Extensions and remote applications can be used to accomplish many of the same functions; however, the way in which they are created and how they are implemented can differ dramatically.
Following are the basic differences between extensions and remote applications:
Extensions: You can extend the Vibe software through the use of JSP, HTML, CSS, and many other types of files that are commonly used when designing a Web page.
For more information about how to create extensions for Vibe, see Section 4.0, Creating and Packaging Extensions for Deployment.
Remote Applications: You can customize the Vibe software by creating remote applications. You can create remote applications using SOAP (Web services).
For more information about how to create a remote application for Vibe, see Section 5.0, Creating Remote Applications.
Before you create a Vibe extension or remote application, consider how you want to create it (such as what coding language you want to use), as well as the environment in which you want your extension or remote application to run (such as in an external Web application or Web server).
Table 1-1 depicts important technical differences between extensions and remote applications.
Table 1-1 Technical Differences between Extensions and Remote Applications
|
Extension |
Remote Application |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Web Container |
Tomcat only |
Any container (for example, Tomcat, Apache, IIS) |
|
Coding Language |
Java and JSP only |
Any language (for example, PHP, Ruby, .NET) |
|
Web Application |
Must run inside the Vibe Web application |
Runs outside of the Vibe Web application |
|
Server |
Runs on the same server as Vibe |
Can either run on the same server as Vibe (but on a separate Web application), or on an external server |