1. What is Cocoon? 1.x - XML transforming servlet 2.0 - XML publishing framework 2.1 - XML web application framework "Apache Cocoon is a web development framework built around the concepts of separation of concerns (making sure people can interact and collaborate on a project, without stepping on each other toes) and component-based web development."

2. Getting it... Source snapshots and anonymous CVS [Concurrent Versions System] available. Building from CVS checkouts lets you track development. Using CVS reduces time spent downloading since you request only the changes. So first get CVS from http://www.cvshome.org then unzip it somewhere and add it to your PATH.http://www.cvshome.org Initial checkout: cd \your\cvs\directory cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@cvs.apache.org:/home/cvspublic login...use this password: anoncvs cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@cvs.apache.org:/home/cvspublic checkout cocoon-2.1 cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@cvs.apache.org:/home/cvspublic logout Update your tree: cd \your\cvs\directory\cocoon-2.1 cvs update –d -P

3. Building it... Install the JDK 1.3+ for your platform Set a JAVA_HOME environment variable for your platform pointing to your JVM root directory. SET JAVA_HOME=c:\path\to\java cd \your\cvs\directory\cocoon-2.1 build …messages go by, time passes. Other build commands: build clean build –projecthelp The default build includes the Jetty servlet container and is run-able right away. When you want to customize your build you can find more detailed build instructions in the file ~/INSTALL.txt and online.

4. Running it... Cocoon allows for easy migration from static to dynamic websites and applications when the need arises. Look what it can do! It generates XML from databases, text files and more. It transforms XML into HTML, PDF, JPG and more. It handles application logic. It does it all with a high degree of Separation of Concerns. cocoon servlet …visit http://localhost:8888 in your browser.http://localhost:8888 cocoon cli [options] [targets] …watch Cocoon crawl your site and generate static content for you. …as a servlet: …from the command line:

5. How does it do it? Developers build pipelines in XML files named sitemap.xmap. Pipelines match a request. Pipeline execution begins with a Generator, applies one or more Transformer s and ends with a Serializer. </map:match

6. Pipeline Components Matcher – matches a URI with a pipeline; matchers allow Cocoon to associate a pure "virtual" URI space with a given set of "instructions" found in a Cocoon sitemap. Sitemap matchers are used to determine the flow and order of request processing. Generator – is the starting point for a pipeline; it delivers SAX events down the pipeline. Generators are independent of the concept "file;" any source of SAX events can be made a generator. Transformer – gets an XML document (or SAX events), and generates another XML document (or SAX events). Serializer – transforms SAX events to a presentation format such as HTML, XML or PDF; to a user-agent the serializer output looks like any static file on the server. Reader – encapsulates the features of a generator, transformer, and serializer. Readers are useful for delivering binary content like images Selector – selectors are like matchers but allow more complex, multiple-choice use cases. For a complete sitemap diagram: http://outerthought.net/downloads/sitemap.pdfhttp://outerthought.net/downloads/sitemap.pdf

7. Slightly More Complex Pipeline Pipelines: can pass parameters to components. can call other pipelines to aggregate content in complex ways. can handle errors. can be made internal to Cocoon and not directly accessible to users.

8. Avalon Components in Cocoon Avalon is a component framework upon which Cocoon development is based. http://avalon.apache.org http://avalon.apache.org To gain the benefits of Avalon component lifecycle management and Cocoon integration: Extend Cocoon base classes for the desired pipeline component Override base class methods Implement additional Avalon interfaces Add the new component to your sitemap.xmap Add its configuration data to \WEB-INF\cocoon.xconf if the component implements the Configurable interface Use the component in the sitemap to construct new pipelines.

9. Blocks Contain services and components that are not core to Cocoon operation. Some interesting blocks: fop - PDF, PS and PCL serialization batik - SVG rasterization and serialization axis – SOAP-style webservices jsp - use existing JSP pages within Cocoon lucene - sophisticated search indexing woody - a widget-based forms framework poi - transform XML to Excel spreadsheets for your users...and many more Right now Blocks are units of code but there are big plans for Blocks: Blocks will be like WAR files [web application archive] but more Inter-Block communication and dependency Blocks will extend or inherit functionality from other blocks

10. Control Flow and Continuations Continuations are a language feature implemented in the Rhino JavaScript interpreter. Flowscripts are controlling logic written in JavaScript. Continuations represent your Flowscript execution stack at different points in your application. Cocoon puts these continuations in a hash table along with an associated ID. Cocoon's Flow Control retrieves saved continuations and resumes Flowscript execution each time the user requests a page that embeds the continuation ID.Flow Control Cocoon’s Flow Object Model (FOM) provides system objects for use by Flowscripts:Flow Object Model CocoonContext RequestCookie ResponseLog SessionContinuation Benefits: Easily control application state without complicated session management. Handle page transitions as in a forms wizard. Deal gracefully with things such as back button events.

11. var cart; function checkout() { sendPageAndWait("login.xml"); var user = UserRegistry.getUser(cocoon.request.get("name")); sendPageAndWait("shippingAddress.xml"); var address = cocoon.request.get("address"); sendPageAndWait("creditCard.xml"); var creditCard = cocoon.request.get("creditCard"); sendPageAndWait("placeOrder.xml"); EnterpriseSystem.placeOrder(cart); sendPage("orderPlaced.xml"); } Flow Example 1.The flow interpreter saves a continuation at each sendPageAndWait() invocation. 2.Execution restarts transparently on user response. 3.Finally, the sendPage() method terminates execution and continuations are garbage collected.

12. Forms framework Woody has developed into the "best of breed" among earlier forms frameworks [JXForms, Precept, XMLForm, Woody] and will become "Cocoon Forms." Woody is a forms framework made up of: Woody Definition [wd namespace] – declares form widgets and form structure. Woody Template [wt namespace] – a template that calls widgets by ID from a form definition. The WoodyTemplateTransformer transforms the widgets in your template into form and widget instances. Woody Instances [wi namespace] – widget instances remember their state, validate data, and generate XML representations. Woody Binding [wb namespace] – binds form data, by widget ID, to a Javabean or XML document using a JXPath expression. Woody Documentation: WoodyIntro WoodySample WoodyBinding WoodyEventHandling WoodyWidgetReference

13. Cocoon Resources Cocoon Website: http://cocoon.apache.orghttp://cocoon.apache.org Cocoon 2.1 Documentation: http://cocoon.apache.org/2.1/introduction.htmlhttp://cocoon.apache.org/2.1/introduction.html Cocoon Wiki: http://wiki.cocoondev.org/http://wiki.cocoondev.org/ Mailing Lists: http://cocoon.apache.org/community/mail-lists.htmlhttp://cocoon.apache.org/community/mail-lists.html Mailing List Archives: http://cocoon.apache.org/community/mail-archives.htmlhttp://cocoon.apache.org/community/mail-archives.html Cocoon Links: http://cocoon.apache.org/link/index.htmlhttp://cocoon.apache.org/link/index.html Presentations from Cocoon GetTogether 2003: http://www.apache.org/dist/cocoon/events/gt2003/presentations/ Books: Cocoon: Building XML Applications, 2002, Carsten Ziegeler and Matthew Langham Cocoon Developer's Handbook, 2002, Lajos Moczar and Jeremy Aston Cocoon 2 Programming: Web Publishing with XML and Java, 2002, Bill Brogden, Conrad D'Cruz and Mark Gaither

14. Cocoon People Some people to watch in the mailing lists and blogs: Stefano Mazzochi [Cocoon founder]: http://www.betaversion.org/~stefanohttp://www.betaversion.org/~stefano Steven Noels [VP Cocoon]: http://blogs.cocoondev.org/stevenn/http://blogs.cocoondev.org/stevenn/ Berin Loritsch [VP Avalon] Sam Ruby [VP Jakarta]: http://www.intertwingly.net/blog/http://www.intertwingly.net/blog/ Carsten Ziegler [Release manager]: http://radio.weblogs.com/0107211/http://radio.weblogs.com/0107211/ Matthew Langham [Book author] : http://www.silent-penguin.comhttp://www.silent-penguin.com Ovidu Predescu [Control Flow]: http://www.webweavertech.com/ovidiu/weblog/http://www.webweavertech.com/ovidiu/weblog/ Ugo Cei [Control Flow]: http://www.beblogging.com/blog/http://www.beblogging.com/blog/ Bruno Dumon [Woody forms]: http://wiki.cocoondev.org/Wiki.jsp?page=BrunoDumon http://wiki.cocoondev.org/Wiki.jsp?page=BrunoDumon Sylvain Wallez [Interpreted sitemap]: http://www.anyware-tech.com/blogs/sylvain/http://www.anyware-tech.com/blogs/sylvain/ And many more contributors and interesting people.

15. There is much more… It is possible to develop sophisticated applications without writing a line of Java: Application developers can use standard Cocoon functionality in pipeline construction. Web designers can create, and re-create styles using XSLT, CSS. Content developers can contribute without worrying about logic and presentation. …but power and flexibility exists so that: Application developers can extend Cocoon to supply desired functionality. Application developers can implement application logic. Cocoon is reaching maturity as a web application framework.