IBM Content Navigator, Version 2.0.3     Supports:  Content Manager, FileNet P8, OnDemand, OASIS CMIS

Registering and configuring plug-ins

You can use plug-ins to integrate IBM® Content Navigator with other products or to modify the behavior of the web client. For example, you can create a plug-in to add a menu action or to add extra processing after an action is started.

Before you begin

Highly Available ClustersStart of changeIf you deployed IBM Content Navigator in a highly available cluster environment, copy the installed plug-in JAR files to each node in the cluster. The plug-ins must be placed in the plugins subdirectory of the IBM Content Navigator installation directory.End of change

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About this task

The IBM Content Navigator web application server must be able to access the plug-in file. You can specify a JAR file or a compiled class file. A JAR file is appropriate to use in a production environment. A complied class file can be used to accelerate the process of developing a plug-in. Do not deploy a compiled class file in a high availability environment.
IBM Content Navigator includes several plug-ins that you can register and configure. You can also create plug-ins that extend IBM Content Navigator by providing extensions to the following items:
  • Features
  • Layouts
  • Menu actions
  • Menus and toolbars
  • Services
  • Viewers
  • Widgets
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Procedure

To register and configure plug-ins:

  1. Open the administration tool in the web client.
  2. Click Plug-ins and then click New Plug-in. Or select a plug-in that you want to modify and then click Edit.
  3. Specify the JAR file information, or the compiled class file information:
    Plug-in file type Information to provide
    JAR file
    The location of the JAR file
    • If the JAR file is on your local file system, you can enter the fully qualified path or URL of the plug-in file.

      Highly Available ClustersIf you use the fully qualified path of the plug-in file, you must add a copy of the plug-in file to each node in your cluster.

    • If the JAR file is on a remote server, you must enter the URL of the plug-in JAR file.
    Compiled class file
    The location of the compiled class file
    The compiled class file must be on your local file system.

    Enter the fully qualified path of the folder where the plug-in classes are compiled and generated. The path must not contain the package name of the plug-in class.

    For example, the default path for the sample plug-in class on Windows is C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\ECMClient\bin.

    Start of changeThe plug-in class nameEnd of change
    Start of changeEnter the complete name of the Java class inside the class file to be loaded and called as the plug-in class.

    For example, the class name for the sample plug-in is com.ibm.ecm.extension.sample.SamplePlugin.

    End of change
  4. Load the plug-in.
  5. Start of changeProvide any additional configuration settings that the plug-in requires.End of change
  6. Save your changes.
    Tip: You can disable the plug-in without uninstalling it by selecting the plug-in and clicking Disable. After you disable a plug-in, you can enable it again by clicking Enable. After you disable or enable the plug-in, you must restart your browser. If you disable the plug-in, you must also remove any menu actions for plug-in features that are available from custom menus.
  7. Start of changeConfigure the desktop to display the option to use the plug-in.End of change Some plug-ins are enabled automatically, and some plug-ins must be enabled by configuring the appropriate desktop, menu, or viewer map. Follow these steps to enable the plug-in extensions within IBM Content Navigator.
    Plug-in extension type Configuration steps
    Features The feature is added to the list of features for each desktop in your environment. To enable the feature for use, select the feature for display, and then configure the feature:
    1. Select the desktop and click Edit.
    2. On the Layout page in the Desktop features section in the list of displayed features, select the check box to display the feature.
    3. Select the feature, and in the Feature configuration section, provide configuration information for the feature, and save your changes.
    Layouts The layout is added to the layout list for each desktop in your environment. To use the layout, select the layout name:
    1. Select the desktop and click Edit.
    2. On the Layout page in the Desktop features section, select the layout name from the Layout list.
    Menu actions The menu action is added to the list of available actions for the appropriate menus. To enable the menu action for use, add the menu action to a menu, and then associate the menu with an appropriate menu type on a desktop:
    1. Select the menu, and click Edit.
    2. Select the menu action from the Available Actions list, add the menu action to the list of Selected Actions and save your changes.
    3. Select the desktop and click Edit.
    4. For the desktop properties, click the Menus tab, and then for the appropriate menu type, select the menu and save your changes.
    Menus and toolbars The menu or toolbar is added to the Custom Context Menus list or the Custom Toolbars list on the Menus page of a desktop. For all desktops in your environment, the menu or toolbar is enabled automatically.
    Viewers The viewer is added to the viewers list for viewer maps. To use enable the viewer for use, add the viewer to a viewer map, and then associate the viewer map with a desktop:
    1. Select the viewer map and click Edit.
    2. For the viewer map, select an existing mapping and click Edit, or create a new mapping.
    3. For the mapping, select the viewer from the viewer list. Configure the repository type and MIME types and click OK, and then save your changes.
    4. Select the desktop and click Edit.
    5. For the desktop properties, click the General tab. In the Desktop configuration section, select the viewer map and save your changes.