Liferay Modules
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Liferay Plugins
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Introduced
in Liferay 7
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Introduced
since Liferay Started.
From
Liferay 4.x to Liferay 7/DXP
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Liferay
Modules are based on OSGi framework
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Liferay
Plugins based traditional Java web application framework. Like we use more
J2EE web application Frameworks.
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Liferay
Module will run in OSGi Run Time Environment.
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Liferay
Plugins run in Traditional Application Servers such as Tomcat, JBoss , Glassfish
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Liferay
Module we can call it as OSGi bundles and packaged as JAR file.
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Liferay
Plugins are web applications and packaged as WAR files.
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Liferay
Module provides the dynamic component injection with help OSGi so that we can
make most of the features as independent components and can easily inject
into the other components when it required.
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Liferay plugins are like independent web applications we cannot share
anything between two web applications. It is more coupled. If we want share
some classes we have to put these jar files in some global class loaders then
only other web application can use that classes.
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We
can avoid all the problems of class loader issues.
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We
can see more class loader issues.
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No
Class Definition Found, Class Not Found Run time errors completely vanished
in the runtime.
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We
frequently experience No Class Definition Found, Class Not Found Run time
errors in the runtime.
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Liferay
Modules have different types like Portlet Modules, Hook Modules.
Themes
and Layouts partially support modularity.
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Liferay
plugins have different types such as portlets, themes, ext, layout and hooks.
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Liferay
Modules developed based on OSGi Framework and it used the several framework
to develop modules such as Declarative Services (DS), Apache Blueprint and
OSGi API.
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Liferay
Plugins uses the J2EE web application frameworks such as Struts, Spring,
Liferay MVC, JSF and other web application frameworks.
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Liferay
Modules followed 3-tier architecture application development such as Persistence,
Service and Presentation layered architecture.
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Liferay
Plugins uses the same 3-tier architecture application development such as
Persistence, Service and Presentation layers architecture.
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Usually
Liferay Module development we separated each Layer as Independent Modules
Persistence
Tier Module
Service
Tier Module
Web
Tier Module
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Liferay
Plugins Development all 3 tiers packaged as single WAR file.
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Liferay
Modules support the dynamic deployment feature and we can stop and start
module without un-deploy the module.
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Liferay
Plugins we must un-deploy the war file from server to remove features.
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Liferay
Modules uses the Apache Gogo shell Command Line Interface (CLI) to manage the
Liferay Modules in the OSGi run time environment. Like stop, start, activate
and deactivate.
Liferay
Portal Admin screen also have to manage these Liferay modules.
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Liferay
plugins does not have any Command Line Interface to un-deploy the bundles and
we have to removed plugin war files from servers.
Some
Enterprise Application Servers have administrative feature to do these things.
Liferay
Portal Admin screen also have option to manage these Liferay plugins.
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Liferay
modules are available in Liferay Portal Server Bundle inside OSGI directory once the module is deployed.
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All
Liferay Plugins are available in Liferay Portal Server webapps directory.
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Liferay
Module have important configuration file METAINF
which is like module deployment configuration file have more information used
by OSGi run time environment.
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Liferay
Plugins have web.xml file and used by Portlet/Servlet containers.
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Liferay
portlet module all xml configuration files information turn into Declarative Services (DS) Component
properties. Like portlet.xml, liferay-portlet.xml and liferay-display.xml
files tags and values.
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Liferay
Plugins used the XML configuration such as portlet.xml, liferay-portlet.xml
and liferay-display.xml
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If
the Liferay Application have more features then we divided into multiple independent
modules and these modules can communicate each other very easy in OSGi environment.
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Modularity
is not that easy in Liferay Plugins development so we have to keep all the
files in single WAR file.
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Liferay
Module introduced new tool called BLADE
CLI to develop Liferay Modules.
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Liferay
Plugins have Plugins SDK to develop Liferay Applications.
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Liferay
Modules have several tools such as Liferay IDE, Liferay Studio, BLADE CLI
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Liferay
Plugins have tools such as Liferay IDE, Liferay Studio.
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Liferay
Module support GRADLE and MAVEN build environment.
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Liferay
Plugins support ANT and MAVEN build environment.
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Liferay
Modules used the Liferay Workspace concept to manage the application and its
configuration across the platforms.
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Liferay
Plugins uses the Plugins SDK to develop and manage the plugins.
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Liferay
Modules used the OSGi API, Declarative Services and Apache Blueprint
framework. So we have limited choice to use popular we application framework
like Spring. Liferay still not fully supporting Spring Modules, it means we
have to use the WAR deployment.
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We
can use any J2EE popular web application frameworks such as Spring, Struts
and JSF.
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Liferay
Modules provides the Micro services Architecture based applications.
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To
bring Micro services Architecture we have to depend on other frameworks such
as Spring Micro Services.
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Liferay
Modules have dynamic component development feature so we can easily turn on
and off the feature at any point of time with minimal effort.
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Liferay
Plugins not like Dynamic Component Development so bunch of feature in one
plugin application. If we remove one plugin, it can turn off many features.
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Liferay
Modules can provide easy way deployment process and we can move easily from
one environment to other with minimal effort. Liferay Workspace provided this
capability.
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Liferay
Plugin Deployment process and moving from one environment to other tedious.
We do not have any special mechanism like Liferay Workspace.
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Liferay
Modules uses the Bndtools to develop and build the modules. We have BLADE
CLI, Liferay IDE, GRADLE and MAVEN are used the Bndtools internally.
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Liferay
Plugins follow the J2EE web application development so MAVEN Liferay Plugin
or Liferay IDE handle the Development and Deployment.
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