Connector samples

Introduction

This project gives example on how to build connector for ARender. Please respect the product requirements before testing it: https://arender.io/documentation/install/standalone/

Context

In ARender's world a connector is describing how to fetch documents, annotations, metadata. More information on our document: https://arender.io/documentation/connector/custom/.

ARender has two modules:

• HMI module: Web application
• Rendition module: Standalone JVM

Both of these modules can have connectors.

Connector implementation

Connector

Maven structure:

• A parent module: arender-sample-hmi

  • A child module: arender-sample-hmi-connector: create a jar that is the connector,
  • A child module: arender-sample-hmi-war: Fetch ARender HMI WAR, modify it by including the jar above in its lib (overlay).

• Development key classes:

  • SampleURLParser.java: Extract URL parameters from this class
  • SampleDocumentAccessor.java: Document fetching describer
  • SampleAnnotationAccessor.java: Annotation CRUD

Connector Deployment

On which module should I develop my connector?

Should I deploy the connector on HMI side?

Pros&cons to have the connector on HMI side:

• Pros:
  • Packaging: it is simpler to package an additional jar on a Web-Application
  • Rely on the application server authentication: It can be needed to let the application server handle the authentication process
• Cons:
  • Document is transferred from the document repository to the HMI and then to the Rendition. Even, if it is transferred by part it is an additional overhead.

Should I deploy the connector on Rendition side?

Pros&cons to have the connector on HMI side:

• Pros:
  • Document is directly transferred from the document repository to the Rendition
• Cons:
  • Packaging a little more complicated: It has to be done after the installation of the Rendition

Deployment

Deploy the connector on HMI side

You can either:

• Build the arender-sample-hmi module with Maven,
• Build the war manually:
  • Connector jar should be placed in the WEB-INF/lib of ARender WAR,
  • Copy the file arender-custom-server-integration.xml in ARender WAR WEB-INF/classes
  • Modify the file arender-custom-server-integration.xml in ARender WAR WEB-INF/classes

To test

• Start the RenditionEngine
• Start the Application Server
• Load in your browser one of the URL below:
  • http://localhost:8080/arender-sample-hmi-war-1.0-SNAPSHOT/?myURLParam=ARender-2019.pdf
  • http://localhost:8080/arender-sample-hmi-war-1.0-SNAPSHOT/?myURLParam=ARender-2019.pdf&myURLParam=mail-arender.eml

Deploy the connector on Rendition side

• Build the whole project module with maven
• Then copy the folder target/rendition-engine-package-sample in a directory closed to the root folder of your OS.
• Then start ARender using ARenderConsole script in the root folder of the Rendition folder

To test

• Build the arender-sample-connector-rendition-jar module and copy the jar file in the folder rendition-engine-package-4.X.Y\modules\RenditionEngine\client_libs
• Load in your browser the URL:
  • http://localhost:8080/arender-sample-hmi-war-1.0-SNAPSHOT/?bean=urlParserExternalAccessorProxy&myURLParam=PDFReference15_v5.pdf&documentTitle=pdf-reference-doc-base.pdf
  • http://localhost:8080/arender-sample-hmi-war-1.0-SNAPSHOT/?bean=sampleDocumentAccessorProxy&documentTitle=MyDocumentTitle

Annotation Fetching

Annotation are by default managed by the HMI. To configure the annotation management by the Rendition follow the below procedure (assuming the SampleAnnotationAccessor HMI class should be used)

Configuration tips

• On HMI side disable the annotation management: uncomment the delegate bean in arender-custom-server-integration.xml to override useLocalDocumentAccessorForAnnotations value
• On Rendition side
  • Configure the annotation accessor beans: in custom-integration.xml uncomment the beans sampleAnnotationAccessorFactory and sampleAnnotationAccessor
  • Configure the AnnotationAccessorFactory: in application.properties uncomment the property arender.external.annotation.accessor.factory.bean.name
  • Add arender-sample-hmi-connector library on the RenditionEngine/client_libs folder (or use the maven build by uncommenting the related build)

To test:

• Load in your browser the URL: http://localhost:8080/arender-sample-hmi-war-1.0-SNAPSHOT/?bean=sampleAnnotationAccessorProxy&documentTitle=MyDocumentTitle