[Building Sakai] "Full-Window" Helpers

[Daniel McCallum]

Hello,

I have a requirement to render a helper tool in what amounts to 
full-window mode. That is, the helper tool is launched in such a way 
that it hides the portal's site and page navigation so that only the 
helper's UI is clickable.

Is there a canonical way to meet such a requirement?

This is Sakai 2.5.x. The tool launching the helper is rendered in an 
iframe. Both the launching tool and helper tool are SpringMVC+JSP.

Here's my idea...

1) Custom portal handler or markup which generates crippled portal 
chrome around the normal output (tool iframe) of /portal/page.

2) JS link in launching tool which directs the portal frame to 
/portal/[my-handler]/{pageId}?toolstate-{toolId}={toolState} where 
{toolState} triggers rendering of the helper.

3) On helper completion, redirect to value of Tool.HELPER_DONE_URL as 
usual. That URL serves a response which fires a client-side redirect of 
the portal frame to an uncrippled state with appropriate tool state info 
... e.g. a /portal/directtool/{toolstate} or 
/portal/site/{siteId}/{pageId}?{toolstate}

All of this seems much more difficult to get right than simply using 
"inline" helpers as usual or just popping out a separate window. Am I 
missing a simpler option. Am I over-worried about seen or unforeseen 
pitfalls?

Thank you.

- Dan McCallum
Unicon, Inc