Abstract: A method for responding to a request, comprising accepting the request, mapping the request to a control tree wherein the control tree is a logical representation of a graphical user interface (GUI) and wherein the control tree includes a set of controls which are related hierarchically to one another, advancing the control tree through at least one lifecycle stage based on the request, wherein the control tree includes at least one portlet control that represents at least one portlet, providing the request to a portlet container that contains the at least one portlet, and aggregating the output of each of the at least one portlets and providing the output to the GUI.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a request to a portlet wherein the portlet can render itself in a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising mapping the request to a control tree wherein the control tree is a logical representation of the GUI and wherein the control tree includes a set of controls which are related hierarchically to one another, advancing the control tree through at least one life cycle stage based on the request, wherein the control tree includes a portlet control that represents the portlet, and providing the request to a portlet container, wherein the providing can be performed by the portlet control.

Abstract: A method for rendering a portal graphical user interface (GUI), comprising providing for the representation of a GUI desktop, a GUI look and feel, and a GUI book as a set of controls wherein the controls can be organized in a logical hierarchy, traversing the representation, wherein the traversing comprises associating a theme with a first control in the set of controls, rendering the first control according to the theme, rendering any descendents of the first control according to the theme, wherein any descendents of the first control can override the theme, and wherein one of the set of controls can communicate with another of the set of controls.

Abstract: A method for rendering a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising providing for the representation of the GUI as a set of controls wherein the controls are organized in a logical hierarchy and wherein each one of the controls has an entitlement that can be used to determine whether or not the control is visible when rendered, traversing the representation, wherein the traversing comprises associating a theme with a first control in the set of controls, rendering the first control according to the theme, rendering any descendents of the first control according to the theme, wherein any descendents of the first control can override the theme, and wherein one of the set of controls can communicate with another of the set of controls.