The Version 6.0 enhancements provide all the function you need for an authoring interface. However, in some rare situations, you might need to develop your own custom authoring interface.
Developing a custom authoring interface requires Java and WebSphere Portal skills. The Web Content Management API is used to build the interface.
There are two types of custom authoring interfaces:
- Authoring portlet replacement - a completely new portlet is created that provides the custom authoring functionality.
- Custom launch page - a custom entry view is created for the default authoring portlet that is included with Web Content Management.
Authoring portlet replacement Generally speaking, creating your own authoring portlet can be a complex and resource-intensive task, and for this reason, it's not recommended unless absolutely necessary. Of course there might be some cases where authoring portlet replacement can't be avoided -- for example, if the content creation process (not the publishing process) needs to be customized through integration with third-party applications or the use of custom entry fields.
Be aware that if you create a custom authoring portlet, you must be prepared to support it. IBM Support cannot directly support custom authoring portlets that replace the provided authoring portlet. However, public APIs used to develop the authoring portlet replacement are supported.
Custom launch page To streamline common authoring tasks during development, create a custom launch page. The custom page can include links to create common content types or to see documents waiting for approval.