Zimbra

New with Zimbra Collaboration Suite 6.0 is the ability to create Zimlets that show-up as tab applications in the Zimbra Web Client.  This powerful new feature, unique to the Zimbra platform, enables partners & customers to more easily integrate third-party applications with the Zimbra Web Client. And there are already new Zimlets taking advantage of this feature, like the Social Zimlet or the BroadSoft Zimlet.

Let’s take a look at how to implement some of the basic operations of this new feature…But first, some background: the Zimbra Web Client displays multiple default applications across the top of the interface as “tabs”. These applications include (based on your deployment configuration): mail, address book, calendar, tasks, documents and briefcase. With the Zimlet Tab feature, you can add “tabs” to this array of applications.

Creating the Tab

It starts with creating the tab in your Zimlet JavaScript code. A createApp() method has been added to the ZmZimletBase class. Since all zimlets extend ZmZimletBase, to create a tab, all you need to do is call the this.createApp() method from your Zimlet. The three parameters to createApp() are:

• Tab label: the visible text “label” for the tab (for example, “My Tab”).
• Tab icon: the CSS class to use for the icon in the tab.
• Tab tool tip: the tab tool tip shown when hovering over the tab.

So creating a tab is as simple as calling the following from your Zimlet:

this._tabAppName = this.createApp("My Tab", "zimbraIcon", "A new tab app");

This method returns a unique application name for the newly created tab. You will need this unique name to manage and retrieve the different components of the tab, so it’s best to capture this return value.

Listening for Tab Application Events

Your Zimlet will also receive application events as tab applications are launched for the first time and as a user navigates around the Zimbra Web Client between tab applications. The events will be received in the ZmZimletBase.appActive() and ZmZimletBase.appLaunch() methods. By implementing these methods in your Zimlet, you will be able to know when a user launches and switches between tab applications.

Anatomy of a Tab Application

The layout of a tab application includes the following: the Tab and the Content Areas (i.e. Toolbar, Main and Overview).

The Tab

The row of tab applications across the top of the Zimbra Web Client interface is managed by an application chooser, which is represented by the Zimbra JavaScript class ZmAppChooser. The ZmAppChooser class extends ZmToolBar, making the row of tab applications basically a toolbar with buttons that look like “tabs”.

That means, after tab creation, you can manage the actual “tab” for the application as a ZmAppButton. For example, you can obtain a handle to the tab “button” through the app chooser and set, among other things, the text label & the tool tip.

var controller = appCtxt.getAppController();
var appChooser = controller.getAppChooser();

// change the tab label and tool tip
var appButton = appChooser.getButton(this._tabAppName);
appButton.setText("NEW TAB LABEL");
appButton.setToolTipContent("NEW TAB TOOL TIP");

The Content Areas

You can set the various content areas of the tab to suit your Zimlet needs. The Toolbar area is the area directly under the row of tab applications. This is typically the place where you put toolbar buttons for application control. The Overview area is located on the left-side of the page. This area typically houses a navigation tree but you can set any content you see fit. The Main area is the primary content location for the tab and can be set with whatever application content as needed.

The Toolbar Area can be obtained from the ZmZimletApp and is represented as a ZmToolBar object:

var app = appCtxt.getApp(this._tabAppName);
var toolbar = app.getToolbar();
toolbar.setContent("<b>TAB APPLICATION - TOOLBAR AREA</b>");

The Main Area can be accessed directly from the ZmZimletApp:

var app = appCtxt.getApp(this._tabAppName);
app.setContent("<b>TAB APPLICATION - MAIN AREA</b>");

The Overview Area can be obtained from the ZmZimletApp and is represented as a ZmOverview object:

var app = appCtxt.getApp(this._tabAppName);
var overview = app.getOverview();
overview.setContent("<b>TAB APPLICATION - OVERVIEW AREA</b>");

So that’s the basics of tab applications and Zimlets. As you can see, by leveraging this new Zimlet Tab feature, you will be able to create new & powerful integrations with Zimbra Collaboration Suite.

More information on implementing your own Zimlet tab application can be found in the Zimlet Developer’s Guide at:

http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=ZCS_6.0:Zimlet_Developers_Guide:Introduction

http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=ZCS_6.0:Zimlet_Developers_Guide:Zimlet_Tab

Zimlet Tab Examples are available at:

http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=ZCS_6.0:Zimlet_Developers_Guide:Example_Zimlets#Tab_Zimlets

And checkout the Zimlet JavaScript API Reference for information on the ZmZimletBase class and tab application methods such as createApp(), appAction() and appLaunch():

http://files.zimbra.com/docs/zimlet/zcs/6.0/jsdocs/index.html

When developing a Zimlet, you are constantly making code changes and then packaging and deploying the Zimlet to be able to test those changes. This is the Zimlet development process and is done over & over again until your Zimlet is “ready” for production. An iterative development process like this that involves packaging and deploying with each code change can be quite time consuming and really impact your developer productivity.

That’s where the Zimlet Development Directory comes in.

By using the Zimlet Development Directory, you can develop your Zimlets without having to package and deploy the Zimlet with each code change. You can make your code changes directly in the Zimlet files and just refresh your browser to see the changes take affect. This will greatly reduce your development time and overall, make it much easier to build Zimlets.

To use the Zimlet Development Directory, create a _dev folder in the {zcs-install-dir}/zimlets-deployed directory. In the _dev folder, create your Zimlet folder and file structure that you can modify on the fly. It’s just that easy.

For example, say you want to create a Zimlet named “com_zimbra_myzimlet”:

1. Create the development directory:
   {zcs-install-dir}/zimlets-deployed/_dev
2. Create the Zimlet folder:
   {zcs-install-dir}/zimlets-deployed/_dev/com_zimbra_myzimlet
3. Now put your Zimlet Definition File (com_zimbra_myzimlet.xml) and whatever other resources your Zimlet needs in that directory (like JavaScript files, JSP files, Properties files, etc).
4. Make code changes to the Zimlet files as necessary and voila, just refresh your browser to see the changes take affect.

There are some limitations, however. If using Internationalization resource properties, you will need to load the Zimbra Web Client in Development Mode (i.e. with “?dev=1″ on the URL). Also, the “allowed domains” setting in the Zimlet Configuration File (config_template.xml) for the Proxy Servlet is not recognized. There is a workaround for this situation described in the Proxy Servlet Setup section of the Zimlet Developer’s Guide.

We still recommend that you package and deploy your Zimlet when you plan to go into production. But as you can see, the Zimlet Development Directory cuts-out the deploy & package development steps and is a convenient way to do iterative Zimlet development.

More information on the Zimlet Development Directory can be found in the Zimlet Developer’s Guide at:

http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=ZCS_6.0:Zimlet_Developers_Guide:Dev_Environment_Setup#Zimlet_Development_Directory

This is one people have asked about a lot. Starting with Zimbra Collaboration Suite 6.0, we will be providing a formal Zimlet Developer’s Guide and API Reference. The goal of this documentation is to make it easier for partners and customers to build Zimlets and to integrate with the Zimbra platform. As we’ve built this documentation, here are some of our guiding principles:

• Easy to find. Make the documentation online and “wiki-based” for easy access.
• Reduce “wondering” between versions. Maintain documentation with each ZCS release so when new major versions of ZCS are delivered (and changes are made to the APIs), people on older ZCS releases can still access their “version specific” documentation.
• Lower overhead to get started. Make developing Zimlets possible without having to download the entire product source. Of course, product source will still be available for those who want it but we want to make even advanced Zimlet tasks (for example, compiling templates) possible without needed the entire source tree.

Here are links to the new developer documentation:

Zimlet Developer’s Guide for ZCS 6.0
http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=ZCS_6.0:Zimlet_Developers_Guide:Introduction

Zimlet Definition File Reference for ZCS 6.0
http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=ZCS_6.0:Zimlet_Developers_Guide:Zimlet_Definition_File_Reference

Zimlet JavaScript API Reference for ZCS 6.0
http://files.zimbra.com/docs/zimlet/zcs/6.0/jsdocs/index.html

These are living documents and we will be adding content & more information over the coming weeks. With this first-launch, we are looking for your thoughts on the best ways you enjoy learning and making use of the new material, as well as ideas and suggestions about Zimlet topics that you think we should cover. Please provide feedback and comments in the forums at:

http://www.zimbra.com/forums/zimlets/35951-new-zimlet-developer-documentation-zcs-6-0-available.html

Pay attention to the extra bar at the top to navigate around the wiki pages:

Whether you just want dozens of examples, a list of all the elements in the Zimlet Definition File…or want to dive into advanced topics like Templates and Portals, we plan to leave no stone unturned.

Happy coding!

Tomorrow in Paris, France there is an all day meet-up for Zimbra community members, partners and customers.  The agenda includes Zimbra roadmap beyond ZCS 6 and will have some basics on Zimlet development with drinks to follow.  It looks like a great opportunity to learn a lot and network with others in the community.  There will be both English and French speakers there, be sure to check it out!

From our French friends:

We held the first hands-on Zimlet training over at our London offices back in October, where Raja Rao put together such a great presentation and collection of modules that we decided to roll it into a permanent series.

If your organization is interested in enhancing Zimbra via communication with external services, adding extra functionality via widgets and application portals, or just wants to increase usability of existing inline content: We cordially invite you to our beautiful (and relatively warm) Sunnyvale, California campus February 23-24th. Whether your somewhat new to basic object oriented JavaScript programming or already familiar with advanced Zimbra specific SOAP, JSON requests, and hooks; our front-end engineers and best mashup gurus will be available to help get your coding started.

Details on this two day course’s agenda and the registration form can be found here: Zimbra-Training-Registration-Zimlet-Course.pdf

-For more information contact us or email training@
-Local Hotel options: Zimbra-Training-Location-Sunnyvale.pdf
-There are partner discounts, though any member of the community is welcome to attend even if you aren’t a network edition customer.
-Can’t make it in December? We’re holding another in May tentatively the 4th through 5th. Be sure to let us know early if your interested – space is limited and will fill up fast.

Zimbra’s massive user base means our new product releases reach farther than ever before. How far? Consider our 50 million paid mailbox count. With that comes the responsibility to make our solutions exactly what people need when it comes to shaping the future of communication.

So what are some of the top requested features included in the first release of Zimbra Collaboration Suite 6.0?

Sync your phone like never before.

We’ve added user trigger-able device wipe, server policies, and tasks to the existing MobileSync support for email, contacts, and appointments.

Arrange and personalize the interface.

Read and compose multiple messages in tabs without the need for pop-out windows using the advanced AJAX client. Widescreen? Move the reading pane to the side.

Presentation Framework.

Create new presentations (as well as documents and spreadsheets) from the briefcase – no need for external software to run them.

 

 

Calendar views. Direct CalDav connections. Streamlined contacts.

Our feature rich UI has new layouts including fisyeye and a sortable list view. Access an external ICS/CalDAV url – with adjustable automatic update polling frequencies. For the address book: Rather than pages of blanks to fill out, add only the contact fields you want.

Lite-client overhauls galore.

The standard HTML client now includes all our primary apps, plus the ability to drag items like it’s AJAX cousin. Using a web-browser on your mobile device? There’s multiple variants based on device type and connection speed. We’ve added appointment management functionality to the portable web-client, a simplified login page, as well as file access.

Role based administration.

Delegate. Empower distribution list managers without worrying about them accidentially changing major server settings. Even let someone add or remove members, but not create or delete existing lists – the views and ACL rights are that customizable. Hosting providers can now give one account permission to manage multiple domains or adjust class-of-service features.

 

 

Connect with your social world.

Zimlets now have the ability to define application or preferences tabs. So use the new Social Zimlet to manage Twitter, Facebook, or just browse Digg. Try the Discover Zimlet to visit all that Del.icio.us has to offer.

Share Management.

Join a new group? Get up to speed fast – receive and an instant email about all the available shares. Didn’t accept that invite long ago but turns out you need something? Rather than digging it up, just use the new share tool to see what you have permissions on; or have given to others.

Server Architecture Improvements.

A few of the powerful under-the-hood changes include a new OpenLDAP engine with the ability to make on the fly config tweaks, SQLite & RRD for logger, customizable hierarchical storage queries. Plus we’ve exposed a UI for the stats service – giving you quick insight on just about everything you can think of.

With thousands of votes from the Zimbra community submitted to our product management database, and tens of thousands of hours logged by our engineering team, we are excited to officially announce Zimbra Collaboration Suite 6.0.

ZCS 6.0 is chock full of everything you asked for – because we made sure to check off the hit list of top requests. Some of the highlights include improved delegation and share management, increased productivity with three-pane email view, read receipts, remote wipe for mobile devices, and more. Our goal was also to make ZCS 6.0 the most flexible product yet, so we’ve also made it easier than ever to integrate 3^rd party software. You can learn more about the new features in 6.0 later today in a deep-dive blog post.

But that’s not the only recent milestone: Did you ever wonder what Zimbra and South Africa have in common? No it’s not our love for South African Hip Hop or Kwaito … it is that Zimbra just bested their population of 49.3 million because today, we have surpassed the 50,000,000th paid mailbox mark. Meaning if all Zimbra users made up their own country they would be the 25^th most populous in the world, edging up on Italy (Pasta anyone?). It’s amazing that we were able to gain ten million paid mailboxes just six months after reaching 40 million. Those 50 million accounts are spread across over 100,000 organizations that are now using Zimbra throughout the globe. That leap can only be attributed to our wonderful collection of partners and developers who continually remind us what people need so we can deliver the best collaboration product on the market.

We’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to work with a wide range of customers – from enterprises such as Mediacom and WebMD, to new government organizations including The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Oman’s Ministry of Health; to educational institutions like Swarthmore College, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, and Savannah College of Art and Design.

Below are images a new mash-up built around ZCS 6 platform enhancements enabling Zimlets to be core application tabs.  “Zimbra Social” keeps you on top of all your Facebook, Twitter and Digg goodness.

Get the latest version of the Social Zimlet from the Gallery

Thanks again for all your support and feedback; hope you enjoy ZCS 6.0!
Network Edition server download | Open Source Edition server download

You can also find a bit more about what’s new in ZCS 6 on the Zimbra website.

Been a while since we did a post for open positions but this is an important one so wanted to get it out there.

Position Overview:
Manage Zimbra’s rapidly growing technical community and launch our developer outreach program.  A key part of Zimbra’s rapid growth and ongoing success is the ability for us to engage and interact with our open source community.  This position will take the solid base we’ve grown over the past 5 yrs and define and implement a Zimbra developer program to lower the bar for external developers, partners and customers to build solutions around the Zimbra platform.  This will include expanding and leveraging the relationships between Zimbra, our customers, our developers and our sysadmin community members.  A few of the existing public tools and touch points are listed below. This position will build upon and improve the current tools and evaluate and add to these as needed.  The position will be responsible for developer events, training, documentation and ensuring that developers have all they need to make use of the rich APIs Zimbra offers.

- Our forum with over 27,000 members http://www.zimbra.com/forums/

- Our company/developer blog http://www.zimbrablog.com/

- Our developer and admin wiki http://wiki.zimbra.com/

- Our public bug database http://bugzilla.zimbra.com/

- Our public community driven roadmap http://pm.zimbra.com/

- Our web mash-up extensions (zimlet) gallery http://gallery.zimbra.com/

You can apply directly on the job posting here:

http://careers.yahoo.com/jdescription.php?oid=24060

If you have more questions of have someone in mind who you think would be a good fit please feel free to email me.

KevinH at Zimbra.com

-kevin

Zimbra’s open source roots have always been of great importance to both the company and the Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS).  When we set out to build a new collaboration system over five years ago, we wanted to bring a fresh perspective to the market, and a big part of that was our commitment to being open source.  We understood sharing ideas within the open source community keeps you a one step ahead of competitors by iterating faster to give users what they want.  A great example demonstrating how the community has flourished is the Zimlet development program.

Zimlets are simple but powerful extensions of ZCS that connect users’ email, calendar, and contacts with any number of outside services (for a couple of recent examples see Alfresco and Peru and TripIt).  Zimlet development growth in the community has been strong and steady, and we are excited to continue supporting the community’s work by providing a place where developers can feature the best of their integrations to share with other Zimbra users.   So, today we are launching an updated Zimlet Gallery where you can pick and choose from many handy new ZCS extensions.

At the same time, we also love seeing our Yahoo! friends continue to embrace openness as part of the Yahoo! Open Strategy. In addition to this announcement today, a number of our Yahoo! brethren are extending their platforms to become more open. Today, Yahoo! Mail is introducing applications which enable people to make online payments, access personal photos and more easily send large files directly from their inbox. In addition, My Yahoo! is adding even more third-party applications, driving enhanced personal productivity for users directly from their My Yahoo! start page. You can read more about the Mail and My Yahoo! updates on the Yodel and YDN blogs.

As part of the Zimlet Gallery launch today, we’d like to introduce you to a few new third-party Zimlets, including:

Xythos Zimlet – The Xythos Zimlet allows you to drag and drop email messages and file attachments directly into Xythos’ Enterprise Document Management System.  Secure document management is popular in the enterprise and universities; integration in email is key for ubiquitous adoption.

Processmaker Zimlet – The Processmaker Zimlet helps streamline workflows, like time-off requests, all within Zimbra email (see above).  This Zimlet is already becoming popular and is being deployed at Access America Transport and Ministerio de Vivienda by our Zimbra Partners.

In addition, Zimbra developers have created a handful of new Zimlets, including:

Place Sticky Notes on Email – The new Sticky Notes Zimlet allows you to attach and tag emails with “notes.” One can leave comments, reminders, additional info about the email and more. And Zimbra’s powerful search can search through emails based on the contents of the tags/notes attached to the email.

Email Highlighter – The Colored Emails Zimlet allows you to apply personally assigned colors to emails from specific senders such as a family member, your boss, etc. You can identify senders by color, but you can also create colored emails through tags, making it easier to prioritize any inbox.

Save Email as Documents – With one click, the Email-2-Doc Zimlet lets you save an important email as a Zimbra Document; it will automatically save any attachments as links in the Document as well. The email can then be edited and shared with others.