Software architecture

VDoc groups a set of work-based services split in a n-tier architecture. It uses and extends some services offered by the J2EE framework mainly based on the servlets containers, portlets and of EJB (Enterprise Java Bean).

VDoc restrictively uses the selected "Open Source" technologies to meet specific requirements:

  • Rhino: engine to run Java script on server side. This technology was implemented to give the possibility to directly extend the Workflow engine back-office processing by using the Java Script scripts.
  • Lucene : indexing engine.

VDoc originally integrate all the services linked to the directory and the portal: authentication, LDAP and Excel import and export, Portlets, skins.

The Process module has a mini directory for internal purposes. We will have the chance to handle objects of both directories in the following chapters.

The following diagram shows the different entry points for the VDoc application and enables to view the several existing layers. image to come

Application entry points

The VDoc suite presents several API formats which enable the developers to add some features, to integrate the product to other systems, or even to make the documents more dynamic.

Graphical API

Set of classes enabling the creation of new graphical interface based on standard templates screens. The whole graphical part is contained in the project VDocUINavigation.jar

SDK API

Set of classes simplying the manipulation of the product APIs and extending the system to other applications. This API is a unification of the multi-products APIs.

SDK Client API

Set of client classes simplying the manipulation of VDoc suite elements.

Application layers

Graphical interface layer

This layer represents the graphical interface framework used in several VDoc modules. It is fully described by XML files. Indeed, these files list the following elements:

  • Browsing the administration
  • Browsing the applications: processes, site ;
  • Browsing the portlets: portal, site ;
  • Every wizards (generation, application import/export, step change, etc)

This layer is also used to ease screens creation.

Services layer

The SDK API gives access to the business part of the VDoc application.

Data access layer

VDoc uses RDBMS (Microsoft SQL Serveur 2000, MySQL, Oracle.). Data can be accessed via the APIs.