Server Controllers

The Features in this guide primarily apply to WebMaker Enterprise Edition and WebMaker Platform Edition. These editions, contain all the functionality in the WebMaker Pro Edition and also include the WebMaker Server Adapter technology. This Adapter provides powerful and intuitive data binding capabilities to enable you to map your data between your web pages and server controllers. These editions also include our graphical Application Map Feature that enables you to draw the relationships between your web pages and Java server controllers. When information from pages is submitted, it is received by a server Controller. Which controller receives the information depends on the action that was fired and the application navigation that is defined within the Studio. Within these controllers, you can use the submitted information, perform additional business logic, access databases, call remote services, etc. You can also define how to return any information back to the browser and which page should be used to display the returned information. The Application Map diagram can be shown on any Page Design tab by expanding up the panel below the page thumbnails (click the red arrow). Alternatively, you can use the Preferences dialog to set the diagram to be visible by default. With the Application Map diagram open you can access the controller details tab either by double clicking on a controller, or by using the right-click context menu options. Alternatively there are links in appropriate places within the Bindings and Events tabs that also provide access to the Controller Details tabs. WebMaker Enterprise Edition provides support for Java controllers. WebMaker Platform Edition supports Java controllers as well as XML Controllers which make use of the rules engine provided by the WebMaker platform. Each controller type uses a different icon on the Apllication Map so they can be easily identified. If your licence allows, you can adjust the type of a specific Controller by using the Implementation Type options on the right-click context menu. Each Action Link that is painted on the Application Map diagram is available for invocation over HTTP. The action request will be processed, together with any supplied parameters and forwarded to the linked Controller for further processing. The invocations can be via URL, basic HTTP or SOAP.