1. Building Portals with Oracle WebCenter Portal
  2. Working with Portal Pages
  3. Managing a Portal Page

9 Managing a Portal Page

Manage a portal page and its settings, including page security and how a page is exposed in the portal navigation.

Permissions:

To perform the tasks in this chapter, you must be a portal manager or a portal member with the permission Basic Services: Edit Page Access, Structure, and Content (standard permissions) or Pages: Create, Edit, and Delete Pages (advanced permissions).

Note that a user with a role that grants them permissions to create, edit, or publish a portal page, or even manage a portal, is not automatically allowed to view the portal. To view a portal, a user must be explicitly granted the portal-level permission Basic Services: View Pages and Content (standard permissions) or Pages: View Pages (advanced permissions).

See About Roles and Permissions for a Portal.

Topics:

Accessing Portal Page Management

As a portal member, you will have access to pages in the portal. The portal manager can grant you permissions to view, create, edit, and manage pages in the portal. Other portal members can grant you permissions to access the pages that they own. Pages that you create are for your own use only, unless you specifically share them with other users.

To manage a page that you created or have permissions to manage:

  1. Open the page in the page editor.
  2. Click the page's Actions icon (page menu icon) and select actions to adjust the position of the page in the navigation hierarchy, copy the page, or delete the page.
  3. Click the page's Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information to display the page management tabs.

    Note:

    Alternatively, locate the portal you want to edit, then click Flip icon to display the portal actions menu and select Administer, then select Page Information. Page Information for the first visible page opens.

    The screen shot shows the portal actions after you flip the portal. The Administer and Page Information options are highlighted.

    Figure 9-1 Page Information Tabs

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    Description of "Figure 9-1 Page Information Tabs"
  4. Modify page settings and properties as described in the following sections:

Adjusting Page Order and Hierarchy in the Portal Navigation

To adjust the order and hierarchy of a page, open the page in the page editor, then::

  • To change the page order, either drag the page to a new position in the page hierarchy, or click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Move Up or Move Down.

  • To change the page hierarchy, click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Indent to make the page a subpage of the page above it, or select Outdent to move the page to a higher level in the page hierarchy.

    Note:

    As you organize your page hierarchy, take into account the size of the browser window and the screen resolution. While you can create a page hierarchy with many pages at the same level, the browser display may not have enough room to expose pages past a certain point in the hierarchy (for example, if they are listed in a drop down that extends to the bottom of the browser window). Try to limit and arrange your portal navigation for optimal display without overflow.

Figure 9-2 Moving a Page in the Portal Navigation (in Portal Editor)

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Description of "Figure 9-2 Moving a Page in the Portal Navigation (in Portal Editor)"

Copying a Page

You can copy any page to create a new page, whether or not you have permissions on the original page.

Notes:

  • Copying a page also copies its subpages and page variants.

  • If the page you are copying includes portlets or task flows, then the customizations of those portlets or task flows are also copied.

To copy a page, Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Copy.

Figure 9-3 Copying a Page (in Portal Administration)

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Description of "Figure 9-3 Copying a Page (in Portal Administration)"

The copied page (and its subpages and page variants) are not immediately available when viewing the portal. You can modify the page and/or its subpages and page variants in draft mode, then when you are satisfied with your changes, and are ready to make a page available to others who view the portal, you can publish the page.

Figure 9-4 Page Copy Added to Navigation

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Description of "Figure 9-4 Page Copy Added to Navigation "

Deleting a Page

If you created or have permissions to manage a page, you can delete the page. However, you should be aware that deleting a page affects all members of the portal.

Notes:

  • Deleting a page also deletes its subpages.

  • You cannot delete a page if it is the only page or the only visible top level page in the portal.

To delete a page that you created or have permissions to manage:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then delete it in either of the following ways:
  2. In the Delete dialog, click Delete to confirm the request to delete the selected page.

Viewing and Modifying Page Settings

To view and modify page settings (such as title, description, visibility, parameters, source code, security, properties, and display options):

  1. Open the page in the page editor.
  2. Click the page's Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.

    Figure 9-7 Accessing Page Management Settings

    Description of Figure 9-7 follows
    Description of "Figure 9-7 Accessing Page Management Settings"
  3. Modify page settings and properties as described in the following sections:

Renaming a Page

If you created or have permissions to manage a portal page, you can rename the page.

Be aware that renaming a page affects all members in the portal as this action alters the page itself, not only your view. Renaming a page changes the display name for the page and the page navigation item. It does not change the page URL; any pretty URLs using the old name remain valid.

Even when page drafts are enabled, renaming a page takes effect immediately on the published page, regardless of whether or not the page has a pending draft. In other words, you do not need to publish the page draft before the new page name can be seen by page viewers.

To rename a page that you created or have permissions to manage:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Summary tab, enter a new page name in the Name field.

    The page display name and the page navigation item display the new name.

Entering or Changing a Page Description

If you created or have permissions to manage a page, you can change the description of the page. The new description is shown at the top of the page information settings.

Even when page drafts are enabled, changing a page description takes effect immediately on the published page, regardless of whether or not the page has a pending draft. In other words, you do not need to publish the page draft before the new page description can be seen by page viewers.

To enter or change the description for a page that you created or have permissions to manage:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Summary tab, enter or modify the text in the Description field. The new description is shown at the top of the page information settings.

    Figure 9-10 Entering or Changing a Page Description

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    Description of "Figure 9-10 Entering or Changing a Page Description"

Showing or Hiding a Page in the Portal Navigation

If you created or have permissions to manage a portal page, you can control whether or not that page is shown in the portal navigation. A page is added to the portal navigation when it is first published. If you hide a page, it is removed from the portal navigation for all portal viewers, but is still available in the portal editor to edit and manage.

To show or hide a page in the portal navigation for all viewers:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Summary tab, select the Visibility check box to display the page, or deselect the check box to hide the page in the navigation for the portal.

    Note:

    You cannot deselect the Visibility check box if the page is the only page or the only visible top level page in the portal.

    Figure 9-11 Showing or Hiding a Page

    Description of Figure 9-11 follows
    Description of "Figure 9-11 Showing or Hiding a Page"

    To enter an Expression Language (EL) expression that determines whether or not the page displays in the navigation, click the Expression Editor icon icon on the right, then select Expression Builder to open the Expression Language editor, and then enter an EL expression. If the expression evaluates to false, the page is not visible in the navigation. Otherwise, the page is visible in the navigation.

    If you need EL assistance, an application developer can provide an EL expression; see Expression Language Expressions in Developing for Oracle WebCenter Portal.

Setting Page Behavior for a Specific Page When No Page Variant Exists

Page variants are alternative views of an existing page for specific device groups to target specific device size and characteristics. The base page and the page variant have the same URL, security, parameters, and so on.

When using a device (such as smart phones, tablets, and desktop browsers) in a device group that does not have a page variant defined, and the device group is not the default device group for the portal, the page fallback setting determines how to render the page when it is viewed on that device. This behavior is set for all pages in a portal in the portal administration, but you can override the portal-level setting for an individual page, as described here.

This setting is honored based on the following rules:

  • If the request is from a device in the default device group for the portal, then the default (base) page will be displayed no matter what is set for Page Fallback. The default setting always overrides the Page Fallback setting.

    Note:

    This means that even if there is a page variant for the device group, the default (base) page will be displayed.

  • If the request is from a device that is not in the default device group for the portal, then:

    • If there is a page variant for that device group, the page variant is displayed on the device.

    • If no page variant exists for the device group, then the Page Fallback setting is used by the device:

See Also:

At the application-level, your system administrator configures device group settings and creates page variants for system pages.

To set the fallback behavior for a page when displayed on a device in a device group that does not have a page variant defined, and the device group is not the default device group for the portal:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Summary tab, under Devices, select the required Page Fallback setting:

    • Use portal setting to use the portal-level default setting specified on the Settings page in the portal administration.

    • Display default page to display the original base page on the device.

    • Display no page to display the Page Not Available page on the device.

    Figure 9-12 Setting Page Fallback Behavior When No Page Variant Exists for Current Device

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    Description of "Figure 9-12 Setting Page Fallback Behavior When No Page Variant Exists for Current Device"

Adding or Modifying Page Parameters

Page parameters allow communication between components and the pages that contain them by providing a means of storing values for passing to page components that have been configured to consume them.

For example, imagine a page that contains stock ticker and stock news components. You want the ticker and the news components to both consume the same parameter value so that they both show information for the same company.

Even when page drafts are enabled, changing page parameters takes effect immediately on the published page, regardless of whether or not the page has a pending draft. In other words, you do not need to publish the page draft before the effect of new page parameters can be seen by page viewers.

Note:

If you change a page parameter value, the new value is immediately saved. You cannot revert back to the prior value. Therefore, take note of parameter values before you change them in case you want to set them back to their original values.

To add or modify page parameters:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Parameters tab, modify existing parameters as required or add new parameters by entering values in the New Parameter Name and New Parameter Value fields.

    Note:

    A parameter name must start with an alphabet or underscore (_) character only and can contain only alphanumeric and underscore characters

    Figure 9-13 Adding a Page Parameter

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    Description of "Figure 9-13 Adding a Page Parameter"

    The Parameters and Display Options dialogs provide access to an Expression Language (EL) editor, which you can use to select or specify a variable value instead of a constant value. Click the Expression Editor icon icon next to a property, then select Expression Builder to open the editor.

    If you need EL assistance, an application developer can provide an EL expression; see Expression Language Expressions in Developing for Oracle WebCenter Portal.

  3. Click Add to add the new page parameter name/value pair to the page.

Viewing and Modifying Page Source Code

The Source tab for a selected page enables you to view, search, and edit the source code for the page. If there is draft for the current page, the source is for the draft. If there is no page draft, then the source is for the published page.

Even when page drafts are enabled, changing page source code takes effect immediately on the published page, regardless of whether or not the page has a pending draft. In other words, you do not need to publish the page draft before the effect of page source code changes can be seen by page viewers.

You can view and modify the source code for a page on two tabs:

  • The Page tab shows the underlying JSF (.jspx) file that defines the page layout and style.

  • The PageDef tab shows the .xml file that defines the parameter definitions and task flow and data control bindings for the page.

Figure 9-14 Viewing Page Source Code (in Portal Editor)

Description of Figure 9-14 follows
Description of "Figure 9-14 Viewing Page Source Code (in Portal Editor)"

To view the source code for a page:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Source tab, click Page or PageDef at the bottom of the pane to view and modify page or page definition source code, respectively.
  3. To save your changes, click Save.

    Note:

    To save any changes you make on the Source tab, you must click Save. If you navigate to another tab without clicking Save, the changes made on the Source tab are lost.

Setting Page Security

By default, the pages you create in a portal are viewable by all portal members. In the Home portal, the personal pages you create are accessible only to you and the system administrator.

You can use page access settings to enable others to work with your portal pages and personal pages, and to remove that access. When you grant Create permission on a page, those granted this permission can create subpages.

When you grant access to one of your personal pages in the Home portal to another user, they must deliberately show the page in their view. The user must take this step for each session because shared pages are not automatically shown on login.

Even when page drafts are enabled, changing page security takes effect immediately on the published page, regardless of whether or not the page has a pending draft. In other words, you do not need to publish the page draft before the effect of new page security is implemented.

You may want to open a page to many users, but limit the exposure of a particular page component. To accomplish this, you can set the component's Access properties to hide the component, or specify more granular visibility by role or user, or by using an EL expression.

To specify security settings for a page:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Security tab, select the Access Method:

    • (Default) To specify that the page should inherit access settings from the permissions established for the portal, or for the parent page (if a subpage), select Inherit Parent Security.

    • To customize access on the current page, select Override Security, and continue with the next steps.

      Note:

      If custom page permissions are specified for roles or individual users in a portal that is later used to create a new portal template, then only the custom page permissions specified for the roles (not individual users) are included in the portal template (and subsequently in a portal that is created using the portal template).

    Figure 9-15 Setting Page Security: Inherit Security

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    Description of "Figure 9-15 Setting Page Security: Inherit Security"

    Figure 9-16 Setting Page Security: Custom Settings

    Description of Figure 9-16 follows
    Description of "Figure 9-16 Setting Page Security: Custom Settings"
  3. To modify the access permissions to users or roles listed under Role or User, select or deselect the Access check boxes, described in the following table.

    Note:

    To grant page access to the Public-User role (that is, to enable users who are not logged in to access the portal) the portal must be public. The portal cannot be private or hidden.

    Table 9-1 Page Access Privileges

    Access User, Group, or Role Permissions

    Grant

    Grant other users, groups, or roles access to the page and any subpages.

    Publish

    Publish page drafts to make page updates available to portal viewers. When this permission is granted, Delete and Edit are automatically granted. If you revoke Publish permission, Delete and Edit are not automatically revoked, and therefore must be explicitly revoked as required.

    Create

    Create subpages of the current page.

    Delete

    Delete the page and any subpages.

    Edit

    Edit the page and any subpages using the page editor. This includes adding, rearranging, and deleting content; renaming the page; and changing page properties.

    Contribute

    Contribute text, images, and video to the page using contribution mode. Edit and delete any content contributed to the page.

    Changes made in contribution mode do not create a page draft; changes are visible immediately in the portal.

    Note: Do not grant users this permission if you want to enforce page drafts for all page edits, including content publishing.

    View

    View the page and any subpages.
  4. To grant page access permissions to selected users, groups, and application roles, click Add Users, Add Groups, or Add Roles to open the corresponding search dialog.
  5. In the Search field, enter a search term or the name of the user, group, or role for whom you want to enable access, and click the Search icon.

    For tips on searching for a user or group in the identity store, see Searching for a User or Group in the Identity Store.

    Note:

    In the Add Roles dialog for pages in a portal, you can add any custom roles that have been created for the portal.

  6. Select a user, group, or role by clicking in its row.

    Note:

    When you select a user name, the permissions you set are granted to that specific user. When you select a group or role, the permissions you set are granted to all users who are members of that group or who are assigned that role.

    To make multiple selections:

    • Ctrl+click to select multiple rows.

    • Shift+click to select a range of rows.

  7. Click OK to confirm your selections, and populate the Security tab with the selected users, group, or roles.
  8. To grant page access permissions to all authenticated users (that is, to users who are logged in to WebCenter Portal), click Add Authenticated Role for Logged in User Access.

    The role authenticated-role is added under Role or User with default View access to the page.

  9. To grant page access permissions to all public users (that is, users who are not logged in to WebCenter Portal) click Add Anonymous Role for Public Access.

    The role anonymous-role is added under Role or User with default View access to the page.

    Note:

    To grant page access to the anonymous-role (that is, to enable users who are not logged in to access the portal) the portal must be public. The portal cannot be private or hidden.

  10. On the Security tab, set the Access permissions as desired for each user, group, or role.

    Tip:

    By default, all authenticated users and user roles that you add are granted page view access. The other access privileges must be explicitly granted.

  11. If you wish to remove access to the page, select the user, group, or role from which to revoke page access, and click Delete Access.
  12. To save your changes, click Save.

Setting Navigation Properties and Display Options for a Page

You can specify various properties and display options for page navigation items to determine their appearance and behavior when the portal navigation is rendered.

Even when page drafts are enabled, changing page properties takes effect immediately on the published page, regardless of whether or not the page has a pending draft. In other words, you do not need to publish the page draft before the effect of new properties are implemented.

To set navigation properties or display options for a page navigation item:

  1. Open the page in the page editor, then click its Actions icon (page menu icon) and select Page Information.
  2. On the Advanced tab, specify information about the page on the Target pane, then click Save.

    Figure 9-17 Setting Navigation Options for a Page: Target Tab

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    Description of "Figure 9-17 Setting Navigation Options for a Page: Target Tab"

    Table 9-2 Page Navigation Item Settings: Target Pane

    Field Description

    ID

    Automatically populated with a generated ID. This ID is used to create the URL to access the page in the portal navigation.

    The ID must be unique within the portal navigation. The first character must be either an uppercase or lowercase letter or the underscore character (_). Subsequent characters can be any alphanumeric character or a dash (-), period (.), or underscore (_).

    If the page is at the top level of the portal navigation, the ID must not be wc_navtitle or wcnav_externalId; these IDs are reserved.

    Path

    The path to the page. This value is not editable for a page created in the current portal. When adding a page link, you can enter the path to the page, or click the Select icon to browse the content repository for the page.

    Page Template

    A drop-down list selection that specifies the page template to use to display the page when it is selected in the navigation.

    Select [system default] to use the portal or application default page template.

  3. Set page navigation options on the Options pane, then click Save.

    Figure 9-18 Setting Navigation Options for a Page: Options Tab (in Portal Editor)

    Description of Figure 9-18 follows
    Description of "Figure 9-18 Setting Navigation Options for a Page: Options Tab (in Portal Editor)"

    Table 9-3 Page Navigation Item Settings: Options Pane

    Field Description

    Access Key

    A keyboard mnemonic (single character) that can be used to access the navigation item without using the mouse.

    Icon URI

    The path and file name of an image to use to represent the page navigation item.

    Search Keywords

    Keywords to facilitate searching for the page navigation item.

    Tool Tip

    Brief descriptive text to display when users hover the mouse over the page navigation item.

    External ID

    An ID to enable a direct reference to the page navigation item from a static link in a page.

    Navigation items with this attribute defined can be accessed using /faces/wcnav_externalId/externalId from an af:goLink component in a page or using /wcnav_externalId/externalId from an External Link navigation item. The alternative is to access the node by its hierarchy, which is faster, but may change as the application develops.

    Open Link In

    A drop-down list selection that specifies the container in which to display the navigation item. Note: Opening a link in a popup is not valid for pages and large navigation items, but is useful for external links.

    New Attribute Name

    The name of an attribute that has been defined for the page but not exposed on the Advanced tab. You can also select an attribute from the drop-down list.

    New Attribute Value

    An optional value for the attribute specified in the New Attribute Name field. Enter a value and click Add, or click Add without specifying a value to provide the value once the field is displayed on the Options tab.

    Tip:

    An Expression Editor is available for entering custom values using Expression Language (EL) expression, allowing the values to be determined dynamically based on certain criteria. Click the Expression Editor icon icon next to a property, then select Expression Builder to open the editor.

    If you need EL assistance, an application developer can provide an EL expression; see Expression Language Expressions in Developing for Oracle WebCenter Portal