Integration API

The XperienCentral Integration API (Application Programming Interface) is intended to integrate external systems with XperienCentral. This section describes and illustrates the Integration APIs’ possibilities. A CMS is typically part of an elaborate IT architecture. This architecture consists of various backend and administrative systems in an intranet or extranet. In this type of situation, the CMS is used to present information from the organization to the outside world. Besides information contained in the CMS, this can also be information from existing backend systems and/or third-party systems. XperienCentral offers the Application integration module which allows the integration of external web applications in the CMS. The design of these applications can be adapted to the design used in XperienCentral.

Using the Integration API, you can create Application integration filters. The application integration module consists of one or more servlet filters which are applied one after the other. Servlet filters represent a part of the J2EE specification. The result from this pipeline of filters is shown on a web page. A number of filters come standard with XperienCentral. Using the Integration API, new filters can be added. The realization of customized components consists of implementing the desired functionality in Java. Subsequently, in the XperienCentral user interface, the new functionality can be configured using the application integration component.

This type of customization requires surprisingly little knowledge about the implementation of XperienCentral because all complicated tasks, such as recalling components or processing parameters and other configurations, are taken care of by XperienCentral. A junior Java programmer should be able to create customized components based on the integration API using the examples in this section and some training on how to use XperienCentral.