SWF + JSF + SMVC + EAR

[bostone]

Hi all,

I have a daunting task to design and create web-application framework for a client that wants portal built from scratch without buying into portlet API. In other words they have more than a hundred loosely related webapps (currently in ASP) that mainly read/write from Oracle database. They want unified security/navigation and common look-and-feel but also ability to develop each webapp individually and plug it in later. They don't want mix/match so there's one module per screen, however one navigation tab can host sequence of pages/screens. They also want to stay away from EJBs within servlet spec while using Spring/Hibernate

Now I can design it as one gigantic web-app however I'm looking into packaging whole solution as EAR with a single core framework WAR and ability to add module WARs later.

I'm thinking to use SWF to manage overall navigation but to use JSF or various SMVC controllers for the individual tabs.

Am I dreaming? Overcomplicating things? Please, any suggestions, thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Finally - this EAR will be developed on JONAS or Geronimo but deployed into WebSphere App Server 6

[klr8]

Could you clarify "I'm thinking to use SWF to manage overall navigation"?
What kind of navigation are you talking about.

Erwin

[bostone]

Well if you can imagine portal such as WebSphere ot Jetspeed you would have 3 layers of navigation tabs stretched across the page. That's the overall/common navigation I want to manage. Then 2-nd level of navigation has to be handled when module under the tab consists of sequence of views.
When user clicks on the tab application needs to build common header, navigation, content area that displays actual module and then a common footer. It's actually perfectly falls within portal structure but client is adamant they want it to be servlet-based

[klr8]

I don't think web flow are really needed for the type of navigation you describe. This seems more like free browsing to me.

Erwin