UWL and notification service

Question

I am currently investigating UWL and its features.
The scenario I am facing is a portal application where users need to be notified on a portal iview (a customized UWL based iview?) about events like file uploading in a KM folder(s) or they would get a custom notification due to a specific business rule. Previously I did some "experiments" by using the RecentNotification iView with not satisfactory results...
Do you think UWL could be the solution for our needs? I found that docs and infos on SAP sdn are a bit limited and "messy" about this subject so... any suggestion would be much appreciated. Best scenario could be a step-by-step tutorial.
thanks in adavance for yr support
From Italy
Massimiliano Turco

Answer 1

Hi Max!
Basicly yes, chapter 6.4 describes the basics of a repository service. However, this isn't too detailed for someone seeking a solution.
Here's an example of a repository service:
package com.xxx;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.StringTokenizer;
import com.sap.netweaver.bc.rf.util.event.IEventBroker;
import com.sapportals.portal.prt.logger.ILogger;
import com.sapportals.portal.prt.runtime.PortalRuntime;
import com.sapportals.wcm.WcmException;
import com.sapportals.wcm.crt.component.IReconfigurable;
import com.sapportals.wcm.crt.component.StartupException;
import com.sapportals.wcm.crt.configuration.ConfigurationException;
import com.sapportals.wcm.crt.configuration.IConfiguration;
import com.sapportals.wcm.repository.IResource;
import com.sapportals.wcm.repository.manager.IRepositoryManager;
import com.sapportals.wcm.repository.manager.IResourceEvent;
import com.sapportals.wcm.repository.manager.IResourceEventReceiver;
import com.sapportals.wcm.repository.manager.ResourceEvent;
import com.sapportals.wcm.repository.service.AbstractRepositoryService;
import com.sapportals.wcm.repository.service.ServiceNotAvailableException;
import com.sapportals.wcm.util.events.IEvent;
* Class <code>XXXRepositoryService</code> implements a respository service
* that listens for several events on a defined directory.
public class XXXRepositoryService extends AbstractRepositoryService implements IReconfigurable, IResourceEventReceiver {
   * The name of the configuration attribute that defines the maximum number of
   * news articles to aggregate.
  public static final String CONFIG_ARTICLECOUNT = "articleCount";
   * The name of the configuration attribute that defines the destination
   * directory in KM.
  public static final String CONFIG_KMDESTDIR = "kmDestDir";
   * The name of the configuration attribute that defines the destination file
   * in KM.
  public static final String CONFIG_KMDESTFILE = "kmDestFile";
   * The name of the configuration attribute that defines the news directory
   * in KM.
  public static final String CONFIG_KMXXXDIR = "kmNewsDir";
   * The name of the configuration attribute that defines the KM service user.
  public static final String CONFIG_KMUSER = "kmUser";
   * The name of the configuration attribute that defines the supported
   * languages.
  public static final String CONFIG_LANGUAGES = "languages";
  // the logger for this service
  private static final ILogger _LOGGER = PortalRuntime.getLogger();
  // The type/name of the repository service.
  private static final String _TYPE = "com.xx.XXXRepositoryService";
  // The destination directory in KM.
  private String _kmDestDir;
  // The destination file in KM.
  private String _kmDestFile;
  // The news directory in KM.
  private String _kmNewsDir;
  // The KM service user unique name.
  private String _kmUser;
  // The supported languages.
  private String[] _languages;
     // Storing repository managers for later unregistering
     private Collection registeredRepositoryManagers = null;
   * Create a new instance of <code>NewsRepositoryService</code>
  public XXXRepositoryService() {
    super();
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": constructor called.");
   * (non-Javadoc)
   * @see com.sapportals.wcm.repository.service.IRepositoryService#getServiceType()
  public String getServiceType() {
    return _TYPE;
   * (non-Javadoc)
   * @see com.sapportals.wcm.util.events.IEventReceiver#received(com.sapportals.wcm.util.events.IEvent)
  public void received(IEvent event) {
    try {
          _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": event received, checking...");
      if ((event != null) && (event instanceof IResourceEvent)) {
        final IResourceEvent resourceEvent = (IResourceEvent) event;
        final IResource eventObject = resourceEvent.getResource();
        final String eventPath = eventObject.getRID().getPath();
        if ((eventObject != null) && (eventPath.startsWith(_kmNewsDir)) && (!eventPath.startsWith(_kmDestDir))) {
          ManageNewsAggregation.work(ManageXXX.getEP5serviceUser(_kmUser), _kmNewsDir, _kmDestDir, _kmDestFile, _articleCount, _languages);
          _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": xxx successfully");
    } catch (Throwable t) {
      _LOGGER.severe(t, _TYPE + ": unable to handle event " + event.getDescription() + " caused by " + t.getMessage());
   * (non-Javadoc)
   * @see com.sapportals.wcm.crt.component.IReconfigurable#reconfigure(com.sapportals.wcm.crt.configuration.IConfiguration)
  public void reconfigure(IConfiguration config) throws ConfigurationException {
    stateHandler.preReconfigure();
    try {
      parseConfig(config);
    } catch (ConfigurationException ex) {
      stateHandler.postReconfigure(ex);
      throw ex;
    this.config = config;
    stateHandler.postReconfigure();
   * (non-Javadoc)
   * @see com.sapportals.wcm.repository.service.AbstractRepositoryService#startUpImpl(java.util.Collection)
  protected void startUpImpl(Collection repositoryManagers) throws ConfigurationException, StartupException {
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": parsing config...");
    parseConfig(config);
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": done parsing config.");
    try {
          _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": startUpImpl(): iterating repository managers: " + repositoryManagers.size());
      Iterator itRepMan = repositoryManagers.iterator();
      while (itRepMan.hasNext()) {
        IRepositoryManager repMan = (IRepositoryManager) itRepMan.next();
        registerMeFor(repMan);
          _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": registered for repository manager: " + repMan.getID());
      _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": startup completed");
      registeredRepositoryManagers = repositoryManagers;
    } catch (WcmException e) {
      _LOGGER.severe(e, _TYPE + ": error during startup");
      throw new StartupException(e.getMessage(), e);
   * (non-Javadoc)
   * @see com.sapportals.wcm.repository.service.AbstractRepositoryService#shutDownImpl()
  protected void shutDownImpl() {
     try {
          _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": shutDownImpl(): iterating repository managers: " + registeredRepositoryManagers.size());
       Iterator itRepMan = registeredRepositoryManagers.iterator();
       while (itRepMan.hasNext()) {
          IRepositoryManager repMan = (IRepositoryManager) itRepMan.next();
          unregisterMeFrom(repMan);
          _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": unregistered from repository manager: " + repMan.getID());
       _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": shutdown completed");
     } catch (WcmException e) {
       _LOGGER.severe(e, _TYPE + ": error during shutdown");
    _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": stopped");
   * (non-Javadoc)
   * @see com.sapportals.wcm.repository.service.AbstractRepositoryService#addRepositoryAssignment(com.sapportals.wcm.repository.manager.IRepositoryManager)
  protected void addRepositoryAssignment(IRepositoryManager mgr) throws ServiceNotAvailableException {
    try {
      registerMeFor(mgr);
    } catch (WcmException e) {
      throw new ServiceNotAvailableException("Cannot register repository service " + _TYPE + " caused by: " + e.getMessage());
   * (non-Javadoc)
   * @see com.sapportals.wcm.repository.service.AbstractRepositoryService#removeRepositoryAssignment(com.sapportals.wcm.repository.manager.IRepositoryManager)
  protected void removeRepositoryAssignment(IRepositoryManager mgr) throws WcmException {
    unregisterMeFrom(mgr);
    _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": removed registration from repository manager: " + mgr.getID());
   * Register this repository service for the specified repository manager.
   * @param mgr The repository manager.
   * @throws WcmException When the service cannot be registered.
  private void registerMeFor(IRepositoryManager mgr) throws WcmException {
    // register for all events
    mgr.getEventBroker().register(this, ResourceEvent.CREATE_CHILD_TEMPLATE, IEventBroker.PRIO_MIN, true);
    mgr.getEventBroker().register(this, ResourceEvent.SET_TEMPLATE, IEventBroker.PRIO_MIN, true);
    mgr.getEventBroker().register(this, ResourceEvent.COPY_TEMPLATE, IEventBroker.PRIO_MIN, true);
    mgr.getEventBroker().register(this, ResourceEvent.MOVE_TEMPLATE, IEventBroker.PRIO_MIN, true);
    mgr.getEventBroker().register(this, ResourceEvent.RENAME_TEMPLATE, IEventBroker.PRIO_MIN, true);
    mgr.getEventBroker().register(this, ResourceEvent.DELETE_TEMPLATE, IEventBroker.PRIO_MIN, true);
   * Unregister this repository service from the specified repository manager.
   * @param mgr The repository manager.
   * @throws WcmException When the service cannot be unregistered.
  private void unregisterMeFrom(IRepositoryManager mgr) throws WcmException {
    // unregister all events
    mgr.getEventBroker().unregister(this, ResourceEvent.CREATE_CHILD_TEMPLATE);
    mgr.getEventBroker().unregister(this, ResourceEvent.SET_TEMPLATE);
    mgr.getEventBroker().unregister(this, ResourceEvent.COPY_TEMPLATE);
    mgr.getEventBroker().unregister(this, ResourceEvent.MOVE_TEMPLATE);
    mgr.getEventBroker().unregister(this, ResourceEvent.RENAME_TEMPLATE);
    mgr.getEventBroker().unregister(this, ResourceEvent.DELETE_TEMPLATE);
   * Parse the configuration object and extract the desired attributes.
   * @param config The configuration object.
   * @throws ConfigurationException
  private void parseConfig(IConfiguration config) throws ConfigurationException {
    String tmp = null;
    //     KM service user
    _kmUser = config.getAttribute(CONFIG_KMUSER);
    // news directory     
    tmp = config.getAttribute(CONFIG_KMNEWSDIR);
    if ((tmp == null) || (tmp.length() < 1))
      throw new ConfigurationException("Attribute " + CONFIG_KMXXXDIR + " must not be empty");
    else
      _kmNewsDir = tmp;
    // destination directory
    tmp = config.getAttribute(CONFIG_KMDESTDIR);
    if ((tmp == null) || (tmp.length() < 1))
      throw new ConfigurationException("Attribute " + CONFIG_KMDESTDIR + " must not be empty");
    else
      _kmDestDir = tmp;
    // destination file
    tmp = config.getAttribute(CONFIG_KMDESTFILE);
    if ((tmp == null) || (tmp.length() < 1))
      throw new ConfigurationException("Attribute " + CONFIG_KMDESTFILE + " must not be empty");
    else
      _kmDestFile = tmp;
    // article count
    tmp = config.getAttribute(CONFIG_ARTICLECOUNT);
    try {
      _articleCount = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
    } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
      _articleCount = 0;
      throw new ConfigurationException("Attribute " + CONFIG_ARTICLECOUNT + " must be a valid number");
    // languages
    tmp = config.getAttribute(CONFIG_LANGUAGES);
    if ((tmp == null) || (tmp.length() < 1))
      throw new ConfigurationException("Attribute " + CONFIG_LANGUAGES + " must not be empty");
    else {
      StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(tmp, ",");
      _languages = new String[st.countTokens()];
      int i = 0;
      while (st.hasMoreTokens()) {
        _languages[i++] = st.nextToken();
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": configuration is _kmUser=" + _kmUser);
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": _kmNewsDir=" + _kmNewsDir);
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": _kmDestDir=" + _kmDestDir);
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": _kmDestFile=" + _kmDestFile);
     _LOGGER.info(_TYPE + ": _articleCount=" + _articleCount);
This code registeres certain event handlers in the KM, on which the received-method is called. Depending on the event type you may start some processing like creating notifications.
Many links about implementing repository services can be found here: https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/thread?threadID=45636.
Cheers,
  Jürgen