Portals have evolved from simple Web applications with multiple links to an enterprise application delivery platform that serves composite applications. In a world where organizations are gearing up with service-oriented architecture (SOA) strategies and re-working existing apps to fit the Web 2.0 programming model, portals are strategic infrastructure components on every CIO's radar. As companies move toward SOA, portlets become an even hotter topic. Portlets provide the user interface for these services. IBM's unwavering commitment to open standards such as Java Specification Request (JSR 168) and strong presence in the application server market (IBM WebSphere Application Server) have helped establish WebSphere Portal as a leader among available portal solutions in the market. Programming Portlets, Second Edition takes developers down a path of understanding all the latest concepts, including SOA, AJAX, and best practices to consider when building a J2EEbased portal. The book offers the reader the tools and information necessary to develop portlets and portal applications in two ways. Part 1 focuses on building portlets that will adhere to the JSR 168 API standard. This allows developers who want to use any JSR 168--compliant portlet container to quickly build quality portlets. Part 2 extends the focus to building JSR 168--compliant portlets for the IBM WebSphere Portal Server and includes information on portlet extensions and WebSphere Portal capabilities that can be leveraged in a portal development effort. Among the many things you will find inside Programming Portlets, Second Edition: * Addition of extensive JSR 168 material * Updates for WebSphere Portal (V6) * Coverage of new technologies such as IBM WebSphere Portlet Factory and Lotus Workplace Forms Ways to use AJAX in portlets * Explanation of how portals and portlets fit into SOA * Method for creating JSR 168--compliant portlets using IBM WebSphere * IBM WebSphere Portlet Factory, Workplace Forms, and creation of portal services * Instructions for building complex portlets quickly using Rational Application Developer or WebSphere Portlet Factory * Use of JavaServerTM Faces in portlets * Proper use of JSTL with regard to portlets * Effective integration of Struts in the portal framework * Ways of inter-portlet communication * Method to build a portlet from the ground up quickly and effectively * The best practices of portlet development * Valuable information resources, including examples of various types of portlets