How to create a composite portal

A composite portal provides users or managers with specific functions and capabilities.

The portal consists of multiple spaces, each defined by a harness rule with a specific arrangement of panels (forming a panel set). Panels within a panel set are identified by position as Top, Bottom, Left, Right, and Center; most panel sets contain a subset of these five. Each panel set can present a section rule that at runtime delivers capabilities.

Navigation from space to space is typically provided by a dynamic menu, buttons, or links.

Plan the purpose and panels of each space. Consider the size of each panel and how well it can support the intended functions. If you plan to offer a dynamic menu to allow switching among spaces, identify the panel that is to contain the menu. See Harness rules — Adding a dynamic menu.

Process Commander contains two standard skin rules CompositeBrand and MetalBrand recommended for composite portals. These rules are final, but you can copy either (using a new name) to use as a starting point for your application's skin rule. Use the Style Viewer to review the style names and style presentation for these or any other skin rules. See About the Style Viewer tool.

As a best practice, create at least an initial version of the application skin rules using the Application Skin wizard before you develop other parts of the user interface, such as the portal, work object forms and flow action forms. You can evolve and refine the skin later by rerunning the Application Skin wizard. See About the Application Skin wizard.

Then, select Edit > Preferences... and access the General preferences group. Update the Skin field in the Run Process Group to identify this skin. This allows you to see a presentation of composite harness, section, and flow action rules that is closer to the runtime presentation that users will experience. CSS styles in a skin control not only colors and fonts, but also field widths and heights, margins, and padding. See Developer Portal basics — Setting Preferences.

Create a harness rule for each space.

1. In most cases, set the Applies To class to a work class, such as the class group of the application, or by convention to the Data-Portal class.
2. On the Layout tab, click the down-arrow () at the right end of the Layout control group () and select the Panel Set control (). Select a panel layout that is appropriate for the space, in terms of arrangement and sizes of panels. See Harness rules — Adding a Panel Set control.
3. Save the harness rule.

If your portal is to have multiple spaces, ensure that each space offers a mechanism to switch to others. Use OnClick="pega.desktop.showSpace('Sname')" where Sname is the name of the space to change spaces. Users can switch spaces using links, buttons, or a MenuBar control. See Harness rules — Adding a Menubar control.

Add a section to each panel of the harness rules.

You can use any of the standard sections listed below, which replicate many of the functions of the gadgets used in standard V5.4 portals. You can also refine and evolve these sections in an application RuleSet version.

Certain sections require parameters. See Section form — Completing the Parameters tab and Pega Developer Network article PRKB-25448 How to use parameters in section rules.

1. Create a portal rule.
2. On the Skins tab, set the Type to Composite.
3. On the Skins tab, identify the application skin you developed.
4. Complete the Spaces tab. Link each space to a harness rule created in an earlier step. Identify one space as the default space. Enter a distinct name for each space. One space must be named Work.

Most composite portals use the standard section @baseclass.NewWork to allow users to enter new work objects. At runtime, this section allows users to identify the application — not a work pool within an application — to which the new work object belongs. To support this capability:

• Each access group should identify a composite portal in the Default Portal field (on the Settings tab. Leave the Secondary Portal Layouts array blank or list alternate composite portals only. Do not mix traditional and composite portals in one access group.
• Leave the Work Pools array (on the Layout tab of the Access Group form) blank.
• Update the Work Types area on the Details tab of the application rule. Identify each work type, a name, and a work object prefix. (The prefix value you enter here supercedes any prefix set in the model.)

Save all rules.

1. Select Edit > My Profile > Access Group.
2. On the Settings tab of your own Access Group form, add the portal rule into the Secondary Portal Layouts area. Save.
3. Select File > Open > Portal > (portal) to open the composite portal.
4. Test and evolve.

The following standard sections are designed for composite portals. All are in @baseclass. Some are very easy to customize and adapt. Together, these can provide your composite portals with capabilities very similar to the gadgets used in the older WorkUser and WorkManager portals, but these section rules are easier to evolve. Review the Parameters tab of each section to tailor the appearance and behavior of the section.

Section	Description
DashboardReports	Contains a two-by-two layout with an interactive chart in each cell, using the Chart control. See Harness, Section, and Flow Action rules — Adding a Chart.
FindWork	Allows users or managers. to search for work objects. Results are always limited to those work types that belong to the currently selected application. The DisplayOption parameter has three values: Advanced — default, includes the search bar and supports Lucen-based full-text searh as well as work "Entered by me", "Resolved by me" and other choices as shown.. Basic — search by work object ID only Classic — matches the gadget in the WorkUser portal Optionally, can allow users access to full-text search of work objects.
MyDelegatedRules	Presents a list of rules delegated to this user as links, arranged horizontally or in a vertical list. When clicked, each link opens the appropriate version of the associated rule.
Logoff	Presents a Log off button or Log Off link, depending on the value of the LogOffDisplay section parameter. Use this section only directly in a panel of a panel set. Do not use this section in an IAC form. Do not use this section as an included section within other sections, unless you can provide a custom JavaScript that targets the top level.
News	Displays the text of the Data-Broadcast message (if any) associated with the operator's current organization unit. Using the Edit button, the operator can update this message. See About Broadcast data instances.
NewWork	Starts entry of a new work object form. Complete the DisplayOption parameter to control the presentation of starting flows: as a select list, menu option, labeled buttons, or links. Buttons or links can be presented horizontally or in a vertical list. If a user has access to two or more applications, work object entry can occur only for one at a time. The user selects an application from those listed in the user's access groups. (Each access group identifies a single application.) The set of work objects that a user can enter depends on the currently selected application, the list of work types on the Details tab of the associated application rule, and privileges required (if any) by the Security area of the Process tab of the starter flow rule.
MonitorActivity	Provides links to 20+ standard reports and charts for managers, similar to the initial presentation of the Monitor Activity workspace in the WorkManager portal.
Profile	A simple section that presents the user's name, portal layout, current application, access group, and other facts.
RecentWork	Contains an advanced control that lists work objects recently updated by this operator.
SearchField	Allows users to find work objects using full-text search, when configured. See How to enable and control the full text search facility.
Workbaskets	Displays a drop-down list of the workbaskets available to this user. When a user selects a workbasket, the assignments in the workbasket appear.
Worklist	Contains a ListView control linked to the standard list view rule Assign-WorkList.ListViewEmbed. See Harness, Section, and Flow Action forms — Adding a ListView control.
WUNavigation	Provides the capabilities of the RecentWork, FindWork, NewWork, Profile, and News in a vertical presentation, with added space to improve the presentation.