Using Content References

Content references have a number of properties, but several properties work together to define the type of Content reference. The values of these properties are interdependent, that is, the value of one indicates the values of others.

This is the primary specifier for the type of content reference. There are a number of different types of content references, but all content references can be categorized into the following major types:

  • Target

  • Template

  • Portal Component

Target

The target is the page referenced by a URL in the user's browser. This is the main transaction or page that the user wants, and the portal may place other content around this target page based on the template. The template describes any other content, and where to place it, on the page. The template is either gotten from the content reference or a set of default templates.

Content reference links can only be created for content references that have a type of target.

Template

A portal template defines how the portal creates a user's page. It's an HTML document that describes the content and where the content is placed. The template specifies one target and zero or more portal components.

Image: A portal template

The portal template in the following example is comprised of four separate template components: one for the navigation and search header, one for related links, one for the target content region, and one for the overall template which specifies where the other components should be placed. At runtime, the target content region would be filled by the HTML returned by the target page, as would the other template component regions.

A portal template

See Portal Templates and Template Pagelets.

Portal Component

A portal component is an HTML document, or something that produces an HTML document. The portal component must be defined within a template.

A portal component could be one of a Homepage tab, component reference, or Homepage Pagelet.

UsageType Values

The following table matches the general types of target, template, and portal component to the actual values of the UsageType property.

General Type

UsageType Value

Target

Target (TARG)

Template

Frame template (FRMT) or HTML template (HTMT)

Pagelet

Pagelet (HPGC)

Homepage Tab

Homepage Tab (HPGT)

More specifically:

  • A UsageType value of TARG specifies a content reference that is a target.

  • A UsageType value of FRMT specifies a content reference that is an HTML frame template.

  • A UsageType value of HTMP specifies a content reference that is an HTML template.

  • A UsageType value of HPGC specifies a content reference that is a PeopleSoft homepage component (pagelet).

  • A UsageType value of HPGT specifies a Homepage tab.

  • A UsageType value of LINK specifies a content reference link.

This property is valid only when the UsageType property is a target. For target type content references (TARG) this controls whether the portal looks for and uses a template to wrap the target.

TemplateType

Meaning

NONE

There is no template for this target

HTML

There is some kind of HTML template for this target

This property gives information about what format the URL is in.

URLType Value

Meaning

UEXT

URL points to a non-PeopleSoft (external) URL

UMPG

URL points to a PeopleSoft mobile page

UPGE

URL points to a component

UPHP

URL points to a homepage tab

UPTM

URL points to a template

USCR

URL points to an iScript

UGEN

URL points to a generic PeopleSoft URL.

The URL property is always required (it's one of the parameters for the InsertItem method.) The format of this parameter (or property) depends on the other properties.

Nodes and the URL property work together and are interrelated. The node is how to ‘register’ a logical name for a webserver (the webserver name, on the servlet, and so on) not the actual details. This way, content references don’t change when a webserver changes.

For example, suppose you had content that you referenced on the HRMS webserver. However, the machine name for that server changed. You can change the URI of the Node, instead of changing every content reference that referred to that content.

At least one node must be specified as the default local node. Nodes are also required for PeopleSoft components and iScripts.

Considerations When Using Nodes and the URL Property

When a content reference is created it is ‘registered’ with its URL (the portal, and others, typically find a content reference by its URL). The node is used to create a logical name for the webserver, servlet, and so on, so these details are not included in a content reference’s URL. When details of a webserver change, such as at installation time, only the URI for the content provider must change. You don’t have to change the URL for any content references.

When the node is specified, the content provider’s URI is concatenated with the URL property.

The format of the URL property depends on the content it's pointing to.

Summary

The following table summarizes the interrelations between the different content reference properties.

UsageType

TemplateType

StorageType

URLType

Target (TARG)

HTML

Remote (RMTE)

Component (UPGE)

Target (TARG)

HTML

Remote (RMTE)

Internet Script (USCR)

Target (TARG)

HTML

Remote (RMTE)

External (UEXT)

Target (TARG)

NONE

Remote (RMTE)

Component (UPGE)

Target (TARG)

NONE

Remote (RMTE)

Internet Script (USCR)

Target (TARG)

NONE

Remote (RMTE)

External (UEXT)

Frame template (FRMT), HTMP template

NONE

Remote (RMTE)

Internet Script (USCR)

Frame template (FRMT), HTMP template

NONE

Local (LOCL)

N/A

Homepage (HPGT)

NONE

Local (LOCL)

N/A

Template component (TMPC), Homepage component (HPGC)

N/A

Remote (RMTE)

Component (UPGE)

Template component (TMPC), Homepage component (HPGC)

N/A

Remote (RMTE)

Internet Script (USCR)

Template component (TMPC), Homepage component (HPGC)

N/A

Remote (RMTE)

External (UEXT)

Template component (TMPC), Homepage component (HPGC)

N/A

Local (LOCL)

N/A