2 Learning Your Way Around

2.2.1 Logging In to WebCenter Spaces

Some pages are public, and therefore available to users who are not logged in. But to take advantage of your user role assignment and the access that flows from that, you must log in. Logging in makes you an authenticated user. Authenticated users have a greater level of access to application pages and features.

To log in to WebCenter Spaces:

1. Using your Web browser, navigate to your WebCenter Spaces application.

2. Click the Login link in the upper right corner of the application.

3. On the Login page, enter your user name in the User Name field and your password in the Password field.

4. Click the Login button, or press Enter.

   The application opens on the last page you accessed.

2.2.2 Logging Out of WebCenter Spaces

To log out of a WebCenter application, click the Logout link at the top of the application.

2.5.1 Opening Pages

There are a few ways to open a page. You can click its tab to bring it forward. If its tab is not shown, the page may be hidden or so many other tabs may be shown that the page you want—though available—is not currently shown.

This section describes how to open pages through the Manage Pages dialog and through a dynamic icon that appears when a page is open but hidden. It contains the following subsections:

• Section 2.5.1.1, "Opening Pages Through the Manage Pages Dialog"

• Section 2.5.1.2, "Accessing Pages that Are Open But Hidden"

2.5.1.2 Accessing Pages that Are Open But Hidden

When so many tabs are displayed that you cannot see the page you want, dynamically-rendered icons appear, enabling you to select open-but-hidden pages from a pick list. This section describes how.

To access open-but-hidden pages:

1. Log in, and click the Previous Page or Next Page icons (Figure 2-11).

   Figure 2-11 Previous Page Icon and Resulting Page List

   
   

2. Select the page you want to view from the resulting pick list.

   In Figure 2-11, the page that appears on the pick list is the Welcome page.

The Previous Page and Next Page icons appear dynamically, as needed.

A group space may be configured to open in full-screen mode. In such a case, click the Personal Space link at the top of the application to go to your personal space (Figure 2-12).

Figure 2-12 Personal Space Link in the WebCenter Spaces Application

2.5.2 Hiding Pages

As you add pages to your personal space, it may become useful to hide some less-frequently-used pages. Once a page is hidden, it is easy to restore it to view (see Section 2.5.3, "Showing Hidden Pages").

To hide a page:

1. Log in, and click your Personal Space tab or a group space tab to bring it forward.

2. Select the Manage Pages command from the Page Actions menu (Figure 2-13).

   Figure 2-13 The Manage Pages Command

   
   

   The Manage Pages dialog opens (Figure 2-14).

   Figure 2-14 The Manage Pages DIalog

   
   

3. In the Manage Pages dialog, go to the page you want to hide and clear its Show Page checkbox.

   Note:

   If you clear the Show Page checkbox for the current page, the Manage Pages dialog closes and the current page is hidden.

   Within a particular scope, such as a personal or group space, one page must always be shown; therefore, you cannot hide all pages within a particular scope.

4. Click the Close button to exit the Manage Pages dialog.

   The page is now hidden.

2.5.3 Showing Hidden Pages

To show a hidden page, you can follow the same process as you would to open a page. For more information, see Section 2.5.1, "Opening Pages."

2.5.4 Opening Group Spaces

To open a group space:

1. Log in, and open the Group Spaces menu at the top of the application (Figure 2-15).

   Figure 2-15 The Group Spaces Menu

   
   

2. Select the group space you want to open.

   The group space opens as a top-level application tab.

2.5.5 Closing Group Spaces and Other Top-Level Tabs

Group spaces and dynamically-generated pages (that is, top-level tabs) do not appear in the Manage Pages dialog, so you'll need an alternate way to close them. This section tells you how.

Note that some group spaces may be configured to open in full-screen mode. In such cases, you cannot close them so much as navigate away from them. You can navigate away from a group space that is displayed in full-screen mode by clicking the Personal Space link at the top of the application (Figure 2-16).

Figure 2-16 Personal Space Link in the WebCenter Spaces Application

Doing so takes you to your own personal space. From there, you can select another group space from the Group Spaces menu at the top of the application.

To close a top-level tab:

1. If necessary, click the top-level tab to bring it forward.

2. Click the Close currently selected tab icon to the far right of all tabs (Figure 2-17).

   Figure 2-17 The Close Button

   
   

Another way to close a top-level tab is to select the Close This Tab or the Close Other Tabs option from the group space's actions menu (Figure 2-18).

Figure 2-18 A Group Space's Actions Menu

The Close Other Tabs option closes all top-level tabs except the current tab and the Personal Space tab.

2.6.1 What You Should Know About the Page Actions Menu

You can access an actions menu on page and personal and group space tabs by clicking the downward arrow icon on active tabs and by right-clicking inactive tabs.

The menu that renders for top-level tabs differs from the one that renders for pages. Additionally, the options presented on the menu for one type of top-level tab differs from the options presented on another type. For example, a personal space actions menu simply provides the Close Other Tabs option (Figure 2-20).

Figure 2-20 Menu on an Active Personal Space

A group space actions menu provides more options, including options to close the group space, to close all top-level tabs (except the current group space and the personal space), to send mail to the group space's members or moderator(s), and to view information about the current group space (Figure 2-21).

Figure 2-21 Menu on an Active Group Space

The actions that appear on page menus depend on whether the page is in a personal or group space and on the privileges you have on the page. For example, Figure 2-22 shows an actions menu on a page in a group space. Notice the option Add Page to personal space. This appears only on group space page actions menus.

Figure 2-22 Menu on an Active Group Space Page

Group space, personal space, and page actions menu icons appear only on active personal and group spaces and pages—that is, the actions menu icon appears on only the space and page that are currently forward. You can access the actions menu from inactive tabs by right-clicking the tab.

The actions menus on out-of-the-box service pages, such as Announcements, Documents, Lists, and so on, provide access to options for hiding the page, sending a link to the page through mail, previewing a print version of the page, and viewing information about the page (Figure 2-23).

Figure 2-23 Actions Menu Options on Out-of-the-Box Service Pages

2.6.2 Accessing a Space or Page Actions Menu

A personal space, group space, or page's actions menu icon appears on the personal or group space or page's tab whenever it is foremost in your application view.

To access a personal or group space or page actions menu:

1. Log in, and go to your personal space or the group space where you want to access the actions menu.

2. On an active tab, click the downward arrow icon to the right of the personal or group space or page name (Figure 2-24).

   Figure 2-24 Actions Menu Indicators on Space and Page Tabs

   
   

   On an inactive tab (that is, one that is not forward), right click the tab.

   Menu options appear according to whether you access the menu from a personal space, a group space, or a page and according to your privileges on the personal or group space or page.

2.6.3 Sending a Message to Group Space Members or Moderators

The group space actions menu provides an efficient way to contact group space members and the people responsible for maintaining the group space, that is, its moderators. Use tab menu options to open a compose message window in your native email application, with the To field pre-populated with the group space members email address or those users assigned the moderator role on the current group space.

To send a message to group space members or moderators:

1. Log in, and go to the group space from which to send a message.

2. Open the actions menu on the group space tab, and select one of the following:

   • Send Mail to Moderator(s) to send a message to all moderators of the current group space.

   • Send Mail to Members to send a message to all members of the current group space.

   The compose mail window contains the URL to the group space. Compose and send the message like any other mail message. For more information, see Section 23.3.6, "Composing and Sending Mail Messages."

   The compose message window opens either in your native mail application or in WebCenter's mail compose window, depending on how your application administrator has configured this feature. If the administrator has made such controls available to users, you may define for yourself which mail client opens. For more information, see Section 3.10, "Selecting Your Preferred Mail Connection."

2.6.4 Exposing a Group Space Page in Your Personal Space

WebCenter Spaces provides a means of exposing group space pages in your personal space. Use this feature to provide easy access to the group space pages you find most useful. As changes are made to such pages, they are reflected in your view of them in your personal space. The page scope remains that of the group space. For example, if the exposed page has an Events task flow on it, that task flow will continue to show the events associated with the exposed group space.

If you delete such a page from your personal space, it remains a part of its original group space. In other words, deleting it simply removes it from your view of your personal space; it does not actually delete the page. If the page is deleted from its group space, it is unavailable in your personal space, and to clear it from your view, you must refresh the page list in your personal space's Manage Pages dialog.

To expose a group space page in your personal space:

1. Log in, and go to the page of interest in its group space.

2. Open the page's actions menu, and select Add Page to personal space (Figure 2-25).

   Figure 2-25 Add Page to Personal Space Option on a Group Space Page Actions Menu

   
   

   The page is available for viewing and revising from within your personal space according to your permissions on the page. The group space name is prepended to the page name, so the Sales page in Finance becomes Finance - Sales in your personal space.

2.6.5 Renaming a Page

To rename a page from a page actions menu:

1. Log in, and go to the page of interest in its group or personal space.

2. Open the page's actions menu, and select Rename Page (Figure 2-26).

   Figure 2-26 Rename Page Option on a Page Actions Menu

   
   

   The Rename Page dialog opens (Figure 2-27).

   Figure 2-27 Rename Page Dialog

   
   

3. Revise the page name, and click the Save icon to save your changes and exit the dialog.

2.6.6 Sending a Link to a Page

To send a link to a page:

1. Log in and go to the page from which to send a link.

2. Expand the page actions menu on the page tab, and select Send Mail to open a compose message window.

   The compose message window opens either in your native mail application or in WebCenter's mail compose window, depending on how your application administrator has configured this feature. If the administrator has made such controls available to users, you may define for yourself which mail client opens. For more information, see Section 3.10, "Selecting Your Preferred Mail Connection."

The compose mail window contains the URL to the current page. Compose and send the message as you would any other mail message.

2.6.7 Previewing and Printing an Application Page

When you want to print an application page, the page actions menus on active and inactive tabs provide an option for doing so that includes a convenient print preview. Use the Print Preview option to preview and print pages with lots of text content. Print options are not useful for pages made up primarily of links, such as the Documents page, Events page, and Lists page. Print options are useful for pages where content is mainly text based, such as the Announcements page, wiki and blog pages, and other custom pages with lots of text.

To preview and print an application page:

1. Log in, and go to the page of interest in its group or personal space.

2. Open the page's actions menu, and select Print Preview (Figure 2-28).

   Figure 2-28 Print Preview Option on a Page Actions Menu

   
   

   Your printer dialog opens, and a printable version of the page opens in a new browser window. Print the page, or close your printer dialog and simply preview the page.

   Tip:

   If you close your printer dialog, to reopen press Ctrl+p.

3. Close the preview window when you are finished.

2.6.8 Viewing Space and Page Information

Every group space and every page has associated information, called metadata. Group space metadata includes such information as display name, internal identification, description, your membership role, user name of the creator, date created, and a direct URL to the group space location. Page metadata includes such information as display name, user name of the creator, dates created and last modified, and a reusable, direct URL to the group space or page's location.

To access information about a group space or a page:

1. Log in, and go to the group space or page of interest.

2. Open the group space or page's actions menu, and select About This Space or About This Page, whichever applies (Figure 2-29).

   Figure 2-29 About This Group Space Option on a Group Space Actions Menu

   
   

   A Page or Group Space Information dialog opens (Figure 2-30 and Figure 2-31).

   Figure 2-30 Group Space Information Dialog

   
   

   Figure 2-31 Page Information Dialog

   
   

3. Click OK when you are finished.

2.6.9 Obtaining a Group Space's Internal ID or a Group Space or Page's Direct URL

A group space internal ID is useful for operations that call for a unique identifier of a group space. The group space and page direct URLs are useful for publishing a particular group space or page to other users.

The process for obtaining these values is also described in Section 2.6.8, "Viewing Space and Page Information." This section covers this particular option to give it greater visibility.

To obtain a group space's internal ID or a group space or page's direct URl.:

1. Log in, and go to the group space or page of interest.

2. Open the group space or page's actions menu, and select About This Space or About This Page, whichever applies (Figure 2-32).

   Figure 2-32 About This Group Space Option on a Group Space Actions Menu

   
   

   A Page or Group Space Information dialog opens (Figure 2-33 and Figure 2-34).

   Figure 2-33 Group Space Information Dialog

   
   

   Figure 2-34 Page Information Dialog

   
   

3. The next step you take depends on whether you want to copy a group space internal ID or a group space or page direct—or pretty—URL:

   • To copy a group space internal ID, highlight the value next to Internal ID and copy it (Figure 2-35)

     Figure 2-35 A Group Space Internal ID

     
     

   • To copy a group space or page URL, right-click the value next to Direct URL, and select Copy Link Location or your browser's equivalent command from the resulting context menu (Figure 2-36).

     Figure 2-36 Copying a Page's Direct URL

     
     

     Note:

     Longer Direct URLs can be truncated. This is indicated by an ellipses (…) appended to the displayed URL. When you highlight and copy such a URL, the result is an incomplete URL. To avoid copying an incomplete URL, always use Copy Link Location, Copy Shortcut, or your browser's equivalent command, to copy a page's direct URL.

4. Paste the value wherever you need it.

5. Click OK to close the dialog.