BEA WebLogic Workshop 8.1 Kick Start: Simplifying Java Web Applications and J2EE

Chapter 13. Creating Advanced Portlets

by Tom Hardy

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Inter-portlet Communication

• Personalizing Portlets

• Controlling Portlet State

Inter-portlet Communication

Portlets are designed to be independent views of data. That said, creating portlets that share information with one another is possible. To pass information from one portlet to another, you use URL parameters. These parameters can be processed in two different places. You can use a backing file, or you can simply have the receiving JavaServer Pages (JSP) file know which parameter it's looking for. Using a backing file gives you the advantage of separating business logic from presentation logic. Figure 13.1 shows how inter-portlet communication works and illustrates the two options ...