Enabling Google Gadgets on the Desktop

Portal Server administrators can enable end users to add gadgets in the Google Gadget repository to their Desktops. This section describes Google Gadget functions and provides the following instructions for administrators:

• To Obtain a Google Gadgets API Key for Portal Server

• To Enable Portal End Users to Set Up Google Gadgets

• To Enable “Add Google Gadget” link for a 2column Community

Gadgets in the Google Gadget repository are run with the help of googlegadgetportlet.GoogleGadgetPortlet, a JSR 168 wrapper portlet. This portlet allows the gadgets to run in the portal and use page container services such as edit preferences ,show the titlebar only, show in full page, show in a new window, and remove.

Some gadgets may be incompatible with the Portal Server (such as gadgets designed exclusively for a personalized Google homepage, or gadgets displaying RSS feeds). Gadgets are developed by Google, third-party companies, or by users without any promises or representations about their performance, quality, or content.

You can enable Google Gadgets on portal pages at the global level, organizational level, role level or at a user level for page containers based on JSPTableContainerProvider and AJAXTableContainerProvider.

Once Portal Server administrators enable the Desktop to run gadgets in the Google Gadget repository, authorized end users can do the following:

• Add to the portal page any of the thousands of gadgets in Google's gadget repository

  When the end user clicks Add Gadget, the following takes place:

  • An asynchronous request is made to the Portal Server to add the selected gadget to the portal page

  • The thumbnail image and the Add Gadget button are grayed out.

• Select the width of the gadget. Choices are Thin (default) or Thick

• Personalize Google gadgets using the portal's channel editing interface

• Remove a gadget from the portal page

To Obtain a Google Gadgets API Key for Portal Server

The portal uses the AJAX Feed API of Google, which requires a Google API key to work. A single Google API key is valid for a single domain (such as, foo.com) as well as the subdomains (such as, bar.foo.com).

1. Go to the Google sign-up page for the Google AJAX Feed API.

2. Click the Sign-up for a Google AJAX API key link.

   The sign up page is displayed.

3. Follow the instructions provided.

4. Click Generate API Key.

To Enable Portal End Users to Set Up Google Gadgets

To allow end users to set up and display Google Gadgets, you must set the API Key property and activate the Add Google Gadgets link.

1. Log in to the management console.

2. Navigate to "Manage Containers and Channels" section for your portal.

3. Set Up the Google Gadgets API Key definition.

   1. Select the TopLevel [[Global]] DN.

   2. From the left frame, click GoogleGadgetContainer.

   3. In the property sheet on the right, enter your Google API key in the apiKey property value.

   4. Save your changes.

4. Activate the Add Google Gadgets Link property.

   1. Navigate to a page container edit page for one of the following:

      • user DN

      • Organization DN

      • role DN

      • global DN

   2. Set the isGoogleGadgetsEnabled property value to true.

      This setting automatically displays the Add Google Gadgets link on the portal page for end users with appropriate permissions. To add gadgets to their pages, these end users click the Add Google Gadgets link.

To Enable “Add Google Gadget” link for a 2column Community

1. Open the XML template files(owner.xml and member.xml) under /var/opt/SUNWportal/portals/portal1/communitytemplates/2column.

2. Add a boolean property, isGoogleGadgetsEnabled to the DP for the container (jsptablecontainerprovider) and set the value to True.