Object Creation Wizards (SAP Library

Object Creation Wizards

Definition

Wizards provide guided assistance through a series of question-and-answer steps that are tailored to the type of object you are creating.

The portal provides several customized wizards for creating iViews, pages, roles, worksets, and systems.

Structure

You can create new objects by basing them on existing portal components or templates, or you can create them from scratch. The type of wizard that is launched is determined by the type of content object you choose to create.

● Creating objects based on portal components: The wizard prompts you to select a portal component on which to base the new object. In the Portal Content Studio, this option is valid for creating iViews, pages, and layouts only.

Portal components are deployed in the application repository in the Portal Content Directory (PCD) by means of portal archive (PAR) files. Portal components are typically the code and services that execute the objects in runtime (for example, the Java class that runs an iView). Portal components also contain a profile of properties, which supply the metadata parameters for the application to run.

● Create objects based on templates: The wizard prompts you to select a template on which to base the new object. In the Portal Content Studio, this option is valid for creating iViews and pages only.

Templates are content objects stored in the PCD, which have been created from portal components or from other templates (see Creating a Template). The new object that you create inherits the property, values, and attributes defined in the object template, and adds or overwrites new properties defined by the wizard. The new object becomes a delta link to the template upon which it is based.

● Create objects without portal components or templates: Roles, worksets, and transport packages are not based on portal components or templates. The wizard prompts you to enter basic information about the new object you are creating and then launches the object's respective editor.

Note

User access permissions can be set for portal components and templates, thus restricting the portal components and templates that content administrators are able to use in the wizards. See Permission Levels.

For information about object relationships, see Content Object Model.

Use

● When you create an object or template based on a portal component, the wizard creates an object that is closest to the application's code.

● When you create an object based on a template, you extend an existing chain of dependent objects that are related to one another through a delta link. Each new object that you create may contain more property values than the one preceding it as it progresses down the delta link chain.

To view the delta link source objects and dependents of an object, use the delta link tracer. See Tracing Delta Link Dependencies.

● Each wizard is comprised of mandatory and voluntary parameters. Mandatory parameters are marked with a red asterisk (*). Once you have entered all mandatory parameters, the Finish button is enabled. This means that you can complete the wizard before entering all voluntary parameters. We recommend however, to follow the wizard to the final step before creating the object.

For information on launching an object creation wizard, see Creating an Object.

Integration

The table below describes the default wizards supplied with SAP Enterprise Portal in the Portal Content Studio:

Object Type	Wizard
iView	iView Wizard (see Creating iViews). The type of wizard that is launched depends on the iView template that you select.
Page	Page Wizard (see Creating a Portal Page)
Layout	Layout Wizard (see Creating a Layout)
Role	Role Wizard (see Role Editor and Workset Editor)
Workset	Workset Wizard (see Role Editor and Workset Editor)

After you complete the necessary steps in a wizard, you may edit the object in its editor. For more information, see Object Editors.

Note

By default, all new iViews and pages are defined as non-template objects. To specify an iView or page as a template, open it in the Property Editor, and change the value of the Object is a Template property to true. See Defining Property Values.