrate with IBM FileNet Workplace using the Application Integration in-process COM Server components and interfaces contained in the toolkit.
The Application Integration Toolkit is always installed during installation of IBM FileNet Workplace Application Integration. For information about the installation and configuration process, see "Installing the Toolkit" in the Workplace Application Integration Toolkit Developer's Guide.
Documentation for the Application Integration Toolkit is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation, and includes a developer's guide.
The ExpressAddIn is a developer tool that enables two-way communication between a third-party application and the IBM FileNet Application Integration infrastructure. The tool is implemented via COM interfaces and methods, and communication with the Application Integration framework is achieved through the use of an event sink and event handlers. The ExpressAddIn provides developers with a much simpler method for accessing the Application Integration framework than the objects in the Workplace Application Integration Toolkit and offers some features that are not available from the Toolkit, such as document tracking. In addition, the ExpressAddIn coalesces various Application Integration functionality into a single operation, whereas the Toolkit requires that the commands that correspond to that functionality be stacked in order to achieve the same behavior.
The ExpressAddIn is delivered with the Add-In sample application, which demonstrates how to use the ExpressAddIn to integrate a third-party application with the IBM FileNet Application Integration infrastructure. Developers can customize the sample code to rapidly integrate their application into the framework and easily customize an integration to meet their specific needs.
The ExpressAddIn is always installed during installation of IBM FileNet Workplace Application Integration. The Add-In sample application code is installed when the user selects the option to install source code during the Application Integration installation process. For information about the installation and configuration process, see "Using the ExpressAddIn" and "Installing the Add-In Sample Application" in the Workplace Application Integration ExpressAddIn Guide.
Documentation for the Application Integration ExpressAddIn is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation, and includes reference information as well as documentation on using the developer tool.
The Component Integrator provides a mechanism for easily interacting with components (such as Java classes) from a workflow. Adapters provide the ability to interact with different types of components from a workflow step. IBM provides a Java and Java™ Message Service (JMS) adapter for calling Java components and interacting with message queues. You can write custom Java components as well as custom adapters for interacting with other types of components or applications. IBM also provides a Content Engine component (CE_Operations) that includes functions to get and set properties, file and unfile objects from folders, and publish a document.
The Component Integrator is installed as part of the typical Application Engine installation. For information on configuring the Component Integrator, see Configuring the Process Development Environment in the Process Engine Development Help.
Documentation for the Component Integrator is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation. The Process Engine Development Help includes a section, Developing Component Integrator-Based Work Performers, which provides information on the Component Integrator and includes links to other documentation of interest. The documentation also includes API reference documentation for the exposed Content Engine operations that can be called from a running workflow.
The Process Engine COM Bridge (also called the JiGlue COM Bridge) provides a translation layer between the Process Java APIs and COM. The bridge allows COM-based applications--including ASP or ASP.NET-based modules such as those developed using IBM FileNet Web Services and Open Client--to communicate with the Process Engine via Win32 calls that are equivalent to native Java statements.
The Process Engine COM Bridge is installed as part of the typical Application Engine installation.
The Process Engine Development Help is part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation. This documentation contains information about the Process Engine COM Bridge in the Developing with the JiGlue COM Bridge section, and includes information on setting up your system to use the COM bridge. If your COM application needs to retrieve attachments or other documents from a Content Engine file or object store, you will need to use the Content Engine COM API.
The Content Engine COM API compatibility layer is a client-side API that allows you to maintain applications written using the 3.5.x COM API. The compatibility layer is designed to maximize support for the 3.5.x COM API, particularly for those interfaces that are useful to non-administrative applications. However, because of differences in platform technologies, parts of the COM API are not supported.
The Content Engine COM API is provided only as a backward compatibility layer to support preexisting applications, and can be installed during Content Engine installation. While it is possible to install the compatibility layer anywhere, including a non-Content Engine system, the compatibility layer does require the 4.x Content Engine Java API. Note also that the compatibility layer is most frequently installed on a non-Content Engine, client system.
Documentation for the compatibility layer is only available as part of a zip file (named FileNet P8 Compatibility Layers for Content Engine APIs Help) on the IBM Information Management support page on www.ibm.com. To download this zip file from the IBM support page, see Accessing IBM FileNet Documentation. The documentation consists of the COM API help that was available for 3.5.x, with an updated reference section that reflects the compatibility layer. Note that the Guide portion of the help, as well as the Code Examples, have not been updated for 4.x. For information on upgrading a 3.5.x COM API application to run in a 4.x environment, see Upgrade Custom Applications.
IBM FileNet P8 eForms includes both Java and JavaScript APIs for developing applications that enable you to define customized client-side processing for your electronic forms.
The IBM FileNet P8 eForms Java and JavaScript APIs are installed as part of the typical IBM FileNet P8 eForms installation. In addition, you can also install the API on a non-Application Engine system.
Documentation for the IBM FileNet P8 eForms Java and JavaScript APIs is included on the media supplied with the IBM FileNet P8 eForms product, and includes Java and JavaScript reference documentation and a JavaScript Developer's Guide.
Records Manager includes a framework--exposed as a Java API--for developing applications that can securely capture, declare, classify, store, and dispose of both electronic and physical records. The framework also includes Component Integrator components that support declaring records from workflows, as well as a sample Content Engine event script that you can customize to enable event-driven records declaration. For more information, contact your service representative.
The IBM FileNet P8 Platform includes the IBM FileNet P8 Portlets product, a portal integration framework that provides commonly-required content and process functionality within third-party portal products. This framework currently supports both the BEA WebLogic® Portal and IBM WebSphere® Portal environments, and includes portlets that provide end-user functionality such as authoring content, browsing features for accessing content, and providing a view of a user's in-box. For more information, contact your service representative.
The Capture Toolkit provides a framework for building additional functionality into the image acquisition process. The toolkit includes complete documentation and sample source code that uses the IBM FileNet Capture Repository objects and ActiveX controls. You can plug these additional components into the Capture Desktop or Capture Professional application, or you can build a separate, stand-alone application. The toolkit also includes source code for the Capture Desktop application. For more information on Capture products, contact your service representative.
The Image Services Resource Adapter (ISRA) provides a Java API that allows custom applications to query for, update, and retrieve Image Services images. A sample application is also available that demonstrates the capabilities of ISRA. The sample application is bundled as an .ear file in a samples folder on the product media. Refer to the Deployment Guide for your Application Server environment for information on deploying and configuring the sample application. (Note that the sample application is not intended for production use.) For more information on the ISRA product, contact your service representative.
The IBM FileNet System Manager provides a centralized mechanism for collecting and distributing performance data on IBM FileNet products installed at a site, independent of the operating system. The gathered performance data can be made available to industry-standard monitoring and reporting tools, as well as to the out-of-the-box System Manager functions for use at sites that have not standardized on a management console. The System Manager is composed of two major components: a single Listener and one or more Managers. The Listener is a piece of software that receives a stream of events and other performance information from an individual IBM FileNet application, and sends the gathered data to Managers. Managers are client programs that retrieve and process the gathered data, such as storing it, displaying it graphically, or using it to perform other application-specific tasks. Developers can customize the Listener using the APIs described below.
The System Manager is installed as part of the typical Content Engine or Process Engine installation. For information on setting up your system to use a Manager, see the System Manager User's Guide. To download IBM FileNet System Manager Dashboard Help documentation from the IBM support page, see Accessing IBM FileNet Documentation. For information on setting up your system to use a Listener, see the topics under System Manager in the Help for Enterprise-Wide Administration on the IBM FileNet P8 Platform documentation server.
The System Manager User's Guide includes information about installing, configuring, and using the System Manager and its Manager component. This guide is only available on the IBM support page. To download IBM FileNet System Manager Dashboard Help documentation from the IBM support page, see Accessing IBM FileNet Documentation. Topics under System Manager in the Help for Enterprise-Wide Administration discuss how to install, configure, and use the Listener component of the System Manager. This document is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation. In addition to these help resources, documentation also exists for customizing the Listener through the C++ API and the Java API.
The IBM FileNet System Manager Listener C++ API provides C++ programming interfaces for integrating with the Listener. Using the interfaces in this API, an application can create and configure the Listener, listen for events, gather performance data regarding the events and related event attributes, accumulate the data for analysis, and communicate with connected Managers.
The C++ API can be installed from media supplied with the System Manager. For information on installing the C++ API, see the System Manager Listener C++ API Developer's Guide.
Documentation for the C++ API is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation. The System Manager Listener C++ API Developer's Guide includes conceptual and reference information.
The IBM FileNet System Manager Listener Java API provides Java programming interfaces for integrating with the Listener. Using the interfaces in this API, an application can create and configure the Listener, listen for events, gather performance data regarding the events and related event attributes, accumulate the data for analysis, and communicate with connected Managers.
The Listener Java API can be installed from media supplied with the System Manager. For information on installing the API, see the System Manager Listener Java API Developer's Guide.
Documentation for the Java API is installed as part of the IBM FileNet P8 Documentation installation. The System Manager Listener Java API Developer's Guide includes conceptual and reference information.
In addition to the samples provided with the various toolkits and APIs, sample code also is available for download. For more information on how to download the sample code, see Accessing IBM FileNet Documentation.
NOTE The samples are provided as guidelines for your development effort. IBM policies regarding support and backward compatibility do not apply to sample code. IBM reserves the right to alter sample code at any time. Also see "COPYRIGHT LICENSE " in the Notices topic.