Professional Alfresco Practical Solutions for Enterprise Content Management

A timely and authoritative guide, written by the Chief Architect and Founder of Alfresco

Alfresco is considered the leading open source solution for Web and Content Management. What makes Alfresco unique is its services, which can be easily extended with web scripts via RESTful services. Written by an author team that includes the chief architect and the founder of Alfresco, this comprehensive guide provides in-depth coverage of the Alfresco architecture and services and shows how to extend them through Web scripts to meet real business needs.

You'll learn how to use Alfresco services to create effective content management solutions while detailed code examples show you how to extend Alfresco with Web scripts using RESTful services to deliver custom solutions.
* Features detailed, working code examples that demonstrate how to extend Alfresco with Web scripts
* Written by the Chief Architect and other key Alfresco insiders, ensuring that this book is both authoritative and up-to-date
* Shows how to integrate Alfresco with Drupal and Joomla portal solutions
* Covers the upcoming Alfresco 3.2 release
* Includes real-world case examples of increasing levels of sophistication and complexity
* The companion Web site contains all source code examples in the book

You'll benefit from this timely resource that shows how to get the most from Alfresco for specific business requirements.

Discover what makes Alfresco a unique solution for your business needs

Alfresco is a fast, cost–effective enterprise content management system for Web sites and content applications provided under an open source license. This book will help developers, architects, Web site architects, project managers, and content management professionals understand what Alfresco provides, how it can be implemented, and how Alfresco can integrate into existing applications or Web sites. This is the definitive resource written by the people who built Alfresco.

Professional Alfresco:

• Discusses the fundamental Alfresco architecture, components, and services

• Shares detailed guidance on building content applications with the Alfresco platform

• Explores Alfresco's use of new content management standards like Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS)

• Explains how to extend Alfresco for custom functionality through easy Web scripting

• Offers an overview of the Spring Surf Framework, its features, and how it can be used

• Provides real–world code examples and scenarios in Java and JavaScript with various levels of sophistication and complexity

• Addresses integration with other applications, Web sites, and portals including Lotus, Drupal, SAP, and Liferay

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real–world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

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INTRODUCTION.

PART I: GETTING TO KNOW ALFRESCO.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING ALFRESCO.

What Is Enterprise Content Management?

Alfresco Overview.

Content Applications.

Alfresco and Your Environment.

What is Professional Open Source Software?

CHAPTER 2: ARCHITECTURE.

Guiding Principles.

A High–Level Overview.

The Alfresco Content Application Server.

Content Modeling.

The Alfresco Web Application Framework.

Deployment Options.

The Enterprise Infrastructure.

CHAPTER 3: SETTING UP AN ALFRESCO ENVIRONMENT.

Installing Alfresco.

Deploying Extensions.

Debugging Tips.

PART II: GETTING TECHNICAL WITH ALFRESCO.

CHAPTER 4: SERVICES.

Content Repository Services.

Content Application Services.

How Services Are Built.

Using Services.

Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS).

CHAPTER 5: CONTENT MODELING.

Modeling in Context.

Deploying a Content Model.

The Content Metamodel Explained.

Out–of–the–Box Models.

A Step–by–Step Custom Model.

Creating Content with JavaScript.

Model Localization.

The Relationship to CMIS.

CHAPTER 6: AUTHENTICATION AND SECURITY.

Alfresco Authentication.

Alfresco Security.

Authorities.

Permissions.

Access Control Lists.

Public Services.

Modifying Access Control.

Access Control Extension.

Implementation and Services.

CHAPTER 7: BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT.

Introduction to Workflow in Alfresco.

Defining a Workflow in Alfresco.

Creating the Process Definition.

The Task Model.

Customizing Behavior.

Configuring the Explorer Web Client.

PART III: EXTENDING ALFRESCO WITH RESTFUL SERVICES.

CHAPTER 8: INTRODUCING WEB SCRIPTS.

Types of Web Scripts.

The Web Script Framework.

Hello World Web Script.

Listing Already–Built Web Scripts.

Where Can I Invoke a Web Script?

Authenticating.

Response Formats.

Anatomy of a Web Script URI.

Working with Client Limitations.

Caching.

CHAPTER 9: HOW TO CREATE A WEB SCRIPT.

Components of a Web Script.

Creating a Description Document.

Creating a Controller Script.

Creating a Response Template.

Registering and Testing.

Multiple Response Templates.

Step–by–Step: Knowledge Base Search Web Script.

Complex Root Objects Reference.

CHAPTER 10: ADVANCED WEB SCRIPTS.

Internationalization.

Configuration.

Content Negotiation.

Multipart Form Processing.

Request Processing.

Caching.

Advanced Descriptor Options.

CHAPTER 11: JAVA–BACKED WEB SCRIPTS.

Step–by–Step: Folder Listing Java–Backed Web Script.

Java Approach to Web Scripts.

Spring–Framework Registration.

Creating a New Kind of Web Script.

PART IV: EXTENDING SHARE.

CHAPTER 12: UNDERSTANDING THE SURF FRAMEWORK.

What Is Surf?.

Basic Concepts.

Putting It into Action.

View Composition.

Presentation Content.

Connectors and Credentials.

Getting Involved.

CHAPTER 13: LEVELS OF CUSTOMIZATION.

Overview.

The Alfresco Repository.

Alfresco Explorer.

Alfresco Share.

CHAPTER 14: CUSTOM KNOWLEDGE BASE: GETTING STARTED.

Installing the Code.

Putting It into Action.

Sample Code.

CHAPTER 15: CUSTOM KNOWLEDGE BASE: BASIC SHARE CUSTOMIZATIONS.

Installing the Code.

Putting It into Action.

CHAPTER 16: CUSTOM KNOWLEDGE BASE: ADVANCED SHARE CUSTOMIZATIONS.

Installing the Code.

Putting It into Action.

CHAPTER 17: INTEGRATING WITH OTHER APPLICATIONS.

Why Integrate Content Management into Applications?

Application Integration Options.

Patterns of Content Management Integration.

Example Integrations.

PART V: APPENDICES (ONLINE ONLY).

APPENDIX A: RESTFUL API REFERENCE.

APPENDIX B: SURF PLATFORM API REFERENCE.

APPENDIX C: REPOSITORY FREEMARKER TEMPLATE API.

APPENDIX D: REPOSITORY JAVASCRIPT API REFERENCE.

APPENDIX E: SURF QUICK REFERENCE.

INDEX.

David Caruana is the Chief Architect for Alfresco Software.

John Newton is the CTO and Chairman for Alfresco Software.

Michael Farman is the Director of Product Management for Alfresco Software.

Michael G. Uzquiano is the Director of Web Platform Tools for Alfresco Software.

Kevin Roast is the User Interface Technical Lead for Alfresco Software.