Overview (iManager Framework API)

iManager Packages
Package	Description
com.novell.emframe.dev	The dev package contains classes needed for plug-in writers to write plug-ins to iManager.
com.novell.emframe.dev.authenticator	The authenticator package has interfaces and objects used to write your own iManager Authenticator.
com.novell.emframe.dev.config	The config package handles all configuration settings used by the iManager server and any modules or tasks.
com.novell.emframe.dev.dataTable	The dataTable package contains Java classes to use in creating a simpleTable as part of the iManager JSP tag library (iman.tld).
com.novell.emframe.dev.propertyBook
com.novell.emframe.dev.rights	The rights package has Java objects to represent all eDirectory rights of objects and attributes of those objects.
com.novell.emframe.dev.utils

AdminNamespace Packages
Package	Description
com.novell.admin.common.exceptions	Exceptions and Errors generated when using the AdminNamespace.
com.novell.admin.ns	General classes and interfaces for accessing eDirectory - These classes are naming independent and can operate over both NDAP and LDAP naming access methods.
com.novell.admin.ns.ldap	Classes for accessing eDirectory using LDAP naming.
com.novell.admin.ns.nds	Classes for accessing eDirectory using NDAP naming, the Novell Directory Service Namespace, and some general purpose attribute convenience routines.
com.novell.application.console.snapin	Framework classes and default implementations for the AdminNamespace.

The iManager Framework API consists of iManager Packages and AdminNamespace Packages.

iManager Packages

Developers writing plug-ins for iManager will need to use the iManager Packages and extend the appropriate Java classes. A plug-in consists of Business Logic, Presentation Logic, and a Plug-in Descriptor.

Business Logic

Contained in Java files
Communicates with iManager through various interfaces (Task and PropertyBookPage being the most prevalent)
Can put attributes on the HttpServletRequest for use by the Presentation Logic

Presentation Logic

Contained in JSP files
Can read attributes from the HttpServletRequest given by the Business Logic

Plug-in Descriptor

Contained in XML files
Registers roles and tasks with iManager
A plug-in descriptor can contain multiple roles and tasks
See the XML Schema for Plug-ins document for more information

All plug-ins will need at least a Plug-in Descriptor and Business Logic. Only plug-ins that present a User Interface will need Presentation Logic.

There are several different types of plug-ins. The Business Logic needs to extend different classes depending upon the plug-in type:

Tasks are listed down the left menu in the Roles and Tasks view. Tasks extend the Task class and need to provide JSPs for their Presentation Logic.
When you modify an object or do operations that require more information than can fit on one page, property book pages can presented in a tabbed UI with control and saving of the information on each property book page controlled a property book. Each PropertyBookPage extends the PropertyBookPage class and need to provide JSPs for their Presentation Logic.
Plug-ins that want to participate without UI in the object creation process extend the CreatorSilent class.
Plug-ins that want to provide custom attribute data handling extend the DataHandler class and have no UI.
Custom object deletion plug-ins extend the Deletor class and need to provide JSPs for their Presentation Logic.
Custom object move plug-ins extend the Move class and need to provide JSPs for their Presentation Logic.
Custom object rename plug-ins extend the Rename class and need to provide JSPs for their Presentation Logic.
Plug-ins that want to control how all plug-ins register with iManager extend the RegistryHandler class and have no UI.

Note on deprecated classes: If you are using classes outside of the dev package in com.novell.nps, these calls have all been depricated and replaced with calls inside of the dev package. Please convert your code so all references to com.novell.nps have been removed.

AdminNamespace Packages

Developers wanting to connect over NDAP or LDAP to a directory can use the AdminNamespace Packages. The AdminNamespace Packages make it so a plug-in can communicate over NDAP or LDAP with the same plug-in Java code without a complete rewrite of the plug-in. As long as the plug-in does not do parsing of the object name, their code should work over both protocols. However, if their plug-in does do parsing of the object name or other protocol specific work, the plug-in can either be written twice or have conditionals whenever protocol specific handling is required.

Plugins use the AuthenticationBroker to handle making connections to the directory over the various protocols or to get the credentials used to login to iManager to make their own single sign-on connections to other back end data sources.