1. A computer-implemented method of enabling development of portal snippets using an integrated development environment (IDE), the 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 method comprising: 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, 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; 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 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, at the portal server using the debug files received from the IDE, with the first debugger.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of user-selectable options comprises at least one user-selectable option for creating a project and at least one user-selectable option for adding a portal snippet to the project.