Weblogic Server Workshop File Types

This topic lists the file types you will encounter in your use of WebLogic Workshop.

WebLogic Workshop Application Developer Edition File Types

You may use a variety of files to create your application in WebLogic Workshop, some of which you may not be familiar with. The key file types you may encounter in WebLogic Workshop Application Developer Edition are:

• EJB file, or Enterprise Java Bean. An EJB file contains the Java implementation class for an EJB, with Javadoc annotations that configure the EJB.

To learn more about building EJBs in WebLogic Workshop, see Developing Enterprise Java Beans.

• JCS file, or Java Control Source. A JCS file contains the Java implementation class for a Java control type. There is only one JCS file per Java control. If the Java control is extensible, there may be many JCX files that extend the Java control.

To learn more about Java controls, see Working with Java Controls.

• JCX file, or Java Control eXtension. A JCX file is a local extension or customization of a Java control. For example, the Database control is defined once in a JCS file, but a local JCX file in an individual project defines the data source and operations for that particular instance of the control.

To learn more about Java controls, see Working with Java Controls.

• JPF file, or Java Page Flow. A JPF file contains the Java implementation class for a page flow, together with Javadoc annotations that configure and control the behavior of a web application. A page flow is a controller and a collection of JSPs. The controller coordinates a user's course through the JSPs depending on changes in state as the user progresses. Page flows also enable you to bind application data to user interface components in the JSPs and to access application logic and data via Java controls.

To learn more about Java page flows, see Developing Web Applications.

• JSP file, or Java Server Pages. The JSP file type is defined by the J2EE Specification. WebLogic Workshop defines custom JSP tag libraries that allow JSP files to reference Java controls and page flow actions. A related file type is the JSPF file, which stands for Java Server Page Fragment. JSPF files are used to hold snippets of JSP code that can be included in other JSP files. There are many sample JSP files in the WebApp project of the SamplesApp sample application installed with WebLogic Workshop.

To learn more about JSP files, see Developing Web Applications.

• JSX file, or JavaScript with Extensions. A JSX file can contain ECMAScript (formerly called JavaScript) for manipulating XML. The functions in the JSX file are called from with XML Maps in a web service. WebLogic Workshop provides an extended ECMAScript language with support for XML as a native type, making XML processing in script very straightforward.

To learn more about JSX files, see Getting Started with Script for XML Mapping.

• JWS file, or Java Web Service. A JWS file contains the Java implementation class for a web service, with Javadoc annotations that enable specific web service features. There are many sample JWS files in the WebServices project of the SamplesApp sample application installed with WebLogic Workshop.

To learn more about Java web services, see Building Web Services.

• WSDL, or Web Services Definition Language. WSDL files describe the interface of a web service to consumers of the web service. WebLogic Workshop can easily generate WSDL files for your web services, and can consume WSDL files for external web services so that you may access them from your WebLogic Workshop applications.

• XMLMAP files. XML map files describe how XML should be mapped to Java, and vice versa, for a web service.

To learn more about XML Maps, see Handling and Shaping XML Messages with XML Maps.

• XQ files, also known as XQuery maps, contain queries written in the XQuery language. These queries contain transformations that convert data between XML, non-XML, Java classes, and Java primitive data sources. You can generate these queries using the provided mapper and use these queries to create business process and web service transformations.
  

To learn more about using XQuery, see Selecting XML with XQuery and XPath.

• XML files, or Extensible Markup Language files contain XML data that you can use as input to transformations.

• XSD files, or XML Schema Definition files contain a schema that describes XML data. Importing an XSD file into a WebLogic Workshop application allows you to use imported XML data types in transformations.

• CTRL files, or control files (deprecated). In WebLogic Workshop 7.0, control extensions were defined in CTRL files. CTRL files have been deprecated but are still supported in WebLogic Workshop 8.1. The functionality formerly provided by CTRL files is now provided by JCX files.

WebLogic Workshop Platform Edition File Types

In WebLogic Workshop Platform Edition, you may encounter the following additional file types:

WebLogic Integration File Types

• CHANNEL file. The Message Broker provides typed channels to which messages can be published and to which services can subscribe to receive messages. A message broker channel has similar properties to a Java Message Service (JMS), but is optimized for WebLogic Integration processes, controls, and event generators. Channel files define the Message Broker channels in an application. To be visible to other application components, channel files must be placed in a Schemas project in your application.

To learn more about Message Broker channels, see Publishing and Subscribing to Channels.

• DTF file, or Data Transformation Format. A DTF file references reusable data transformation methods which convert data from one format to another. For example, XML data can be transformed from XML data valid against one XML Schema to XML data valid against a different XML Schema. Sample DTF files are available in the following applications: Tutorial: Process Application and New Process Application. (For example, if you create an application based on the Tutorial: Process Application, the TutorialJoin.dtf is available in the application.) These applications are available from File->New->Application in the WebLogic Workshop menu bar.

To learn more about data transformations, see Guide to Data Transformation.

For a tutorial on building data transformations, see Tutorial: Building Your First Data Transformation.

• JPD file, or Process Definition for Java. A JPD file contains the Java implementation class for a WebLogic Integration business process, with special annotations that configure the business process. Sample business processes are available in the following applications: Tutorial: Hello World Process Application, Tutorial: Process Application, New Process Application. These applications are available from File->New->Application in the WebLogic Workshop menu bar.

To learn more about business processes, see Guide to Building Business Processes.

For a tutorial on building building business processes, see Tutorial: Building Your First Business Process.

• MFL file, or Message Format Language describes and constrains the content of non-XML data. An MFL file defines a schema for non-XML data. You can use the the Format Builder to create MFL files at design-time. Importing an MFL file into a WebLogic Workshop application allows you to use the imported non-XML data types ( defined by the MFL ) file in transformations.

To learn more about working with MFL data, see Assigning MFL Data to XML Variables and XML Data to MFL Variables.

• XSL file. This is basically an XSLT file with an XSL extension. XSL stands for Extensible Stylesheet Language. This language is defined by the W3C that supports the use of stylesheets for the conversion of XML data. When a Transformation method of type XSLT is invoked, the XSLT processor invokes the transformations defined in the associated XSLT file.

WebLogic Portal File Types

• CAM file. Campaigns provide a container for executing scenarios to offer personalized content to users.
• EVT file. Event property sets are used to define the events available for personalization services.
• PLA file. Placeholders are used to display targeted media to users. In addition, event and behavior data can be tracked via event services.
• PORTAL file. A portal is an aggregation of applications and information in a common, coherent user interface.
• PORTLET file. A portlet provides a user interface to applications and information.
• REG file. Request property sets are used to define the attributes available in the HTTP request
• SEG file. User segments represent a business rule to classify users based upon their profile, request, session attributes as well as date and time conditions.
• SES file. Session property sets are used to define the attributes available in the HTTP session.
• SET file. Content selectors are a business rule used to retrieve content based upon user profile, request, session attributes as well as date and time conditions.
• USR file. User Profile property sets are used to define the attributes available in a user’s profile.