29 Working with the Tags Service

This chapter describes how to use the features provided through the Tags service. Tagging enables users to apply their own meaningful terms to WebCenter application items, making those items more easily discoverable in search results, the Sidebar (and Tags task flow), and the Tag Center.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Audience

This chapter is intended for WebCenter Spaces users interested in viewing, creating, and managing tags. Much of this information also applies to custom WebCenter applications, though it is written with WebCenter Spaces users in mind. (For information about custom WebCenter applications, see "Integrating the Tags Service" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Developer's Guide for Oracle WebCenter.)

Your application administrator has the authority to expose or hide task flows from a particular service. Tasks discussed in this chapter are not available to you if the relevant service is hidden.

29.1 What You Should Know About the Tags Service

The Tags service provides a means of bookmarking application objects, making them easy to locate the next time you go looking for them. You can tag pages and documents in WebCenter applications. This section provides an overview of the Tags service: what tags are and how to use tags. It contains the following subsections:

29.1.1 Understanding Tags

A tag is a word you associate with WebCenter application pages or documents, applying your own classification to improve search results. For example, you could apply the tag jcr to a page that provides useful insight into Java Content Repositories. When you search for information about JCRs, the tagged page appears in the results.

Tags are available for viewing in the Sidebar and Tags task flow, in search results, and in the Tag Center, where you can see what tags were used and what items were tagged. Tagging assists with building a knowledge network where each user can benefit from the assessments of all users.

Your tags help provide a higher level of relevance from search results for yourself and others by augmenting results with relevant items that you or others have tagged. Additionally, classifying an item with a tag enables you to gather disparate items into a cohesive body of knowledge and share it with others.

You have the option of sharing tags or keeping them to yourself. Share tags to enable other users to discover them in their searches. When you do not share a tag, users searching on an identical term do not discover the items you tagged with that term, unless some other user tagged the item with the same term and shared that tag.

Anywhere you see the Tags icon (Figure 29-1), you can apply a tag.

Figure 29-1 The Tag Icon

Tag icon

When you place your cursor over the Tags icon, you see a list of any tags you have applied to the item and the tags that have been applied most frequently to the item by you and other users. To see the items associated with a displayed tag, click the tag.

When looking at tags in search results, note the number of times the tag was applied to a particular object. This number indicates the tag's relevance to that object, and ultimately causes a collective classification scheme popularly known as a folksonomy.

Note:

According to Wikipedia, folksonomies make a body of information increasingly easy to search, discover, and navigate over time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folksonomy).

The scope of tags is both personal and application-wide. The tag data you view in the Sidebar or the Tags task flow includes only the tags you apply; however, when you tag data through the Tag Center or through a Tags service task flow you see application-wide tag data.

Application-wide (global) searches look for tagged items wherever they might be. You can run global searches from the search field near the top-right of the WebCenter Spaces application or from a personal space Search page.

You can provide one or multiple tags to a given item. And multiple users can use the same tag term that you used and apply it to the same item. Duplicates of tags across users are tabulated and provide extra weight to the relevance of the tag term.

29.1.2 Understanding the Tags Task Flow

The Tags task flow provides a view of the tags you have added to your application and the items you have tagged. It is available in the Oracle Composer Catalog. Additionally, it is exposed in the WebCenter Spaces Sidebar. In the Sidebar, click the Personal tags icon (Figure 29-2) or expand the Tags panel, depending on the current Sidebar state, to open the Tags task flow (Figure 29-3).

Figure 29-2 Personal Tags Icon in Sidebar

Personal tags icon

Figure 29-3 Tags Task Flow

Tags task flow

You can use the Tags task flow to navigate to a tag's associated resources or to open the Tag Center and further refine your resource selection (see Section 29.2.6, "Working with Tags and Tagged Items in the Tag Center"). You can also use it to display a tag cloud or the items you have tagged in your WebCenter application.

To learn how to work with tags in the Tags task flow see Section 29.2.4, "Working with Tags and Tagged Items in the Tags Task Flow."

29.1.3 Understanding the Similarly Tagged Items Task Flow

The Similarly Tagged Items task flow (Figure 29-4) provides a list of links to other pages that have at least one tag in common with the currently-displayed page.

Figure 29-4 The Similarly Tagged Items Task Flow

Tag cloud

29.1.4 Understanding the Tag Center

The Tag Center is a dynamically-generated page that displays all the tags you and other users have applied to WebCenter application pages and documents (Figure 29-5).

Figure 29-5 The Tag Center

Tag Center
Description of "Figure 29-5 The Tag Center"

The Tag Center offers the most complete use of tag data by providing access not only to your tags, but to the tags applied by other users. Additionally it provides a visual depiction of tag popularity, which enables you to refine tag results using filters. Filter for multiple tags simultaneously or filter by other users who have applied the same tags. A sorting feature provides an additional means of controlling your view of tagged items.

The Tag Center has three sections:

  • At the top left is the Tag Cloud section, which you can use to view a cloud or list of the tags currently applied to WebCenter application items.

  • Under the Tag Cloud is the Refine Tag Results section with two types of list: a list of all other tags used on items that also use the currently-selected tag and a list of other users who have applied the selected tag.

  • On the right is the All Tagged Items section, which provides a list of all items to which you have access that use the currently-selected tag and options to edit, sort, and filter the items.

The Tag Cloud is a visual depiction of currently-applied tags (Figure 29-6).

Figure 29-6 The Tag Cloud

Tag cloud

Tags are presented according to the frequency of their use. More frequently used tags display in bold fonts and varying font sizes—the larger the font, the more the tag has been applied. Click a tag in the tag cloud to execute a search that returns a list of all items to which you have access that use the tag.

To learn how to work with tags in the Tag Center see Section 29.2.6, "Working with Tags and Tagged Items in the Tag Center."

29.2 Working with Tags Service Features and Task Flows

This section provides information about tagging and describes how to make best use of tags. It includes the following subsections:

29.2.1 Adding a Tags Service Task Flow to a Page

For the steps to add a Tags service task flow to a page, see Section 10.1.4, "Adding Task Flows to a Page."

29.2.2 Tagging WebCenter Application Pages

This section steps you through the process of applying tags to WebCenter application pages. You can apply a tag to any application page on which you see the Tags icon and link (Figure 29-7).

Figure 29-7 A Page's Tags Icon and Link

Page’s Tags icon and link

To tag a WebCenter application page:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and go to the page you want to tag.

    For assistance with locating a page or a personal or group space, see Section 2.5, "Hiding, Showing, Opening, and Closing Pages."

  2. Click the page's Tags icon or link. On pages, the Tags icon is at the top right of the page chrome (Figure 29-7).

    The Tag this Page dialog opens (Figure 29-8).

    Figure 29-8 The Tag this Page Dialog

    Tag this Item dialog box
  3. Enter tag values:

    • Page Name—The page's display name, a read-only value.

    • Tags—Enter one or more tags. Separate one tag from another with a space.

    • Recommended Tags—Recommended tags are automatically generated using a ranking algorithm. They indicate the system's best estimation of tags that suit the page you are currently tagging. Click a recommended tag to add it to the Tags field.

    • Shared—Imagine that you have tagged a page with the term essential and selected the Shared checkbox. When other users search using the term essential, the page you tagged appears in their search results. If you clear the Shared checkbox, other users' search on the term essential does not include this page in their results (unless others, too, have tagged it essential or another user tagged it essential and shared the tag).

      Regardless of whether you select or clear Shared, when you search on the term essential, the page you tagged with that term appears in your search results.

  4. Click Save to apply the tag and close the dialog.

Note:

For information about tags and searches, see Section 29.2.5, "Viewing Tags and Tagged Items in Search Results."

29.2.3 Tagging WebCenter Application Documents

The section steps you through the process of applying tags to documents. You can apply tags to any documents you can view.

To apply tags to WebCenter application documents:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and go to a Document Library main view, either the task flow or the Documents page, and locate the document you want to tag.

    For assistance with locating a Documents page Section 2.5, "Hiding, Showing, Opening, and Closing Pages."

  2. Right click the document's icon, and select Tags from the resulting context menu (Figure 29-9).

    Figure 29-9 The Tags Command on a Document Context Menu

    Tags command on a document context menu

    The Tag this Document dialog opens (Figure 29-10).

    Figure 29-10 Tag this Document Dialog

    Tag this Document dialog box
  3. Enter tag values:

    • Document Name—This is the document display name, a read-only value.

    • Tags—Enter one or more tags. Separate one tag from another with a space.

    • Recommended Tags—Recommended tags are automatically generated using a ranking algorithm. They indicate the system's best estimation of tags that suit the document you are currently tagging. Click a recommended tag to add it to the Tags field.

    • Shared—Imagine that you have tagged a document with the term essential and selected the Shared checkbox. When other users search using the term essential, the document you tagged appears in their search results. If you clear the Shared checkbox, other users' search on the term essential does not include this document in their results (unless they, too, have tagged it essential).

      Regardless of whether you select or clear Shared, when you search on the term essential, the document you tagged with that term appears in your search results.

  4. Click Save to apply the tag and close the dialog.

Note:

For information about tags and searches, see Section 29.2.5, "Viewing Tags and Tagged Items in Search Results."

29.2.4 Working with Tags and Tagged Items in the Tags Task Flow

This section describes how to work with tags in the Sidebar and Tags task flow. It contains the following subsections:

29.2.4.1 Viewing Tags and Tagged Items in the Tags Task Flow

To view tags and tagged items in the Sidebar and Tags task flow:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and expand the Tags panel in the Sidebar.

  2. To view tags, select Tags from the display options menu.

    The task flow redraws to display all the tags you have added to your WebCenter application (Figure 29-11).

    Figure 29-11 Tags Task Flow

    Tags task flow
  3. To view a tag cloud depiction of your tags, select Tag Cloud.

    To view tagged items, select Tagged Items from the display options menu. The task flow redraws to display all the items that you have tagged in your WebCenter application.

29.2.4.2 Sorting Tags and Tagged Items

When your tag list is long, sorting the list makes it easier to find specific tags. Sort the tag list by name, date, or popularity. This section describes how.

To sort the tags in the Sidebar or Tags task flow:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and expand the Tags panel in the Sidebar.

  2. Click the Sorting options icon at the top of the Sidebar or Tags task flow.

    The Sorting options dialog opens (Figure 29-12).

    Figure 29-12 The Sorting Options Dialog

    Settings dialog box
  3. From the Sorting options dialog, select a sorting criteria.

    Choose from:

    • Name—Sorts the list alphabetically from 1 to 9 and a to z.

    • Date—When tags are shown, Date sorts the list from the tags you applied most recently to the oldest tags you applied. When tagged items are shown, Date sorts the list from the items you tagged most recently to the items with the oldest tags you applied.

    • Popularity—When tags are shown, Popularity sorts the list from the tags you have applied most frequently to those you have applied least frequently. When tagged items are shown, Popularity sorts the list from the items that have been tagged by the most people to the items tagged by the fewest.

  4. Click Save to apply your selection and close the dialog.

29.2.4.3 Filtering Tags and Tagged Items

Filtering provides a way to eliminate all tags on the list except for those that meet the filtering criteria. This section describes how to apply a filter to the Tags list in the Sidebar or Tags task flow:

To filter the Tags list in the Sidebar or Tags task flow:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and expand the Tags panel in the Sidebar.

  2. Click the Filter icon to open a filtering term field (Figure 29-13).

    Figure 29-13 The Filter Icon

    Filter icon

    Filtering works for both Tags and Tagged Items views of the task flow.

  3. Enter a filtering term, and click the Search icon.

    The Tags list refreshes, showing only those tags that match or include the filtering term (Figure 29-14).

    Figure 29-14 The Tags List Filtered by the Term "m"

    Filtered Tags list
  4. Clear the filtering term, and click the Search icon to restore all of your tags to view.

  5. Click the Filter icon to exit filtering.

29.2.4.4 Renaming a Tag from the Tags Task Flow

When you rename a tag, you rename all instances of the tag that you applied. If other users applied the same tag, their instances are not renamed.

To rename tags from the Sidebar or Tags task flow:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and expand the Tags panel in the Sidebar.

  2. Select Rename from the menu next to the tag you want to rename (Figure 29-15).

    Figure 29-15 The Rename Command on a Tag Menu

    Rename command on tag drop-down menu
  3. In the Rename dialog, enter a new name for the selected tag, and click the Rename button (Figure 29-16).

    Figure 29-16 The Rename Dialog

    Rename dialog box

    All of the tags you created using the original tag name, are renamed.

29.2.4.5 Deleting a Tag from the Tags Task Flow

When you delete a tag, it is deleted wherever you applied it. If others applied the same tag, their tags are left as is.

To delete a tag from the Sidebar or Tags task flow:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and expand the Tags panel in the Sidebar.

  2. Select Delete from the menu next to the tag you want to delete (Figure 29-17).

    Figure 29-17 The Delete Command on a Tag Menu

    Delete command on a tag drop-down menu
  3. Click the Delete button in the Delete dialog (Figure 29-18).

    Figure 29-18 The Delete Dialog

    Delete dialog box

    The tag is removed from the Sidebar or Tags task flow and from any items to which you applied it.

29.2.5 Viewing Tags and Tagged Items in Search Results

All search results are grouped under headings that indicate the service that provided the result. For example, document search results display under a Documents heading, note search results display under a Notes heading, and so on.

The same is true for tags. Tag search results appear under two headings:

  • Tags, which shows tags that at least partially match the search criteria; for example, if you search for page, the following tags are returned: page, pages, or pager

  • Tagged Items, which shows items that are associated with a tag that matches the search criteria exactly; for example, if you search for page, only items associated with the tag page are returned; items associated with the following tags are not returned: pages or pager

Under these headings, tag search results appear like any other search results; however, tags in tag search results behave a little differently. When you click tagged items in tag search results or when you click other types of search results, their associated content is shown. When you click a tag in tag search results, the Tag Center opens with that tag preselected.

To view tags and tagged items in search results:

  1. Run a search as described in Section 28.2.2, "Searching in a WebCenter Application."

    The search results appear in the Search Results dialog (Figure 29-19), with the tag results appearing in the Tags and Tagged Items sections.

    Figure 29-19 Search Results Dialog

    Search Results dialog box
  2. To view additional information about the tags and tagged items, click the More button in the Search Results dialog.

    The search results open in the Search page (Figure 29-20). The Tags section shows the number of items to which a tag has been applied. The Tagged Items section shows the number of users who have applied a tag to an item.

    Figure 29-20 Tags-Related Items in Search Results

    Tag-related items in search results

29.2.6 Working with Tags and Tagged Items in the Tag Center

This section describes how to work with tags in the Tag Center. It contains the following subsections:

29.2.6.1 Opening the Tag Center

There are several ways to open the Tag Center (Figure 29-21):

Figure 29-21 The Tag Center

Tag Center
Description of "Figure 29-21 The Tag Center"

  • Click the Go to Tag Center button in the Sidebar (Figure 29-22)

    Figure 29-22 Go to TagCenter Button in Sidebar

    Open main view icon in Tags header
  • Click a tag displayed in the Sidebar or Tags task flow

  • Click a tag returned as a search result

The selected tag determines all the other tag-related information that appears in the Tag Center. For example:

  • The selected tag is highlighted in the tag cloud (Figure 29-23).

    Figure 29-23 A Tag Cloud

    Tag cloud

    You can select another tag in the tag cloud to change the information that is displayed in the Tag Center. Additionally, you can use the controls above the tag cloud to rearrange your tag-cloud view (see Section 29.2.6.2, "Selecting Different Views and Arrangements of Tags in the Tag Cloud").

  • Other tags used on items that also use the currently-selected tag display in the Tagged with panel (Figure 29-24).

    Figure 29-24 Tagged with Panel in the Tag Center

    Refine Selection pane in Tag Center
  • Other users who applied the selected tag are listed in the Tagged by panel (Figure 29-25).

    Figure 29-25 Tagged by Panel in the Tag Center

    Others who use this tag pane in Tag Center
  • Items tagged with the currently-selected tag appear in the right panel of the Tag Center (Figure 29-26). Click an item link to display the item.

    Figure 29-26 Items Tagged with "Concurrency" in the Tag Center

    Items tagged with "concurrency" in the Tag Center

29.2.6.2 Selecting Different Views and Arrangements of Tags in the Tag Cloud

The Tag Center's Tag Cloud displays the tags currently applied to WebCenter Spaces items. You can adjust your view of the Tag Cloud using its sorting and filtering features.

To display the tag cloud:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and open the Tag Center as described in Section 29.2.6.1, "Opening the Tag Center."

    The Tag Center opens with the tag cloud displayed in the top left corner (Figure 29-27).

    Figure 29-27 The Tag Cloud

    Tag cloud

To adjust your view of the tag cloud:

  • To search for tags, enter a search term in the text box on the tag cloud toolbar, and click the Search button to the right of the text box.

    The tag display refreshes showing only those tags that meet the search criteria. To show just your matching tags or to remove the search criteria, select an option from the menu above the tag cloud:

    • All Tags—Removes the search criteria, showing every tag used in your WebCenter application

    • My Tags—Removes the search criteria, showing just the tags you have applied

    • All tags containing '<search term>'—Shows all tags in your WebCenter application that meet the search criteria

    • My tags containing '<search term>'—Shows just the tags which you have applied that meet the search criteria

  • To switch between displaying the tags in cloud view or list view (see Figure 29-28), click the cloud icon.

    Figure 29-28 Tags Displayed in a Cloud and in a List

    Tags displayed in a cloud and in a list
  • To sort the tags:

    1. Click the Sorting options icon on the tag cloud toolbar.

      The Sorting options dialog opens (Figure 29-29).

      Figure 29-29 The Sorting Options Dialog

      Settings dialog box
    2. From the Sorting options dialog, select sorting criteria.

      Choose from:

      • Name—Sorts the list alphabetically. If you select Ascending, the list is sorted from 1 to 9 and a to z. If you select Descending, the list is sorted from z to a and 9 to 1.

      • Date—Sorts the list based on when you applied the tags. If you select Ascending, the tags are sorted from the ones you applied most recently to the ones applied longest ago. If you select Descending, the tags are sorted from the ones applied longest ago to the ones applied most recently.

      • Popularity—Sorts the list based on how frequently the tag has been applied. If you select Ascending, the tags are sorted from the ones that have been applied most frequently to the one that have been applied least frequently. If you select Descending, the tags are sorted from the ones applied least frequently to the ones applied most frequently.

    3. Click Sort to apply your selection and close the Sorting options dialog.

  • To refresh the list of tags, click the Refresh tags icon.

  • To show all tags or just your tags, select an option from the menu above the tag cloud:

    • All Tags—Shows every tag used in your WebCenter application

    • My Tags—Shows just the tags you have applied

29.2.6.3 Selecting Different Views and Arrangements of Tagged Items

The Tag Center provides a selection of sorting criteria to enable you to display tagged items in the way that you prefer. Using the Tagged by and Sort By options above the list of tagged items (Figure 29-30), you can select which tags to show and the order in which to show them.

Figure 29-30 Tagged by and Sort By Options for Tagged Items in the Tag Center

Tagged by and Sort By options for tagged items

To select the tagged items to view, choose from:

  • Tagged by Me—Click to show only the items that use the selected tag that you have tagged yourself.

  • Tagged by Anyone—Click to show all items that use the selected tags.

To arrange the order of displayed tagged items, choose from:

  • Popularity—To sort the list from items that have been tagged most frequently with the current tag to those tagged least frequently

  • Name—To sort the list alphabetically from 1 to 9 and a to z

  • Date—To sort the list from items that have been tagged most recently to the ones tagged longest ago

29.2.6.4 Refining the Display of Information in the Tag Center

You can further refine your view of information in the Tag Center by selecting additional tags in the Tagged with panel (Figure 29-31).

Figure 29-31 Tagged with Panel in the Tag Center

Refine Selection pane in Tag Center

The Tagged with panel displays all the other tags used on objects that also use the currently-selected tag. Click a tag in the Tagged with panel to further restrict the information in the Tag Center to information associated with both the selected tag and the related tag you clicked.

For example, imagine that the Tag Center displays all items tagged with the term help. Click jcr_docs in the Tagged with panel to further refine the information in the Tag Center to information that is associated with both help and jcr_docs.

29.2.6.5 Discovering Who Has Used a Tag in the Tag Center

You can further refine your view of information in the Tag Center by selecting other users in the Tagged by panel (Figure 29-32).

Figure 29-32 Tagged by Panel in the Tag Center

Others who use this tag pane in Tag Center

The Tagged by panel lists all other users who have applied the selected tag or tags. Click a user in the Tagged by panel to limit the information in the Tag Center to information tagged with the selected tag and also tagged by the user you clicked.

Using Figure 29-32 as an example, and assuming the currently-selected tag is help, clicking orcladmin shows information associated with the tag help, applied by orcladmin.

29.2.6.6 Editing the Tags Associated with an Item from the Tag Center

In the Tag Center, you can edit the tags on a particular tagged item as if you had navigated to the item itself. This section describes how.

To edit the tags associated with an item from the Tag Center:

  1. Log in to WebCenter, and from the Sidebar or Tags task flow, click a tag you have applied to the relevant item.

    The Tag Center opens showing tag information associated with the tag you clicked.

  2. Click the Tags link in the same row as the item whose tags you want to edit (Figure 29-33).

    Figure 29-33 The Tags Link in the Tag Center

    The Tags link in the Tag Center

    The Tag this Document dialog opens (Figure 29-34)

    Figure 29-34 The Tag this Document Dialog

    Tag this Item dialog box
  3. Revise, delete, add or otherwise alter tags as you prefer, and click Save.

    The changes are applied to the associated tagged item.

29.3 Setting Tags Service Task Flow Properties

The Tags service task flow has associated properties, which users with sufficient privileges can access from the Component Properties dialog in Oracle Composer (Figure 29-35). Many properties are common to all task flows, and the method for accessing task flow properties is the same from task flow to task flow. Common task flow properties and how to access them are discussed in Section 10.4, "Setting Properties on Page Content."

Figure 29-35 Similarly Tagged Items Task Flow Component Properties

Description of Figure 29-35 follows
Description of "Figure 29-35 Similarly Tagged Items Task Flow Component Properties"

The properties on the Parameters tab of the Component Properties dialog control the default task flow content and facilitate the wiring of the task flow to page parameters and page definition variables. These properties are unique to the task flow type. For more information, see Section 10.4.3, "Working with Component Parameters." For information about wiring pages and components, see Chapter 11, "Wiring Pages, Task Flows, Portlets, and UI Components."

Changes to the properties on the Display Options, Style, and Content Style tabs affect the appearance and behavior of the task flow for all users. These properties are common to all task flows. For more information, see Section 10.4.4, "Working with Component Display Options" and Section 10.4.7, "Working with Style and Content Style Properties."

The content of the Events tab depends on the events supported by the task flow. For more information, see Section 10.4.8, "Working with Component Contextual Events."

The Child Components tab displays all of the components contained within the current component. It provides controls for rearranging, showing, and hiding child components. Not all components contain children. So you may find this tab devoid of content. For more information, see Section 10.4.6, "Working with Child Components."

All properties on the Parameters and Display Options tabs provide access to an Expression Language (EL) editor, which you can use to select or specify a variable value instead of a constant value. Click the Edit icon next to a property field to open the editor. For more information about using the editor and for descriptions of common EL expressions, see Section 10.4.5, "Using Expression Language (EL) Expressions with Component Properties."

Table 29-1 describes the properties that are unique to the Tags service task flows.

Table 29-1 Tags Service Task Flow Properties: Parameters Tab

Property Description Task Flow

Resource ID

Unique ID of the item or resource within a given service that is used to find similarly tagged items. This value is set automatically. Do not change this value unless you want to show items similar to a different resource.

Similarly Tagged Items

Service ID

Unique ID of the service that owns the resource for which to return similarly tagged items. This value is set automatically. Do not change this value unless you want to show items similar to a different resource belonging to a different service.

Similarly Tagged Items

Tags


Note:

You should not change the Tags service task flow properties unless you want to show items from a different resource or different service.