27. The system of claim 25 wherein the second set of user-selectable options comprises at least one user-selectable option for specifying the portal to which the portal snippet is to be deployed, and at least one user-selectable option for creating a portal archive for the portal snippet to be deployed.
25. A data processing system comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a plurality of code modules for execution by the processor, wherein code modules from the plurality of code modules when executed by the processor cause the processor to execute a integrated development environment (IDE) comprising user-selectable options for developing an application for a first framework, associated with a first programming language, a first application programming interface (API), and a first debugger, the plurality of code modules comprising: a code module for providing, via the IDE, a first set of user-selectable options for developing a portal snippet for a portal based upon a second framework, different from the first framework and associated with a second programming language different from the first programming language, a second API different from the first API, and a second debugger different from the first debugger, wherein said developing comprises a user creating the portal snippet with the first programming language and wherein at least one portal service provided by the portal in connection with the portal snippet is exposed through the first API; a code module for providing, via the IDE, a second set of user-selectable options for deploying the portal snippet to the portal, wherein said deploying the portal snippet comprises communicating source files to a portal server associated with the portal and a user-selectable option of communicating debug files to the portal server associated with the portal; and a code module for providing, via the IDE, a third set of user-selectable options for debugging the portal snippet after the portal snippet has been deployed to the portal, wherein said debugging comprises the user debugging the deployed portal snippet, using the debug files communicated from the IDE, with the first debugger.