Lists Console

You can create, publish, and manage lists in WebCenter Portal on the Lists page or console.

Lists are useful for many portal activities, such as tracking issues, capturing project milestones, publishing project assignments, and much more. The lists you create in WebCenter Portal can be widely varied in their complexity. For example, you can start with a list of team members, and then include columns for contact information, project role, and links to relevant documents, such as any plans or proposals associated with a listed team member.

For information about working with lists as a portal manager, see Adding Lists of Information to a Portal in Building Portals with Oracle WebCenter Portal.

The lists you create in a portal are unique to that portal. A portal cannot consume the lists created in another portal.

On the Lists page or console, you can make use of templates for rapid creation of lists and tools for designing and revising list structure. If you prefer, you can create a list from scratch, adding, and configuring all of the columns yourself, or you can create a list from an Excel spreadsheet.

The lists that you create using the Lists page appear in the List viewer (if available) on another page. A List viewer can be placed on any page by the portal manager. While you can use the Lists page or console to create different lists, the List viewer provides a means of working with a particular list on a page.

The List viewer provides easy access to all the features required for adding and revising list data, importing/exporting list data, filtering list data, obtaining a list RSS feed, and linking to other WebCenter Portal assets from the list and from a row in the list.

Additionally, the List viewer provides access to customization tools that enable you to control the look of a particular list instance and its data. For example, use customization to control color banding of rows or columns or to apply filters to list data.

Use the Lists page and the List viewer to add and revise list data throughout the life of the list. Add and revise content directly on a list, or use the list Export and Import features to send list data to an Excel file, revise it there, and then import it back into the original list in WebCenter Portal.

Through its tight integration with links, lists provide the opportunity to associate other WebCenter Portal items with an entire list or an individual list row. Linking enables you to associate documents, notes, and URLs with a list or a list row.

Lists additionally provide RSS feeds for all lists and for individual lists.

Lists Console: Creating a List

In WebCenter Portal, you can create a list using any of the following sources:

• Create a blank list for which you create and configure all columns (up to 30).

• Create a list from a template, and use the template or modify the template.

• Create a list from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

To create a list:

1. Click the Create a new list icon
2. In the Create List dialog, click the Help icon for assistance.

Lists Console: Importing a List

After you have created or revised list data and saved it in an Excel format, you can import it using controls available in both the List Viewer task flow and on the Lists page. To import list data, you must have, minimally, Edit permission on the page that contains the list.

To import an exported list:

1. Select the list you want to export, and select Actions, then Import.
2. In the Import from Excel dialog, click Browse and navigate to the relevant spreadsheet.

   Note:

   The spreadsheet must have the same columns as the list.

   The file must be in Excel 1997-2003 (*.xls) or 2007 format (*.xlsx).

3. Click Import.

   If the spreadsheet was not created from an export of the list, a warning is given. Click Import to proceed if you choose.

   List data is validated on import. If any rows contain validation errors, such errors are presented in a dialog and the import is terminated. You can correct validation errors in the spreadsheet and import again.

Lists Console: Exporting a List

When you can view a list, you can export the list to a Microsoft Excel file. Exporting enables you to use your Excel skills to easily add to and revise list data. Controls for exporting lists are available in both the List Viewer task flow and on the Lists page.

To export a list:

1. Select the list you want to export, and select Actions, then Export.
2. In the Export to Excel dialog, select a format for the output file.
3. Follow the prompts to save the exported file to your local file system.

   The list is saved in the Excel format you selected. The file name is the list name, with underscores in place of character spaces. For example, my list becomes my_list.xlsx or my_list.xls.

Lists Console: Copying a List

You can use an existing list as a template simply by copying it. First, copy the list, and then edit the copied list.

To copy a list:

1. In the Lists panel, select the list you want to copy.
2. Click the Copy List icon.

   A copy of the list becomes available for selection in the Lists panel.

3. Rename the list and edit the list structure.

Lists Console: Editing a List

When you edit list structure, you can revise everything about the list. For example, you can change column details; remove, add, and rearrange columns; and rename or add another description for the list.

1. Select a list in the Lists panel, and click the Edit list icon.
2. In the Edit List dialog, click the Help icon for assistance.

Lists Console: Adding and Managing List Data

After you have created a list structure, you and other users who have access can add, edit, and refresh list data, and delete lists rows.

More.

Lists Console: Customizing a List

You can perform user customizations on your own view of a list instance. The portal manager can perform application customizations on a list instance, affecting everyone's view. User customizations involve changes made in page view mode; while application customizations involve changes made in page edit mode. Everyone can perform user customizations their own view of a list; but page edit privileges are always required for application-level list customizations.

Note:

User and application customizations apply to a list rendered in a List viewer. They do not apply to lists rendered on the Lists page.

More.

Lists Console: Linking from a List

Links assist with setting up associations from one WebCenter Portal asset to another. For example, using links you can associate a project plan document with a list of project issues. When users access the list, they can also immediately access the project plan by clicking a link that appears on the list.

Links retain their originating location. For example, if you create a link on a list row, then that link appears only on that row, and not on all the other rows in the same list.

More.

Lists Console: Mailing a Link to a List

To mail a link to a list:

1. Go to the list instance you want to send as a link through mail.
2. From the list Actions drop-down list, select Send Mail.

   A compose message window opens, addressed to portal members, with the following information:

   • The name of the portal from which the list instance originates

   • The list title and description

   • A link to the portal

   • A link to the list instance

   Note:

   To view the list, users must have access to the portal that contains the list instance.

3. Compose the message and send the mail message.

Lists Console: Obtaining List News Feeds

Lists provides two options for keeping track of changes through a news reader:

• Keep track of all recently added or modified lists in a given portal.

• Keep track of recently added or modified data rows in a given list.

You can obtain the news feed URL for lists from three locations: the RSS Manager, the Lists page, and any Lists view on a given page. The RSS Manager and the Lists page provide access to both types of Lists feeds. Individual List views provide feeds for data changes to the rows of the displayed list.

More