After creating various HTML5 Custom Controls for my IBM XPages application development toolkit, I thought I would showcase two of these controls -- Geolocation and Canvas -- to paint a Google Map of the current user location. Bonus: works great on mobile devices too!

(Click thru for more...)

I'm a big fan of Google Maps, and (when appropriate) I try to integrate them in my applications. They have a knack for giving any app sex appeal. Take a CRM-type application for example. You can supply a user with an address (OfficeStreetAddress, OfficeZip, OfficeCity, OfficeState, OfficeCountry) displayed in a simple table-based layout, or you could display that data and add another row that shows them a hybrid Google Map that plots the given address.

In an attempt to be as efficient as possible when writing XPages applications, I've gotten into the habit of creating simple and reusable Custom Controls that allow me to copy/paste functionality into a given project. My xc:map_static.xsp Custom Control -- which uses the Google Static Maps v2 API -- is a perfect example of one of those reusable Custom Controls.

I'm still making some enhancements to the control, but it's to the point where I'm happy enough with it to show it off:

xc:map_static.xsp Custom Control - Single Marker Demo:
590 Madison Avenue, New York City, New York 10022 US

Online Demo

Google Static Maps API XPages Custom Control Demo

I'll be releasing this Custom Control for download/use at a later date, and will be updating the Demo site frequently... so stay tuned, and let me know if there's anything you'd like to see demo-wise from this control!

(This was the first time I've used the Vendor - Commercial disclaimer on one of my posts... Not too sure if it's a perfectly accurate description tho, so mind the intro to the review/giveaway.)

I was one of the technical editors for the latest XPages development book from IBM Press: XPages Extension Library: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Next Generation of XPages Components... so I might be a little biased. As such, I'm not going to "review" this book, as much as I'm going to discuss it -- using my typical review format -- and let you make your own decision. For what it's worth (spoiler alert!), I'd absolutely recommend this book. It's an invaluable resource for any developer using the IBM XPages development platform as of 8.5.3 Update Pack 1, or even previous versions with the OpenNTF.org Extension Library installed. I was paid to act as one of the technical editors on the book, and the majority of the feedback I provided to the authors resulted in updates to the book. Things like "great, but an example of this showing this would really help" or "this example is kinda out of context without the rest of the XPages XML markup showing exactly how they can do it".

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I looked at this book not as someone who has been developing in XPages prior to it's 2008 in-product release, I read the book as someone new to the Extension Library and somewhat familiar with XPages... and someone that would actually have to use these Controls to duplicate functionality for their Lotus Notes Client applications while extending (or in some cases, evolving) those applications to meet their user expectations of what enterprise-level web applications can do.

Hopefully that gives you an idea, at least, into my role in this book. Not all of my suggestions were taken -- as I'm certain not all of my suggestions were good -- but both the authors and the technical editors (of which I was one) did their best to create a product that not only showcased the capabilities of the technology, but also gave you something that you could actually use in your day-to-day application development efforts.

Again, spoiler alert, I think they succeeded. Again, I might be biased. But then I don't think you really care if I am biased, as long as I keep to the previous format... which I think gives you enough insight into the book to know whether it's something you'll want in your own arsenal.

... and with no further ado...

(Click thru for the complete review & giveaway...)

When I was invited to speak at the XPages Guru webinar earlier this month to help jumpstart June as the Learn XPages month... I was assigned a rather interesting subject: defining a roadmap for IBM Lotus Notes Domino Application Developers to XPages.

Armed with 5 slides (4 if you discard the intro/cover) and approximately 7 minutes of the hour-long webinar, I attempted to convey my individual experience both with learning XPages and what I believe are the key factors in learning and successfully employing XPages in your daily application development efforts.

(Click thru for the complete article...)

I think that the best way to showcase the capabilities of a platform is to shock people, and make them consider that the technology addresses needs previously considered out of scope or -- quite frankly -- where the technology wasn't even considered as a viable option in the first place.

This is why I loved TSAzr. It showed that XPages and thus IBM Lotus Domino could be employed to handle Web Services requests and house data for mobile device fat apps.

It shows the potential of the platform in a unique and interesting way.

It shows that, if properly motivated, platform developers can extend the technology to an entirely new market, and even monetize that investment.

It shows that the platform has a life far-beyond the enterprise, and it is demos that showcase that application that I would love to see.

I think we need more demos like that. Demos that make people reconsider the platform and change their perceptions of what it can do... and more importantly, what it can be employed to do.

With that, I plan on putting together some demos of Domino and XPages that -- I'll put it this way -- leverage the capabilities of the platform and use the technology in alternative ways.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, feedback rocks. So feel free to comment on the post or email me at ctoohey@dominoguru.com.