Portals have evolved from simple Web applications with multiple links to an enterprise application delivery platform that serves composite applications. In a world where organizations are gearing up with service-oriented architecture (SOA) strategies and re-working existing apps to fit the Web 2.0 programming model, portals are strategic infrastructure components on every CIO"s radar. As companies move toward SOA, portlets become an even hotter topic. Portlets provide the user interface for these services. IBM"s unwavering commitment to open standards such as Java Specification Request (JSR 168) and strong presence in the application server market (IBM WebSphere Application Server) have helped establish WebSphere Portal as a leader among available portal solutions in the market. "Programming Portlets", Second Edition takes developers down a path of understanding all the latest concepts, including SOA, AJAX, and best practices to consider when building a J2EEbased portal. The...