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User Guide
The information contained in this section applies to IBM WebSphere Commerce Version 7.0.0.9 and Feautre Pack 8. The documentation also applies to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.
Developing
The topics in the Developing section describe tasks performed by an application developer.
Presentation layer
WebSphere Commerce uses Java Server Pages (JSP) to implement the view layer of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern. The view layer is in charge of retrieving data from the database through the use of data beans and formatting it to meet the display requirements. The view layers determines whether the request is sent to a browser or streamed out as XML. JSP files present a clean separation between data content and presentation.
Customizing IBM Sales Center
In the IBM Sales Center for WebSphere Commerce there is a set of user interface panels, views and dialogs that contain the most commonly used features. You can add to or configure the user interface to suit your needs, as well as changing the content and format of the data that is passed between the client and the server.
Controls
The layout of the IBM Sales Center dialogs and editors are constructed using configured controls. A configured control is a user interface element that is declared using the controls extension point. The definition of a configured control includes a unique identifier, the type of control, and additional attributes and properties that are specific to the type of control being defined. The control type is used to locate a control factory class that will construct the new configured control. Examples of control types include text, label, requiredLabel, combo, pushButton, checkBox, radioButton, table and composite. The complete list of controls is found in the extension point documentation.
Managed composites and widget managers
The individual user interface elements in the IBM Sales Center user interface are controls, for example, labels and entry fields. However, the groups of controls in the IBM Sales Center, for example, a group of labels and fields where a user enters address information, are known as composite controls. A composite control can be combined with one or more widget managers to create a managed composite. A managed composite is declared using the com.ibm.commerce.telesales.widgets.managedComposites extension point. A managed composite is constructed using the managed composite factory. Initialization information will be passed to the managed composite factory and will be available to the widget managers. The composite and its child controls are constructed and events are delegated to the widget managers. There will be several levels of composite controls including other composite controls before you reach a top level composite control that will be the composite referred to in the managed composite. The widget managers will be responsible for supplying behavior for all of the controls under this top level composite.
Replacing a widget manager
In rare cases, it may be necessary to replace a Sales Center widget manager with your own widget manager. This means that your new widget manager will be responsible for providing behavior for all of the controls and table columns that were previously handled by the Sales Center widget manager.

Replacing a widget manager

In rare cases, it may be necessary to replace a Sales Center widget manager with your own widget manager. This means that your new widget manager will be responsible for providing behavior for all of the controls and table columns that were previously handled by the Sales Center widget manager.

About this task

To replace a Sales Center widget manager:

Procedure

Create a plug-in to hold your extensions.
Declare the new widget manager using the com.ibm.commerce.telesales.widgets.widgetManagers extension point.
Use the system configurator to indicate that the new declaration should be used instead of the original declaration.
Include the widget manager in the definition of the managed composite that includes the controls that the widget manager is going to be responsible for managing. Replace the managed composite with a new one that includes the new widget manager. Use referenceId to pull in the original managed composite definition and then add the new widget manager.

Results

The more common case for replacing a widget manager is to modify the control definition and change the manager type. This will cause the original widget manager to start ignoring the control. You can then write a new widget manager that will understand the new manager type and start managing the modified control.