This chapter describes how to add Connections to a portal. Connections provide users a means of establishing a social network of work friends and associates, which can be used to collaborate with each other.
This chapter includes the following topics:
Permissions:
To perform the tasks in this chapter, you must be a portal moderator or a portal member with the portal-level permissions Basic Services: Edit Page Access and Structure
(standard permissions) or Pages: Edit Pages
(advanced permissions).
For more information about permissions, see Section 29.1, "About Roles and Permissions for a Portal."
Connections provides a means of collecting your business friends and contacts into a social network. It furnishes tools for managing your own connections and viewing the connections of others. Using People Connections Preferences, you can grant differing levels of access to those who are and are not your connections. For example, you can limit view privileges on your Profile to just your connections or enable your connections to view certain sections of your Profile, while hiding those sections from users who are not your connections.
See Also:
For information about setting your Connections preferences, see the "Setting Connections Preferences" section in Oracle Fusion Middleware Using Oracle WebCenter Portal.
When you connect with other users, you give them access to your People Connections views, and gain access to theirs.
Note:
People Connections encompasses Connections, Activity Stream, Message Board, Feedback, and Profile. For more information, see:
Before you begin to build your social network, your application administrator can set global application defaults that affect what all users may see and do with their own and other users' connections. For more information, see the "Configuring Connections" section in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administering Oracle WebCenter Portal.
WebCenter Portal provides the following Connections task flows:
Connections for viewing and managing your connections, creating connections lists, and sending and responding to invitations to connect (Figure 45-1)
Connections - Card for photos, status messages, and instant contact options to your connections (Figure 45-2)
Connections - Detailed View for photos and quick access to your connections and to features for inviting new connections, managing existing connections, and organizing your connections into lists (Figure 45-3)
Figure 45-3 Connections - Detailed View Task Flow
Connections - Quick View for photos and quick access to your connections (Figure 45-4)
Figure 45-4 Connections - Quick View Task Flow
Connections task flows have associated properties that you can use to control the appearance and behavior of a task flow instance. For example, you can use Connections properties to specify the number of connections to show or the number of rows to show in Connections - Card and Connections - Quick View task flows.
See Also:
For more information about Connections properties, see Section 45.3, "Setting Connections Task Flow Properties."
For information about using Connections features, see the "Managing Your Contacts" section in Oracle Fusion Middleware Using Oracle WebCenter Portal.
For the steps to add a People Connections task flow to a page, see Section 14.2, "Adding a Component to a Page."
Tip:
The presence or location of these components depends on how the resource catalog is configured. For example, in the default resource catalog, next to Social and Communication, click Open to expose a list that includes the People Connections task flows.
Connections task flows have associated properties, which users with sufficient privileges can access through the Component Properties dialog in Composer (Figure 45-5).
Tip:
For information about accessing the Component Properties dialog, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
Figure 45-5 Connections Task Flow Component Properties
The following sections provide information about properties associated with Connections task flows and describe the properties available on the Parameters tab:
When you set property values on a Connections task flow, you are affecting only the task flow instance on which the value is set. Other instances of the same task flow are not affected by such changes.
The properties on the Parameters tab of the Component Properties dialog control the default task flow content. For descriptions of the parameters on this tab, see Section 45.3.2, "Connections Task Flow Parameters." For some task flows, parameters on this tab facilitate the wiring of the task flow to page parameters and page definition variables. For more information, see Chapter 19, "Wiring Pages, Task Flows, Portlets, and ADF Components."
Changes to the properties on the Display Options, Style, and Content Style tabs affect the appearance and behavior of the task flow. These properties are common to all task flows. For more information, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
The content of the Events tab depends on the events supported by the task flow. For more information, see Section 14.3.7, "Working with Component Contextual Events."
All properties on the Parameters and Display Options tabs 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 Edit icon next to a property field to open the editor. For more information about using the editor and for descriptions of common EL expressions, see the "Expression Language Expressions" appendix in Oracle Fusion Middleware Developing Portals with Oracle WebCenter Portal and Oracle JDeveloper.
Note:
Wherever you enter EL on the generic Display Options tab in the Component Properties dialog, the entry is automatically validated. If the EL syntax is invalid, an error appears and the value is neither applied nor saved. Generic Display Options are those cataloged in Table 14-1, "Display Options Properties".
EL validation is not performed on non-generic display options.
Table 45-1 describes the parameters that are unique to Connections task flows.
Table 45-1 Connections Task Flow Parameters
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
|
A Boolean value representing whether a control is available on the task flow for removing a connection Enter either This value is honored only when the task flow instance is rendered in list format. For more information, see This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
|
The name of a grouped list of connections Use this parameter to limit the display of connections to those on the specified Connections list. Enter the name of a Connections list. This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
The view to display by default Valid values include:
When users access the task flow instance, the view specified here is the first one they see. All selections, except This parameter is associated with the Connections task flow. |
|
|
A value to act as a filter against task flow content For example, to show only those connections with a user name that includes the term pat (including patrick or sripathy), enter This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
|
A Boolean value representing whether to hide the task flow footer Use this parameter to show or hide a link at the bottom of the task flow that enables users (when shown) to navigate to a detailed view of Connections when the number of available connections exceeds the number of connections that are shown.
This parameter is associated with the following task flows:
|
|
A Boolean value representing whether to hide the task flow header Use this parameter to show or hide a link at the bottom of the task flow that enables users (when shown) to navigate to a detailed view of Connections when the number of available connections exceeds the number of connections that are shown.
This parameter is associated with the Connections - Quick View task flow. |
|
Determines whether the connection's name appears under the connection's picture when the
This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
Has 2 options for now snapshot and profile. By default the value will be snapshot. This task flow parameter will be honored only if the Profile Launched on Selection is checked. Select one of the following formats:
This parameter is considered only if This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
|
The number of columns to show in the task flow For example, with six connections to show, a value of When a user's number of connections exceeds the number of connections allowed after column and row restrictions are applied, Previous and Next links are shown, enabling the user to page through his connections. (See also This parameter is associated with the following task flows:
|
|
The number of connections to show in the given task flow instance Enter a numeric value, such as The number you enter here limits the number of connections that are shown in the task flow instance. If a user's number of connections exceeds the specified value, a More link is shown, enabling the user to navigate to a full view of the Profile page's Connections subpage. This parameter is ignored if both the number of rows and the number of columns have been specified together as parameters. This parameter is associated with the following task flows:
|
|
The number of rows to show in the task flow For example, with six connections to show and a value of When a user's number of connections exceeds the number of connections allowed after column and row restrictions are applied, Previous and Next links are shown, enabling the user to page through his connections. (See also This parameter is associated with the following task flows:
|
|
|
The number of rows to show in a list layout of the Connections task flow This value is honored only when the view of the Connections task flow is set to When a user's number of connections exceeds the number of connections allowed after row restrictions are applied, Previous and Next links are shown, enabling the user to page through his connections. This parameter is associated with the Connections task flow. |
The layout style for the task flow Select one of the following formats:
This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
|
A Boolean value representing whether a Profile popup should open when a user clicks a connection listed in the task flow
This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
|
|
Determines whether the footer with a See all your connections link should always be displayed.
This parameter is associated with the Connections - Card task flow. |
|
The connections sort order Enter This parameter is associated with the following task flows:
|
|
The ID of the user to show in the task flow This value is set automatically ( This parameter is associated with the following task flows:
|
|
The ID of the user to show in the task flow This value is set automatically ( This parameter is associated with the following task flows:
|
This section provides examples of how you use property values to affect the behavior of a given task flow instance. Because you make these changes in the page editor (Composer), they affect all users' views of the affected task flow instance.
This section includes the following subsections:
Section 45.3.3.1, "Adding a Remove Button to Connections - Card"
Section 45.3.3.2, "Restricting Connections Displayed to Those on a Named List"
Section 45.3.3.3, "Specifying an Initial View for a Connections Task Flow Instance"
Section 45.3.3.4, "Limiting the Number of Displayed Connections"
Section 45.3.3.6, "Applying a Filter to a Connections - Card Task Flow Instance"
Section 45.3.3.7, "Selecting a Display Format for a Connections - Card Task Flow Instance"
Section 45.3.3.8, "Invoking a Profile Popup from a Connections - Card Task Flow Instance"
By default, the Connections - Card task flow does not provide a control for permanently removing a connection. You can use the Allow Remove
property on a Connections - Card task flow instance to render a Remove button next to each listed connection. Allow Remove
is honored when the task flow's Profile Format
property is set to List
or Virtual Business Card
.
To enable the removal of a connection in a Connections - Card task flow:
Edit the properties of a Connections - Card task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
Set Profile Format
to list
.
Provide a value for Allow Remove
:
Select the check box (#{true}
) to enable the display of a Remove button next to a listed connection (Figure 45-6).
Figure 45-6 Remove Icon on a Connections - Card Task Flow
Deselect the check box (#{false}
) to disable this feature.
Click OK.
In an instance of the Connections - Card task flow, you can use the Connection List Name
property to restrict the display of connections to only those users included on a named Connections list.
See Also:
For information about Connections lists, see the "Creating and Managing Groups of Contacts" section inOracle Fusion Middleware Using Oracle WebCenter Portal.
To restrict a Connections - Card task flow to a particular Connections list:
Edit the properties of a Connections - Card task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
In the Connection List Name field, enter the name of the Connections list to use to limit the display of connections.
Click OK.
Use the Current View
property to specify the initial view of a Connections task flow instance. For most views, users can change the default you specify here. The exception is the people
view, in which there are no controls for switching to a different view.
To specify an initial view for a Connections task flow instance:
Edit the properties of a Connections task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
For Current View
, select one of the following:
connections
—(the default value) a list of connections
receivedInvitations
—a list of connections invitations you received
sentInvitations
—a list of connections invitations you sent
people
—a search field for finding people with whom to connect
Click OK.
The Connections - Card, Connections - Detailed View, and Connections - Quick View task flows provide the property Number of Connections per page
for limiting the number of connections to show at a time. If a user's number of connections exceeds the specified value, a link is shown at the bottom of the task flow to enable the user to navigate to a full view of the Profile page's Connections subpage.
To limit the number of displayed connections in a Connections - Card, Connections - Detailed View, or Connections - Quick View task flow instance:
Edit the properties of a Connections - Card, Connections - Detailed View, or Connections - Quick View task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
Provide a value for Number of Connections per page.
Click OK.
The Connections, Connections - Card, and Connections - Quick View task flows provide properties for controlling the number of columns and rows to show at a time. When column and row values are both specified, and a user's number of connections exceeds the specified values, Previous and Next links are shown, enabling the user to page through his connections.
To specify the number of rows and columns of connections to show:
Edit the properties of a Connections, Connections - Card, or Connections - Quick View task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
Enter a numeric value to control the number of rows to show:
For Connections, enter a number for Number of Rows (list layout).
For Connections - Card and Connections - Quick View, enter a number for Number of Rows.
For Connections - Card and Connections - Quick View, enter a numeric value in the Number of Columns field to control the number of columns to show.
Click OK.
The Filter Pattern
property enables you to apply a filtering term that limits the display of connections in a Connections - Card task flow instance to only those who meet the filtering criteria. For example, to show only those connections with a user name that includes the term pat (including patrick or sripathy), enter pat
for the Filter Pattern
property.
The filter is applied to all of the information in a given card, so you can filter against things like the user's job title or name. For example, entering the term manager, ensures that only those connections whose job title includes manager are displayed in the task flow instance.
To apply a filter to a Connections - Card task flow instance:
Edit the properties of a Connections - Card task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
Enter a filtering term for Filter Pattern.
Tip:
For example, enter a job title, a user name, or partial values, such as man
.
Click OK.
The Profile Format
property provides options for controlling the arrangement of connections within a Connections - Card task flow instance. Both the placement of information and the amount of information shown are affected by your selection.
To select a display format for a Connections - Card task flow instance:
Edit the properties of a Connections - Card task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
Select a format from the Profile Format drop-down list:
Virtual Business Card
—Renders each connection in a virtual business card and includes the connection's user name and status message and quick-access buttons for interacting with your connections (Figure 45-7).
Figure 45-7 Connections - Card in Virtual Business Card Format
Iconic
—Renders the connection's personal profile photo and shows the user name below the photo (Figure 45-8).
Figure 45-8 Connections - Card in Iconic Format
List
—Renders connections in a list, showing the personal profile photo, user name, information about recent profile updates, and quick-access buttons for interacting with your connections (Figure 45-9).
Figure 45-9 Connections - Card in List Format
Tiled
—Renders the connection's personal Profile photo and shows the user name and job title beside the photo (Figure 45-10).
Figure 45-10 Connections - Card in Tiled Format
Click OK.
The Profile Launched on Selection
property provides a means of launching a Profile popup when users click a connection name in a Connections - Card task flow instance (Figure 45-11).
Figure 45-11 Invoking a Profile Popup from the Connections - Card Task Flow
When this option is not selected, clicking a connection name in the task flow simply selects the connection.
To enable the launch of a Profile popup from a Connections - Card task flow instance:
Edit the properties of a Connections - Card task flow instance.
See Also:
For information about editing task flow properties, see Section 14.3, "Modifying Components."
In the Component Properties dialog, bring the Parameters tab forward.
Select an option for Profile Launched on Selection:
Select the check box (#{true}
) to enable a Profile popup to launch when a user clicks a connection.
Deselect the check box (#{false}
) to suppress this option.
Click OK.
For information about how users work with Connections task flows, see the "Managing Your Contacts" chapter in Oracle Fusion Middleware Using Oracle WebCenter Portal.