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Overview of Dreamweaver Plug-in

Using Desktop DDT and ViewDesigner plug-in

 
 

Using the Dreamweaver Plugin for Sun Java System Portal Server 7.2 Desktop Design

By Hemdari Duraiswami, May 2008

This article explains about the Dreamweaver plug-in for Sun JavaTM System Portal Server 7.2. This article contains the following sections:

Overview of Dreamweaver Plug-in

The layout and design of any web or portal page(s) is done by professional web designers. Web designers are comfortable with tools such as Dreamweaver, Microsoft FrontPage and so on. Most portals at present, provide a web based user interface to create, design, and theme a portal. So, it would be better and an advantage, if portals provide a method by which a web designer is able to use professional web design tools to create an elegantly designed portal.

ViewDesigner makes it possible for a web designer to create a well designed user interface for a portal in the Sun Java System Portal Server 7.2 product. ViewDesigner aims to provide plugins for popular web design tools, which enables a web designer to easily customize, design, and theme a portal page.

At present, Sun Java System Portal Server 7.2 provides the ViewDesigner plug-in that supports Macromedia Dreamweaver 8.0 and works in conjunction with the Desktop Design Tool (DDT) feature. You can download the ViewDesigner plug-in and get more information on it from https://designview.dev.java.net/

Using Desktop DDT and ViewDesigner plug-in

This section explains how a web designer can use the DDT and ViewDesigner plug-in in Sun Java System Portal Server 7.2.

  1. Install the extension in Dreamweaver (.mxp file). To do this in Windows:

    • Click Start

    • Select Programs

    • Select Macromedia and click Macromedia Extension Manager

    • Click Install New Extension

    • Select the mxp file

    • Accept the License Agreement

  2. Download the skin file from Sun Java System Portal Server 7.2 console's DDT by selecting the layout and theme that you wish your portal page to have. To do this:

    1. Login to Portal Server 7.2 Administration Console (http://machine:port/psconsole).

    2. Click Portals tab.

    3. Select a portal from the list.

    4. Click Manage Themes link.

    5. Select a Theme to download.

    6. Click Download.

    For more information on the DDT, see Chapter 13, Managing the Desktop Themes and Layout, in Sun Java System Portal Server 7.2 Administration Guide in the Sun Java System Portal Server 7.2 Administration Guide.

  3. Import the downloaded skin file into Dreamweaver using the ViewDesigner plug-in. To do this:

    1. Open Dreamweaver.

    2. Click File.

    3. Select Import and click Import Skin option.

  4. Enter values for the following:

    • Path to Skin File — Location where you have downloaded the skin file.

    • Folder to extract Skin File — The directory where you want to extract the skin file.

    • Path to Java.exe — Specify the location, where you have installed Java 1.5 or later versions.

    If you enter the values for the Java.exe path for the first time, it is persisted by the plug-in. This path will be pre-populated next time you navigate to the Import or Export skin dialog box.

  5. Click OK. If you enter values for all the fields correctly, the plug-in opens the portal sample page (index.html / index.htm). During the import operation, the plug-in creates a Dreamweaver Site with the local folder as the Skin Extract folder that is mentioned by the user. The name of the site will be the name of the skin file. If a site by the same name exists, then Dreamweaver shows an alert message saying that the site already exists and creates a site by subsequently appending 0, 1, 2, and so on to the skin file name.

    Note -

    These are the error messages that are displayed when you do not enter the values for the fields correctly.

    • The Skin Extract folder has some files in it. “Do you want to specify another folder to extract the skin file?” — If the Skin Extract folder that you have mentioned contains any files already, click OK to change the Skin Extract Folder or Cancel to continue extracting the skin file.

    • Please select the folder to extract the Sun Java Systems Portal Server Skin File. — If you leave the "Folder to extract Skin File" blank and click OK.

    • The file path entered for Skin Extract Folder is incorrect. — If you enter incorrect value for the "Folder to extract Skin File" and click OK.

    • Please select the Sun Java Systems Portal Server Skin file. — If you leave the "Path to Skin File" blank and click OK.

    • The file path entered for Skin File is incorrect. — If you enter incorrect path for the "Path to Skin File" and click OK.

    • Please select only a .skin file. — If you enter a non-skin file path for the "Path to Skin File" and click OK.

    • Please select the Java Executable Path. — If you leave the "Path to Java.exe" blank and click OK.

    • The file path entered for Java.exe is incorrect. — If you enter incorrect path for the "Path to Java.exe" and click OK.

    • Please choose only a java.exe file — If you enter the path of non-java.exe file for the "Path to Java.exe" and click OK.

    • The Sun Java Systems Portal Server Skin Extension is not installed. — If you do not install the extension click OK.

    Note -

    If there were any problems during the Skin Import Operation, you will get this error message:

    • Could not import skin file. Please refer to the logs

    The plug-in automatically opens the log file (ViewDesignerLogs.txt) in the primary browser. To configure the primary browser:

    • Click File.

    • Select Preview In Browser.

    • Click Edit Browser List.

      Here you can add another browser and make a browser as the Primary Browser.

  6. Click the Help button to get any help related to filling up the Import Skin dialog box.

  7. Click the Cancel button to close the Import Skin dialog box.

  8. Make changes to the downloaded portal skin by modifying the css files included in the downloaded skin file. If you try to add an image to the images directory of the Skin Extract folder (for example, logo.gif that is outside the Skin Extract folder), then you will be prompted with a dialog box stating that “The file you selected already eixts, would you like to overwrite this file?”. The changes that can be made to the theme are:

    • Update any existing attributes of the css files. For example, font color, size and so on.

    • Add new attributes to the existing css styles.

    • Point to any other existing image or create a new image and point the css style to that.

    • When you create a new image, ensure that it is created in the images folder of the skin file.

    • You cannot create new styles in an existing css file or create new css files.

    • In Portal Server 7.2 release, only the theming can be modified. The layouts cannot be modified.

  9. Export the changes made to the skin file using the plug-in by clicking the Export Skin option in the Dreamweaver —> File —> Export.

  10. Enter values for the following:

    1. Path to the Unziped Skin File — The location where the skin file has been extracted and theme modified.

    2. Save New Skin File to — The name and location of the new skin file (that contains the modified theme).

    3. Path to Java.exe -> Specify the location, where you have installed Java 1.5 or later versions.

  11. Click OK.

    If export is successful, you will get the confirmation message as “Export Complete”. Use the Portal Server console to apply a new theme.

    These are the error messages that are displayed when you do not enter the field values correctly.

    • Please select the folder that contains the unzipped Sun Java System Portal Server Skin File. — If you leave the "Path to the Unziped Skin File" blank and click OK.

    • The file path entered for Unzipped Skin File is incorrect. — If you enter incorrect path for the "Path to the Unziped Skin File" and click OK.

    • Please select the Sun Java Systems Portal Server Skin file. — If you leave the "Save New Skin File to" blank and click OK.

    • Please choose only a .skin file. — If you enter non-skin file path for the "Save New Skin File to" and click OK.

    • Please choose only a .skin file. — If you enter non-skin file path for the "Save New Skin File to" and click OK.

    • Please select the Java Executable Path. — If you leave the "Path to Java.exe" blank and click OK.

    • The file path entered for Java.exe is incorrect. — If you enter incorrect path for the "Path to Java.exe" and click OK.

    • Please choose only a java.exe file — If you enter path of non-java.exe file for the "Path to Java.exe" and click OK.

    • The Sun Java System Portal Server Skin Extension is not installed. — If you do not install the extension properly and click OK.

  12. Click the Cancel button to close the Export Skin dialog box.

  13. Use the DDT in Portal Server console to apply the changes to your live portal and view the look and feel change that has taken effect immediately. To do this:

    1. Login to Portal Server console.

    2. Click Portal tab.

    3. Click a Portal.

    4. Select the “Top Level” organization from the Select DN list box.

    5. Click Manage Themes link.

    6. Click the Upload button.

    7. Browse and select the theme file that has been created by the ViewDesigner plug-in and click Save to upload the modified skin file.

    8. Click on theme name URL to preview the portal page. You can view all the changes that were applied.

    9. Select the DN as EnterpriseSample and choose a particular theme.

    10. Click the "Set as Default" button.

    11. Navigate to the Portal Server 7.2 desktop page and click the Enterprise Sample URL. Login as a user to see the applied theme changes.

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