Yellowfin allows partners and clients to integrate Yellowfin into an existing application or intranet. This allows for seamless user and data integration, and for the replication of user security at the report data level.
Integration Methods
- JavaScript: This method lets Yellowfin reports and dashboards to be embedded into an external web page using scriptlets. Choose this method for a quick and easy way to integrate Yellowfin, without the need for advanced developer knowledge.
- IFrames: Yellowfin widgets can be integrated into external interfaces using IFRAME. This provides for a seamless user experience with full Yellowfin functionality.
- Tight Integration: This method allows for embedding Yellowfin as a re-branded, tightly integrated portal. This is done by creating a seamless link between the parent application and Yellowfin, without making the end-user aware that they have navigated from the parent application to another. This involves customizing Yellowfin with the application's header and footer and linking the two together. The user will easily experience the full range of Yellowfin features within the external website.
- Web Services: This method is used to manage communications between third-party applications and Yellowfin. Yellowfin provides a Java web service API for connecting to the SOAP web services, but it is also possible to connect using practically any other programming language or environment such as .NET, Ruby and Python. This method requires advanced developer knowledge, but provides flexible navigation.
Choosing a Method
Choosing one method over the other, depends on the user's requirements and technical abilities. The easiest way to incorporate Yellowfin content into a external portal is by embedding a JavaScript scriptlet. This allows including individual charts and reports into your environment. IFrames and Tight Integration are fairly simple methods, however each require at least basic style customization that matches the external portal. Web services provide the most flexible integration, but also require that the users possess advanced developer knowledge.
Open Source Libraries
Free Open Source Software (FOSS) Statement
Yellowfin ships with some restrictive open source libraries. Yellowfin does not link to or directly reference these libraries, and Yellowfin’s use of these libraries is in compliance with each applicable open source license. Yellowfin is designed to compile independently and without reference to these open source libraries. It is, however, technically possible for a Yellowfin partner or end user to alter the Yellowfin application – for example, by adding additional pages and/or plug-ins and/or libraries – which could directly or by combination with those libraries, violate the open-source licenses applicable to the libraries shipped with Yellowfin. There are numerous situations where such license violations could occur, including, but not limited to, incorporation of database drivers and authentication processes into the Yellowfin environment.
The Yellowfin partner, or end user, must ensure that any additions or modifications to the Yellowfin code do not enhance or extend, in any manner, the scope of use of the open source libraries shipped by Yellowfin beyond the scope of use originally utilized by Yellowfin and do not link to or directly reference those libraries.
Yellowfin disclaims all liability and responsibility for any violation of any open source license caused by additions or modifications to the Yellowfin code.