6 Working with Assets

Learn about working with assets in the Contributor interface – how to create, edit, preview, delete, find and organize assets. Find out how to associate one or more assets with another asset, link assets and URLs, set access permissions to assets, work with multilingual assets and vanity URLs, and view an asset’s history. The avisports sample site is used to illustrate working with assets in the Oracle WebCenter Sites: Contributor interface.

6.1 About the Functions You Can Perform on Assets

As a content contributor, you can create, edit, and copy assets, share assets with other sites, and delete assets. If your administrator has enabled locales on your site, you can also create localized assets and multilingual asset sets. Once you have created assets, you can use the search feature in the Contributor interface to find the assets you want to work with. If you are going to be working with the same assets throughout your session, WebCenter Sites provides a variety of ways for you to easily access those assets. These ways include bookmarking assets, accessing assets from the History node, tagging assets containing similar content, and saving search criteria.

WebCenter Sites also offers a preview function which enables you to preview assets as they will be displayed on the website when they are published. Since websites change from moment to moment and day to day, WebCenter Sites also offers the Future Preview feature which enables you to view site assets as they will be displayed on the website at any particular moment in the future.

Once you have created your assets, you can associate them with one another and with Page assets by using association fields (configured by your developers). You can also assign child assets to parent assets to further categorize your assets. Additionally, if your assets contain CKEditor enabled fields, you can use the WebCenter Sites-specific icons on the CKEditor toolbar to link assets in a variety of ways within the CKEditor enabled field.

When you have created the Pages for your website, you can then define your website's navigation by placing and unplacing those Pages under a site navigation node in the Site Tree.

6.2 Creating Assets

You can create assets in the following ways:

  • Create assets from scratch

  • Copy existing assets and then work with the copied asset

The types of assets you can create are determined by how the administrator has personalized the New menu (from the Content menu, select New) for your role. The purpose of personalizing the contents of the New menu is to make your job easier. For example, you see only the asset types for which you can create assets.

For information about creating assets, see these topics:

6.2.1 Creating an Asset in Form View

To create an asset in Form View:
  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site in which you want to create the asset.
  2. In the menu bar, select Content, select New, then select the type of asset you want to create.
  3. If the administrator configured the asset type such that all new assets of that type are placed into workflow upon creation, a tab opens displaying the Choose Assignees form.

    Select at least one user for each required role and click Set Assignees. Any of these users can complete the next step in the workflow process.

    A tab opens and shows the asset's Create view as a content entry form.

    Figure 6-1 New Article Asset Displayed in Form View

    Description of Figure 6-1 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-1 New Article Asset Displayed in Form View"
  4. In the asset's Create view, in the Name field, enter a name for the asset. Note the following conventions when naming the asset:
    • The name must contain alphanumeric characters. The maximum character limit in the Name field is 64 bytes. Characters that exceed 64 bytes get truncated and a message stating this is displayed.

    • The following characters are not allowed: single quote ('), double quote ("), semicolon (;), colon (:), question mark (?), percent sign (%), less-than sign (<), greater-than sign (>) and backslash (\).

    • The name can contain spaces, but cannot start with a space.

  5. Fill in the asset's content entry form. When populating the form, take note of the following:
    • Required fields. You must fill in all required fields (marked with an asterisk) before you are permitted to save the asset. Fill in all other fields as necessary.

    • WYSIWYG text fields. You may see one or more text fields that are WYSIWYG-enabled by a WYSIWYG editor, such as CKEditor. These text fields allow you to enter and format your content using controls similar to those of Microsoft Word.

      To work in a CKEditor-enabled field, click in the field to load CKEditor.

    • Date fields. You may see one or more fields that allow you to select a date. For example:

      Click the Pick a date icon to open the Date Picker attribute editor.

    • Image Picker fields. You may see one or more fields that prompt you to select an image asset (to be associated with the asset you are creating) through the Image Picker attribute editor. In such cases, you see a Browse button under a Drop Zone.

      Click Browse to open the Image Picker to the right of the tab displaying the asset. The Image Picker shows either names or thumbnails of the image assets from which you can select.

    • Clarkii Online Image Editor fields. You may see one or more fields that allow you to edit images directly in the asset form, using Clarkii OIE.

      Figure 6-4 Clarkii Online Image Editor Field

      Description of Figure 6-4 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-4 Clarkii Online Image Editor Field"
    • Type Ahead fields. You may see one or more fields that display the text Type Ahead within a drop-down list.

      To populate this field with an asset, you can either start typing the name of the asset you want to place into the field or use the drop-down list to select the asset. Your developers determine the type of assets this field supports.

    • Upload fields. You may see one or more fields that enable you to upload an image file from your local computer.

      To populate fields such as this, click the Browse button to upload an image file from your local computer.

    • Asset association fields. You may see one or more fields that display a Drop Zone. These fields support drag and drop functionality and prompt you to select an asset, from the Content Tree, My Work tree, or a search results list, and drop the asset into the association field.

      When you hover an asset of an accepted type over the field, a green border is shown around the field.

      Figure 6-7 Asset Dragged Over an Association Field

      Description of Figure 6-7 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-7 Asset Dragged Over an Association Field"

      Figure 6-8 Populated Association Field

      Description of Figure 6-8 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-8 Populated Association Field"

      WebCenter Sites links the asset you dropped into the association field to the asset you are working with. The association field displays the name of the associated asset.

  6. (Optional) In the Tags field, enter a single word or short phrase to attach to the asset.
  7. Select the next section in the form section selector and fill in the fields as outlined in step 5. Continue until you have populated all required fields (marked with an asterisk). Populate other form sections as necessary.
  8. If you plan to create translations of the asset, or if you are required to specify the language of the content you create, select the asset's target language in the Locale drop-down list (located in the Metadata section of the form).
  9. If you want to create a vanity URL for the asset, select the URL section of the form. In the URL field, specify a vanity URL for the asset.
  10. To save the asset, do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields in one or more sections

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more sections is not permitted

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  11. To inspect the asset, do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab shows the asset's Inspect view in Form View. When you Inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  12. If the asset is not preassigned to a workflow and you want to use the workflow feature, you can assign the asset to a workflow process.
  13. To preview the asset, click the Preview icon in the asset's toolbar.

    If the asset does not have a template assigned to it, the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and click Apply.

    The preview of the asset opens in the tab.

    If you want to make additional changes to the asset, do the following:

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Go Back icon.

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    The Edit view of the asset opens in the tab.

  14. When you are finished working with the asset, save the asset and close the tab. In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save & Close.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset and closes the tab displaying the asset.

6.2.2 Creating an Asset in Web View

To create an asset in Web View:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site in which you want to create the asset.
  2. In the menu bar, select Content, select New, then select the type of asset you want to create.

    The Create Asset dialog opens.

  3. In the Select Layout field of the Create Asset dialog, select the layout you want to assign to the asset.

    The layout you select determines how the asset's Create view opens in Web View.

  4. In the Name field, enter a name for the asset. Keep in mind the following:
    • The name must contain alphanumeric characters. The maximum character limit in the Name field is 64 bytes. Characters that exceed 64 bytes get truncated and a message stating this is displayed.

    • The following characters are not allowed: single quote (;), double quote ("), semicolon (;), colon (:), question mark (?), percent sign (%), less-than sign (<), greater-than sign (>), and backslash (\).

    • The name can contain spaces, but cannot start with a space.

  5. Click Continue.

    Note:

    If the administrator configured the asset type such that all new assets of that type are placed into workflow upon creation, the Choose Assignees dialog opens.

    Select at least one user for each required role and click Set Assignees. Any of these users can complete the next step in the workflow process.

    A new tab opens displaying the asset's Create view in Web View.

  6. Point to the different areas of the asset's Create view to determine which areas accept content.

    Areas that support drag and drop functionality and other content management actions become highlighted when you point to them.

  7. Click the highlighted areas to determine the type of content each area supports. The types of editable areas you see and how those areas are displayed in the asset's web page view are determined by how your developers have coded the asset's web page layout (template).

    Figure 6-10 Slots and Text Fields Displayed in Web View

    Description of Figure 6-10 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-10 Slots and Text Fields Displayed in Web View"
  8. Populate the asset's Create view.
  9. If the web page layout (template) assigned to the asset you are creating is not coded to display certain fields in Web View, (for example, Date and Locale fields), then those fields are only available in Form View. To populate these fields, you must switch to Form View.
  10. To save the asset, do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more of the fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors and save the asset.

  11. Inspect the asset. Do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View. You cannot modify the asset's content when the asset opens in the Inspect view.

  12. (Optional) If the asset is not preassigned to a workflow and you want to use the workflow feature, you can assign the asset to a workflow process.
  13. To preview the asset, click the Preview icon in the asset's toolbar.

    The tab displays the preview of the asset.

    To make additional changes to the asset, do the following:

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Go Back icon.

      The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset.

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

      The tab displays the Edit view of the asset.

  14. When you are finished working with the asset, save and close it. In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save & Close.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset and closes the tab displaying the asset.

6.2.3 Working with Editable Areas of an Asset's Create View

Different editable areas are available when populating an asset.

Text Areas. You may see one or more areas that allow you to enter text. These areas may display predefined sample text describing the type of content that should be entered. When you point to a text area, it becomes highlighted in grey and your cursor becomes a text-selecting I-beam.

Click the text area to enter your content. When you click the text area, you see one of the following:

Simple Text field. You can enter text into a simple text field, but you cannot format the appearance of that text.

WYSIWYG text field. If the text area supports an embedded WYSYWYG editor (such as CKEditor), the WYSYWYG editor opens. These text fields allow you to enter and format your content using controls similar to Microsoft Word.

Figure 6-12 WYSIWYG-Enabled Text Field

Description of Figure 6-12 follows
Description of "Figure 6-12 WYSIWYG-Enabled Text Field"

Clicking in a date area loads the Date Picker attribute editor.

Date area. You may see one or more areas that allow you to select a date.

Slots. You may see one or more areas that display either predefined content or an empty slot. These areas are highlighted with a blue overlay when you point to them.

Figure 6-14 Populated and Empty Slot

Description of Figure 6-14 follows
Description of "Figure 6-14 Populated and Empty Slot"

To work with a slot:

  1. Click a slot to open its toolbar. Depending on how the slot is coded in the web page layout (template) assigned to the asset, you may see one or more content management options.

    From left to right in the toolbar, the options are:

    Edit: Allows you to edit the content of the asset contained within the slot directly in the web page view of the asset you are creating.

    Open in New Tab: Opens a tab displaying the Inspect view of the asset contained within the slot.

    Change content layout: Allows you to select a content layout (template) with which to render the slot's content.

    Slot properties: Provides you with a list of asset types the slot supports.

    Clear slot: Removes the content from the slot.

    The following option is only available in a multi-valued slot's toolbar:

    Manage: Allows you to manage the position of the assets contained within a multi-valued slot.

    If the slot is multi-valued, when you click the slot, its toolbar displays the Edit and Manage options. Click Edit to access the individual slots within the multi-valued slot.

  2. Determine the type of content a slot supports. Click the slot and then click the Slot properties option in the slot's toolbar.

    The Slot properties dialog opens.

  3. Drag an asset from the Content Tree, My Work tree, or a search results list to the slot.
  4. If the slot's border turns green, the slot accepts that type of asset. In this case, drop the asset into the slot. If the slot's border turns red, the slot does not accept this type of asset.

Figure 6-17 Slot Properties Dialog

Description of Figure 6-17 follows
Description of "Figure 6-17 Slot Properties Dialog"

6.2.4 Creating Assets by Copying Existing Assets

You can create new assets by copying existing assets. You can then work on the copies, making changes to the content where necessary. You can copy assets even if they are checked out by another user. You can copy assets displayed in both Form View and Web View.

For information about creating assets by copying existing assets, see these topics:

6.2.4.1 Creating an Asset by Copying an Existing Asset

To create an asset by copying an Existing Asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to copy.
  2. Find the asset you want to copy and open it in its Inspect view.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset you want to copy.

  3. In the menu bar, select Edit and then select Copy.

    Note:

    If you do not see a Copy option, stop here. You do not have the appropriate permissions to copy the asset. If you have questions about your permissions, contact your administrator.

    A tab opens displaying the copied asset's Edit view in either Form View or Web View. The tab displays the copied asset's name as Copy of Asset Name_randomly generated number.

  4. If the copy of the asset opens in Web View, you can either:
    • Work with the copied asset in Web View.

    • Work with the copied asset in Form View, click the Mode switch in the asset's toolbar and then continue to step 5.

  5. In the Edit view of the copied asset, replace the content in the fields with content for the new asset you are creating.

    In the Name field, replace the asset's system generated name with a name that uniquely identifies the copied asset. Note the following conventions when naming the asset:

    • The name must contain alphanumeric characters. The maximum character limit in the Name field is 64 bytes. Characters that exceed 64 bytes get truncated and a message stating this is displayed.

    • The following characters are not allowed: single quote ('), double quote ("), semicolon (;), colon (:), question mark (?), percent sign (%), less-than sign (<), greater-than sign (>), and backslash (\).

    • The name can contain spaces, but cannot start with a space.

    Optionally, set or change the new asset's locale designation:

    • In the asset's form section selector, select Metadata.

    If you do not make a selection, one of the following happens:

    • If the source asset has a locale designation, the new asset retains the locale designation of the source asset.

    • If the source asset has no locale designation, neither does the new asset. You must manually assign a locale designation to the new asset.

    Populate the remaining fields with content for the new asset.

  6. In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  7. In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    The asset's Inspect view opens in the tab. When you Inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  8. (Optional) If the asset is not preassigned to a workflow and you want to use the workflow feature, you can assign the asset to a workflow process.
  9. Preview the asset by clicking the Preview icon in the asset's toolbar.

    If the asset does not have a template assigned to it, the Select preview template dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

    The preview of the asset opens in the tab.

6.2.4.2 Copying Multiple Assets at the Same Time

You can create assets by copying multiple assets at the same time.

To copy multiple assets at the same time:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the assets you want to copy.
  2. Find the assets you want to copy.

    A Browse tab opens displaying a list of assets associated with the parent you double-clicked.

  3. In the list of assets, Ctrl+click or Shift+click the assets you want to copy.
  4. Right-click the highlighted assets and select Copy from the context menu.

    A dialog opens displaying a message that copy is successful.

    Figure 6-18 Copy Successful Message

    Description of Figure 6-18 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-18 Copy Successful Message"
  5. In the dialog, do either of the following:
    • To close the dialog and work with the copied assets at another time, click OK.

    • To view a list of the copied assets, click Show Copied Assets.

      A Browse tab opens listing the names of the assets you copied.

    Note:

    The naming convention for copied assets is: Copy of Asset Name_randomly generated number.

  6. Open the copied assets and replace the content in the fields with content for the new assets you are creating. Repeat these steps until all copied assets have been renamed and their content has been replaced with content for the new assets.

6.2.5 Sharing Assets with Other Sites

If you want to use an asset in multiple sites, you can share it so that you do not have to create it multiple times and maintain it across multiple sites.

Note:

To share an asset with another site, ensure that the asset's type is enabled on the site with which you want to share it.

For information about sharing assets with other sites, see these topics:

6.2.5.1 Which assets can you share?

Before you share an asset, keep in mind the following:

  • You must have the permissions to share an asset.

  • You can share an asset only to sites that you have access to. If you have access to only one site, the Share option in the Content menu is not available to you.

  • You cannot share Page assets.

  • Share an asset only if the content it contains does not have to be unique to the target site. For example, you can share an asset containing your company's logo, because the same image can probably be used on all of the company's sites.

    If the nature of the content requires a separate, unique version for each site, do not share the asset –instead, create a new asset for each site that requires a unique version of the content.

  • Because of the nature of asset sharing, deleting a shared asset automatically removes it from all sites to which it was shared.

  • If the asset is in a workflow, you and others can change its workflow status only when you are working in the asset's native site.

  • Share the asset only when you are ready to publish it; that is, wait to share the asset until it has been approved.

  • To share a localized asset to another site, the asset's locale must be enabled on the target site.

  • If you share an asset that has dependencies, (for example, the shared asset is associated with an Article asset), you have to share all of the asset's dependent assets to the target site in order for the primary shared asset to be successfully approved for publishing on the site to which you shared it.

If you want to share an asset with another site, but you do not have the appropriate permissions, contact your WebCenter Sites administrator.

6.2.5.2 How do you share assets with other sites?

To share assets with other sites:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to share.
  2. Find and open the asset you want to share to another site.
  3. In the menu bar, select Content, then select Share.

    The Share Selected Content dialog opens.

    Figure 6-19 Share Selected Content Dialog

    Description of Figure 6-19 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-19 Share Selected Content Dialog"
  4. In the Share Selected Content dialog, do the following:
    • In the Available list box, select the sites to which you want to share the asset and move them to the Selected list box.

    • If you want to share this asset with all current and future sites, select the Share Selected content with all current and future sites check box.

    • The asset is now accessible on the sites to which you shared it.

6.2.5.3 How do you share multiple assets with other sites?

To share multiple assets with other sites:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the assets you want to share.
  2. Find the assets you want to share.
  3. In the list of assets, Ctrl+click or Shift+click the assets you want to share.
  4. Right-click the highlighted assets and select Share.

    The Share Selected Content dialog opens.

    Figure 6-20 Share Selected Content Dialog

    Description of Figure 6-20 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-20 Share Selected Content Dialog"
  5. In the Share Selected Content dialog, do the following:
    • In the Available list box, select the sites to which you want to share the assets and move them to the Selected list box.

    • If you want to share these assets with all current and future sites, select the Share Selected content with all current and future sites check box.

    • Click Save.

      The assets are now accessible on the sites to which you shared them.

6.3 Editing Assets

Editing assets is permission based. Your site administrator determines which users can work with which assets. If you have the right permissions, you can edit assets in the Contributor interface. For more information about the permissions you must have to edit assets, see your administrator.

Note:

If you have to edit a shared asset, you must edit the asset in its native site (the site on which the asset was originally created).

For information about editing assets, see these topics:

6.3.1 Editing Assets in Form View

If the asset type is configured such that all assets of that type open in Form View, a tab opens displaying the content entry form of the asset. In Form View, you can edit an asset's content by modifying or replacing the information displayed in the fields of the asset's content entry form.

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to edit.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. Access the asset's Edit view in Form View:
    • If the asset opens in Web View, switch to Form View. In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

      The tab displays the asset's Edit view in Form View.

  4. Make changes to the asset's content. For details on filling the fields, see Creating an Asset in Form View.
  5. Save the asset. Do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields in one or more sections.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more sections is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  6. Inspect the asset. Do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Form View. When you Inspect an asset, you cannot edit its content.

  7. If the asset is not preassigned to a workflow and you want to use the workflow feature, you can assign the asset to a workflow process.
  8. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

    • If the asset is not assigned a template, the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and click Apply.

      The tab shows the preview of the asset.

6.3.2 Editing Assets in Web View

This section covers the following topics:

6.3.2.1 Editing the Content of an Asset in Web View

Web View offers in-context editing, which means you can edit the content of an asset directly in its web page view. How the asset's web page layout (template) code is written determines the areas you can edit in Web View. Certain fields (such as Date and Locale fields) may only be accessible when working with an asset in Form View. Therefore, to edit the content of these fields you must switch to Form View.

To edit the content of an asset in Web View:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to edit.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. If the asset opens in Form View, switch to Web View.
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • If the asset is not assigned to a template (web page layout), the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

      The tab re-displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View.

  4. Edit the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

      The tab displays the Edit view of the asset in Web View.

    • Make your changes to the asset.

  5. Save the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  6. Inspect the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Web View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  7. If the asset is not preassigned to a workflow and you want to use the workflow feature, you can assign the asset to a workflow process.
  8. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The tab displays the preview of the asset.

    • When you are done previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon.

      The tab re-displays the asset in Web View.

6.3.2.2 Changing Web Page Layout

The web page layout (template) assigned to an asset determines the position of the slots and other editable areas displayed on the web page view of the asset. If you select a different layout for the asset, the slots and other editable areas are rendered in a different position, depending on how the web page layout (template) code is written. This section provides instruction on selecting a different web page layout (template) for an asset when working in Web View.

To change the web page layout of an asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset whose web page layout you want to change.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. If the asset opens in Form View, switch to Web View.
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • If the asset is not assigned to a template (web page layout), the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

    The tab re-displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    The tab displays the Edit view of the asset in Web View.

  5. To change the web page layout (template) of the asset, do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Change Page Layout icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Change Page Layout.

    The Change Page Layout dialog opens.

    Figure 6-21 Change Page Layout Dialog

    Description of Figure 6-21 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-21 Change Page Layout Dialog"

    Select the web page layout (template) you want to assign to the asset, then click Apply.

    WebCenter Sites updates the asset's web page layout to the layout you selected. The web page layout (template) you select determines the position of the slots and other editable areas of the asset.

  6. Save the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  7. Inspect the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Web View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  8. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The tab displays the preview of the asset.

    • When you are done previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon.

      The tab re-displays the asset in Web View.

6.3.2.3 Changing Content Layout

Each slot is assigned a content layout (template). The content layout of a slot determines the appearance of the asset contained within the slot. When you change the content layout of a slot, a Slot asset is created and stored in the WebCenter Sites database. When you approve the asset, you must also approve the Slot assets associated with that asset. This section provides instructions for changing the content layout (template) of a slot.

To change the content layout of a slot:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset whose slot's content layout you want to change.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. If the asset opens in Form View, switch to Web View:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • If the asset is not assigned to a template (web page layout), the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

    The tab re-displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    The tab displays the Edit view of the asset in Web View.

  5. Change the content layout (template) of a slot containing an asset:
    • Click the slot whose content layout (template) you want to change.

      The slot toolbar opens.

      If the slot is multi-valued, two or more slots become highlighted and the toolbar displays only the Edit and Manage options. Click the Edit option to edit the individual slots within the multi-valued slot. Click a slot to display its toolbar.

    • In the slot toolbar, click the Change content layout option.

      Note:

      If you do not see the Change content layout option in the toolbar, stop here. The slot does not support this type of editing.

      The Change Content Layout dialog opens.

    • Select a layout and then click Apply.

      The content contained within the slot is shown with the selected layout.

  6. Save the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  7. Inspect the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Web View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  8. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The tab displays the preview of the asset.

    • When you are done previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon.

      The tab re-displays the asset in Web View.

6.3.2.4 Editing Associations

When working with an asset in Web View, you can edit its associations by adding an asset to an empty slot, replacing an asset currently displayed in a slot with a different asset, repositioning the assets displayed in a multi-valued slot, and removing an asset from a slot.

This section covers the following topics:

6.3.2.4.1 Adding or Replacing an Association

This section shows you how to create or replace an association between two assets by dragging and dropping the asset you want to associate into the slot of the asset you are working with in Web View.

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset for which you want to either add or replace an association.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. If the asset opens in Form View, switch to Web View.
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • If the asset is not assigned to a template (web page layout), the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

      The tab re-displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    The tab displays the Edit view of the asset in Web View.

  5. Determine the slot into which you want to place the asset. If the slots are populated, determine which slot's content you want to replace.
  6. Associate an asset to the asset you are working with.

    Find the asset you want to place in the slot.

    In the list of assets, select the asset you want to add to the slot, and drag it to the slot.

    As you drag the asset to the slot, the asset's name is shown as a floating object. The slot into which you can drop the asset can either be empty or occupied.

    Figure 6-22 Slot Surrounded by Green Border

    Description of Figure 6-22 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-22 Slot Surrounded by Green Border"

    When you hover the asset over the slot, if the slot supports that type of asset, a green-dotted border is shown around it. If the slot does not support that type of asset, a red-dotted border is shown around it.

    Drop the asset into the slot.

    The asset you dropped into the slot is now associated with the asset you are working with. If the slot into which you drop the asset is populated, the asset you are replacing is removed from the slot and as an association of the asset with which you are working.

  7. Save your changes by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  8. Inspect the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Web View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  9. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The tab displays the preview of the asset.

    • When you are done previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon to display the asset in Web View.

6.3.2.4.2 Editing the Content of an Associated Asset

When working with an asset in Web View, you can edit the content of its associated assets either directly in the slot which displays the associated asset or in a new tab. If you edit the content of an associated asset in a new tab, when you save that asset, the changes you made are reflected in the slot that displays the asset.

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset that is associated with the asset you want to edit.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. If the asset opens in Form View, switch to Web View.
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • If the asset is not assigned to a template (web page layout), the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

      The tab re-displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    The tab displays the Edit view of the asset in Web View.

  5. Click the slot containing the associated asset you want to edit.

    The slot toolbar opens. If the slot is configured to allow you to edit its content, you see either the Edit option, the Open in new tab option, or both.

    If the slot is multi-valued, when you click it, you see only the Edit and Manage options. Click the Edit option to access the individual slots within the multi-valued slot. Click an individual slot to display its toolbar.

  6. Edit the associated asset displayed in the slot. Do one of the following:
    • To edit the associated asset directly in the slot:

      • In the slot's toolbar, click the Edit option.

      • Point to the areas of the asset. Any area that becomes highlighted is editable.

      • Make your changes to the associated asset.

    • To edit the associated asset in a new tab:

      • In the slot's toolbar, click the Open in new tab option.

        A new tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the associated asset in either Form View or Web View.

      • In the associated asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

      • Make your changes to the associated asset.

        If the asset opens in Web View, see Creating an Asset in Web View for details on the fields you may see.

        If the asset opens in Form View, see Creating an Asset in Form View for details on the fields you may see.

      • Save and close the asset. In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save & Close.

      • Switch back to the tab displaying the asset you are working with.

      • Refresh the asset whose slot displays the associated asset you edited. In the asset's toolbar, click the Refresh icon.

        The slot containing the associated asset you edited displays the asset with the changes you made.

  7. Save your changes by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  8. Inspect the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Web View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  9. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The tab displays the preview of the asset.

    • When you are done previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon to display the asset in Web View.

6.3.2.4.3 Removing Associations

When you are working with an asset in Web View and you remove an asset from a slot, you are also removing the association between the asset you are working with and the asset you removed from the slot.

  1. Log in to WebCenter Sites, select the site you want to work with and select the icon for the Contributor interface.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. If the asset opens in Form View, switch to Web View.
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • If the asset is not assigned to a template (web page layout), the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

    The tab re-displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    The tab displays the Edit view of the asset in Web View.

  5. Click the slot containing the asset you want to remove.

    The slot's toolbar opens.

  6. Click the Clear Slot (X) option to remove the asset from the slot.

    The asset is removed from the slot. The asset you removed is no longer associated with the asset you are working with.

  7. Save your changes by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  8. Inspect the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Web View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  9. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The tab displays the preview of the asset.

      When you are done previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon to display the asset in Web View.

6.3.2.4.4 Changing the Position of Content Displayed in a Multi-Valued Slot

If the asset you are working with in Web View has a multi-valued slot, you can reposition the order in which its associated assets are displayed on the web page by moving an asset from one slot to another.

  1. Log in to WebCenter Sites, select the site you want to work with and select the icon for the Contributor interface.
  2. Find and open the asset.
  3. If the asset opens in Form View, switch to Web View.
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • If the asset is not assigned to a template (web page layout), the Select Layout dialog opens. Select a layout and then click Apply.

      The tab re-displays the asset's Inspect view in Web View.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    The tab displays the Edit view of the asset in Web View.

  5. Determine which slot is multi-valued. The configurations your developers made to the web page layout (template) assigned to the asset determines how multi-valued slots are displayed in an asset's Edit view. For information about which slots are multi-valued on your site, see your developers.

    In the example shown in Figure 6-23, when you point to the multi-valued slot, the two slots contained within the multi-valued slot are highlighted with a blue overlay.

  6. Click the multi-valued slot.

    The multi-valued slot's toolbar displays the Edit and Manage options.

  7. In the multi-valued slot's toolbar, click the Manage option.

    The Manage Slot Content dialog opens.

    Figure 6-24 Manage Slot Content Dialog for Multi-Valued Slots

    Description of Figure 6-24 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-24 Manage Slot Content Dialog for Multi-Valued Slots"
  8. In the Manage Slot Content dialog, reposition the assets displayed in the multi-valued slot. Click the name of the asset and then drag and drop it to its new position in the list.

    Figure 6-25 Re-Ordering Assets in a Multi-Valued Slot

    Description of Figure 6-25 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-25 Re-Ordering Assets in a Multi-Valued Slot"
  9. Click Save.

    The assets are displayed in the multi-valued slot in the order you specified.

  10. Save your changes by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more fields is not permitted.

    If either of the above is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  11. Inspect the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Web View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  12. Preview the asset:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The tab displays the preview of the asset.

    • When you are done previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon to display the asset in Web View.

6.4 Working with Attribute Editors

This section contains information about the attribute editor enabled fields you may see when creating or editing an asset.

This section covers the following topics:

6.4.1 Working with the CKEditor

CKEditor is a popular third-party WYSIWYG editor that is used as the default editor for WYSIWYG-enabled text fields. CKEditor allows you to apply a wide range of MS Word-style formatting to your content. CKEditor also provides advanced features, such as access to your content's underlying HTML code, and the ability to accept pre-formatted content from MS Word documents. Most features made available to you in the toolbar are native to CKEditor. To learn more about CKEditor and its capabilities, consult the editor's documentation, available at http://docs.ckeditor.com.

Several features on the CKEditor toolbar are specific to WebCenter Sites:

6.4.2 Working with the Image Picker

When working with assets that can be associated with one or more image assets, you may see fields that support the Image Picker attribute editor. The Image Picker enables you to visually choose an image asset to associate with the asset you are creating or editing.

Note:

When configuring the asset type of the parent asset, your developers decide the following:

  • The fields for which Image Picker is enabled

  • The type of image assets displayed by Image Picker

To associate an image asset with another asset using the Image Picker:

  1. In a content entry form of an asset displayed in Form View, navigate to the field associated with the Image Picker and click Browse.

    The Image Picker opens to the right of the asset's form.

    Figure 6-27 Search Results List Docked to the Right of an Asset

    Description of Figure 6-27 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-27 Search Results List Docked to the Right of an Asset"

    For each image asset, Image Picker shows either a thumbnail of the image and its file name or only the image's file name (depending on the configurations made by your developers).

  2. Navigate to an image asset and drag and drop the image into the field.

    The image asset you selected is associated with the asset you are working with. If the field was populated with a different image asset, the newly selected asset replaces the previous one. A thumbnail of the corresponding image is shown in the field.

  3. Click the Save icon to save your changes to the asset.

6.4.3 Working with the Clarkii Online Image Editor

The Clarkii Online Image Editor (Clarkii OIE) allows you to edit an image directly in an asset's New or Edit view in Form View. For example, you can use Clarkii OIE to crop and rotate an image. You can also use Clarkii OIE to enhance an image by adding graphics and text to it.

Note:

When working with Clarkii OIE, keep in mind the following:

  • Clarkii OIE is supported only in Form View.

  • Your site developers enable Clarkii OIE on a per-field basis when configuring asset types.

  • Clarkii OIE requires you to have Flash installed. If you do not have Flash installed, instead of Clarkii OIE you see a link to download Flash.

For full instructions about using the toolbar and menu options provided by Clarkii OIE, visit the following web site:

http://www.online-image-editor-clarkii.com/

Figure 6-28 shows an example view of the Clarkii OIE field rendered in an asset's Edit view in Form View.

Figure 6-28 Clarkii Online Image Editor Rendered in an Asset's Field

Description of Figure 6-28 follows
Description of "Figure 6-28 Clarkii Online Image Editor Rendered in an Asset's Field"

When you work with an asset field using Clarkii OIE, you can do one or more of the following depending on how your developers configured Clarkii OIE:

  • Select an image to place on the Clarkii OIE canvas, or select an image to replace the image currently on the canvas. Your developers determine which images are available to you.

  • Use the toolbar and menu options available in the Clarkii OIE field to make other edits to the image on the canvas as necessary.

6.4.4 Working with the Date Picker

When working with assets whose forms include a date field (such as a post date, release date, start/end date, and so on), you can visually select a date using the Date Picker attribute editor, in addition to the standard text box.

The Date Picker is a calendar-like interface similar to date selectors found in many personal information management applications (for example, Microsoft Outlook).

To enter a date using the Date Picker:

  1. In the asset's Create or Edit view, scroll to the Date Picker enabled field and click the Pick a date icon.

    WebCenter Sites opens the Date Picker dialog.

  2. In the Date Picker dialog, select a month, year, time, and day. Ensure you select the day last. When you select the day, the Date Picker dialog automatically closes and the date you selected is reflected in the corresponding field.
  3. In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon to save your changes to the asset.

6.5 Deleting Assets

This section contains the following:

6.5.1 About Deleting Assets

Use the WebCenter Sites delete function to delete assets from the WebCenter Sites database. This function allows the deletion of multiple assets at one time.

When you use the Delete function, the asset is not entirely removed from the database. The contents of the asset are emptied; however, the ID remains in the database as a record of the asset's existence. This simple record is called a voided asset.

When a previously published asset is voided in the content management system, the voided asset is automatically approved for publishing to any destination the asset has ever been published to. The voided asset is placed in the publish queue, and published during the next publishing session. The voided asset then overwrites the previously published asset.

Voided assets are not returned in search results.

6.5.2 Asset Deletion Rules

The following restrictions are enforced when you delete assets:

  • You can delete an asset only if you have the permissions to do so.

  • If an asset is in a workflow and is assigned to someone other than you, you cannot delete that asset even if you have the permissions to delete assets.

  • You cannot delete a placed Page asset.

  • If an asset is associated with other assets, WebCenter Sites displays a list of the references preventing deletion. To continue with the deletion, you must first remove the references.

6.5.3 How do I delete assets?

Caution:

Be careful when you delete assets. You cannot undo a deletion.

To delete one or more assets:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the assets you want to delete.
  2. In the Search field, enter search criteria identifying the asset you want to delete and then click the magnifying glass button.

    A Search tab opens displaying a list of assets matching your criteria.

  3. If you want to inspect an asset before deleting it:
    • In the search results list, click the name of the asset you want to delete.

      A tab opens displaying the asset's Inspect view (in either Form View or Web View).

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Delete icon.

    The Delete Asset(s) form opens, containing deletion details for the assets you want to delete.

  4. If you want to delete one or more assets without inspecting them:
    • In the search results list, select (Ctrl +click) the assets you want to delete.

    • In the Search tab's toolbar, click the Delete icon.

    The Delete Asset(s) form opens, containing deletion details for the assets you want to delete.

  5. In the Delete Asset(s) form, click Select All and then click Delete.

    One of the following happens:

    • If the assets you are deleting do not reference any other assets, the Detail column of the table displays the message Asset Deleted in the row associated with each deleted asset.

      The database status of the deleted assets changes to void.

    • If any of the assets you selected to delete have dependencies preventing the deletion, the Detail column of the table displays the message Asset cannot be deleted due to n reference(s). In this case, click View References in the Action column of the table.

      The assets blocking the deletion are listed in the Assets that reference Name of Asset table. If you do not remove the references to an asset, the asset cannot be deleted.

      Figure 6-29 Delete Assets Form –Asset Cannot be Deleted

      Description of Figure 6-29 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-29 Delete Assets Form –Asset Cannot be Deleted"
  6. Remove the references to the assets you want to delete. Navigate to the table listing the referenced assets, click Select All and then click Remove reference(s).

    Note:

    If you do not want to remove any of the references at this time, you can cancel out of the deletion by clicking the Go Back icon.

    When you remove the references to the asset you want to delete, the Action column of that asset displays the link Delete Now.

  7. Delete the assets. In the Delete Asset(s) form, select the assets you want to delete and then click Delete. You can also delete assets individually by clicking the Delete Now link in each asset's Action column.

    The database status of the deleted assets changes to void. The next time the asset is published, it is deleted from the website.

6.6 Finding and Organizing Assets

WebCenter Sites provides an easy and effective way to find assets matching the criteria you specify. When you find them, you can both save the search criteria you used to find the assets and organize the assets into a personalized list for easy future access.

Note:

Search results include only assets with which you have permissions to work. (Permissions are set by your administrator.)

This section includes the following topics:

6.6.1 Search Guidelines

Table 6-1lists the guidelines to formulate your search queries while performing searches. Customizing your search queries allows you to perform more precise searches.

Note that searching is not case-sensitive. For example, searching for Jack returns assets that contain Jack and assets that contain jack.

Table 6-1 Search Guidelines

To find... ...do the following Example

Assets that contain a phrase.

Enclose the phrase in quotes.

To find assets that contain the phrase blue flowers, enter blue flowers as your search query.

Assets that contain variations of a term and match the character length of the term.

Use the ? (question mark) symbol to indicate a single-character wildcard. A search term cannot begin with a wildcard.

To find assets that contain test or text, enter te?t as your search query. To find assets that contain either book or back, enter b??k as your search query.

Assets that contain variations of a term, but may not match the character length of the term.

Use the *symbol to indicate a multi-character wildcard. A search term cannot begin with a wildcard.

To find assets that contain test, tester, or testing, enter test* as your search query. To find assets that contain jeanne or jeanine, enter jea*e as your search query.

Assets that contain all of the specified terms.

Join the terms with the AND operator.

To find assets that contain both jack and jill, enter jack AND jill as your search query.

Assets that contain a specific term but do not contain another term you specify.

Exclude the unwanted terms using the NOT operator.

To find assets that contain jack but do not contain jill, enter jack NOT jill as your search query.

Assets that must contain a specific term and may contain another term you specify.

Indicate a required term by preceding it with the +(required) operator.

To find assets that must contain jack and may contain jill, enter +jack jill as your search query.

Assets that contain a specific term, excluding assets that also contain another term you specify.

Precede a term with the - (prohibited) operator to indicate the exclusion.

To find assets that contain jack but exclude those that also contain jill, enter jack -jill as your search query.

Assets that contain terms similar in spelling to the term you specify.

Append the ~ (tilde) operator to a term to perform a fuzzy search on that term.

To find assets that contain jack, including occurrences that are misspelled, enter jack~ as your search query.

Assets that contain special characters (! $ & * _ - =).

Precede each special character with a backslash (\).

To find assets that contain a hyphen or dash, as in jack - jill enter jack \- jill as your search query.

6.6.2 Performing a Simple Search

Note:

The asset types for which you can search are determined by your permissions and the asset types available from the Contributor interface.

To search for an asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the assets you want to find.
  2. Specify your search criteria as follows:
    • In the Search field, enter your search criteria. Refer to Search Guidelines to find out how to formulate your search query to narrow the scope of your search.

    • (Optional) In the Search field, click the down-arrow to render the Search Type drop-down list. Select the asset type to which you want to limit your search. If you do not make a selection, WebCenter Sites searches across all asset types in the current site.

  3. Click the magnifying glass button.

    Note:

    In the Contributor interface, your search results are based on information drawn from a database index which is updated at regular intervals. After creating or editing an asset, there might be a short delay before those changes are reflected in the search results. If you have questions, consult your WebCenter Sites administrator.

  4. In the search results list, select the asset (or assets) you want to work with. To more easily find specific assets within the search results list, you can navigate through the list, sort the results of your search, dock or undock the results list, and display each asset listed in the results list as thumbnail images.

    For instructions on working with the search results list, see Working with the Search Results List.

6.6.3 Performing an Advanced Search

Advanced searches enable you to search for assets by creation date, start and end date, locale, unique identifier, name, description, author, type, and tags – or any combination of these items.

To perform an advanced search for an asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to find.
  2. In the Search field, select the down-arrow and then click Advanced Search.

    The Search tab displays the Advanced Search form.

    Figure 6-32 Advanced Search Form

    Description of Figure 6-32 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-32 Advanced Search Form"
  3. In the Find content that contains section of the Advanced Search form, specify how to match search conditions:
    • In the text box, enter words or phrases for which to search. The same options described in Search Guidelines, can be used in this field.

    • Specify conditions that the results of the search must match:

    To have your search results match all the search criteria you specify, select All of these words from the drop-down list.

    To have your search results match any one of the search criteria you specify, select Any of these words from the drop-down list.

  4. In the And meets the following conditions section of the Advanced Search form, specify any other criteria that the results of the search must meet:
    • Search for assets whose names match criteria specified in the Name field.

    • Search for assets whose descriptions match criteria specified in the Description field.

    • Perform a tag-based query on assets that have been tagged with a specific word or phrase.

    • Search for assets whose unique identifiers match criteria specified in the Id field.

    • If your company tracks multilingual content using Locales, you can limit your search to assets in a selected location by choosing an option from the Locale drop-down list.

    • Search for assets created by a specific user by selecting the name of the content provider from the Author drop-down list.

    • Search for a range of time in which assets were created by selecting a time from the Modified field. If you select Custom Range, enter the date you want to search from and to in the From and To fields.

    • Search only assets of a particular type by selecting an item from the Asset Type drop-down list. You may see one or both of the following fields depending on the configurations made to the Lucene search engine by your site administrator:
      • If the asset type you chose has multiple subtypes associated with it, narrow your asset type search to a specific subtype, by specifying a subtype in the Asset Subtype field.
      • If the site administrator configured the Asset Type Search and Attributes for Asset Type Index search in the Admin interface, the Enter search keyword for asset attributes section is shown. Limit a search to specific attributes of an asset type by selecting the attribute from the drop-down list and clicking Add.
  5. Click Run Advanced Search to perform a search using the criteria you specified. To reset the fields in the Advanced Search form, click Reset.
    • If you are not currently working with any assets, WebCenter Sites displays the search results list in a Search tab.

    • If you are working with an asset, the search results list is automatically docked to the right of the workspace.

  6. In the search results list, select the asset (or assets) you want to work with. To more easily find specific assets within the search results list, you can navigate through the list, sort the results of your search, dock or undock the results list, and display each asset listed in the results list as thumbnail images.

    For instructions on working with search results list, see Working with the Search Results List.

6.6.4 Working with the Search Results List

After you run a search, the results of your search are displayed as a list in either a Search tab or docked to the right of your workspace. To more easily find specific assets within the search results list, you can limit the number of results that are shown at the same time, sort the results of your search, dock or undock the search results list, and display each asset listed in the search results as thumbnail images.

This section covers the following topics:

6.6.4.1 Docking or Undocking the Search Results List

If you are working with an asset while performing a search, your search results are automatically docked to the right of your workspace. If you are not currently working on an asset when you perform a search, the results of your search are displayed in a Search tab.

  1. To display the results of your search to the right of your workspace, in the toolbar displayed at the top of the search results, click Dock.
  2. To view the search results list in the Search tab, in the toolbar displayed at the top of the search results, click Undock.
6.6.4.2 Switching Between List View and Thumbnail View

Select whether you want to view your search results in List View or Thumbnail View.

Figure 6-33 Docked Search Results List Toolbar

Description of Figure 6-33 follows
Description of "Figure 6-33 Docked Search Results List Toolbar"
  1. To display your search results as a list, click the List View option at the top of the search results list.
  2. To display each asset in your search results as a thumbnail image, click the Thumbnail View option at the top of the search results list.
6.6.4.3 Sorting Your Search Results

To sort your search results:

  1. If your search results are displayed in the Search tab (undocked) in List View, sort your search results by clicking a column:
    • Name

    • Type

    • Locale

    • Modified

    • Tags

      Note:

      After you have sorted your results, click the same column again to reverse the sort order.

  2. If the search results list is docked to the right of the workspace or if the search results are displayed in the Thumbnail View, click the Sort option at the top of the search results list and select one of the following options (depending on how you want to sort the results):
    • Name (A –Z)

    • Name (Z –A)

    • Asset Type

    • Locale

    • Modified (Newest First)

    • Modified (Oldest First)

Your search results are listed in the order you specify.

6.6.4.4 About Navigating Through Your Search Results

The search results list displays 100 assets per page of results. To easily navigate through the results of your search, you can use the toolbar to limit the number of search results, skip to the next page of results, go back to the previous page of results, skip to the last or first page of results, or go to a specific page of results.

6.6.5 Saving Your Search Criteria

WebCenter Sites allows you to save your search criteria either as a Saved Search or as a ContentQuery asset. This section provides instructions for saving your search criteria both ways.

For information about saving your search criteria, see the following topics:

6.6.5.1 Saving Your Search Criteria to Your Saved Searches Widget

WebCenter Sites provides the Saved Search feature which allows you to save the search criteria you used to perform a search. The search criteria you save is accessible from the Saved Searches widget on your dashboard (Home tab). A Saved Search can either be made public (shared with users assigned certain roles) or kept private (accessible only to the user who saved the search criteria) depending on how the search criteria is saved.

To save your search criteria as a Saved Search:

  1. Ensure the search results list is displayed in the Search tab. If the search results list is docked, click Undock.
  2. Click Save Search.

    The Save Search dialog opens.

    • In the Enter Name field, enter a name to uniquely identify the search criteria you want to save.

    • To share this Saved Search with other WebCenter Sites users, click Share. In the Available list box, select the roles with which you want to share this Saved Search and move them to the Selected list box.

      Figure 6-34 Save Search –Share with Other Sites

      Description of Figure 6-34 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-34 Save Search –Share with Other Sites"
    • Click Save.

      The Saved Searches widget on your dashboard (in the Home tab) displays the name of your Saved Search. If you shared the Saved Search, any users with the roles you specified see the Saved Search in their dashboards.

  3. To perform a search using the same search criteria you specified when you created the Saved Search:
    • Access the dashboard by clicking the Home tab.

    • In the Saved Searches widget on your dashboard, select the Saved Search containing the criteria for which you want to search.

      The Search tab opens displaying up-to-date results matching the saved search criteria.

6.6.5.2 Saving Search Criteria as an Asset (of Type ContentQuery)

WebCenter Sites provides a ContentQuery asset type, which combines the Advanced Search feature with the ability to save search criteria, thus enabling you to save your search criteria as an asset of type ContentQuery. A ContentQuery asset differs from other types of assets. It does not contain any content or a list of other assets. Instead, a ContentQuery asset contains only a query. When a ContentQuery asset is placed on a page and that page is published, the query executes and renders the results to site visitors.

To create a ContentQuery asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site in which you want to create a ContentQuery asset.
  2. In the menu bar, select Content, then select New, and then select New ContentQuery.

    Note:

    If the administrator configured the ContentQuery asset type such that all new ContentQuery assets are placed into workflow upon creation, a tab opens displaying the Choose Assignees form.

    Select at least one user for each required role and click Set Assignees. Any of these users can complete the next step in the workflow process.

    A tab opens displaying the asset's content entry form (Form View).

  3. In the ContentQuery asset's content entry form, do the following:
    • Fill in the Content section:

      • In the Name field, enter a name for the ContentQuery asset.

        Note:

        Naming conventions are the following:

        • The name must contain alphanumeric characters. The maximum character limit in the Name field is 64 bytes. Characters that exceed 64 bytes get truncated and a message stating this is displayed.

        • The following characters are not allowed: single quote ('), double quote ("), semicolon (;), colon (:), question mark (?), percent sign (%), less-than sign (<), greater-than sign (>), and backslash (\).

        • The name can contain spaces, but cannot start with a space.

      • In the Description field, enter a brief description for the asset. The maximum character limit in the Description field is 128 bytes. Characters that exceed 128 bytes get truncated and a message stating this is displayed.

      • In the List Size field, enter the number of search results to be displayed by the ContentQuery asset. If you want the maximum number of results to be displayed to site visitors, leave this field blank.

      • In the Sort Field drop-down list, select the order in which the results of the query are rendered. By default, you can sort the results by: Name, Asset Type, Locale, or the date the assets included in the results were last Modified.

      • In the Sort Order drop-down list, select whether the query results are shown in Ascending or Descending order.

    • Create a query. In the form section selector, click Query.

      The Query section of the form opens displaying the Advanced Search form. Fill in the Query section with the search criteria you want to save as an asset.

  4. Test the results of the query. In the Query section, click Run Advanced Search.

    Note:

    You can test the results of the query from either the Edit view or Inspect view of the ContentQuery asset.

    The results of the query are displayed (docked) to the right of the ContentQuery asset.

    Figure 6-35 Query Results Displayed to the Right of the Asset

    Description of Figure 6-35 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-35 Query Results Displayed to the Right of the Asset"
  5. Save the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

  6. (Optional) Inspect the ContentQuery asset. In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.
  7. To preview the results of the query:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

      The Select Layout dialog opens.

    • In the Select Layout dialog, select a layout and then click Apply. (By default, the FSIIDetail and FSIISummary templates of the FirstSite II sample site are both coded to render query results.)

      The tab displays a preview of the query results.

  8. Place the ContentQuery asset on a page and then publish the page to the website.

    For instructions on placing an asset (ContentQuery asset in this example) into another asset's association field or slot, see Associating Assets. For instructions on publishing assets, see Publishing an Approved Asset.

    When a site visitor accesses the web page, the ContentQuery asset executes its query and renders the results to site visitors.

6.6.6 Finding Bookmarked Assets

Bookmarked assets can be accessed in the following ways:

  • From the Bookmarks widget on the dashboard (in the Home tab).

  • From the My Work tree under the Bookmarks node.

For information about finding bookmarked assets, see the following topics:

6.6.6.1 To find bookmarked assets on the dashboard
  1. In the Contributor interface, select the site containing the bookmarked assets you want to find.
  2. On the dashboard (in the Home tab), navigate to the Bookmarks widget.
  3. In the Bookmarks widget, navigate to and click the name of the asset you want to view.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset in either Form View or Web View.

6.6.6.2 To find bookmarked assets in the My Work tree
  1. In the Contributor interface, select the site containing the bookmarked assets you want to find.
  2. In the navigation pane, click the My Work bar.
  3. In the My Work tree, expand the Bookmarks node by clicking the plus-sign next to it.

    A list of bookmarked assets is shown underneath the Bookmarks node.

  4. Navigate to and double-click the asset you want to view.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset in either Form View or Web View.

6.6.7 Bookmarking Assets

Bookmarking allows you to add select assets to the Bookmarks node in the My Work tree and to the Bookmarks widget on your dashboard (located in the Home tab). This makes those assets easy to retrieve at a later time.

For information about bookmarking assets, see the following topics:

6.6.7.1 Bookmarking a Single Asset

The following procedure provides instructions for bookmarking an asset that is open in your workspace.

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to bookmark.
  2. If the asset is open in your workspace, skip to step 3. Otherwise, find and open the asset from any of the following locations:
    • a search results list

    • under a site plan node in the Site Tree

    • under a parent asset's node in the Content Tree

    • under the History node in the My Work tree

      Note:

      The assets listed in the History node are cleared every time you log out of WebCenter Sites. To make these assets easily accessible for later use, bookmark them before you end your current WebCenter Sites session.

  3. In the menu bar, select Content, and then select Bookmark.

    The asset is listed under the Bookmarks node in the My Work tree and in the Bookmarks widget on your dashboard.

6.6.7.2 Bookmarking Multiple Assets

The following procedure provides instructions for bookmarking multiple assets from a search results list.

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the assets you want to bookmark.
  2. Perform a search, as described in Performing a Simple Search. To conduct an advanced search, see Performing an Advanced Search.
  3. If the search results list is docked to the right of the workspace, click Undock to display the search results list in the Search tab.
  4. In the search results list, select (Ctrl + click) the assets you want to bookmark.
  5. In the Search tab's toolbar, click the Bookmark icon.

    A message is shown stating the number of bookmarks that were created. WebCenter Sites adds the selected assets to the Bookmarks node in the My Work tree and the Bookmarks widget on your dashboard.

6.6.7.3 Unbookmarking an asset from the Bookmarks node

To unbookmark an asset from the Bookmarks node:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to unbookmark.
  2. In the navigation pane, click the My Work bar to open the My Work tree.
  3. In the My Work tree, expand the Bookmarks node by clicking the plus-sign.

    A list of bookmarked assets is shown underneath the Bookmarks node.

  4. In the list of bookmarked assets, double-click the asset you want to unbookmark.

    A tab opens displaying the asset's Inspect view in either Form View or Web View.

  5. In the menu bar, select Content, then select Unbookmark.

    A message is shown stating that the bookmark was successfully removed. WebCenter Sites removes the asset from the Bookmarks node in the My Work tree and from the Bookmarks widget on your dashboard (in the Home tab).

6.6.7.4 Unbookmarking assets from the Bookmarks widget

To unbookmark assets from the Bookmarks widget:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to unbookmark.
  2. Navigate to the Bookmarks widget on your dashboard (located in the Home tab).
  3. In the Bookmarks widget, select the row containing the asset you want to remove.
  4. Click Delete Bookmark.

    A dialog opens and displays a message prompting you to confirm deleting the Bookmark.

    Figure 6-36 Delete Bookmark Dialog

    Description of Figure 6-36 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-36 Delete Bookmark Dialog"
  5. Click Yes.

    WebCenter Sites removes the asset from the Bookmarks widget on your dashboard and from the Bookmarks node in the My Work tree.

6.6.8 Tagging Assets

WebCenter Sites allows you to organize assets by applying tags to them.

6.6.8.1 About Tagging Assets

A Tag is a single word or short phrase (label) that you apply to assets that share one or more common factors (for example, a theme or topic).

  • A tag must be between 1 and 32 alphanumeric characters. The only other characters allowed are underscore (_) and hyphen (-).

  • Tags can be applied to basic assets, flex assets, and page assets. You can apply a tag to an asset either from the asset's content entry form or from a search results list.

  • You can create tags at the same time as you apply them, or you can create them in advance in the My Tags folder of the My Work tree.

  • You can add existing tags to the My Tags folder, and from there you can open a list of assets that have been given a tag.

  • After an asset is tagged, you can perform an advanced search to find the tagged asset and all other assets that have been given the same tag.

Note:

The My Tags folder is not enabled by default. For you to access My Tags, your administrator has to enable it for your site and also assign required roles for you. If you cannot see the My Tags folder, contact your WebCenter Sites administrator.
6.6.8.2 Creating Tags in the My Work Tree

You can create tags in the My Tags folder of the My Work tree and later apply them to assets.

Note:

For you to access My Tags in the Contributor interface, your administrator must enable My Tags for your site and assign the required roles.

To create tags in the My Work tree:

  1. In the Tags section of the My Work tree, right-click the My Tags folder and select Add Tag.
  2. In the Add Tag dialog, enter a name for the tag, then click Save.
The new tag is listed beneath the My Tags folder. The figure 0 in brackets indicates that no assets have yet been given this tag.
The tag you created is now available for applying to assets. See Tagging Assets in the Content Entry Form and Tagging Assets from a Search Results List.
In the My Tags folder, you can double-click the tag name to open a list of assets that have been given that tag.
6.6.8.3 Adding Existing Tags to the My Work Tree

You can add tags that you have created elsewhere to the My Tags folder of the My Work tree.

To add existing tags to the My Work tree:
  1. In the Tags section of the My Work tree, right-click the My Tags folder and select Add Tag.
  2. In the Add Tag dialog, click anywhere within the field, then enter the first few characters of the tag's name to display a list of existing tags.
  3. Select a tag from the drop-down list, then click Save.
The tag is listed beneath the My Tags folder. The figure in brackets indicates how many assets have been given this tag.
In the My Tags folder, you can double-click the tag name to open a list of assets that have been given that tag.
6.6.8.4 Finding Assets from the My Work Tree

You can use the My Tags folder of the My Work tree to find assets that have been given a tag.

  • In the My Tags folder, double-click a tag name to open a list of assets that have been given that tag.
6.6.8.5 Tagging Assets in the Content Entry Form

You can add tags to an asset directly in the asset’s content entry form.

This procedure assumes you are using a content entry form as described in Creating an Asset in Form View.
To tag an asset on its content entry form:
  • In the Tags field, enter a single word or short phrase to attach to the asset.
    You can either enter a new tag into this field or enter a pre-existing one. If the first letters you type into the field match a pre-existing tag, that tag will be shown in the field. You can enter multiple tags in the same field by pressing Enter or the semicolon key (;) between each one.
6.6.8.6 Tagging Assets from a Search Results List

You can add tags to assets in a search results list.

This procedure assumes that you have created a search results list, as described in Performing a Simple Search or Performing an Advanced Search, and that the search results list is undocked.
To tag assets from a search results list:
  1. In the search results list, select (Ctrl+click) the assets you want to tag.
  2. Right-click a selected asset, then click Tag. This opens the Add Tag dialog.

    If some of the assets already have tags, those tags are listed in the Tags applied to some selected Assets field.

  3. In the Tags applied to all selected Assets field, enter a single word or short phrase to attach to the selected assets.
    You can either enter a new tag into this field or enter a pre-existing one. If the first letters you type into the field match a pre-existing tag, that tag will be shown in the field. You can enter multiple tags in the same field by pressing Enter or the semicolon key (;) between each one.
  4. (Optional) To remove a tag that some of the selected assets are tagged with, click its X button in the Tags applied to some selected Assets field.
  5. Click Save.
  6. In the Search toolbar, click the Refresh icon.

    The tags you added to the selected assets are displayed in the Tags column of the search results list.

6.7 Previewing Assets

The Contributor interface allows you to preview how an asset will look on the website when published. When you preview an asset, you cannot modify its content. However, you can choose to preview how the asset would look if it were rendered by a different template or wrapper.

Figure 6-38 Preview of the Avisports Sample Site's Home Page Asset

Description of Figure 6-38 follows
Description of "Figure 6-38 Preview of the Avisports Sample Site's Home Page Asset"

While previewing an asset, you can choose to preview how the asset will look on the website at a future date. This feature is called Future Preview and is discussed later in this chapter. Future preview combines the use of start and end dates (also discussed later in this chapter) with the preview feature to show how an asset will be displayed on the website at a given time and date in the future.

Timeline Timeline icon allows you to go back in time and, access and view an asset from a past date. See Using Timeline.

6.7.1 How do I preview assets?

Previewing an asset renders the asset as it would be displayed on the website if it were published. To preview an asset, the following conditions must be satisfied:

  • You must have the appropriate permissions.

  • The asset must have a template assigned to it.

You can preview an asset in several ways. For example:

  • Use the Search field in the Contributor interface to find the asset you want to preview. You can either open the asset and then preview it or preview the asset directly from the search results list.

  • Drill down the Site Tree or My Work tree in the navigation pane. You can either right-click the asset and preview it directly from the tree or open the asset in its Inspect or Edit view and then preview it.

  • Drill down the Content Tree and double-click the parent asset associated with the asset you want to preview. In the Browse tab that lists the assets associated with the parent asset, navigate to and preview the desired asset.

  • Preview an asset you are currently working with.

    Note:

    This chapter shows you how to preview an asset by using the Search field in the Contributor interface.

To preview an asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to preview.
  2. Find and open the asset you want to preview.
  3. In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

    The tab displays the preview of the asset.

  4. Preview how the asset would look on the website if it were rendered by a different template.
    • Do one of the following:

      • In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview with Page Layout icon.

      • In the menu bar, select View, then select Preview with Page Layout.

      The Select preview template dialog opens.

    • Select the template with which you want to preview the asset. (In this example, we selected the /FSIIDetail template, which renders the content of the asset without a surrounding layout).

    • Click Apply.

      The tab displays the asset as it would be displayed on the website if it were rendered by the template you selected.

  5. Preview the asset with segments:
  6. Preview the asset with a different site wrapper. In the menu bar, select View, then select Preview with Wrapper, and then select the wrapper with which you want to preview the asset.

    The tab refreshes and displays the preview of the asset with the wrapper you selected.

  7. Preview the asset in a new window. In the menu bar, select View, then select Preview in New Window.

    A new browser window opens displaying the preview of the asset.

    Figure 6-40 Preview Asset in a New Window

    Description of Figure 6-40 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-40 Preview Asset in a New Window"

6.7.2 Previewing Future Sites

Future Preview is a tool for visualizing your website as you strategize upcoming content changes. With Future Preview, you can preview an asset's web page as it will appear at any selected moment in the future. By generating possible versions of a web page, you can more easily decide what to publish and when.

With Future Preview, you can select any particular date in the future and see what all the changes you and other content contributors are making will look like on the website at that time. WebCenter Sites uses the assigned start and end dates to determine whether to display the preview of the asset. If the selected date falls within the asset's start/end date range, then the asset's preview opens.

Note:

To preview an asset as it will appear at future dates:

  • Start and end dates must be assigned in the Metadata section of an asset's content entry form (in Form View).

  • The template for the page associated with the asset must be coded to support future preview. For more information, see your site administrator.

For information about previewing future sites, see the following topics:

6.7.2.1 About Start and End Dates

Start and end dates are optional field values you can assign to assets. This date range indicates when assets will appear on a website, should they be published. Fill in these dates when you are working with an asset in Form View (located on the Metadata section of the form).

Start and end dates affect the function of Future Preview, as discussed in this section.

Start and end dates also appear in the Advanced Search options, giving you the ability to search for assets based on the date range in which they will appear on the website.

6.7.2.2 Impact of Start and End Dates on Future Preview

Consider the following factors when assigning start and end dates:

  • The start and end date range are the times you expect the asset to be displayed on the website.

    When you set a start and end date range, you can use Future Preview to compare how the asset will look on dates before, during, and after the date range.

    When you first preview an asset, you see its web page as it would appear on the asset's start date. If no start date is assigned, the current date is used for preview.

    Choose a future date from the date picker in the asset's toolbar to view how the page will appear at the selected time. When you select a date that falls during the asset's start and end date range, the preview shows how the asset's web page will look during the period the asset is visible on the website. Conversely, if you choose a date that falls outside that date range, you see the asset's web page as it appears before the item is published or after the item is no longer visible on the page.

    Note:

    The publication date of the asset does not affect when and how long the asset's web page is accessible from the website; this is controlled by the start and end dates.

  • Neither the start nor end date is a required field:

    • An asset without both start and end dates can always be previewed, regardless of the date with which you choose to preview it.

    • An asset with an explicitly set start and end date can be previewed conditionally; that is:

      • If the asset has both a start and an end date, the asset can be previewed only when the specific date range is selected.

      • If the asset has only a start date, the asset can be previewed on all dates including and after the start date. (It never expires.)

      • If the asset has only an end date, the asset can be previewed on all dates up to and including the end date.

6.7.2.3 Assigning Start and End Dates

To assign start and end dates:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset to which you want to assign a date range.
  2. Find the asset to which you are assigning a start date, or end date, or both.
  3. Edit the asset in Form View.
  4. In the asset's form section selector, select Metadata.
  5. In the Metadata section, set the asset's start date, or end date, or both and (optionally) time.

    In the Start Date and End Date fields, select a date and time from the date picker by clicking the Pick a date icon next to each field.

    Figure 6-41 Metadata Section of an Asset's Form

    Description of Figure 6-41 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-41 Metadata Section of an Asset's Form"

    Note:

    Your administrator may have selected default start and end dates for this asset type. You can change the settings if you want.

  6. In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon to update the asset.
  7. To preview the asset as it will appear at a future time, see Previewing a Site as It Will Appear at a Future Time.
6.7.2.4 Previewing a Site as It Will Appear at a Future Time

When assets have been assigned a start date, or end date, or both, you can preview assets and the pages on which those assets are displayed as they will appear at future times of your choice.

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset to which you assigned a start date or end date.
  2. Find the asset to which you have assigned a start date or end date.
  3. In the search results list, click the name of the asset you want to preview.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset in either Form View or Web View.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

    The tab displays the preview of the asset as it appears on the website on the current date.

  5. Preview the asset as it will appear on a future date:
6.7.2.5 Approval for Publishing

Before an asset is published to a website, you must approve the asset and all of its dependents for publishing. This process ensures that all assets published at the same time are up to date before publishing.

The start date that you set does not necessarily have to be the date on which the item gets published. However, the asset is not available on the website until its start date. This is true for all the dependent assets that you are approving as well.

If you publish an asset after its end date, the asset is published to its destination; however, the asset does not appear on the website (the asset has expired).

See Performing Approval Tasks.

6.7.3 Using Timeline

Timeline available in the Preview window gives you the ability to go back in time, retrieve an asset from a publish destination and, view it in the present.

Figure 6-45 Timeline Icon in the Toolbar of the Avisports Homepage Asset’s Preview Window

Description of Figure 6-45 follows
Description of "Figure 6-45 Timeline Icon in the Toolbar of the Avisports Homepage Asset’s Preview Window"

Note:

To work with Timeline, you’ve to enable and configure Timeline. For details, see Configuring Timeline in Administering Oracle WebCenter Sites.

Let us explore how you can use Timeline. Assume a scenario where your auditors want to view some old data in your homepage from six months back. The problem is that you’ve changed your homepage a couple of times during this span of time. So how do you access your homepage with the old data as it was six months back? You can do this by using Timeline.

Before using Timeline, you’ve to ensure that the asset was published and revision tracking was enabled for all corresponding asset types. Otherwise, you’ll get an error message.

Click Timeline Timeline icon and a drop-down list appears. The options in the drop-down list are Standard Preview, Local and all other publish destinations.

  • Select a publish destination from the drop-down list to see all the versions of the asset published to it. Filtering of revisions is based on the date and time that the revisions were published to the selected publish destination.

  • Local lets you access changes in the management system, even the ones that are not published. Filtering of revisions is based on the revision creation date.

  • Use Standard Preview to go back to the normal preview mode.

To use Timeline:

  1. Click Timeline in the asset’s toolbar. The drop-down list with the options to select appears.
  2. Select the publish destination to which the asset was published.
  3. Click the date in the asset’s toolbar to open the Date Picker. Set the date by selecting the month, year, time and day.

    The asset as it was at on the selected date and time appears.

    This functionality will work only if Timeline was enabled, the asset was published, and revision tracking was enabled for the corresponding asset types on the selected date and time.

6.8 Associating Assets

This procedure uses the avisports sample site to show you how to associate one or more assets with another asset using either Form View or Web View. In Form View, an association field is represented by a drag and drop field in a content entry form. In Web View, association fields are represented by slots that are displayed on the web page view of the asset with which you are working. This procedure covers both single and multi-valued associations.

To associate an asset with another asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the assets you want to associate.
  2. Do one of the following:

    A tab opens displaying the asset's content entry form in either Form View or Web View. (In this example, we open the 25 Nevada Resorts Serving Snow Article asset.)

  3. Find the asset (or assets) you want to associate.

    The search results list is docked to the right of the asset with which you are working. Figure 6-46 shows the Edit view of the 25 Nevada Resorts Serving Snow Article asset in Form View with the search results list docked to the right of the asset.

    Figure 6-46 Article Asset Displayed in Form View (with a Docked Search Results List)

    Description of Figure 6-46 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-46 Article Asset Displayed in Form View (with a Docked Search Results List)"

    Figure 6-47 shows the Edit view of the 25 Nevada Resorts Serving Snow Article asset in Web View with the search results list docked to the right of the asset.

    Figure 6-47 Article Asset Displayed in Web View (with a Docked Search Results List)

    Description of Figure 6-47 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-47 Article Asset Displayed in Web View (with a Docked Search Results List)"
  4. In the list of assets, drag and drop an asset into the association field (Form View) or slot (Web View). If this is a multi-valued association, you can associate multiple assets with the asset you are working with. See Editing Associations.
  5. If you are working with a multi-valued association and have associated two or more assets, arrange the associated assets as follows:

    Note:

    The order in which the assets appear in the list (Form View) or in the slots (Web View), is the order in which they are displayed on the website.

    • If you are working in Form View, click the name of an asset in the field and move it into the appropriate position.

    • If you are working in Web View, move an asset to a different slot. Do the following:

      • Click the multi-valued slot to open its toolbar.

      • In the slot's toolbar, click the Manage icon.

        The Manage Slot Content dialog opens.

        Figure 6-48 Manage Slot Content Dialog

        Description of Figure 6-48 follows
        Description of "Figure 6-48 Manage Slot Content Dialog"
      • Click the name of an asset in the list and move it either up or down, then click Save.

  6. When you are finished, click the Save icon in the asset's toolbar.
  7. To inspect the asset, click the Inspect icon in the asset's toolbar.

    The tab displays the asset in its Inspect view. You cannot modify the asset in its Inspect view.

6.8.1 Disassociating Assets

To disassociate assets:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the assets you want to disassociate.
  2. Find and open the asset from which you want to disassociate one or more assets.

    A tab opens displaying the Edit view of the asset in either Form View or Web View.

  3. Remove an asset from the list of associated assets:
    • If you are working in Form View, navigate to the field representing the asset's associations and click the Delete (X) button next to each asset you want to disassociate.

    • If you are working in Web View and you want to remove an asset from a slot representing a single-valued association, click the slot containing the asset you want to disassociate. In the slot's toolbar, click the X button.

    • If you are working in Web View and you want to remove an asset from a multi-valued slot, do the following:

      • Click the multi-valued slot.

        The slot's toolbar opens.

      • In the slot's toolbar, click the Manage icon.

        The Manage Slot Content dialog opens.

        Figure 6-49 Manage Slot Content Dialog

        Description of Figure 6-49 follows
        Description of "Figure 6-49 Manage Slot Content Dialog"
      • Click the X next to the asset you want to remove.

      • Click Save.

    WebCenter Sites removes the asset from the association field.

  4. When you are finished, click the Save icon in the asset's toolbar.
  5. To inspect the asset, click the Inspect icon in the asset's toolbar.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset. You cannot modify the asset in its Inspect view.

6.8.2 Assigning a Parent Asset to a Child Asset

To assign a parent asset to a child asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to designate a parent asset for.
  2. Do one of the following:

    A tab opens displaying the asset's Create or Edit view in either Form View or Web View.

  3. In the asset's Create or Edit view, locate the association field.

    Note:

    If you are working in Web View, the association field may be displayed as a slot. If you do not see a slot that accepts a parent asset, stop here. The layout (template) assigned to the asset is not coded to display this type of field. To assign the asset to a parent, you must switch to Form View by clicking the Mode switch in the asset's toolbar.

  4. Find the parent asset you want to designate as the parent of the asset with which you are working.
    • In the navigation pane, select the Content Tree bar.

    • In the Content Tree, expand the nodes to expose the parent assets related to each node.

  5. Designate the parent asset. For example, if you are working in Form View, use the drop-down list in the Category field to select the parent asset you want to designate as the parent of the asset you are working with.

    Note:

    The type of field you see depends on the configurations your developers made to the asset's definition. In this example, a parent asset is being designated for an Article asset. In the avisports sample site, the field in which you designate a parent asset is a drop-down list. In the FirstSite II sample site, the field in which you designate a parent asset is a drag and drop field.

    WebCenter Sites associates the asset with the selected parent assets. The field displays the name of the associated parent asset.

  6. When you are finished, click the Save icon on the asset's toolbar.
When you work with child assets in Form View, the attributes are shown on the Content tab as usual. Additionally, attributes that are inherited from a parent asset are shown on a separate Inherited tab. If there is more than one parent, the Inherited tab shows the attributes grouped by parent.

6.8.3 Working with Grouped Assets

When working with assets, you can organize them in groups and place them in a specific order. If you are a marketer and the Collection asset type is enabled for the site with which you are working, you can create lists of assets related to other assets in some way based on context, or lists of asset that change based on some variable, such as the current date, or time of day. You might also want to deliver different groups of assets depending on the demographic data of your visitors. In such cases, you would use Collection and Recommendation assets.

For information about working with grouped assets, see the following topics:

6.8.3.1 Working with Collections

Suppose you want to choose, rank in order, and deliver sets of content that your visitors will most likely want to see when viewing your site. For example, you can place five top political news stories, organized in the order of importance, on the home page of your site every morning. In a case like this, you can build your Top Five list of articles using a Collection asset.

A Collection asset stores a list of basic assets of a single asset type, organized in a specific order. The assets you can include in a collection come from the results returned by one or more queries. You choose the assets you want to include in the collection by ranking them in the order of your choice in the list of query results. This ranked, ordered list of assets is the collection.

Typically, site designers or administrators create Collection assets and assign the appropriate queries and templates to them. Your job is to choose the most suitable content to be included in the collection.

Keep in mind that when you build your collection, other users with the appropriate permissions can access the Collection assets you worked with and change your asset rankings within them.

Note:

Collection assets can only store lists of basic assets. For flex assets, functionality similar to that of Collection assets (and much more) is provided by Recommendation assets (described later in this section).

6.8.3.2 Building a Collection

A Collection asset must exist in the site you are working with for you to build a collection. Your site designer or administrator is usually the person responsible for creating new Collection assets and editing existing ones.

To build a collection:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site in which you want to build a collection.
  2. Find the collection you want to build.
  3. In the list of search results, navigate to the Collection asset you want to build, and click its name.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the Collection asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  4. If the Collection asset open in Web View, switch to Form VIEW by clicking the Mode switch in the asset's toolbar.
  5. In the asset's Inspect view (in Form View), click Build Collection, located next to the name of the Collection asset.

    WebCenter Sites runs the query (or queries) in the collection and displays the rules.

    Figure 6-50 Collection Asset's Query Results

    Description of Figure 6-50 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-50 Collection Asset's Query Results"
  6. Rank the assets by entering the appropriate number (up to three digits) in the Rank column of the table. To remove an asset from the top list, in the Remove column, select the check box next to the name of the asset you want to remove. Deleting an asset's rank number from the query list does not remove it from the collection.

    Note:

    When you rank the assets in your collection, do so in an order that is appropriate to the template element that renders the page. For example, if your collection contains 50 assets, but its assigned template is coded to display only five, only the first five highest-ranked assets in the collection are displayed on the page. Consult your site developers if you are unsure about the properties of the templates you are using.

  7. Click Save Changes.

    WebCenter Sites builds the collection and displays the collection in its Inspect view.

6.8.3.3 Working with Recommendations

Recommendation assets allow you to personalize product placements and promotional offerings that are displayed for each site visitor. Recommendations determine which assets (products, for example) should be featured or recommended on a page, based on available information about your site visitors (such as age, or last viewed product).

You can personalize the content your visitors view in the following ways:

  • Create Static List recommendations. These are lists of assets that are displayed according to demographic criteria such as age, income, or other information in the site visitor's profile. (This criteria is defined in a segment and associated with a given static list recommendation.) For example, you can create a list of top dance clubs and show it only to visitors who specify their age range to be between 18 and 24. For visitors whose age falls outside this range, you can display another static list recommendation, for example, a list of top ten beach resorts.

  • Create Related Items recommendations. Related Items recommendations allow you to link to each other assets that bear some sort of relation to one another. This way, whenever a visitor views an asset that is linked to another asset through a Related Items recommendation, he/she sees the related asset. You can thus create a path or a link trail for your visitors to follow by consecutively linking assets to one another using a Related Items recommendation.

    The goal is to persuade your visitors to view additional content related to the content they are viewing at a given moment by showing them a teaser for the related content alongside the main content. Related Items recommendations are thus excellent for business tactics such as up-selling or cross-selling merchandise.

    For example, you can link movies that share a common theme or genre to one another, such as the Godfather trilogy. You link part I of the trilogy to part II, and part II to part III using a Related Items recommendation. This way, when a visitor looks at part I of the trilogy, WebCenter Sites also shows part II. When the visitor then looks at part II, WebCenter Sites also shows part III. Additionally, you could link parts II and III to part I so your visitors know they should watch part I first when they view part II or III.

  • Create Dynamic List recommendations. Unlike Static List and Related Items recommendations, the functionality of Dynamic List recommendations is defined by customized code written by your developers. Because of that, Dynamic List recommendations are the most flexible out of the three types of Recommendation assets in terms of fulfilling specific business needs. For example, your developers can code a Dynamic List recommendation to behave like a Related Items recommendation, but instead of requiring the related assets be linked manually, the recommendation can track the movies a visitor has bought in the past and recommend movies that most closely match his or her past purchases in terms of theme or genre. In such case, you would simply assign the recommendation to the assets you want to be included in the recommendation.

The choice regarding the type of recommendations used depends largely on how you or your site designers want your site to behave. For information about creating Recommendation assets, see Creating and Configuring Recommendations with Engage.

6.9 Linking Assets and URLs

This section contains the following topics:

6.9.1 About Linking Two Assets Directly

This section contains prerequisite steps and instructions for linking two assets, as follows:

  • Creating a link to another asset

    You may have two assets—article assets, for example—with related content you want to join by a link. Working in the main article, you would use the Add asset link icon on the CKEditor toolbar to insert a link to the related article. When site visitors access the main article's content, they can click the inserted link to render the related article's content.

  • Linking two assets by inclusion

    A commonly performed CM operation is to insert previewable content from one asset into another asset, but without manually copying the content. Instead, the content is inserted by reference, so that it can be dynamically updated at the insertion point when the target asset (the source of content) is modified.

    In this scenario, you would use the Include Asset icon in the CKEditor toolbar to insert the asset, whose previewable content is then rendered dynamically at the insertion point.

    When using Include Asset, you are actually inserting a link to the target asset, but rendering the link in the form of the target asset's previewable content. The link persists after the target asset is included. As a result, the content is not editable at the insertion point, but is refreshed when the target asset (the source of content) is modified. To view refreshed content, you must refresh the referring asset by clicking the Refresh icon in the referring asset's toolbar.

The extent to which these capabilities are available to you depends on how your site designers have implemented them as part of the custom asset design. For example, the Article asset type that ships with the avisports sample site is configured with a CKEditor in its Body field. Therefore, the Body field supports the types of links described above.

6.9.2 Prerequisites for Linking Assets

Before linking assets, you must verify that they can be linked. Use this section as a checklist.

Two assets are involved in this procedure (both must be on the same site):

  • The referring asset (in which you create the link to the target asset)

  • The target asset (which is rendered when the link is clicked)

The prerequisites for the referring asset area s follows:

  • The referring asset must display the CKEditor in the field where you will place the link. By default, CKEditor is not displayed automatically when the asset's Edit view opens. To display the CKEditor, click the field. If the CKEditor does not appear, then the field is not CKEditor enabled and the assets cannot be linked. Contact your system administrator to have the field enabled.

  • If you intend to publish the referring asset, the asset must be previewable, including the field where you will place the link. (Ensure that the referring asset can be rendered by a template listed in the asset's Template field. For instructions about previewing assets, see Previewing Assets.)

This is the prerequisite for the target asset:

  • The target asset must be previewable and readily available for linking (ensure that the target asset can be rendered by a template listed in the asset's Template field).

Optionally, the target asset should be readily available for linking. One way to ensure this is to place the target asset in the Bookmarks node, located in the My Work tree in the navigation pane. See Bookmarking Assets and Finding Bookmarked Assets.

The prerequisites for the image asset as the target asset are as follows:
  • The image asset must be previewable. Ensure that at least one template listed in the asset's Template field renders only the image.

    Note:

    Rendering additional content (such as text) can interfere with and corrupt the linking process.
  •  If you are including an image from the Bookmarks node, the image asset must be readily available for inclusion. Place the image asset into the Bookmarks node, located in the My Work tree of the navigation pane, for easy retrieval during the linking process. See Bookmarking Assets and Finding Bookmarked Assets.

6.9.3 Creating a Link to Another Asset

Ensure that all prerequisites in Prerequisites for Linking Assets are met.

  1. Open the referring asset in its Edit view.
  2. Insert the link to the target asset:
    • In the navigation pane, click the My Work bar.

    • In the My Work tree, navigate to and expand the Bookmarks node.

      A list of bookmarked assets opens underneath the Bookmarks node.

    • In the CKEditor-enabled field of the referring asset, select the text you want to link. Alternatively, you can enter new text anywhere in the field and then select it.

      To work more comfortably, you can maximize the CKEditor to fill your workspace. Click the Maximize icon The illustration shows the Maximize button. on the CKEditor toolbar.

    • On the CKEditor's toolbar, click the Add asset link icon The illustration shows the Add asset link button..

      The Insert Embedded Link dialog opens.

      Figure 6-51 Insert Embedded Link Dialog

      Description of Figure 6-51 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-51 Insert Embedded Link Dialog"
    • Select a target asset from the Bookmarks node in the My Work tree, and then drag and drop it into the field of the Insert Embedded Link dialog.

      Note:

      If you did not bookmark the image, you can use the search feature to find the image.

      The Insert Embedded Link dialog displays the layouts (templates) available to be assigned to the target the asset.

    • Select a layout (template) to assign to the target asset.

      The layout (template) you select renders the target asset when the link is clicked.

    • In the Wrappers field, select the wrapper with which you want to render the target asset.

    • (Optional) In the Link Anchor field, provide a secondary link.

      If the primary link to the target asset is broken in some way, the secondary link is used instead.

    • In the Link Text field, verify the text you selected to be the link. If necessary, edit the text.

    • If the Template Arguments section displays the Name and Value menus, you can use them to set properties for the target asset. Select the parameters that you need (one at a time), enter a value, and click Add.

      Note:

      The Template Arguments section is enabled only if developers have configured parameters for the template that is assigned to the target asset. Otherwise, the Template Arguments section displays the message No arguments defined for template Name.

    • Click Apply.

    • Click OK to save the link.

      The Insert Embedded Link dialog closes, and the CKEditor field displays the linked text which is underlined and surrounded by a blue border.

  3. Right-click the linked text to open its context menu. From the context menu you can:
    • Cut Linked Asset

    • Copy Linked Asset

    • Edit Properties

    • Remove Linked Asset

      Note:

      The Remove Linked Asset option removes the link function, but not the text of the link. To restore the link function, press Ctrl+Z until the underline and blue border re-appear.

  4. Save the referring asset:
    • If you expanded the CKEditor, click the Maximize icon to collapse the CKEditor and view the entire asset.

    • In the referring asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

  5. Test the link by previewing the referring asset:
    • In the referring asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

    • Click the link to display the target asset.

6.9.4 Linking Two Assets by Inclusion

Ensure that all prerequisites in Prerequisites for Linking Assets are met.

  1. Open the referring asset in its Edit view.
  2. Include the target asset:
    • In the navigation pane, click the My Work bar, and then expand the Bookmarks node.

      A list of bookmarked assets opens underneath the Bookmarks node.

    • In the CKEditor-enabled field of the referring asset, place your cursor at the point where you want to include the previewable content of the target asset.

      To work more comfortably, you can maximize the CKEditor to fill your workspace. Click the Maximize icon The illustration shows the Maximize button. on the CKEditor toolbar.

    • On the CKEditor's toolbar, click the Include Asset icon The illustration shows the Include Asset button..

      The Insert Included Asset dialog opens.

      Figure 6-52 Insert Included Asset Dialog

      Description of Figure 6-52 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-52 Insert Included Asset Dialog"
    • Select the target asset from the Bookmarks node, and then drag and drop it into the field of the Insert Included Asset dialog.

      Note:

      If you did not bookmark the image, you can use the search feature to find the image.

      The Insert Included Asset dialog displays the layouts (templates) available to be assigned to the target asset.

    • Select a layout (template) to assign to the target asset.

      The layout (template) you select renders the target asset at its insertion point in the referring asset.

    • If the Template Arguments section displays the Name and Value menus, you can use them to set properties for the included asset. Select the parameters that you need (one at a time), enter a value, and click Add.

      Note:

      The Template Arguments section is enabled only if developers have configured parameters for the template that is assigned to the included asset. Otherwise, the Template Arguments section displays the message No arguments defined for template Name.

    • Click OK.

      The Insert Included Asset dialog closes, and the target asset's previewable content is rendered within the referring asset by the layout (template) you selected.

      Note:

      If you click the included asset, all of its content is selected. You cannot select its individual pieces of content. The content is editable only in the target asset (the source of content).

      When the target asset is edited, the included content in the referring asset is automatically updated, but not in real time. To view an update, you must refresh the referring asset.

  3. You can now work with the included asset as follows:
    • Right-click the included asset to open its context menu. From the context menu you can:

      • Cut Included Asset

      • Copy Included Asset

      • Edit Properties

      • Remove Included Asset

    • To resize the included asset or view its properties, double-click the included asset. When you double-click the asset, a properties window opens. You can adjust the size and alignment of the asset from the properties window.

  4. Save the referring asset:
    • If you expanded the CKEditor, click the Maximize icon to collapse the CKEditor and view the entire asset.

    • In the referring asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

  5. Verify that the included asset is properly rendered by clicking the Preview icon, in the referring asset's toolbar.

6.9.5 About Linking Two Assets Through an Image Asset

Company logos (and other images) are often used as links to various types of content: news about the company, products and services offered by the company, and so on. WebCenter Sites enables you to include an image asset in an asset's CKEditor-enabled field, and then link the image to another (target) asset. Clicking the image renders the target asset's previewable content.

Note:

If you are using an image to link two assets, the image must be part of an image asset.

This section contains prerequisite steps and instructions for linking two assets through an image asset. Before continuing with the rest of this section, determine whether you will be including the image from the Bookmarks node (located in the navigation pane, in the My Work tree).

You can perform linking through an image from the Bookmarks node using CKEditor. In the CKEditor enabled field of the asset you are working with, you may want to include an image asset that you have bookmarked. From the CKEditor toolbar, you can use the Include asset icon to include the image in the field. Use the Add asset link icon to link the included image to another asset.

6.9.6 Linking Through an Image from the Bookmarks Node

When you have met all prerequisites in Prerequisites for Linking Assets, continue as described in the following sections:

6.9.6.1 Including the Image Asset in the Referring Asset

To include the image asset in the referring asset, use the steps mentioned in Linking Two Assets by Inclusion.

6.9.6.2 Linking the Image Asset to the Target Asset

Now that the image is rendered in the referring asset's field, create a link from the image to the target asset by using the steps mentioned in Creating a Link to Another Asset.

6.9.6.3 Testing the Linked Image

To test the linked image:

  1. If the referring asset is previewable, click the Preview icon, in the asset's toolbar, to preview and test the linked image.
  2. Click the image to render the target asset.

6.9.7 Linking Assets to URLs

Using CKEditor, you can link WebCenter Sites assets to the URL of a website. A link to a URL is not stored in its own field in the WebCenter Sites database. The link can be created directly within any CKEditor-enabled field of a WebCenter Sites asset, but it cannot be managed as an asset. As a result, the user who creates a link to a URL must manually validate the URL.

The extent to which this capability is available to you depends on whether CKEditor is configured for your custom asset types. For example, the Article asset type that ships with the avisports sample site is configured with a CKEditor in its Body field. Therefore, the Body field supports the creation of a link to a URL as described above. The rest of this section describes how to link assets to URLs.

To create a link to a URL:

  1. Find the referring asset (in which you specify a URL) and open its Edit view:
    • In the Search field, enter your search criteria (if any) and then click the magnifying glass button.

    • In the search results list, navigate to and right-click the asset you want to open. In the context menu, select Edit.

      Note:

      If you are creating a new referring asset, you can start this procedure in the asset's Create view. However, to ensure against possible loss of any existing content, save the asset and then open its Edit view.

  2. Navigate to the field in which you want to place the link. Click the field to ensure it displays the CKEditor.

    Note:

    By default, CKEditor is not displayed automatically when the asset's Edit view opens. Click the field to display the CKEditor. If the CKEditor does not appear, then linking is not supported in the field. Contact your system administrator to have the field enabled with CKEditor.

  3. In the CKEditor-enabled field, select the text you want to link. Alternatively, you can type new text anywhere in the field and select it.

    To work more comfortably, you can maximize the CKEditor to fill your workspace. Click the Maximize icon The illustration displays the Maximize button. on the CKEditor toolbar.

  4. On the CKEditor toolbar, click the Link icon The illustration displays the Link button..

    The Link dialog opens.

    • In the Link Type field, select URL.

    • In the URL field, enter the URL of the website to which you want to link.

    • Click OK to convert the selected text to a link.

      The Link dialog closes, and the linked text is underlined in the field.

  5. To make adjustments to the link, right-click the link to open its context menu. From the context menu you can:
    • Cut

    • Copy

    • Edit Link

    • Unlink

      Note:

      The Unlink option removes the link function, but not the text of the link. To restore the link function, press Ctrl+Z until the text is underlined.

  6. Save the referring asset:
    • If you expanded the CKEditor, click the Maximize icon to collapse the CKEditor and view the entire asset.

    • In the referring asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

  7. View and test the link.
    • In the referring asset's toolbar, click the Preview icon.

    • In the preview of the referring asset, click the link to open the corresponding web page in a browser window.

6.10 Defining Website Navigation

This section describes how to create the navigation for your website by using the Site Tree in the Contributor interface to place and unplace pages.

Note:

WebCenter Sites offers multiple ways to create a website's navigation. Your site design determines the way in which your website's navigation is created. This chapter is for users whose site design is configured to allow them to create their website's navigation using the Site Tree in the Contributor interface. For information about how the navigation for your website is created, see your site developers.

6.10.1 Placing and Unplacing Pages

If you are assigned the appropriate role (configured by your administrator), you can use the Site Tree to place Pages under a site plan and unplace Pages (remove Pages from a site plan). Placing and unplacing Pages enables you to organize a website's navigation. When the site plans are published, the changes you make through the tree are applied to the websites represented by the site plans. For more information about Page assets, consult your developers.

Note:

The Site Tree requires you to place pages in an ordered hierarchy. Before you perform the procedures in this section, consult your developers to familiarize yourself with the structure of your website so that you know where each page belongs in the site hierarchy.

For information about placing and unplacing pages, see the following topics:

6.10.1.1 Placing a Page

This section shows you how to place a Page asset under a site plan in the Site Tree. You can place Pages under a site plan in the following ways:

  • Directly under a top-level Page as the Page's highest-ordered sub-level.

  • At the same level in the hierarchy as another Page. The selected Page is placed before or after the other Page (depending on the location you choose).

After you place a Page under a site navigation, it must be approved and published to be shown on the website.

To place a Page under a site plan:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the Page asset you want to place under a site plan.
  2. In the navigation pane, click the Site Tree bar.

    The pane displays the Site Tree.

  3. In the Site Tree, expand the site plan by clicking the plus sign displayed next to it. Figure 6-54 shows the Site Tree for the avisports sample site.

    Figure 6-54 Site Tree for the avisports Sample Site

    Description of Figure 6-54 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-54 Site Tree for the avisports Sample Site"
  4. Find the Page you want to place and determine its target position in the hierarchy:
    • Find the Page you want to place:

      • If the Page is placed, navigate to the site plan under which the Page is placed.

      • If the Page is unplaced, navigate to the Unplaced Pages hierarchy.

    • Navigate to the site plan to determine the Page's target position in the hierarchy.

  5. Place the Page in its target position in the hierarchy. Do one of the following:
    • To place the Page at the same level as another Page, drag the selected Page under or above the name of the other Page. The selected Page is placed in the list at the same level, and before or after the other Page.

      For example, to place the Running Home Page at the same level as (and before) the Home Page, drag the Running Home Page above the name of the Home Page, as shown in Figure 6-55.

      Figure 6-55 Place a Page Asset at the Same Level as Another Page Asset

      Description of Figure 6-55 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-55 Place a Page Asset at the Same Level as Another Page Asset"
    • To place the Page as the highest-ordered sub-level of another Page, drag the selected Page over the name of the Page under which you want to place it.

      For example, to place the Running Page as the highest-ordered child of the Running Home Page, drag the Running Page over Running Home, as shown in Figure 6-56.

      Figure 6-56 Place a Page Asset as the Highest-Ordered Child of Another Page Asset

      Description of Figure 6-56 follows
      Description of "Figure 6-56 Place a Page Asset as the Highest-Ordered Child of Another Page Asset"

    To update the website with your changes to the site plan, the Page you placed must be approved and published.

6.10.1.2 Unplacing a Page

This section shows you how to unplace a Page asset – that is, mark it for removal from the website. After you unplace the Page, it must be published for it to be removed from the website.

To unplace a page:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the Page asset you want to remove from a site plan.
  2. In the navigation pane, click the Site Tree bar.

    The pane displays the Site Tree.

  3. In the Site Tree, expand the site plans and Unplaced Pages node by clicking the plus-sign next to each node.
  4. Navigate the site plan to find the Page you want to unplace.
  5. Unplace the Page by dragging it over the Unplaced Pages node. For example, to unplace the Running Home Page, drag it over the Unplaced Pages node, as shown in Figure 6-57.

    Figure 6-57 Unplace a Page Asset

    Description of Figure 6-57 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-57 Unplace a Page Asset"

    Releasing the Page, places it under the Unplaced Pages node. If the Page you unplaced contains sub-levels, its sub-level Pages are also unplaced, as shown in Figure 6-58.

    Figure 6-58 Page Assets Displayed Under the Unplaced Pages Node

    Description of Figure 6-58 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-58 Page Assets Displayed Under the Unplaced Pages Node"

    You must approve and publish the unplaced Page in order for the website to be updated with your changes.

6.10.2 Creating a Website's Navigation by Copying a Navigation

If the Site Tree contains multiple site plans, instead of creating brand new content to place under a site plan, you can copy the navigation (placed Pages) under one site plan and paste the navigation under another site plan. You can either copy a site plan's entire navigation or a sub-set of its navigation. When you paste the navigation under the site plan, both site plans display the same placed Pages. However, each site plan's content is managed individually. When you make changes to the content of one site plan, those changes do not apply to any other site plan's content.

To create a website's navigation by copying a navigation:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the website navigation you want to copy.
  2. In the navigation pane, click the Site Tree bar.

    The pane displays the Site Tree.

  3. In the Site Tree, expand the site plan whose navigation (placed Pages) you want to copy by clicking the plus sign displayed next to the site plan.
  4. In the expanded site plan, right-click the highest-ordered Page in the hierarchy from which you want to copy the navigation. In the context menu, select Copy Site Navigation.

    Figure 6-59 Copy a Site Plan's Site Navigation (Placed Pages)

    Description of Figure 6-59 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-59 Copy a Site Plan's Site Navigation (Placed Pages)"
  5. Navigate to the site plan under which you want to paste the copied navigation and expand its hierarchy by clicking the plus sign next to it.
  6. Right-click the site plan node (or a placed Page under the site plan node) and select Paste Site Navigation.

    Figure 6-60 Paste a Site Plan's Site Navigation Under Another Site Plan Node

    Description of Figure 6-60 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-60 Paste a Site Plan's Site Navigation Under Another Site Plan Node"
  7. In the confirmation dialog, click Yes.

    The Page and all of its sub-level Pages are placed under the site plan node (or under a placed Page in the site plan). For example, if you copied the Home Page from the Default site plan node and pasted it directly under the Touch site plan node, the Home Page and all of its sub-level Pages are placed under the Touch site plan node.

    Figure 6-61 Navigation from the Default Site Plan Pasted Under the Touch Site Plan

    Description of Figure 6-61 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-61 Navigation from the Default Site Plan Pasted Under the Touch Site Plan"
  8. Edit the Pages you pasted under the site plan. See Editing Assets in Form View and Editing Assets in Web View. If you are editing the content for a mobile site plan, see Editing Assets in the Context of a Mobile Device.
  9. Preview the changes you made to the content of the site plan. See Previewing Assets. To preview the content in the context of a mobile device, see Previewing Assets in the Context of a Mobile Device.
  10. Approve the site plan for publishing. See Approving a Site Navigation for Publishing.

6.11 Working with Multilingual Assets

This section includes the following topics:

6.11.1 About Working with Multilingual Assets

Each asset can have only one translation in each available language. For example, When a Canadian French translation of an asset exists, you cannot create another Canadian French translation within the same multilingual set.

To create a translation of an asset, you must do the following:

  1. Select the target language of the translation. WebCenter Sites does the following:

    • Creates a copy of the source asset.

    • Sets the target language of the copy according to your selection.

    • Links the copy to the master asset and marks the copy as a translation of the master. If this is the first translation of the asset, a multilingual set is created and the source asset is designated as the master.

  2. Translate the source content and store the translated content in the translation asset.

  3. (Optional) Translate the assets associated with the source asset and associate the translated versions with the translation of the source asset. Table 6-2 provides on how asset relationships are handled when you create translations of assets.

    Table 6-2 Types of Asset Relationships

    Relationship Type Behavior

    Asset Associations

    When you create a translation of an asset that contains associations, all assets associated with the source asset are automatically associated with the translation. You then have the choice to translate the associated assets and associate the translated versions with the translated parent asset.

    Static Lists Recommendations

    When you create a Static Lists recommendation in a new locale, the new Recommendation asset retains the member assets of the source asset. You then have the choice to translate the member assets and place the translated versions in the new Recommendation asset, replacing the member assets carried over from the old collection.

    Asset-Type Attributes

    When an asset containing associations through asset-type attributes is translated, all assets associated with the source asset are automatically associated with the translation. You then have the choice to translate the associated assets and associate the translated versions with the translated parent asset.

    Embedded Links

    Embedded links are not affected. When an asset containing embedded links is translated, you must manually update the links to point to the corresponding translations of the linked content (if they exist).

See Associating Assets.

Note:

Before performing the procedures in this section, note the following:

  • The Contributor interface contains locale-related functionality only if the administrator has set up your site to support multiple languages.

  • If you plan to work with content in a language that uses non-English characters, your computer must be configured for input and display of such characters.

  • To share a localized asset to another site, the locale assigned to the asset must be enabled on the target site. If you have questions about locales, contact your WebCenter Sites administrator.

6.11.2 Setting or Changing an Asset's Locale Designation

Before you can create a translation of an asset, the asset must have a locale designation assigned to it. (Typically, you assign the locale designation when you create an asset.)

To create a translation of an asset that has no locale designation, follow the steps below, then continue on to Creating a Translation of an Asset.

You can also change the locale designation of an asset that has one assigned to it, if necessary. For example, if the administrator decides to further divide the asset's locale (such as dividing French into Canadian French and Belgian French) you can update your assets to use the new locale designations.

Note:

You can only assign locales that have been enabled on your site by the WebCenter Sites administrator.

To set or change an asset's locale designation:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset whose locale designation you want to set or change.
  2. Find and open the asset.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  3. Set or change the asset's locale designation:
    • If the asset opens in Web View, switch to Form View by clicking the Mode switch in the asset's toolbar.

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

    • Switch to the Metadata section of the form by clicking Metadata in the form section selector.

    • In the Locale drop-down list, select a locale.

  4. In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    The asset is now assigned to the selected locale.

  5. Inspect the asset. Do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Edit, then select Inspect.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Form View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  6. (Optional) If your next step is to create a translation of the asset, proceed to Creating a Translation of an Asset.

6.11.3 Creating a Translation of an Asset

Note:

Keep in mind the following:

  • Before you can create a translation of an asset, the asset must have a locale designation assigned to it. (The asset's locale is listed in the Metadata section of the form and is typically assigned by the user who creates the asset.) If the asset does not have a locale designation, follow the steps in Setting or Changing an Asset's Locale Designation.

  • If you are creating the first translation of an asset, you are automatically creating a multilingual set consisting of the source asset and the translation. The source asset is automatically designated as the master asset of the multilingual set.

To create a translation of an asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset you want to translate.
  2. Find and open the asset.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  3. If the asset opens in Web View, switch to Form View by clicking the Mode switch in the asset's toolbar.
  4. Switch to the Metadata section of the form by clicking Metadata in the form section selector.
  5. Set the target language of the translation. In the Translations field, select the Translate link in the Action column next to the locale to which you want to translate the asset.

    Figure 6-62 Translations Field in the Metadata Section of an Asset's Form

    Description of Figure 6-62 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-62 Translations Field in the Metadata Section of an Asset's Form"

    Note:

    If the Translations field is not displayed, stop here. You do not have the permissions to translate the asset, or your site only has one locale set up. If you have questions about locales or your permissions, contact your WebCenter Sites administrator.

    A new tab opens displaying the translated asset's content entry form. The tab displays the translated asset's name as Translation of (new locale) Asset Name_randomly generated number.

    If the administrator configured the asset type such that all new assets of that type are placed into workflow upon creation, the Choose Assignees dialog opens.

    Select at least one user for each required role and click Set Assignees. Any of these users can complete the next step in the workflow process. For more information, see Participating in Workflow.

  6. In the Name field of the translation's content entry form, replace the asset's system generated name with a name that uniquely identifies the new asset as a translation of the source asset.

    Note the following conventions when naming the asset:

    • The name must contain alphanumeric characters. The maximum character limit in the Name field is 64 bytes. Characters that exceed 64 bytes get truncated and a message stating this is displayed.

    • The following characters are not allowed: single quote ('), double quote ("), semicolon (;), colon (:), question mark (?), percent sign (%), less-than sign (<), greater-than sign (>), and backslash (\).

    • The name can contain spaces, but cannot start with a space.

  7. Translate the asset as follows:
    • For each field, replace the copied content with an appropriate translation. For details on filling in the fields in the form, see Creating an Asset in Form View.

      Save your work as you go. Click the Save icon to save your progress as you work on the asset. When you click the Save icon, WebCenter Sites commits the changes to the database and keeps the asset open in its Edit view so that you can keep working.

      If any of the fields or form sections are unfamiliar to you, consult your developers or WebCenter Sites administrator.

    • Select the next section in the form section selector and fill in the fields as necessary. Continue until you have populated all required sections (marked with an asterisk).

  8. In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    WebCenter Sites saves the asset to the database, unless:

    • You have left out one or more required fields in one or more sections.

    • An entry or selection you have made in one or more sections is not permitted.

    If either of these conditions is true, WebCenter Sites displays an error message indicating the offending fields. Correct the errors, then save the asset.

  9. In the asset's toolbar, click the Inspect icon.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the asset in Form View. When you inspect an asset, you cannot modify its content.

  10. (Optional) If the asset is not preassigned to a workflow and you want to use the workflow feature, you can assign the asset to a workflow process as described in Using Workflow Functions.
  11. (Optional) To see how the asset would look if it were published, preview it. When you are finished previewing the asset, click the Go Back icon in the asset's toolbar.
  12. Determine which associated assets have to be translated into the target language.

    Note:

    When you create a translation of an asset, the assets associated with the source asset are automatically associated with the translation asset.

    • In the Content section of the form, navigate to the field (or fields) displaying the associated assets.

    • Review the assets associated with the translated asset and determine which ones have to be translated.

      Depending on the nature of the associated assets, you may want to translate them and associate the translated versions with the translation asset you created in the previous steps. For example, an image depicting a product might not require a localized version, but a data sheet for the product must be translated manually.

      For information about how WebCenter Sites handles asset relationships with respect to multilingual assets, see Table 6-2.

    • (Optional) If you determined that one or more assets associated with the translation asset have to be translated, translate those assets by repeating this procedure, then associate the translated versions with the translation asset. See Associating Assets.

6.11.4 Examining the Available Translations of an Asset

To check whether a translation of an asset exists in a specific language, open the asset and examine the Translations field in the Metadata section of the form. If the translation exists for a given language, you can open it by clicking its name in the Translations field.

To check whether a specific translation of an asset exists:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset whose translations you want to view.
  2. Find and open the asset whose translations you want to examine.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  3. If the asset opens in Web View, switch to Form View by clicking the Mode switch in the asset's toolbar.
  4. Switch to the Metadata section of the form by clicking Metadata in the form section selector.
  5. Examine the contents of the Translations field. If a translation in a given language exists, the name of the translation asset is displayed next to that language.

    Figure 6-63 Translations Field Showing the Master Asset and Translation Assets

    Description of Figure 6-63 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-63 Translations Field Showing the Master Asset and Translation Assets"

    Note:

    If the Translations field does not show the name of a translation asset next to a language, the asset has not yet been translated into that language. You can translate the asset by following the steps in Creating a Translation of an Asset.

  6. (Optional) To open a specific translation of the asset for viewing, in the Translations field, click the name of the translation asset.

6.11.5 Changing the Master Asset of a Multilingual Set

When you create the first translation of an asset, the source asset becomes the master asset of a multilingual asset set consisting of the asset itself and its translation. As more translations of the source asset are created, the multilingual set grows.

To designate another member of the set as the master (for example, when the multilingual set is copied to a site in another language), you can do so from the Inspect view of any member of the set.

The following procedure shows you how to set a new master asset from the Inspect view of the set's current master asset.

To change the master asset of a multilingual set:

Note:

Note the following:

  • The master asset of a multilingual set is indicated in the Translations field in the Metadata section of the asset when the asset is opened in Form View.

  • If a multilingual set is being revision-tracked, you must manually check out all members of the set before you can change the set's master asset. See Checking Out Assets.

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the multilingual set whose master asset you want to change.
  2. Find and open the asset whose translations you want to examine.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  3. If the asset opens in Web View, switch to Form View by clicking the Mode switch in the asset's toolbar.
  4. Switch to the Metadata section of the form by clicking Metadata in the form section selector.
  5. In the Translations field, select the Make Master link in the Action column of the translation asset you want to make the master of the multilingual set.

    The tab displays the Inspect view of the new master asset in Form View.

6.12 Working with Vanity URLs

Vanity URLs are short, readable, easy to control URLs that usually contain either the name of, or other descriptive content about the web page to which it points. WebCenter Sites supports two types of Vanity URLs –Asset URLs and Blob (File) URLs.

You, as a content contributors can create vanity Asset URLs for any type of asset. An Asset URL can be either auto-generated (based on a pattern defined by the administrator in the Admin interface) or created in the Contributor interface. A Blob (File) URL is created by your administrator in the Admin interface for an asset's associated file (for example, a Blob URL is created for an Image asset's associated Image file). In the Contributor interface, you can view a Blob (File) URL from an asset's content entry form. However, the administrator creates the Blob (File) URL in the Admin interface.

When a vanity URL is defined for an asset (or its associated file), and that asset is published to the website, the vanity URL points to the web page that renders the content of the asset. This section contains instructions for creating and managing Asset URLs.

For information about working with vanity URLs, see the following topics:

6.12.1 Creating Vanity URLs for Assets

The URL section of an asset's form contains the URL field, which you use to define one or more vanity URLs for the asset.

To create a vanity URL for an asset:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset for which you want to create a vanity URL.
  2. Find and open the asset for which you want to create a vanity URL. Do one of the following:
    • Search for and open the asset for which you want to create a vanity URL.

    • If you previously bookmarked the asset, open it from the Bookmarks node in the My Work tree.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  3. Access the asset's Edit view in Form View:
    • If the asset opens in Web View, switch to Form View. In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

      The tab shows the Edit view of the asset in Form View.

  4. In the form section selector, select URL.

    The URL section of the form opens.

    Figure 6-64 URL Section of a Content Entry Form

    Description of Figure 6-64 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-64 URL Section of a Content Entry Form"
  5. Create a new vanity URL for the asset by filling in the following fields and clicking Add:
    • URL: Enter a path for the vanity URL you are creating for the asset. For example, skiing/article.

      Note:

      You must create a unique path for the vanity URL. WebCenter Sites does not allow different assets to share the same vanity URL path.

    • Host: This field is shown only if your administrator or developers configured a root (base) URL for assets of this type in the Admin interface. Use this field to select the root (base) URL.

    • Device Group: If your site is configured to support device groups, select a device group to designate this vanity URL as the URL to use when a visitor accesses the asset from a mobile device associated with the selected device group.

      See Working with Mobile Device Content.

    • Template: Select the layout with which to render the asset on the website.

      If your developers have defined arguments for the template you selected, those arguments are displayed to the right of the Template field. Select or enter values for the arguments.

    • Wrapper: This field is shown only if your site has a wrapper. Select the wrapper for your site.

    The vanity URL is added to the table at the bottom of the form.

    Figure 6-65 Vanity URL Section of the Form

    Description of Figure 6-65 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-65 Vanity URL Section of the Form"
  6. Save the asset by doing one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

  7. Preview the asset in a new window. In the menu bar, select View, then select Preview in New Window.

    If the template that is rendering the preview of the asset matches the template selected for the vanity URL, the browser's address bar shows that the vanity URL you created is rendering the preview of the asset.

  8. Approve the asset for publishing. See Performing Approval Tasks.

    When the asset is published, the vanity URL that you defined for that asset is used to render it on the website.

6.12.2 Viewing Vanity URLs

This section provides instructions for viewing vanity URLs.

Note:

If your administrator has configured an auto-generated Asset URL or created a Blob (File) URL for an asset's associated file, you only have permissions to view that vanity URL.

To view a vanity URL:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset whose vanity URL you want to view.
  2. Find and open the asset whose vanity URL you want to view.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  3. In the asset's Inspect view, click the URL section of the form section selector.

    The URL section of the asset's form opens.

  4. To view the details of the URL (template, wrapper, device group, and so on) click View More. Click View Less to collapse the details of the URL.

6.12.3 Managing Vanity URLs

This section provides instructions for managing vanity URLs.

Note:

If your administrator has configured an auto-generated Asset URL or created a Blob (File) URL for an asset's associated file, you only have permissions to view that vanity URL.

To manage an asset's vanity URL:

  1. From the Contributor interface, select the site containing the asset whose vanity URL you want to manage.
  2. Find and open the asset whose vanity URL you want to edit or delete.

    A tab opens displaying the Inspect view of the asset (in either Form View or Web View).

  3. Access the asset's Edit view in Form View:
    • If the asset opens in Web View, switch to Form View. In the asset's toolbar, click the Mode switch.

    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Edit icon.

      The tab shows the Edit view of the asset in Form View.

  4. In the form section selector, select URL.

    The URL section of the form opens.

  5. Navigate to the URL.
  6. To edit the vanity URL defined for an asset, click Change Status next to the URL you want to edit.

    In the HTTP Status drop-down list, select an HTTP status:

    HTTP Status Description

    200

    Standard response for a successful HTTP request. The visitor is directed to the requested web page to which the vanity URL points.

    301

    The web page has been moved permanently. This and all future requests are directed to the URL defined in the Redirect To field.

    302

    Temporary redirect. The visitor is redirected to a temporary web page (for example, a web page containing content that is only available for a month) defined in the Redirect To field.

    In the Redirect To field, enter a URL that visitors are redirected to when they attempt to access the asset from the vanity URL. If another vanity URL is available for this asset, you can select to redirect the visitor to that URL.

    Click Apply.

    If you changed the HTTP Status of the URL, the change is reflected in the Status column of the table.

    Figure 6-69 Redirected Vanity URL

    Description of Figure 6-69 follows
    Description of "Figure 6-69 Redirected Vanity URL"
  7. To delete a vanity URL defined for an asset, click Delete (located in the Action column of the table) next to the URL you want to delete.

    Note:

    If you changed the status of a URL to 302 and redirected it to the URL you want to delete, you cannot delete the URL until its association to the redirected URL is removed –that is, change the status of the redirected URL back to 200.

  8. To save the asset, do one of the following:
    • In the asset's toolbar, click the Save icon.

    • In the menu bar, select Content, then select Save.

  9. Preview the asset in a new window. In the menu bar, select View, then select Preview in New Window.
    • If you edited the vanity URL, the browser's address bar shows the edited vanity URL that is pointing to the preview of the asset.

    • If you deleted the vanity URL, the browser's address bar shows the URL assigned to the asset by WebCenter Sites.

  10. Approve the asset for publishing. See Performing Approval Tasks.

    When the asset is published, the changes you made to the asset's URL are reflected on the website.

6.13 About Access Permissions

For information about access permissions, see these topics:

6.13.1 About Access Permissions

WebCenter Sites provides a system by which you can set access permissions to assets that are not part of a workflow process. For such assets, you can create policies and, within them, define which roles have permissions to perform which functions on assets. For example, a policy for the Copy function can specify which roles are allowed to copy an asset. A different policy for the Copy function can specify which roles are denied the ability to copy an asset. For flex assets, inheritable policies can be set on parents, meaning that the policies are inherited by the children.

Functions that can be performed on assets, by default, are the following: checkout, copy, edit, delete, rollback, share, approve, and build. (For definitions of the functions, see Determining Function Privileges in Administering Oracle WebCenter Sites.)

All of the above-listed functions are defined in the wcs_properties.json file, as values of the property xcelerate.authorizefunction.

Access permissions serve a three-fold purpose:

  • Extend the workflow function privileges system, making it possible to set permissions for assets when they are not in workflow.

  • Introduce functions (authorize, inspect, and preview) for viewing the contents of assets that are not in workflow.

  • Introduce a hierarchical permission inheritance model for assets that are not in workflow.

6.13.2 Ways to Set Access Permissions

Setting access permissions means creating a policy for an asset by specifying which roles can perform which functions on the asset.

There are several ways to set access permissions on assets:

6.13.3 Setting Access Permissions from the Contributor Interface

To set access permissions from the Contributor interface:

  1. In the Contributor interface, find and open the asset for which you want to set access permissions. See Performing a Simple Search.
  2. In the menu bar, select Content and then select Access Permissions.

    The Access Permissions form opens.

  3. Select a radio box, click View by role or View by function. In this example, View by function is selected.

    Note:

    In this procedure, View by function is used, which allows you to select a function and then specify the roles that are granted or denied permission to perform it. If you select View by role, the order is reversed: you will have to select the role first, then specify the functions it is granted or denied.

  4. Select a function.

    When you select a function, roles that can perform the function are shown in the Inherited list box. Inherited refers to the permissions policy that the asset inherits from its parent, or its parent's parent, and so on, depending on which asset in the hierarchy has a policy.

  5. Select a role (or roles) to which you will deny or grant the permission to perform the function. (To select a block or roles, Shift-Click the beginning and end of the block. To select non-adjacent roles, Ctrl-Click each role.)
  6. Select either Grant or Deny to allow or forbid the role(s) to perform the function:
    • Grant explicitly allows the selected roles to perform the selected functions on the specific asset. All other roles are denied permissions to perform the selected function on that asset unless explicitly granted permission.

    • Deny explicitly forbids the selected roles to perform the selected function on the specific asset. All other roles are denied permission to perform the selected function on that asset unless explicitly granted permission.

    • Selecting neither Grant nor Deny leaves the roles in the Inherited list box to indicate that access permissions are inherited.

  7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 for each function and role that must be granted or denied permission to perform the selected function on the specific asset.
  8. Click Save when finished.

    Users who now access this asset can perform only the functions that their roles allow.

6.14 About History Tab

You can use the History tab to view the different actions performed on an asset such as - created, edited, approved, published, revision tracking and work flow related tasks like check out, check-in, undo checkout, rollback and so on. You can find the History tab when you open an asset in the Form View. The History tab can be seen in the Inspect view of the Form View.

Figure 6-70 History Tab table displaying actions performed on an asset

Description of Figure 6-70 follows
Description of "Figure 6-70 History Tab table displaying actions performed on an asset"
When you select the History tab, detail information about the actions performed on an asset will be displayed in a tabular form with pagination. Table 6-3 describes the information that is displayed in the History tab table.

Table 6-3 Information displayed in History Tab table

Column Description

Action

The actions done on the asset. For example, create, edit, delete, approve, publish, workflow and revision tracking related tasks.

User

The users who have done the corresponding actions.

Date

The dates when the actions were done on the asset. By default, the date of the latest action is sorted at the top.

Properties

Properties of the corresponding actions, such as Version=2 of a checkout.

Content Audit Report provides you information on all the assets in the system as opposed to the History tab which gives details about an individual asset. Use the Content Audit Report to get detail report on the managed and published content, the content workflow and the authors working on the content of your site. See Working with the Content Audit Report.