Managing Homepages

Use the Content Ref Administration page (PORTAL_CREF_ADM) to create and maintain homepage definitions.

Navigation:

1. Select PeopleTools > Portal > Structure and Content.

2. Continue to navigate through the folder structure depending on the homepage type:

   • For classic homepages, select Portal Objects > Homepage > Tabs.

   • For fluid homepages, select Fluid Structure Content > Fluid Homepages.

3. Click the Add Content Reference link.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Content Ref Administration page for a classic homepage definition. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Content Ref Administration page for a fluid homepage definition. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Use the Content Reference Security page (PORTAL_CREF_SEC) to define the portal registry security for the homepage definition.

Navigation:

From the Content Ref Administration page, select the Security page tab.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Content Reference Security page (a classic homepage definition is shown). You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Use the Tab Content - Tab Content page (PORTAL_TAB_CON_ADM) or the Tile Content: Tab Content page (PORTAL_TAB_LANDING) to select which pagelets or tiles are available to users who have access to this homepage.

Navigation:

• For a classic homepage, from the Content Ref Administration page, select the Tab Content page tab.

• For a fluid homepage, from the Content Ref Administration page, select the Tile Content page tab.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Tab Content - Tab Content page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Tile Content - Tab Content page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Important! While this page still determines which tiles are displayed as required, fixed, or by default, the restrictive function of this page does not apply to fluid homepages—that is, all tiles can be added to any fluid homepage by any user with permissions to that tile regardless of whether the tile has been explicitly allowed on this page.

To select the pagelets or tiles that can be displayed on this homepage:

1. Expand any collapsed group boxes and then select the check box to make the pagelet or tile available for this homepage.

   Select the Include All? check box to select all pagelets or tiles in that category.

   Note: A user must also have security access to the pagelet or tile definition for the item to be displayed on the homepage.

2. In addition:

   • For classic homepages, you can click the Pagelet Search button and select a pagelet from the Pagelet Search page to add it to the homepage tab definition.

     See Searching for and Importing Pagelets and Tiles for more information on searching for pagelets on local and remote nodes.

   • For fluid homepages, you can click the Tile Search button and select a pagelet from the Tile Search page to add it to the homepage tab definition.

     See Searching for and Importing Pagelets and Tiles for more information on searching for tiles on local and remote nodes.

3. Use the drop-down list box to select the pagelet or tile behavior. If you're creating a section, you must select the tile behavior type other than Optional.

   Note: If you change the behavior type of a tile and the tile is assigned to a section on the Section Assignments page, the behavior type of the tile in the section is automatically updated to reflect the change.

   Values are:

   Field or Control	Description
   Opt-Dflt (optional default)	The pagelet or tile is visible to all users by default for users that have permissions to the pagelet or tile; users can move or delete the pagelet or tile. Note: You must select the Opt-Dflt setting if you wish to publish additional tiles to users who have already personalized this homepage. See (Fluid only) Using the Tile Publish Page to Publish Additional Tiles and (Fluid only) Using a PeopleCode Program to Publish Additional Tiles for more information.
   Optional	Optional means this pagelet or tile is available for a user to add to their homepage as long as the user has security permission to this pagelet or tile. Additionally, users can move or delete the pagelet or tile. When an administrator sets a pagelet or tile as optional in a homepage, it does not display automatically on the homepage. However, in fluid homepages, all tiles regardless whether they are set optional or not, are available for the user to add as long as the user has security permission to it. Only classic homepages, classic dashboards, and fluid dashboards allow only optional pagelets or tiles to be added by the user to their classic homepage, classic dashboard, and fluid dashboard. Note: However, since all tiles are already available to all users that have permissions to the tile, this selection is unnecessary for tiles. Setting a tile that is assigned in a section from non-Optional to Optional removes the tile from the section because Optional tiles cannot be assigned to sections.
   Req-Fix (required fixed)	The pagelet or tile is visible to all users by default for users that have permissions to the pagelet or tile; however, users cannot move or delete the pagelet or tile. Note: A tile that is designated as fixed cannot be moved directly. If a fixed tile is also the first tile, no other tiles can be moved in front of it. However, if non-fixed tiles precede the fixed tile, other tiles can be moved in front of the fixed tile thereby rendering the fixed setting moot.
   Required	The pagelet or tile is visible to all users by default for users that have permissions to the pagelet or tile; users can move the pagelet or tile, however, they cannot delete it.

4. Click the Save button.

   If you're creating a standard fluid homepage, that is, a homepage without sections, then on clicking the Save button, the fluid homepage is ready for use.

   If you want to create a sectionalized fluid homepage, that is, a homepage with sections, then you should use the Section Assignments tab to create sections and assign tiles to it.

Use the Section Assignments page (PORTAL_TAB_SECTION) to create sections and assign tiles to a fluid homepage.

To improve the usability of homepages, Portal Administrators can group tiles into a section. The grouping of tiles can be based on your business requirements.

Navigation:

From the Content Ref Administration page, select the Section Assignments page tab.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Section Assignments page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Use the Tab Layout page (PORTAL_TAB_LAY_ADM) to specify the initial layout of columns and pagelets for a classic homepage.

Navigation:

From the Content Ref Administration page, select the Tab Layout page tab.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Tab Layout page for classic homepages. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

To arrange the tab layout:

1. Select a basic layout option.

2. Select the pagelet name.

3. Click the directional arrow buttons to position the pagelets in the columns.

4. Click the Save button.

There is no specific page that allows the portal administrator to arrange or order the tiles on a fluid homepage. Instead, the sequence number for each tile determines the initial order of tiles on a fluid homepage. Tiles appear in order with the lowest sequence number first. If any sequence numbers are identical, then the order is alphanumeric. If no sequence number is specified, the default value of zero is used for that tile. However, for fluid homepages with sections, the order number specified on the Section Assignments page controls the sequence of tiles in sections.

To rearrange the tile order:

1. Navigate to PeopleTools > Portal > Structure and Content.

2. Continue to navigate through the folder structure; select Fluid Structure Content > Fluid Pages.

3. Click the link for the folder that contains the tile that you want to reorder.

4. Click the Edit link for each tile that you want to reorder.

5. Enter a number in the Sequence field.

6. Click Save.

If you have the Portal Administrator role, you can use the Tile Publish page to publish tiles to already personalized homepages or dashboards. Otherwise, you can write a PeopleCode program to publish tiles to already personalized homepages or dashboards; for more information, see the following section.

Use the Tile Publish page to publish additional tiles to users who have already personalized this homepage or dashboard.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Tile Publish page.

To publish additional tiles to users who have already personalized this homepage or dashboard:

1. On the Tile Content - Tab Content page, select the additional tiles for this homepage or dashboard.

2. Select Opt-Dflt for each of these tiles.

3. Save the homepage definition (or dashboard definition).

4. Click the Tile Publish button.

   The Tile Publish page is displayed listing all new and existing tiles that have been marked as Opt-Dflt.

5. Select which tiles are to be published to users who have already personalized this homepage or dashboard.

   Note: Tiles that are not selected and tiles that have been previously published for this homepage or dashboard are not removed by this process.

6. Click the Publish button.

   A confirmation message indicates how many tiles have been published.

7. Click OK.

8. Make note of the process ID in case you need to use Process Monitor to review the status of this PT_TILE_PUB process.

   Note: Process Scheduler must be running on your system to complete this process. After the process successfully completes, the updates will be visible to users when they sign in next or after they refresh the homepage or dashboard.

9. Click the Return button to return to the Tile Content - Tab Content page.

You can also write a PeopleCode program to call the delivered PublishToHomepage function, which runs the same PT_TILE_PUB Application Engine program that is invoked from the Tile Publish page. This methodology provides users that do not have the Portal Administrator role a way to publish tiles to already personalized fluid homepages or dashboards. If already personalized homepages or dashboards are found that do not include the tiles to be published, the initiator of this action will be prompted to continue before the PT_TILE_PUB program is submitted to the Process Scheduler; otherwise, the PT_TILE_PUB program is not submitted.

PublishToHomepage(HP_name, tile_list, behavior, run_now, run_DT)

Declare Function PublishToHomepage PeopleCode PT_TILE_PUB_WRK.FUNCLIB FieldFormula;

&rec = PublishToHomepage("DEFAULT_LP", "TILE_CREF_1, TILE_CREF_2", "3DEF", True, DateTimeValue("2020-06-30 22:30:00"));

If &rec.STATUS = "Y" Then
   If &rec.PTSCHEDULESTATUS.Value = "0" Then
      MY_WRK.PROCESSINSTANCE = &rec.PROCESSINSTANCE;
      MessageBox(0, "", 99999, 101, "Publish process submitted. Process ID: " | &rec.PROCESSINSTANCE);
   Else
      MessageBox(0, "", 99999, 102, "Process could not be scheduled.");      
   End-If;
End-If;

The sequence number determines the order in which the homepages appear. Homepages appear in order with the lowest sequence number first. If any sequence numbers are identical, then the order is alphanumeric. If no sequence number is specified, the default value of zero is used for that homepage.

To rearrange the homepage order:

1. Select PeopleTools > Portal > Structure and Content.

2. Continue to navigate through the folder structure depending on the homepage type:

   • For classic homepages, select Portal Objects > Homepage > Tabs.

   • For fluid homepages, select Fluid Structure Content > Fluid Homepages.

3. Click the Edit link for each homepage that you want to reorder.

4. Enter a number in the Sequence field.

5. Click Save.

If caching is turned on for the portal, the tab order change does not take effect until the cache is recycled or the web server is restarted.

Use the Publish System Homepage page (PTPHP_PUBLISHHP) to publish an administrator created or personalized homepage as a new fluid homepage.

Navigation:

1. View the personalized fluid homepage that you want to publish as a new fluid homepage.

2. From the Actions menu, select Publish Homepage.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Publish System Homepage page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Portal administrators can prohibit end users from personalizing homepages by using the Disable End User Personalizations check box that is available on fluid homepage definitions and the Publish System Homepage page. Sectionalized homepages automatically disable end-user personalization. You can apply this setting for standard homepages and dashboards (homepages or dashboards without sections) and for sectionalized homepages and dashboards.

Portal administrators can disable end-user personalization on fluid homepage and dashboard definitions by navigating through the Structure and Content component. Dashboard administrators cannot specify this setting through Manage Dashboard Pages.

Consider the following when you plan to disable end-user personalization:

• When you disable end-user personalization, personalization of a homepage is restricted except for the following personalization:

  • User can personalize the order of homepages.

  • User can copy a tile to another homepage that allows user personalization and to homepages where the tile is not present.

  For more information see Managing Fluid Homepages.

• When end-user personalization is disabled for a homepage, which has been personalized by users in the past, that personalization is no longer available for use (or the personalization data becomes stale) because end-user personalization data is not maintained, except for the homepage order. User personalization data that is no longer maintained includes removed tiles, added tiles from the tile repository, pin-to tiles, and tile order changes.

• Standard homepages can only be published if the homepage has been modified. With homepages set to disable end-user personalization, homepages cannot be modified. In this case, an administrator can perform a Save As operation on a non-modified homepage. This enables administrators to create a new version of a homepage using the current homepage as a starting point.

  The homepage publishing process provides you the option to disable end-user personalization for the newly published homepage.

  Refer to the Cloning of Publishing a Homepage as a New Homepage section later in this topic for more information.

• Homepages that are disabled for end-user personalization cannot be the target of copy tile or move tile actions.

• Homepages that are disabled for end-user personalization are not listed in the Add To Homepage menu from non-homepage components.

You can change the access to certain PeopleTools-delivered definitions to restrict certain ways in which users can personalize fluid homepages, the NavBar, or both. The delivered PTPT1400 (PeopleSoft Guest) permission list has some of these personalization features turned off by default. See the following table for a list of personalization features, the PeopleTools definition that provides access to that feature, and whether the feature is enabled in PTPT1400.