User Interface Mode Objects

It strikes me that the user interface mode object (UIMO) would be internal to the portal, so the rest of the ark/framework would be unaware of it. And in the case of a remote client, the UMIO would be on the server side.

A portal would have one or more UMIOs. Selection/switching to a different UIMO would be the responsibility of the portal, perhaps by a user event internal to the portal or by intercepting the selection command before a command is processed by the ark framework.

As I mentioned to Norm last night, I am very interested in developing a direct swing portal where, like the direct text portal, the client is local and only a single user is supported. This would allow us to use a dual pane view of an eariler incantation which Norm enjoys so much. (Left side is context; right side is content.) Later we can focus on remote clients, perhaps using a SOAP interface. Then we can have servlets use the ark as a web service, and even support .NET clients. At that point we can develop UMIOs which are independent of the technology used by the client.

Bill