Integration

The Eprise API is both open and standard.  Open to allow Eprise managed content to be included in external applications.  Open to allow a developer to easily incorporate external information and functionality.  Eprise allows deveopers to code in standard programming languages to leverage the experience, maintainability, and stability of widely accepted languages.

Open

The Eprise API includes two distinct techniques of incorporating Eprise content into other applications.

One technique is to access Eprise content management methods through the Eprise COM / Eprise JavaBeans objects. Eprise refers to this exposure of methods as the “Integration Agents”.  Eprise Integration Agents allow developers to manipulate Eprise managed content with ASP, .JSP, and Cold Fusion.

Developers can also use Integration Agents to perform automated tasks such as bulk uploading and processing of content and manipulating large amounts of content.

The second technique to access Eprise content management methods is to call Eprise Web Services. Specifically, Web Services let outside applications such as .NET and Java Application Servers integrate Eprise into their pages. As with Integration Agents Eprise developers can also use Web Services to perform automated tasks such as bulk uploading and processing of content and manipulation of large amounts of content.

Using Eprise Web Services includes the following:

• Generating an Eprise Web Services Definition Language (WSDL) from the following URL:   http://servername/eprise/WebService?WSDL
• Using your application server or .NET to generate client stubs from the WSDL
• Access to Eprise Web Services as you would any other Web service.

Standard

In addition to exposing Eprise methods for external consumption, Eprise allows an Eprise element type called “Powercode”.  A Powercode element allows a developer to create custom Eprise elements in a standard programming language.  Supported languages include Java Script, VB.Net, VB Script, VJ#.Net, C#,  and JScript.Net.

An example of when an Eprise developer may choose to create a custom Powercode element is to implement dynamic hierarchical site navigation.  Using the assets of a robust programming language can be the most straight forward and maintainable approach.  Another common implementation of a Powercode element is to access functionality of another application source.  A Powercode element can be used to call third party COM, Java or Web Services.

Since Eprise is literally integrated with these external programming languages, the third party provides the specific language.  The Powercode element provides an option to use standard and well known code for code-intensive and/or externally focused tasks.