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Best Practices for Customization

The Open Client user interface can easily be customized by specifying colors, graphics, and preference settings consistent with your environment. The Open Client source code can also be modified to meet your application needs, including extending the supplied Data Providers and User Controls to create a fully customized application. If more complex customization is required, developers can leverage the IDM COM objects to write a custom ASP.NET Web application. For more information about customizing the Open Client through the use of COM objects, see Developing with IDM COM Objects in the .NET Environment.

The following sections describe in more detail the available configuration options and points to consider when customizing the Open Client.

Basic Customization

Basic customization of the Open Client can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as through the use of corporate identity style sheets and graphics, or by configuring preferences for the out-of-the-box installation.

Configuring Libraries

The Open Client libraries must be configured on the Web server using the IDM Desktop IDM Configure tool.

Honoring IDM Preferences

The Open Client runs on top of IDM Objects, and preferences honored by the foundation IDM Objects are also honored by the Open Client. However, while most ActiveX client preferences are not supported in Open Client 3.3 and earlier, an increasing subset will be supported in future releases. For a detailed list of supported preferences, see the Help for Open Client Administrators.

Setting Open Client Preferences

The Open Client supports a preference data provider, which has a structure similar to the IDM Preference Objects, but the preferences are stored in an XML file, rather than in the registry. This significantly simplifies the installation and upgrade procedures. The Data Provider allows for simple installation and upgrade procedures. Preferences can be edited using any XML or text editor.

Using Site Preferences

Examples of Open Client 3.3 preferences include the following:

  • Open Client Preferences (Process Integration, Search Directory, Viewer Selection).
  • User Interface Preferences (Folder View, including the number of columns and rows).

For a detailed list of supported site preferences, see the Help for Open Client Administrators.

Advanced Customization

The Open Client is delivered with full source code, including all ASPX pages, User Controls, Data Providers and utilities. Advanced customization of the Open Client can be accomplished by modifying the source code and ASPX pages, or by extending the supplied Data Providers and User Controls to create a custom application.

Suggestions for Customizing

Follow these suggestions when customizing the Open Client:

  • Customize, extend, or add ASPX pages.
  • Do not directly modify the out-of-the-box Data Provider or User Controls.
  • Inherit from existing Data Provider classes and User Controls to build your extensions and your own customized Data Providers and User Controls.
  • Limit your integration points to simplify upgrade procedures.
  • Implement a robust staging and upgrade strategy.

Upgrading a Customized Application

Follow these steps when upgrading a customized Open Client application:

  1. Begin with a clean installation, either Open Client 3.2 or Open Client 3.2 plus Patch X.
    Note: Never directly apply a patch to a production or development environment.
  2. Install Open Client 3.3 or Open Client 3.3 Patch X+n.
  3. Reintegrate all of the customization from your development environment.
  4. Test the new customization.
    This is now your new development environment.
  5. Roll out the installation into the testing environment.
    Repeat Steps 2 and 3. This is now the new testing environment.
  6. Repeat Step 5 to move from the testing to the production environment.