The ClearPath ePortal Developer plug-in uses Visual Studio conventions throughout the interface.
This help includes steps for using the plug-in and does not give instructions for using Visual Studio in general. Use the Visual Studio help to learn about Visual Studio functionality.
Instituting Source Control in Visual Studio
If source control is not already instituted in Visual Studio and source control is required, refer to Visual Studio help for information about instituting source control.
When source control is instituted in Visual Studio, a ClearPath ePortal Developer project can be placed under source control as the project is created. Refer to Using Source Control.
Installing and Configuring ClearPath ePortal Developer
In order to use ClearPath ePortal Developer, perform the following steps:
Install the software. Refer to the release notes (readme file) of ClearPath ePortal Developer for instructions.
Open Visual Studio, select C# as the language of choice, and ensure that the following windows are present in the interface by selecting them on the View menu of Visual Studio:
Solution Explorer
Properties Window
Other Windows/ePortal Message Window
Error List
Output
Toolbox
On the Help menu, select Set Help Preference | Launch in Help Viewer.
Note: If the Help Viewer is displaying the raw HTML text, ensure that MIME sniffing is enabled for your internet security zone. Refer to Microsoft documentation on how to enable MIME sniffing.
Try using ePortal Developer with some samples. Refer to Sample Applications.
While planning the new presentation interface, identify the application and the features within the application that will be used as the basis for the interfaces.
ClearPath ePortal Developer Process
The following steps are done in Visual Studio using the ClearPath ePortal Developer plug-in.
Create an ePortal data source project, which creates a Visual Studio solution.
Define the connection properties, if necessary, to connect to the ClearPath server application.
Create server messages. You create ePortal server messages using artifacts from your ClearPath server application. For example, capturing screens from a terminal application or importing records or forms from your application.
If needed, create client messages. Refer to Understanding Client Messages.
If needed, control the flow of data between the end user and the ClearPath server backend software by using the orchestration functionality. Refer to Understanding Orchestration.
Create one or more ePortal presentation projects. Refer to Getting Ready to Build a New Presentation Project.
Populate each ePortal presentation project with information from the ePortal data source project by building the solution. Refer to Building Your ePortal Solution.
If an ePortal presentation project is not a Web Service application project, make additional look and feel changes to the interface as needed. Refer to Controlling the Look and Feel of Your Presentation.
If custom coding is needed, refer to Controlling the Runtime Behavior of Your Presentation.
If needed, update configuration properties for each presentation project. Refer to Viewing or Changing ePortal Application Configuration Properties.
Test each ePortal presentation project locally. Refer to Testing a Presentation Project.
Make changes as needed, and retest.
Stage the presentation project on the ClearPath server on which the ClearPath portion of the ClearPath ePortal software is installed. Refer to Staging a Presentation Project
Proceed to the topic Modernizing Your Application.