12.2 Working with Portal Templates for Pages and Items

Use Portal Templates for pages and Portal Templates for items when you want your pages to display consistent layout, font, color, and auxiliary content when viewing a page or an item.

This section provides information on using both types of Portal Templates. It includes the following subsections:

12.2.1 Using Portal Templates with Pages

Portal Templates for pages enable you to enforce a standard look and feel on your portal pages. Keep in mind that a Portal Template for pages is rigorous in enforcing the layout, look, and feel it provides. For example, in most cases, you cannot add new regions to pages that are based on Portal Templates. Be sure the template contains the regions your content providers will require.

There's one exception to the "no new regions" rule. If the template includes a tab, users with edit or personalization privileges on a page can add more tabs on pages that are based on the template. Then they can create additional regions on the new tabs.

Additionally, you can allow or prevent privileged users from applying a page style other than the one provided by the template. You can lock template regions to prevent anyone from adding content to those regions. And you can allow or prevent privileged users from defining page access rules other than those defined for the template.

Use Portal Templates for pages on navigation pages, standard pages, or custom page types that are based on the standard page type.

This section provides information on how to create, apply, edit, and detach Portal Templates for pages. It includes the following subsections:

12.2.1.1 Creating a Portal Template for Pages

There are two methods for creating a Portal Template for pages:

12.2.1.1.1 Creating a Portal Template for Pages Using a Wizard

The template creation wizard provides an easy-to-use interface for defining the underlying structure of your Portal Template. Use the template creation wizard to:

  • Specify whether the template should be available immediately or remain unpublished until it is complete

  • Select the style that will define its colors, fonts, and background images

  • Specify access rules that will define which users can access the pages that are based on the template

During the process of creating a template, you are given the opportunity to select a navigation page banner for the top of your template and a style to specify the fonts, colors, and background image to apply to the template. Before you create a template, the navigation page and style you plan to use should already be created and available for selection. For information on defining a style, see Chapter 11, "Working with Colors and Fonts". For information on creating a navigation page, see Chapter 13, "Designing Your Portal's Navigation".

You can use Portal Templates for pages on navigation pages, standard pages, or custom page types that are based on the standard page type.

To create a Portal Template with the template creation wizard:

Note:

In the Oracle Portal user interface, fields that require a value are marked with an asterisk (*).

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select a page to own the template.

    The default location of the Page Groups portlet is on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page. If you plan to use this template across multiple page groups, select the Shared Objects page group. Templates in the Shared Objects page group can be shared across page groups. Templates in any other page group can be used only within their page group.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, click the Create link next to the Portal Templates heading.

    This opens the template creation wizard.

  5. In the Display Name field, enter a Display Name for the template.

    Use up to 256 characters of any kind. The Display Name identifies the template in the Page Groups portlet, the Portal Navigator, and the various template pick lists.

  6. Select Make available for use in this page group if you want the template to be immediately available for use in its page group.

    Selecting this option adds this template's display name to the Portal Template pick list on the Template tab in page properties. Users with a sufficient privilege level on the page will be able to see and select this template.

    Consider clearing this check box while you develop the template to prevent other users from selecting it until it is complete. The template name displays in the Page Groups portlet so that you can continue to access it easily to continue its development. But it does not appear on the template pick list on the page properties Template tab. Consequently, it cannot be applied to a page.

    Note:

    Selecting this check box also allows all users to view the template. However it does not affect the security of pages based on the template.

  7. Select a banner from the Navigation Page For Banner drop-down list.

    If you will not use any of the banners that are available on this list, select <None>. This list includes all the navigation pages in this page group and the Shared Objects page group.

  8. Click Create.

    The template displays in Edit mode. Create regions, add content, and complete the construction of the template. For information on working with regions, see Chapter 10, "Working with Layouts". For information about adding content, see Chapter 14, "Working with Items" and Chapter 15, "Working with Portlets".

  9. When you create a new Portal Template, various properties, such as style and access settings, are defaulted to make the creation process quicker. After you have created your template you may want to edit the properties of the template to change some of these default settings.

    Note:

    For information on editing properties of Portal Templates for pages, see Section 12.2.1.3, "Editing Portal Templates for Pages."

The default language of the Shared Objects page group is English. This can have implications particularly when you want to share a template over non-English page groups. Objects on a template that belongs to the Shared Objects page group that do not have an explicit translation in the relevant language will not display on the non-English pages that are based on the template. If you want those objects to display, first you must add translated versions of those objects to the template. For more information, see Chapter 19, "Translating Portal Content".

12.2.1.1.2 Converting a Page to a Portal Template

You can use an existing standard page as the starting point for a new template. When you convert a page to a template, a copy of the page is created. The copy becomes the new template. The original page still exists, and is not affected by the conversion.

Only pages that are not based on a template can be converted to templates.

When you convert a page to a template, almost everything associated with the page is converted, but a few things are not. The attribute values, option selections, and objects that are not converted from the source page include:

  • Caching options

  • Contact E-Mail

  • Category

  • Perspectives

  • Keywords

  • Default WebDAV Types

  • Portal Template for items assignment

  • Custom page attributes

  • Page Images

  • Approval routing

  • Sub-pages

  • Page function items

To convert a page to a Portal Template:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select the page group that owns the page to be converted.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. Under Layout & Appearance, click the Browse link next to the Pages heading.

  5. On the resulting Portal Navigator page, click the Convert to Template link next to the page you will convert.

    Note:

    If you want to create a template from the page group's root page, click Convert Root Page to Template next to the page group in the Portal Navigator.

  6. In the confirmation screen, click Yes to convert the page to a Portal Template.

    You are returned to the Portal Navigator where the original page remains intact. A copy of the page is created under the Portal Templates node in the Portal Navigator. A link to it also displays under the Portal Templates heading in the Page Groups portlet. Click this link to edit the template.

  7. Optionally, click the Builder link at the top of the page to return to the Portal Builder page.

12.2.1.2 Applying Portal Templates for Pages

You can apply Portal Templates for pages to navigation pages, standard pages, or custom page types that are based on the standard page type.

To apply a Portal Template for pages:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. In the Page Groups portlet, select the page group that owns the page to which you will apply a Portal Template from the Work In drop-down list.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, under the Pages heading, click the link to the page to which you will apply a template.

    This opens the page in Edit mode.

  5. In the toolbar at the top of the page, click the Page: Properties link.

  6. On the resulting page, click the Template tab to bring it forward.

  7. Select the Use Portal Template radio button, and select the Portal Template you will use from the Portal Template drop-down list.

    When a page group and the Shared Objects page group both have a template of the same name, the page group name is added to the template name in pick lists. For example: <template_name> (page_group_name). This assists in distinguishing between templates on pick lists.

  8. If the page contains content, a Region Mapping section displays.

    In this section, specify where you want to move content from the original page regions into the new, template-provided regions. The regions are represented either by automatically-assigned identification numbers or by their user-assigned region names.

  9. Click OK to save your changes and open the page in Edit mode.

12.2.1.3 Editing Portal Templates for Pages

To edit a Portal Template for pages:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select the page group that owns the template to be edited.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, under the Portal Templates heading, click the link to the relevant template.

    This opens the template in Edit mode.

  5. Make your changes, and click the View Template link in the toolbar at the top of the page to view your results.

  6. To edit the properties of the template, click the Template: Properties link in the toolbar at the top of the page.

  7. Move from tab to tab, and edit properties as desired:

    • Main—Change the name or display name of the template; add a description; or change whether or not the template can be used by pages in the page group. For information about the naming rules that apply to Portal Templates, see Appendix D, "Object Naming Rules in Oracle Portal."

    • Style—Select a style to define the colors and fonts to use for pages based on the template.

      A Portal Template can enforce the style of a page. Clear Enable Pages To Use Different Style if you want users to have no choice about what style to use. Pages that are based on the template will always use the style you choose here and the Style tab will not be displayed in the page properties tab set. Users will be prevented from selecting a different style, even for their own version of the page. That is, when a page is being personalized, the Style tab will not display. Select this check box to enable users with sufficient privileges to apply a different style to pages that are based on the template.

      This setting works in conjunction with the Page Group properties Allow Privileged Users to Manage Page Style and Allow Privileged Users to Personalize Page Style. For more information, see Section 4.3.2, "Controlling Who Can Apply a Different Style to a Page".

      Note:

      When you base a page on the template, it will initially use the template's style. The page will continue to use the template's style even when you enable pages based on the template to have their own style selections. Every time you update the style for the template, the style for the pages based on the template will also be updated. This relationship continues until you select a different style for the page.

    • Access—Define who can access pages based on the template and what level of control they have over those pages.

      A Portal Template can also enforce access for a page. Clear Enable Pages to Have Different Access to prevent users from choosing different access contol settings when they create or edit pages that are based on this template. Such pages will always use the template access control settings and the Access tab will not be displayed in the page properties tab set. Select this check box to enable users to choose different access control settings.

      Note:

      For more information on security features in Oracle Portal, see Chapter 17, "Protecting Your Content".

    • Items—Specify the item versioning level and default region for placing content.

    • Optional—Select an HTML page skin. For more information, see Section 12.1.2, "What Are HTML Templates?."

    • Parameters—Set up page parameters. For more information, see Chapter 22, " Using Parameters and Events."

    • Events—Set up page events. For more information, see Chapter 22, " Using Parameters and Events."

  8. Click the OK when you are done.

When you edit a page that is based on the template, you can also click the Edit Template link in the toolbar at the top of the page to enter Template Edit mode.

12.2.1.4 Detaching a Portal Template from a Page

If you will no longer use a Portal Template for a particular page, you can detach the template from the page. When you detach a Portal Template from a page, the page retains the same layout and content that was provided by the template, but the page now owns it. Any changes made to the template no longer affect the page. If you have a sufficient level of privilege, you will now be able to change the layout of the page and add content to any region.

To detach a Portal Template from a page:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select the page group that owns the page from which to detach a template.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, under the Pages heading, click the link to the page from which to detach a Portal Template.

    This opens the page in Edit mode.

  5. Click the Page: Properties link in the toolbar at the top of the page.

  6. On the resulting page, click the Template tab to bring it forward.

  7. Click the Detach from Template link next to the Use Portal Template field.

    Note:

    If you do not see the Detach from Template link, the page does not use a template.

  8. In the confirmation page, click Yes to detach the template.

  9. Click OK to return to the page.

12.2.2 Using Portal Templates with Items

You can use Portal Templates for items to control the appearance of items—including supporting content and decoration—when they are accessed through a URL. For example, render item content while maintaining the context of your portal's look and feel. Use Portal Templates for items with Text items, PL/SQL items, URL items, and File items of type text/html or text/plain.

Any access rules you define for a Portal Template for items are preserved. When an unauthorized user tries to access an item in the context of a template, an error message is rendered.

Users can view an item within the context of its template when one of the following conditions is met:

  • The template is public.

  • The user has at least the View privilege on the template.

  • The user has Manage Template privilege on the page group.

This section describes how to create, apply, edit, and detach from a Portal Template for items. It contains the following subsections:

For information on parameter passing and Portal Templates for items, see Section 22.6.1, "Defining Parameter Values for Items Displayed on a Portal Template". For information on securing Portal Templates for items, see Section 17.11, "Granting Privileges on Portal Templates".

12.2.2.1 Creating Portal Templates for Items

Portal Templates for items enable page designers to create a template that defines layout, font, color, and auxiliary content in addition to a placeholder that is replaced dynamically with the content of the requested item. You can select default content for the item placeholder to display in the event that the target content should lose its context, such as when a user navigates away from the item content, then navigates back to it.

When users click a tab on a Portal Template for items, the tab URL displaces the item URL and item content is not preserved. This means that users switching between tabs on a page assembled from an item template, may lose the context of the item whose URL rendered the item template. In such a case, users are likely to see the default (placeholder) item in lieu of the item that originally invoked the template. One way to circumvent confusing, though logical, situations like this is to keep item templates as simple as possible, with minimal in-page navigation. That is, with few if any tabs and sub-tabs.

Whenever you place an item placeholder on a Portal Template, it becomes a Portal Template for items. This is true even when the item placeholder is in a non-active state, such as Draft, Pending, Rejected, Hidden, Expired, and so on. Note, however, that when the item placeholder is not in an active state, its default content or the content that replaces it when an item is rendered does not display.

Note:

Items on the template itself are not selectable as default content for an item placeholder.

When items of the type URL with Display Options set to Item Displayed Directly In Page Area are rendered with Portal Templates for items, the item cannot point to a URL that requires HTTP authentication. Such items rendered as links have no such restriction.

To create a Portal Template for items:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select a page group to own the template.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page. If you plan to use the template across page groups, select the Shared Objects page group.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, click the Create link next to the Portal Templates heading.

  5. Enter a display name in the Display Name field.

    Use any character, including spaces.

    For information on object naming rules in Oracle Portal, see Appendix D, "Object Naming Rules in Oracle Portal".

    Note:

    In the Oracle Portal user interface, an asterisk (*) indicates a field that requires a value.

  6. Check the Make available for use in this page group check box if you want users to be able to apply this template now.

    Consider leaving this check box blank until you have completed creating the template. Once this option is selected, the template displays on the relevant template pick lists. For example, if this check box is selected, once the template contains an item placeholder, it will be listed and available for selection on the Items tab of page properties.

    No matter whether this option is selected, an item template is always listed and available under the Portal Templates heading in the Page Groups portlet.

    Note:

    Selecting this check box also allows all users to view the template. However it does not affect the security of pages based on the template.

  7. Select a navigation banner to display at the top of the page from the Navigation Page For Banner drop-down list.

    Select <None> to forgo selecting a banner.

  8. Click Create.

    The template opens in Edit mode.

  9. Build the template.

    This consists of designing a layout with regions and adding whatever images and other content you plan to include on the template. For more information on working with page regions, see Chapter 10, "Working with Layouts". For more information about adding different types of content, see Chapter 14, "Working with Items" and Chapter 15, "Working with Portlets".

  10. In at least one of the item regions, add an item placeholder:

    1. Click the Add Item icon over the region that will contain the item placeholder.

    2. From the Content Item Types drop-down list, select Item Placeholder.

      If the Item Placeholder item type does not appear on this list, click the link configure the list of available item types, and add Item Placeholder to the list of available item types. If you do not see this link, ask your page group administrator to add this item type to the page group's list of available item types. For information on making different item types available to a page group, see Section 5.2.2.3, "Making an Item Type Available to a Page Group".

    3. Click Next.

    4. Click the Choose Item icon to browse to a list of available content.

      Choose from all the available items that are uploaded to your portal. The only item you cannot choose is one that is already placed on the template.

    Once a Portal Template contains an item placeholder, it becomes a Portal Template for items and appears on the item template pick list on the Items tab of page properties.

  11. When you create a new Portal Template, various properties, such as style and access settings, are defaulted to make the creation process quicker. After you have created your template you may want to edit the properties of the template to change some of these default settings.

    Note:

    For information about editing the properties of Portal Templates for items, see Section 12.2.2.4, "Editing Portal Templates for Items."

12.2.2.2 Applying Portal Templates for Items

Portal Templates for items can be selected at the page level and the item level. At the page level, the Portal Template is selected on the Items tab of page properties. At the item level, the Portal Template is selected on the Edit Item screen. For a template to be selectable on the Edit Item screen, page properties must specify that users can select a template other than that specified at the page level.

This section describes how to apply a Portal Template for items at the page level and at the item level. It contains the following subsections:

12.2.2.2.1 Applying a Portal Template for Items at the Page Level

To apply a Portal Template for items:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select the page group that owns the page on which to apply the item template.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, under the Pages heading, click the link to the page on which to apply the item template.

    This opens the page in Edit mode.

  5. Click the Page: Properties link in the toolbar at the top of the page.

  6. On the resulting page, click the Items tab to bring it forward.

  7. Select the Use this portal template radio button, then select a template from the associated drop-down list.

    When a page group and the Shared Objects page group both have a template of the same name, the page group name is added to the template name in pick lists. For example: <template_name> (page_group_name). This assists in distinguishing between templates on pick lists.

  8. Optionally, select the Allow items on this page to use a different Portal Template check box.

    Selecting this option enables users to choose a different template when they edit an item on this page.

  9. Click OK to save the change and return to the page in Edit mode.

    Alternatively, click Apply to save the change but remain on the Items tab.

When users click a link to an item on this page, the item content will display within the context of the selected template.

When property inheritance rules (set at the page group level) are set to copy property settings from the parent page, all sub-pages of a page where you apply an item template also inherit the parent page's item template setting. Subsequent changes to the template setting cascade to sub-pages.

The option Allow items on this page to use a different Portal Template is exempted from this behavior. When changes to item template settings on the parent page cascade to sub-pages, any change to the Allow items on this page to use a different Portal Template setting do not also cascade.

12.2.2.2.2 Applying a Portal Template for Items at the Item Level

For users to be able to apply a Portal Template for items at the item level, the option Allow items on this page to use a different Portal Template must be selected on the page properties Items tab.

Apply a Portal Template for items at the item level when you want to use a template other than the one specified at the page level.

Note:

The option to apply a template at the item level is available only for items of one of the following types: Text, PL/SQL, URL, and File items of the type text/html or text/plain.

To apply a Portal Template for items at the item level:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select the page group that owns the page on which to apply the item template.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, under the Pages heading, click the link to the page on which to apply the item template.

    This opens the page in Edit mode.

  5. Go to the page to which you have applied a Portal Template for items, and edit an item.

    For information on editing an item, see Chapter 14, "Working with Items".

    Note:

    The option to select a Portal Template for items on a specific item is available only when you edit an item and not when you add an item.

  6. Select Use this portal template, then choose a template from the drop-down list.

  7. Click OK.

12.2.2.3 Calling a Portal Template for Items at Runtime

Sometimes you may need to display an item within the context of a template that is different from the one defined in your portal's properties. An example of this is viewing an item in a printer-friendly format.

Many businesses offer a printer-friendly option for their published content. Users reading an item can click a link that takes them to the same item without display ads or other unrelated content. You can achieve this effect by specifying a printer-friendly template on the item URL, thus calling the template at runtime.

A call to override the default Portal Template for items in a path-based URL takes the following syntax:

http://<host>:<port>/portal/page/<dad>[/lang-<language>][/ver-<version>]/
<page_path>/<item_name>?_template=/<page group name>/<template name>

A call to override the default Portal Template for items in a durable URL takes the following syntax:

http://<host>:<port>/portal/page/<dad>[/lang-<language>][/ver-<version>]/
<item_guid>?_template=/<page group name>/<template name>

Note:

Before either call can work, the Printer Friendly template must already be created.

The template name to call is the Name specified when the template was created. This is in contrast to the template's Display Name.

You can create a Portal Template for items that includes a link to a printer-friendly version of the item using one of these URL formats in conjunction with two Item Placeholder items, each in its own region, two Portal Templates for items, and two HTML content layout templates.

When you place two Item Placeholders on the same template, they render the same item. Armed with this knowledge, you can create a Portal Template for items that includes a link to a printer-friendly version of the item—one that gives more real estate to the article and eliminates unnecessary additional content.

For example:

  • Create a Portal Template for items, named MainItem.

  • Create a second Portal Template for items, named PrinterFriendly. This is the template that will override the default item template currently selected in page or item properties.

  • On the MainItem template, create at least two regions: one for the display of item content, the other for the display of a link to the printer-friendly version of the item. Add an Item Placeholder to each region.

  • Create an HTML content layout template to render a link to the item (using the #item.url# substitution tag) and invoke the PrinterFriendly Portal Template for items (using the URL syntax demonstrated at the beginning of this section). For example:

    <a href="#item.url#?_template=/mypg/PrinterFriendly">
<img src="/images/printer.gif" border="0"> Printer Friendly
</a>

    This code displays a printer icon with the label Printer Friendly (Figure 12-7).

    Figure 12-7 Printer Icon and Label

    Printer friendly icon and label

    The icon and text are enclosed in an HREF tag that references the displayed item's URL (#item.url#) and the PrinterFriendly Portal Template for items (?_template=/mypg/PrinterFriendly).

    This reference works for all items because the #item.url# substitution tag renders the URL of the current item, whatever that may be.

  • Apply the MainItem template to the page that contains the links to your articles. To apply the template, go to the Items tab of page properties.

When users request an item, the item's content is displayed within the context of the MainItem template. The MainItem template contains the Printer Friendly link to the requested item. When users click the Printer Friendly link, the same item is rendered, this time within the context of the PrinterFriendly template.

In this example, the PrinterFriendly template is called at runtime.

For additional information on the formation of URLs in Oracle Portal, see Appendix C, "Formation of URLs in Oracle Portal". For additional information on substitution tags, see Appendix E, "Substitution Tags for HTML and Unstructured UI Templates". For information on creating and applying HTML content layout templates, see Section 12.3.2, "Using HTML to Define the Layout and Appearance of Region Content".

12.2.2.4 Editing Portal Templates for Items

To edit a Portal Template for items:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list select the page group that owns the Portal Template for items.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, under the Portal Templates heading, click the link to the template to be edited.

    This opens the template in Edit mode.

  5. Make your changes to the template. Once any cached versions of the template expire, all items that use the template will display the edited version. You can accelerate this process by going to the page's Access tab and clicking the Clear Cache link. For more information about templates and caching, see Chapter 21, "Improving Page Performance".

  6. To edit the properties of the template, click the Template: Properties link in the toolbar at the top of the page.

  7. Move from tab to tab, and edit properties as desired:

  8. Click OK when you are done.

12.2.2.5 Detaching a Portal Template for Items

If you do not want items to display within the context of a Portal Template for items, you can detach the template from the page. Once the template is detached, the content that displays when users click item links will no longer display in the context of the template. In contrast to when you detach a Portal Template for pages, when you de-select a Portal Template for items no template objects are left behind. Item content displays in an otherwise blank browser window.

To detach a Portal Template for items:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet Work In drop-down list, select the page group that owns the page from which to detach the Portal Template for items.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. In the Layout & Appearance section, under the Pages heading, click the link to the page from which to detach the template.

    This opens the page in Edit mode.

  5. Click the Page: Properties link in the toolbar at the top of the page.

  6. On the resulting page, click the Items tab to bring it forward.

  7. Select the Do not use a portal template radio button.

  8. Click OK.

Once the cache that is storing the item content and the template expires, when users click a link to an item on this page, the item content will no longer display within the context of the detached template. You can accelerate this process by going to the page's Access tab and clicking the Clear Cache link. For more information about templates and caching, see Chapter 21, "Improving Page Performance".

12.2.3 Copying a Portal Template

Copying a Portal Template provides a quick way to create a new Portal Template based on an existing one with a similar layout and content. The copy is created in the same page group as the original.

Note:

Content and any portlet personalizations are not copied for the Portal Templates that are generated automatically for categories and perspectives.

To copy a Portal Template:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Navigator link at the top of the page.

  3. Navigate to the root level of the Page Groups tab (Path: Page Groups).

  4. Click the name of the page group that owns the template to be copied.

  5. On the Page Group Objects page, click the Portal Templates node.

  6. Click the Copy link next to the relevant template.

  7. On the Copy Portal Template page, edit the template Display Name.

    Use up to 256 characters of any kind. The Display Name identifies the Portal Template to other users. It is used in the Page Groups portlet, the Portal Navigator, and on template pick lists in the Oracle Portal user interface. The default value of the Display Name field is taken from the Display Name of the source template, with the words Copy of added.

  8. Select or clear the Copy Access Control check box:

    • Select to copy access control from the source template.

    • Clear to forego copying the source template's access control settings.

  9. Select or clear the Copy Content check box:

    Note:

    This option is available for all Portal Templates except for those generated automatically for categories and perspectives.

    • Select to copy the content of the source Portal Template. This includes the source template's items and portlets.

    • Clear to prevent the copy of the source template's content. Only the source's properties, including its style, and its region layout are copied.

  10. Select or clear the Copy Portlet Personalizations check box:

    Note:

    This option is available for all Portal Templates except for those generated automatically for categories and perspectives.

    • Select to copy any personalizations that were made to the portlets on the source Portal Template.

    • Clear to reset the portlets on the copy to their default values.

  11. Click OK to complete the copy.

12.2.4 Editing Portal Template Properties

Edit template properties to revise basic template attribute values, such as the template's Name, Display Name, and caching rules.

To edit a Portal Template:

  1. Log in to Oracle Portal.

  2. Click the Build tab to bring it forward.

  3. From the Page Groups portlet's Work In drop-down list, select the page group that owns the Portal Template to be edited.

    By default, the Page Groups portlet is located on the Build tab of the Portal Builder page.

  4. Under Portal Templates in the Layout & Appearance section, click the name of the template to be edited.

    This opens the template in Edit mode.

    Note:

    If the template is not included in those listed in the Page Groups portlet, click the More … link that displays at the end of the list.

  5. Click the Template: Properties link in the toolbar at the top of the page.

    This opens the Template Properties page, displaying the Main tab. The attributes available on the Main tab vary a little from the attributes available when you first create the page. Notably, the Main tab includes a Name attribute.

    The Name attribute differs from the Display Name attribute both in the way Oracle Portal uses it and in the rules that govern which characters can be used in its formation. Oracle Portal uses the Name in the formation of path-based URLs.

    Note:

    For information on the formation of URLs in Oracle Portal, see Appendix C, "Formation of URLs in Oracle Portal".

    The default value in the Name field is taken from the Display Name provided when the template was created. The value is truncated to 60 characters and any characters that are invalid in this field are removed. Invalid characters include:

    & # % \ / : * ? < > | , "

    For example, if the Display Name is R&D Temp, the Name is RD Temp.

    The Name is case sensitive. It must be unique within its page group. Use up to 60 characters of any kind, except those specified in the preceding paragraphs.

  6. Move from tab to tab, and edit properties as desired.

    For detailed information about template caching options, see Chapter 21, "Improving Page Performance".

    Note:

    You will find the user interface for applying an HTML page skin template to the Portal Template on the Optional tab.

  7. Click OK when you are done.