How to configure the portal pages

When a user logins he sees three types of navigation tree:

  • Portal Navigation
  • Group Navigation
  • User Navigation
they all are configured thanks to the usual XML configuration syntax in a file: "portal/WEB-INF/conf/portal/portal-configuration.xml"

<component>
    <key>org.exoplatform.portal.config.UserPortalConfigService</key>
    <type>org.exoplatform.portal.config.UserPortalConfigService</type>
    <component-plugins>           
	    <component-plugin>
	      <name>new.portal.config.user.listener</name>
	      <set-method>initListener</set-method>
	      <type>org.exoplatform.portal.config.NewPortalConfigListener</type>
	      <description>this listener init the portal configuration</description>
	      <init-params>
	        <value-param>
	          <name>default.portal</name>
	          <description>The default portal for checking db is empty or not</description>
	          <value>classic</value>
	        </value-param> 
	        <object-param>
	          <name>portal.configuration</name>
	          <description>description</description>
	          <object type="org.exoplatform.portal.config.NewPortalConfig">
	            <field  name="predefinedOwner">
	              <collection type="java.util.HashSet">                
	                <value><string>classic</string></value>
	                <value><string>webos</string></value>
	              </collection>
	            </field>
	            <field  name="ownerType"><string>portal</string></field>
	            <field  name="templateLocation"><string>war:/conf/portal</string></field> 
	          </object>
	        </object-param> 
	        <object-param>
	          <name>group.configuration</name>
	          <description>description</description>
	          <object type="org.exoplatform.portal.config.NewPortalConfig">
	            <field  name="predefinedOwner">
	              <collection type="java.util.HashSet">            
	              	<value><string>platform/administrators</string></value>    
	              	<value><string>platform/users</string></value>
	              	<value><string>platform/guests</string></value>
	              	<value><string>organization/management/executive-board</string></value>	              
	              </collection>
	            </field>
	            <field  name="ownerType"><string>group</string></field>
	            <field  name="templateLocation"><string>war:/conf/portal</string></field> 
	          </object>
	        </object-param>       
	        <object-param>
	          <name>user.configuration</name>
	          <description>description</description>
	          <object type="org.exoplatform.portal.config.NewPortalConfig">
	            <field  name="predefinedOwner">
	              <collection type="java.util.HashSet">                
	                <value><string>root</string></value>
	                <value><string>john</string></value>
	                <value><string>marry</string></value>
	                <value><string>demo</string></value>
	              </collection>
	            </field>
	            <field  name="ownerType"><string>user</string></field>
	            <field  name="templateLocation"><string>war:/conf/portal</string></field> 
	          </object>
	        </object-param>
	      </init-params>
	    </component-plugin>
  </component-plugins>

In the previous XML file we define, for the 3 types of navigation, some set of pre defined portal, groups or users that will have some XML files inside the war. Those files will be used to create some navigation the first time the portal is launched. That information will then be stored in the JCR and hence only modifiable from the portal UI.

Portal Navigation

The portal navigation are the pages that can be accessed even when the users are not log in (if the permission allow a public access). Several portal navigations are used for example when a company has several trademarks and each trade would have its own website.

The configuration of a portal called "classic" is made by providing 4 XML files under the directory portal/WEB_INF/conf/portal/portal/classic:

Portal.xml

That file is describing the layout and portlets that will be shown for every pages. Usually it is the banner, footer, menu, breadcrumbs portlets. Indeed, in eXo, every area is a portlet even the banner and footer which makes the platform extremely configurable.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<portal-config>
  <portal-name>classic</portal-name>
  <locale>en</locale>
  <factory-id>office</factory-id>
  <access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
  <edit-permission>*:/platform/administrators</edit-permission>
  <creator>root</creator>    
    
 	<portal-layout> 		
		<application>
	    <instance-id>portal#classic:/web/BannerPortlet/banner</instance-id>
	    <show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
	  </application>

	  <application>
	  	<instance-id>portal#classic:/web/NavigationPortlet/toolbar</instance-id>
	    <show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
	  </application>
		
	  <application>
	    <instance-id>portal#classic:/web/BreadcumbsPortlet/breadcumbs</instance-id>
	    <show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
	  </application>
	  
	
	  <page-body> </page-body>
	  
	  <application>
	    <instance-id>portal#classic:/web/FooterPortlet/footer</instance-id>
	    <show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
	  </application>
  </portal-layout>
  
</portal-config>

Even if not shown in the previous XML file, it is also possible to apply nested container that can also contain portlets. Containers are then responsible of the layout of their children (row, column or tabs containers exist).

Each application references a portlet using the id portal#portalName:/{portletWarName}/{portletName}/{uniqueId}

The page-body tag is used to tell at which location in the XML we should inject the current page.

The defined classic portal is accessible to "Everyone" (means can be accessed through the URL /portal/public/classic) but only members of the group /platform/administrators can edit it

Navigation.xml

This file defines all the navigation nodes the portal will have. The syntax is simple as we get nested node tags. Each node references a page that s defined in the next XML file

If the label #{} is used then it means the i18n mechanism is activated and that the real label to render is taken from an associated properties file for the current locale.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<node-navigation>
  <owner-type>portal</owner-type>
  <owner-id>classic</owner-id>
  <priority>1</priority>

  <page-nodes>
	  <node>
	    <uri>home</uri>
	    <name>home</name>
	    <label>#{portal.classic.home}</label>
	    <page-reference>portal::classic::homepage</page-reference>	    
	  </node>    
	  <node>
	    <uri>webexplorer</uri>
	    <name>webexplorer</name>
	    <label>#{portal.classic.webexplorer}</label>
	    <page-reference>portal::classic::webexplorer</page-reference>	    
	  </node>
  </page-nodes>
</node-navigation>

This navigation tree can have multiple views inside portlets such as the breadcrumbs that render the current view node, the site map or the menu portlets.

Pages.xml

This XML file structure is very close from the portal.xml one and it can also contains container tags. Each application can tell if it wishes to render the portlet border as well as the window state icons or the mode ones.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<page-set>  

  <page>
    <page-id>portal::classic::homepage</page-id>
    <owner-type>portal</owner-type>
    <owner-id>classic</owner-id>
    <name>homepage</name>
    <title>Home Page</title>
    <access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
    <edit-permission>*:/platform/administrators</edit-permission>
    <application>
      <instance-id>portal#classic:/web/HomePagePortlet/homepageportlet</instance-id>
      <title>Home Page portlet</title>
      <show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
      <show-application-state>false</show-application-state>
      <show-application-mode>false</show-application-mode>
    </application>
  </page>    
    
  <page>
    <page-id>portal::classic::webexplorer</page-id>
    <owner-type>portal</owner-type>
    <owner-id>classic</owner-id>
    <name>webexplorer</name>
    <title>Web Explorer</title>
    <access-permissions>*:/platform/users</access-permissions>
    <edit-permission>*:/platform/administrators</edit-permission>    
    <application>
      <instance-id>group#platform/users:/web/BrowserPortlet/WebExplorer</instance-id>
      <title>Web Explorer</title>
      <show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
    </application>  
  </page>  

</page-set>

Portlet-preferences.xml

Porlet instances can be associated with portlet-preferences that override the one defined in the usual portlet.xml file of the portlet application WAR.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<portlet-preferences-set>
  <portlet-preferences>
    <owner-type>portal</owner-type>
    <owner-id>classic</owner-id>
    <window-id>portal#classic:/web/BannerPortlet/banner</window-id>
    <preference>
      <name>template</name>
      <value>par:/groovy/groovy/webui/component/UIBannerPortlet.gtmpl</value>
      <read-only>false</read-only>
    </preference>
  </portlet-preferences>

  <portlet-preferences>
    <owner-type>portal</owner-type>
    <owner-id>classic</owner-id>
    <window-id>portal#classic:/web/NavigationPortlet/toolbar</window-id>
    <preference>
      <name>useAJAX</name>
      <value>true</value>
      <read-only>false</read-only>
    </preference>
  </portlet-preferences>

  <portlet-preferences>
    <owner-type>portal</owner-type>
    <owner-id>classic</owner-id>
    <window-id>portal#classic:/web/FooterPortlet/footer</window-id>
    <preference>
      <name>template</name>
      <value>par:/groovy/groovy/webui/component/UIFooterPortlet.gtmpl</value>
      <read-only>false</read-only>
    </preference>
  </portlet-preferences>
  
  
  <portlet-preferences>
    <owner-type>portal</owner-type>
    <owner-id>classic</owner-id>
    <window-id>portal#classic:/web/GroovyPortlet/groovyportlet</window-id>
    <preference>
      <name>template</name>
      <value>par:/groovy/groovy/webui/component/UIGroovyPortlet.gtmpl</value>
      <read-only>false</read-only>
    </preference>
  </portlet-preferences>
</portlet-preferences-set>

Group Navigation

Group navigations are dynamically added (mounted) to the user navigation when he logs in. It means that if a user is part of a group that is associated with some pages than that user will see them in his menu.

Here only 3 XML files are necessary: navigation.xml, pages.xml and portlet-preferences.xml. The syntax is the same as for portal navigations.

The 3 files are located under the directory: "portal/WEB-INF/conf/portal/group/group-name-path/" like for example "portal/WEB-INF/conf/portal/group/platform/administrators/"

User Navigation

The user navigation is the set of nodes and pages that is owned by a user. You can see that part as the user dashboard. The files needed are navigation.xml, pages.xml, portlet-preferences.xml but also the widgets.xml which define the widgets that will be located in the user workspace (left column when the user is login).

Those files are located under the directory "portal/WEB-INF/conf/portal/users/{userName}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<widgets>
  <owner-type>user</owner-type>
  <owner-id>root</owner-id>
	
  <container id="Information">
    <name>Information</name>
    <description>Information's Description</description>
    <application>
      <instance-id>user#root:/eXoWidgetWeb/WelcomeWidget/WelcomeWidget1</instance-id>
      <application-type>eXoWidget</application-type>
    </application>
      
    <application>
      <instance-id>user#root:/eXoWidgetWeb/StickerWidget/StickerWidget</instance-id>
      <application-type>eXoWidget</application-type> 
    </application>
    
    <application>
      <instance-id>user#root:/eXoWidgetWeb/InfoWidget/InfoWidget1</instance-id>
      <application-type>eXoWidget</application-type>
    </application>
  </container>
  
  <container id="Calendar">
    <name>Calendar</name>
    <description>Calendar's Description</description>
    <application>
      <instance-id>user#root:/eXoWidgetWeb/CalendarWidget/CalendarWidget</instance-id>
      <application-type>eXoWidget</application-type> 
    </application>
  </container>	
	
</widgets>

Note that when you develop a portal, we advise you to use the XML instead of the UI as it will allow you to provide a preconfigured package to your customer. But as each time you start the server the first time, the XML files are stored in the JCR it will be necessary to removed the database (the jcr leverages a database). in the development phase in tomcat it simply means to delete the directory: exo-tomcat/temp

 
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