There are three navigation types available to portal users:
These navigations are configured using the standard XML syntax in the portal.war:/WEB-INF/conf/portal/portal-configuration.xml file.
<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>
<value-param>
<name>page.templates.location</name>
<description>the path to the location that contains Page templates</description>
<value>war:/conf/portal/template/pages</value>
</value-param>
<value-param>
<name>override</name>
<description>The flag parameter to decide if portal metadata is overriden on restarting server
</description>
<value>false</value>
</value-param>
<object-param>
<name>site.templates.location</name>
<description>description</description>
<object type="org.exoplatform.portal.config.SiteConfigTemplates">
<field name="location">
<string>war:/conf/portal</string>
</field>
<field name="portalTemplates">
<collection type="java.util.HashSet">
<value><string>basic</string></value>
<value><string>classic</string></value>
</collection>
</field>
<field name="groupTemplates">
<collection type="java.util.HashSet">
<value><string>group</string></value>
</collection>
</field>
<field name="userTemplates">
<collection type="java.util.HashSet">
<value><string>user</string></value>
</collection>
</field>
</object>
</object-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>
</collection>
</field>
<field name="ownerType">
<string>portal</string>
</field>
<field name="templateLocation">
<string>war:/conf/portal/</string>
</field>
<field name="importMode">
<string>conserve</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>
<field name="importMode">
<string>conserve</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>mary</string></value>
<value><string>demo</string></value>
<value><string>user</string></value>
</collection>
</field>
<field name="ownerType">
<string>user</string>
</field>
<field name="templateLocation">
<string>war:/conf/portal</string>
</field>
<field name="importMode">
<string>conserve</string>
</field>
</object>
</object-param>
</init-params>
</component-plugin>
</component-plugins>
</component>
This XML configuration defines where in the portal's war to look for configuration, and which portals, groups, and user specific views to include in portal/group/user navigation. Those files will be used to create an initial navigation when the portal is launched in the first time. That information will then be stored in the JCR content repository, and can then be modified and managed from the portal UI.
Each portal, groups and users navigation is indicated by a configuration paragraph, for example:
<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>
</collection>
</field>
<field name="ownerType">
<string>portal</string>
</field>
<field name="templateLocation">
<string>war:/conf/portal/</string>
</field>
<field name="importMode">
<string>conserve</string>
</field>
</object>
</object-param>
predefinedOwner: Define the navigation owner. The portal will look for the configuration files in folder with this name. If there is no suitable folder, a default portal will be created with name is this value.
ownerType: Define the type of portal navigation. It may be a portal, group or user.
templateLocation: Define the classpath where all portal configuration files are contained.
importMode: Define the mode for navigation import. There are 4 types of import mode:
-
conserve: Import data when it does not exist, otherwise do nothing.
-
insert: Import data when it does not exist, otherwise perform a strategy that adds new data only.
-
merge: Import data when it does not exist, otherwise update data when it exists.
-
overwrite: Overwrite data whatsoever.
Based on these parameters, portal will look for the configuration files and create a relevant portal navigation, pages and data import strategy.
-
The portal configuration files are stored in folders with the {templateLocation}/{ownerType}/{predefinedOwner} path.
-
All navigations are defined in the navigation.xml file.
-
Pages are defined in pages.xml.
-
Portal configuration is defined in {ownerType}.xml.
For example, with the above configuration, the portal will look for all configuration files from the war:/conf/portal/portal/classic path.
Portal Navigation
The portal navigation incorporates the pages that can be accessed even when the user is not logged in (assuming the applicable permissions allow the public access). For example, several portal navigations are used when a company owns multiple trademarks, and sets up a website for each of them.
The classic portal is configured by four XML files in the portal.war:/WEB-INF/conf/portal/portal/classic directory:
-
portal.xml
This file describes the layout and portlets that will be shown on all pages. The layout usually contains the banner, footer, menu and breadcrumbs portlets. GateIn 3.2 is extremely configurable as every view element (even the banner and footer) is a portlet.
<portal-config
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2 http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2"
xmlns="http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2">
<portal-name>classic</portal-name>
<locale>en</locale>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<edit-permission>*:/platform/administrators</edit-permission>
<properties>
<entry key="sessionAlive">onDemand</entry>
<entry key="showPortletInfo">1</entry>
</properties>
<portal-layout>
<portlet-application>
<portlet>
<application-ref>web</application-ref>
<portlet-ref>BannerPortlet</portlet-ref>
<preferences>
<preference>
<name>template</name>
<value>par:/groovy/groovy/webui/component/UIBannerPortlet.gtmpl</value>
<read-only>false</read-only>
</preference>
</preferences>
</portlet>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
</portlet-application>
<portlet-application>
<portlet>
<application-ref>web</application-ref>
<portlet-ref>NavigationPortlet</portlet-ref>
</portlet>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
</portlet-application>
<portlet-application>
<portlet>
<application-ref>web</application-ref>
<portlet-ref>BreadcumbsPortlet</portlet-ref>
</portlet>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
</portlet-application>
<page-body> </page-body>
<portlet-application>
<portlet>
<application-ref>web</application-ref>
<portlet-ref>FooterPortlet</portlet-ref>
<preferences>
<preference>
<name>template</name>
<value>par:/groovy/groovy/webui/component/UIFooterPortlet.gtmpl</value>
<read-only>false</read-only>
</preference>
</preferences>
</portlet>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
</portlet-application>
</portal-layout>
</portal-config>
It is also possible to apply a nested container that can also contain portlets. Row, column or tab containers are then responsible for the layout of their child portlets.
Use the page-body tag to define where GateIn 3.2 should render the current page.
The defined classic portal is accessible to "Everyone" (at /portal/public/classic) but only members of the /platform/administrators group can edit it.
-
navigation.xml
This file defines all the navigation nodes of the portal. The syntax is simple using the nested node tags. Each node refers to a page defined in the pages.xml file.
If the administrators want to create node labels for each language, they will have to use the xml:lang attribute in the label tag with value of xml:lang which is the relevant locale.
Otherwise, if they want the node label to be localized by the resource bundle files, the #{...} syntax will be used. The enclosed property name serves as a key that is automatically passed to the internationalization mechanism. Thus, the literal property name is replaced by a localized value taken from the associated properties file matching the current locale.
<node-navigation
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2 http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2"
xmlns="http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2">
<priority>1</priority>
<page-nodes>
<node>
<name>home</name>
<label xml:lang="en">Home</label>
<page-reference>portal::classic::homepage</page-reference>
</node>
<node>
<name>sitemap</name>
<label xml:lang="en">SiteMap</label>
<visibility>DISPLAYED</visibility>
<page-reference>portal::classic::sitemap</page-reference>
</node>
..........
</page-nodes>
</node-navigation>
This navigation tree can have multiple views inside portlets (such as the breadcrumbs portlet) that render the current view node, the sitemap or the menu portlets.
-
pages.xml
This configuration file structure is very similar to portal.xml and it can also contain container tags. Each application can decide whether to render the portlet border, the window state, the icons or portlet's mode.
<page-set
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2 http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2"
xmlns="http://www.gatein.org/xml/ns/gatein_objects_1_2">
<page>
<name>homepage</name>
<title>Home Page</title>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<edit-permission>*:/platform/administrators</edit-permission>
<portlet-application>
<portlet>
<application-ref>web</application-ref>
<portlet-ref>HomePagePortlet</portlet-ref>
<preferences>
<preference>
<name>template</name>
<value>system:/templates/groovy/webui/component/UIHomePagePortlet.gtmpl</value>
<read-only>false</read-only>
</preference>
</preferences>
</portlet>
<title>Home Page portlet</title>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
<show-application-state>false</show-application-state>
<show-application-mode>false</show-application-mode>
</portlet-application>
</page>
<page>
<name>sitemap</name>
<title>Site Map</title>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<edit-permission>*:/platform/administrators</edit-permission>
<portlet-application>
<portlet>
<application-ref>web</application-ref>
<portlet-ref>SiteMapPortlet</portlet-ref>
</portlet>
<title>SiteMap</title>
<access-permissions>Everyone</access-permissions>
<show-info-bar>false</show-info-bar>
</portlet-application>
</page>
.......
</page-set>
Group Navigation
Group navigations are dynamically added to the user navigation at login. This allows users to see the menu of all pages assigned to any groups they belong to.
The group navigation menu is configured by two XML files (navigation.xml and pages.xml). The syntax used in these files is the same as those covered in Portal Navigation.
They are also located in the {templateLocation}/{ownerType}/{predefinedOwner} directory where ownerType is group and predefinedOwner is the path to the group. For example, portal.war/WEB-INF/conf/portal/group/platform/administrators/.
User Navigation
User navigation is a set of nodes and pages that are owned by the user. They are part of the user's dashboard.
Two files configure the user navigation (navigation.xml and pages.xml). They are located in the {templateLocation}/{ownerType}/{predefinedOwner} directory where ownerType is user and predefinedOwner is name of user who wants to create the navigation. For example, if the administrator wants to create navigation for the user named root, he has to locate the configuration files in portal.war/WEB-INF/conf/portal/user/root.