Nuxeo WebEngine
a practical introduction
Bogdan Stefanescu |

Overview
● What is WebEngine?
● Architecture
● JAX-RS
● Object Model
● Scripting
● Templates

Overview
● Examples
● Creating a JAX-RS resource
● Creating a Web Module
● Working with Web Objects
● Working with Web Adapters
● Managing Links
● Internationalization

WebEngine – What Is?
A framework to build RESTful Web Applications
on top of the Nuxeo Platform. Goals:
● Rapid development of Web Applications: intuitive
and extensible model, scripting, fast startup time,
hot reload etc.
● An unique platform to develop all kind of content
oriented Web Applications including
– Content oriented Web sites.
– REST services for Nuxeo Platform.
– Rich front ends based on AJAX frameworks like GWT.
● Pleasant coding experience
● Light packaging

WebEngine - Features
● Powerful Object Model built on top of JAX-RS.
● Full Groovy Scripting support.
● Powerful template engine based on Freemarker
● Content Management through Nuxeo Platform
● Packaged in several flavors:
● Standalone server with GlassFish v3 embedded
● Standalone server with Jetty embedded
● Tomcat Web Application
● Nuxeo EP plug-ins

Architecture - JAX-RS
● WebEngine model is based on JAX-RS
standard.
● JAX-RS is a Java API to build RESTful Web
Services.
● JAX-RS is exposing Java objects as Web
resources. Binging objects to Web resources is
done by using Java annotations.
● HTTP requests will be resolved to JAX-RS
resources that will be manipulated using
common HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT,
DELETE, HEAD.

Architecture – Object Model
● Why an Object Model on top of JAX-RS?
● Provides a coherent model to build modular
applications.
● An Web Application is deployed as an Web Module.
● Web Modules can extend other Web Modules.
● Web Modules are bound to a fixed Web path and
provides access to Web Resources defined inside
the module or in extended modules.
● Web Resources are extensible and can be shared
between modules.

Architecture – Object Model
● Why an Object Model on top of JAX-RS?
● Provides a coherent model to expose Java
Objects as Web Resources.
● Web Module Entry Point – the root resource that is
the entry point for any request on the module. It is
explicitly bound to a Web path using @Path
annotation.
● Web Objects – sub-resources that are exposing
concrete functionality.
● Web Adapters – sub-resources that enable to easily
extends existing Web Objects.

Architecture – Web Modules
● An Web Module is defining:
● Web Resources and templates to expose.
● Static and i18n resources (CSS, PNG etc)
● An Web Path under which the module
resources can be found
● A JAX-RS root resource – which will usually
dispatch any request to sub-resources like Web
Objects and Web Adapters
● Inherited Web Modules

Architecture – Web Objects
● Web Objects are JAX-RS resources that
expose concrete objects to the Web.
● Web Objects have a type and a set of optional
facets.
● Web Object types can be derived to create new
types that inherit behaviors from the super type.
● Facets describes the Web Object behaviors.
● Web Objects may define views using template
files.

Architecture – Web Adapters
● Web Adapters are JAX-RS resources that can
be used to expose additional functionalities
on existing Web Objects.
● Is a specialized Web Object and have a type
and optional facets like any other Web Object.
● Can be restricted to adapt only specific Web
Objects by using filters based on target Web
Object type and facets.
● Are invoked using a @ prefix
● Example: GET /my/doc/@versions

Architecture – Documents
● WebEngine is providing built-in support to
expose Nuxeo Documents as Web Objects.
● Document Types are mapped to Web Objects
by respecting the document type hierarchy.
● Provides a generic Document Object that will catch
any document type which is not explicitly exposed.
● Document types and facets are transparently
mapped as Web Object type and facets.
● Several Web Adapters are provided: Versioning
Adapter, Lock Adapter, Relations Adapter etc.

Architecture – Scripting
● Built-in Groovy scripting.
● Any Web Resource can be defined as a Groovy
object.
● Java and Groovy share the same Class Path.
● One can build mixed Web Modules with both
Groovy and Java objects.
● A Groovy object may call or extend any Java object
and vice-versa.
● Hot reload of Groovy classes in debug mode.

Architecture - Templates
● The template engine is building client
responses using template files.
● Based on Freemarker engine.
● Custom extensions to add dynamic blocks, Wiki
rendering etc.
● Dynamic Blocks are used to create extensible
templates.
● Templates that define dynamic blocks may e
extended by other templates that may redefine any
block.

Examples – JAX-RS

Examples – Web Module

Examples – Web Object

Examples – Web Adapter

Examples – Templates

Examples – Links

Examples – Internationalization

Thank you!