Abstract: Described is a method for determining a portlet for inclusion in a portal for an industry specific business role. The portlet provides access to a web based capability associated with the business role. Industry specific information associated with the business role is mapped to the desired web based capabilities to generate metadata. An internal portlet catalog and an external portlet catalog accessible over a network are searched to identify portlets matched to the metadata. The portlets in the portlet catalogs can be arranged according to categories to facilitate searching. One of the identified portlets is selected according to a selection algorithm. The selection algorithm can be based on a historical ranking of the identified portlets. If no portlets are identified from the search, a new portlet developed to provide the desired web based capability can be published in the external catalog to allow third party use.

Abstract: Described is a method for software developers to generate a portal for a business role. The portal includes portlets arranged in a page layout for accessing web based resources. Industry specific information associated with the business role is mapped to web based resources. Portlets for providing data associated with the web based capabilities are identified and assembled in the layout of the portal. The developer can modify the layout and change a portlet associated with a particular capability. The method enables existing knowledge associated with a business role to be integrated into a rapid development tool. Fast portlet development functionality is combined with an automated workplace creation technique. Consequently, software products can be delivered to the marketplace in less time than products generated through traditional software development techniques.