Using Object Editors

Use

To edit a portal object and view its contents, you must open it in its respective editor. When you open an object, the following happens:

If the object utilizes a specialized editor - such as the Page editor for pages - the appropriate editor is launched and displayed in the editing area of the Portal Content Studio, to the right of the Portal Catalog.
If the object does not utilize a specialized editor, the Properties editor opens.

Note You can only edit objects if they were created using the same language with which you are logged onto the portal.

The following table describes basic rules for editing objects in the Portal Content Studio:

Editing . . .	Description
Parent objects	Parent objects are displayed in the Portal Catalog. To edit a parent object, you open it directly from the context menu of the object in the Portal Catalog. You can edit multiple objects at the same time. For example, you can edit two roles in parallel, and toggle between them as necessary. Tabs represent each parent object that is open in the editing area; the tab is located at the top of the editing area and includes the object's name. Choose a tab to bring the object into focus in the editing area.
Child objects	Child objects - such as iViews in pages - are assigned to parent objects. Child objects are not visible in the Portal Catalog, but you can view them in the Detailed View by selecting the parent object in the Portal Catalog. To edit a child object, open the parent object from the Portal Catalog and from the list of content objects in the editor of the parent object, open the relevant child object. When you edit a child object, its editor is displayed in the tab of the object's parent object. The path below the object tabs indicates the full path of the child object in relation to its parent. To navigate back to the parent object, click the name of the parent object displayed in the path. You can edit only a single child object of any parent at a time.

Editing . . .

Description

Parent objects

Parent objects are displayed in the Portal Catalog.

To edit a parent object, you open it directly from the context menu of the object in the Portal Catalog.
You can edit multiple objects at the same time. For example, you can edit two roles in parallel, and toggle between them as necessary.
Tabs represent each parent object that is open in the editing area; the tab is located at the top of the editing area and includes the object's name. Choose a tab to bring the object into focus in the editing area.

Child objects

Child objects - such as iViews in pages - are assigned to parent objects. Child objects are not visible in the Portal Catalog, but you can view them in the Detailed View by selecting the parent object in the Portal Catalog.

To edit a child object, open the parent object from the Portal Catalog and from the list of content objects in the editor of the parent object, open the relevant child object.
When you edit a child object, its editor is displayed in the tab of the object's parent object. The path below the object tabs indicates the full path of the child object in relation to its parent. To navigate back to the parent object, click the name of the parent object displayed in the path.
You can edit only a single child object of any parent at a time.

Procedure

Editing Objects and Folders Listed in the Portal Catalog

To open the object in its primary editor, choose Open <object type> in its context menu.
To open the object directly in a secondary editor without launching its primary editor, choose Open in the context menu, and then choose the appropriate menu option. For example, right-click an object and choose Open Permissions to open it in the Permissions editor, where you can set the object's permissions.

Editing an Object in Read-Only Mode

To prevent multiple portal users from editing the same object simultaneously, an object is locked to other users while you are editing it.

If you attempt to edit an object that is currently being edited by another user, the object opens in the selected editor in read-only mode. You receive a notification if this occurs, including the name of the user currently editing the object.

To see if you can edit an object while it is in read-only mode, click the Edit Mode button. If the object is no longer locked by another user, the editor changes to edit mode and you can modify the object. If the object is still locked, it remains in read-only mode.

Caution

If you are in editing mode and you try to save an object after the default locking timeout interval has passed or an authorized administrator has taken the lock from you by force, you cannot continue to edit or save the object. You receive a notification if this occurs.

For more information about object locking and setting the locking timeout interval, see Managing Locked Objects .

Changing the Editor of an Object

While you are editing an object, you can switch between the object's primary and secondary editors and tools. To do so, choose the appropriate option from the link bar at the top of the object editor area.

Note

If you have made any changes to the object, save it before switching editors or tools.

Previewing Pages and iViews

The Page and iView editors allow you to preview portal pages and iViews, respectively. The preview simulates what a user of the application sees at runtime.

Note

You can also preview iViews and pages directly from the Portal Catalog without opening them in an editor. For more information, see Managing Objects in the Portal Catalog .
To preview an iView or page, you must have read permission for the object.
You can also use the Preview function in the Workcenter Role editor. For more information, see Adding and Editing Content in Workcenter Roles .

Make sure that the object you want to preview is the object in focus in the editing area. If the page or iView is embedded in a portal page, open that object for editing.
Click Preview at the top of the editing area. The object is displayed in a new browser window.