Integration/ContentConnector

CMS content provider

The CMS connector will allow CMS systems to extract information from a TempusServa system, and display it inline in other pages.

Example:

  Data extracted from the Tempus Serva connector
  http://alpha.tempusserva.dk/TempusServa/cmsinterface?q=examdates

  The final result inside a page in our website
  http://www.lsvgroup.com/site/index.php/da/eksamensdatoer

Notes on usage

• A CMS system is no requirement and static HTML files will work too.
• The TS backend will not be slowed because all content is cached in the connector (configurable)
• Connectors have NO influence on licensing

The feature is BETA untill Q3/2104 but is well suited for light production usage.

Tempus Serva setup (provider)

Frontend

1. Make the request that suits youre needs
   • Filters and parameters
   • Sorting / grouping
   • Fields to display
   • Fields to display
   • Page size
2. Save the view
3. Click on the view and copy the parameters

Backend

1. Check that anonumous users have the right permissions
   • Note the interface will only allow READ operations
2. Go to "Integration" > "Content connector"
3. Add new element
   1. Give the connector a unique name (CONNECTOR_NAME>)
   2. Choose solution and set command type (as seen in the "command" parameter in the URL)
   3. Paste alle parameters from the URL above
      • Optionally add other settings like Language and Stylesheet
   4. Optionally define a variable that the "v" parameter will be mapped to (OPTIONAL_VARIABLE)
4. Test the new connector

URL format

• http://myserver.dk/TS/cmsinterface?q=<CONNECTOR_NAME>
• http://myserver.dk/TS/cmsinterface?q=<CONNECTOR_NAME>&v=<OPTIONAL_VARIABLE>

Example URL's

• http://myserver.dk/TS/cmsinterface?q=customerList&v=3
• http://myserver.dk/TS/cmsinterface?q=longActivityList&v=3
• http://myserver.dk/TS/cmsinterface?q=singleActivityById&v=782382386

Note that links between lists and single items will first be supported by Q2/2014.

CMS system setup (consumer)

Option: Client rendering

The following procedure

1. Make sure JQuery is available (normal JS can do the job)
2. Insert content placeholder and Javascript code

  <script>
    jQuery.ajax(
    { 
      url: 'http://myserver.com/TempusServaProxy.php?q=examdates', 
      success: function(data) { jQuery('#tsContent').html(data); } 
     });
  </script>

Note: The URL above reflects the use of a proxy script (see below).

Option: Server side include

Insert code that fetches the content

  echo file_get_contents("http://myserver.com/TS/cmsinterface?q=examdates")

In some cases you might want to remove the wrapper, header etc.

  $html = file_get_contents("https://talentpiper.com/demo/mainpublic?command=dk.p2e.blanket.codeunit.common.PagePublicRecordsListAndShow");
  $a = strrpos($html,"<!-- page content starts here -->");
  $z = strrpos($html,"<!-- page content ends here -->");
  echo substr( $html, $a, ($z - $a) );

Note: The URL above reflects the direct use of interface.

Overcoming XSS protection

I cases where the TempusServa server and the CMS system is on different domains (ex. acme.shared.com and cms.acme.com), browsers will prevent pages from accessing content from other servers.

Three options exist

1. Set up server to allow XSS (not recommended)
2. Use server side includes (ok, but not supported everywhere)
3. Set up a mini proxyserver

A mini proxyserver written i PHP is very simple (aspx/jsp will have similar features).

  <?php 
   echo file_get_contents("http://myserver.dk/TS/cmsinterface?q=".$_GET["q"]."&v=".$_GET["v"]);

Afterwards you just make the calls through the proxy using exact same parameters.