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Developing Applications for WebSphere Portal 5.1Print Course Information
Learn how to develop WebSphere Portal applications and portlets using IBM Rational Application Developer with this distance learning course. First, learn how to configure Application Developer's portal tools and integrated the Portal Server 5.1 Universal Test Environment (UTE). Then use the wizards to create portal and portlet projects. Learn how to program portlets using both Java and tag libraries. Discover how to make portlets communicate with each other and how to use relational data in portlets. The use of JavaServer Faces and Struts in portlets is also covered. Learn how to create custom themes and skins to customize a portal's appearance and how to integrate Domino applications into a portal.

This course installs as a plug-in to Rational Application Developer. It includes many live demonstrations and student activities you will do right in the Application Developer. Upon completion of this course you will be prepared to take the certification exam to become an IBM Certified Solution Developer - IBM WebSphere Portal V5.1 (Exam 399).

System Requirements
The system requirements for this course are:
  • IBM Rational Developer V6, one of the following editions:
    • IBM Rational Software Architect V6
    • IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software V6
  • Access to the WebSphere Portal 5.1 Installation CDs (or downloaded install images)
  • A current web browser
  • Access to the Internet
Audience and Prerequisites
Experienced Java developers with a basic understanding of Java, J2EE and IBM Rational Application Developer.

The following TLCC courses (or their equivalent) are the suggested prerequisite(s) for this course:
Course Title: Developing Applications for WebSphere Portal 5.1
Units: 16
Duration: 4 classroom equivalent days
Discussion Access: 4 months1

1. Up to 12 months access when purchased as part of a Curriculum Package.


Summary Description
Learn how to develop WebSphere Portal applications and portlets using IBM Rational Application Developer with this distance learning course. First, learn how to configure Application Developer's portal tools and integrated the Portal Server 5.1 Universal Test Environment (UTE). Then use the wizards to create portal and portlet projects. Learn how to program portlets using both Java and tag libraries. Discover how to make portlets communicate with each other and how to use relational data in portlets. The use of JavaServer Faces and Struts in portlets is also covered. Learn how to create custom themes and skins to customize a portal's appearance and how to integrate Domino applications into a portal.
This course includes many live demonstrations and student activities that you do right in the Application Developer. Upon completion of this course you will be prepared to take the certification exam to become an IBM Certified Solution Developer - IBM WebSphere Portal V5.1 (Exam 399).
Audience and Prerequisites
Experienced Java developers with a basic understanding of Java, J2EE and IBM Rational Application Developer. The recommended prerequisite courses are:
  • Introduction to WebSphere using Rational Developer 6
  • Servlet and JSP Programming for WebSphere using Rational Developer 6
System Requirements
The system requirements for this course are:
  • IBM Rational Developer V6, one of the following editions:
    • IBM Rational Software Architect V6
    • IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software V6
  • Access to the WebSphere Portal 5.1 Installation CDs (or downloaded install images)
  • A current web browser
  • Access to the Internet

Course Modules

Module 1 - Introduction to WebSphere Portal
This module will introduce the developer to the concepts of portals. The module will start with an introduction to portals in general and where the IBM WebSphere Portal server fits into this landscape. By the end of this module the developer should have a firm grasp of what a portlet is and how they contribute to the overall portal solution.
  • Understand what a web portal is
  • The roles of portal developers and administrators
  • What are IBM's WebSphere Portal products
  • The architecture of the WebSphere Portal server and portlets
  • Understand how portlets are combined to make up an overall portal interface
Module 2 - Portal and Portlet Tools in Application Developer
In this module you will learn how Application Developer is used to create, test, and debug portals. In this module you will also install the Portal Server 5.1 Universal Test Environment (UTE) and configure Application Developer to use the UTE to test portal and portlet projects.
  • Understand the development environment for portals and portlets in Application Developer
  • Understand the requirements for installing and configuring Application Developer for portal application development
  • Install the Portal Server 5.1 Universal Test Environment (UTE)
  • Configure Application Developer to utilize the Portal 5.1 Test Environment
  • Create portal projects
  • Create portlet projects
  • Test portal and portlet projects from within Application Developer
  • Debug portal and portlet projects from within Application Developer
Module 3 - Introduction to Portlet Programming
This module takes a deep dive into portlet programming. Learn the differences between the IBM Portlet API and the JSR 168 API. See how a portlet can be built from scratch and also how to utilize the portlet creation wizards that come with Application Developer. Understand the different ways Java and tag libraries are used to program a portlet including the Portlet Tag Library. Access and use the portlet configuration parameters. Understand the Portlet Services APIs available in WebSphere Portal. Finally, the Credential Vault Service API is used to store user credentials.
  • Learn what a portlet is and how portlets are the basic building blocks of portal sites
  • The role of a portlet developer
  • The file structure of portlet projects
  • Understand the difference between the IBM Portlet API and JSR 168 Portlet API
  • Create a JSR 168 portlet from scratch
  • Create a JSR 168 portlet utilizing the wizard
  • Use tag libraries in a portlet's JavaServer Pages including the Portlet Tag Library
  • Access portlet configuration parameters
  • Use the portlet services that come with WebSphere Portal server
  • Create a custom service that runs on WebSphere Portal server
  • Incorporate the Credential Vault Service in a portlet application to store user credentials
Module 4 - Coding Cooperative Portlets
A key feature of a WebSphere Portal is the ability for two or more portlets to communicate with each other. This is done using cooperative portlets. This module covers how to code and enable a portlet to be a source portlet or target portlet. The use of relational data in cooperative portlets is also covered.
  • Understand what cooperative portlets are
  • Code and enable source portlets
  • Code and enable target portlets
  • Wire portlets together using the Portlet Wiring Tool
  • Implement multiple targets from a single source
  • Incorporate RDBMS data into a cooperative portlet solution
Module 5 - Struts and Java Server Faces Portlets
This module begins with an introduction to JavaServer Faces in a standard J2EE application. With this foundation, a portlet is developed using JavaServer Faces. The final lesson covers Struts and how to use Struts to create a Struts portlet.
  • Understand JavaServer Faces (JSF)
  • Use the JSF tools in Application Developer
  • Create a standard J2EE application that uses JavaServer Faces
  • Create a portlet application that uses JavaServer Faces
  • Create a portlet application that uses Struts
Appendix A - Reference Documents
This module contains additional topics to review when preparing for the Portal Application Developer certification exam. It also has useful information when integrating Domino with WebSphere Portal. Finally, a suggested set of links is provided for more information on the topics covered in this course.
  • Create custom themes and skins to modify the appearance of portals and portlets
  • Integrate Domino with WebSphere Portal using several different approaches
  • Understand the IBM Portlet API
  • Create a portlet project that uses the IBM Portlet API

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