Gee... David

Perhaps you feel like the lucky winner of the prize behind door number three only you aren't feeling so lucky.  You know, someone has told you that WebSphere Portlet Factory is so simple even a cave dweller could do it. (Notice the politically correct way I avoid infringement on an insurance company's tag line.)

Well, there is a learning curve and the operative word is 'curve'. It is not a flat linear progression from computer illiterate to portlet guru. I would go so far to say that it can be a fairly steep curve at times.  Likewise you may have heard that 'no java expertise or experience is required.'  Well, that is true to a point but it takes some experience to know where (or when) that point is achieved.

Finally, among the many who have poked their noses into the world of WebSphere Portlet Factory development it seems that the audience most frustrated by the tool are the experienced Java software engineers who just don't like the idea that 'some tool' is going to generate code for them.  After all, they muse, 'how can software write code that is more elegant than mine?'  Frankly, most employers are unimpressed with the supposed elegance of someone's code and they don't care whether the portlet is written by a novice or a prince of programmers. What they care about are whether the portlet achieves a business purpose on time and on budget. and does so efficiently.

So, there you are, trying to figure out where to start.  The starting point must be the IBM tutorials.  They offer a wealth of opportunity to get comfortable with the tool and to begin understanding how the tool supports developers seeking to achieve true rapidity in the development of their portal assignments.  Here is "the" place to start:http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/library/tutorials/0606_coqueiro/0606_coqueiro.html . On this site you will find information for the following tasks:

Create and configure a Portlet Factory project
Create a new Portlet Factory model
Add specialized database Builders to the model
Use Builders to externalize the data
Deploy the portlet to the portal

In addition to this very basic tutorial there are a plethora of others and, if you are not already aware, the WebSphere Portlet Factory Wiki should be one of your primary sources at: http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/pfwiki.nsf/

Now, let's have that moment where I impart the 'facts of life' in WPF land.  As with most tools and platforms there is more to creating an industrial strength solution than knowing about some widgets, gadgets, and features (or in our case, plug-ins and builders). There is a huge need to understand patterns. In my experience (and I have been through several hard won WebSphere Portlet Factory campaigns - I am a vetted veteran) the tutorials are sufficient for getting a sense of how the moving parts of the tool interoperate but they are woefully inadequate for guiding the uninitiated through the process of creating durable and bug resistant solutions.  Where, you ask, do I go for this?

The single best solution is a combination of training and mentoring.  For either one check this site:http://www.davalen.com/websphereportletfactory.php . The WebSphere Portlet Factory Top Gun curriculum is a best in class solution for guiding would be WebSphere Portlet Factory developers of all levels (emphatically including frustrated Java software engineers) to a deeper understanding of best practices and design patterns that permit creation of genuinely impressive solutions that will delight your users and your boss. By all means you should work through the tutorials. They are excellent primers for gaining a rudimentary sense of how the tool works and how to get started but do not be deceived into thinking that is all you need to know.

If you head down the road of project design before you have an accurate understanding of the WebSphere Portlet Factory landscape you will find your self standing in front of a very big, very blank, and very very dense brick wall. In which case you may feel the need to revert to 'cave dweller' status yourself. Oh, and just so you know, you can register for the TopGun curriculum through a variety of mechanisms including IBM's training finder.  The course code is: WPC41 and can be found here:  http://www-304.ibm.com/jct03001c/services/learning/ites.wss/us/en?pageType=course_description&courseCode=WPC41

I hope this helps get you started. Let me know if you have comments or questions on how I could be more helpful to you and good luck!

Comments (0)
David Wilkerson July 8th, 2009 08:36:58 AM