6
Designing WebDB Sites

Estimated completion time: 45 minutes

This chapter shows you how to design your WebDB site. You'll learn how to design a site's structure, control its style, and provide access to its contents.

You should complete this chapter if you are a WebDB site administrator or you are the owner of one or more folders in a WebDB site.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Section
"Before You Begin"
"Designing the Structure of a WebDB Site"
"Controlling the Style of a WebDB Site"
"Providing Access to a Web Site"
"What's Next?"

6.1 Before You Begin

• To complete this chapter you need to use the Tutorial Web Site. Obtain the URL of this Web site from your DBA. You should be set up as a site administrator of the Tutorial Web Site. Instructions for creating the Tutorial Web Site and assigning users as site administrators are provided in Appendix A, "Tutorial Setup Instructions".

  IMPORTANT: To modify a WebDB site, you need to be logged on to the site. If you have not already logged on to the Tutorial Web Site, follow the instructions in "Oracle WebDB Basic Concepts, Displaying an Oracle WebDB Site" to do so now.

  
  
• You also need a personal folder within the Tutorial Web Site to keep your work separate from that of other tutorial users. A personal folder is an area of a WebDB site set aside for your own personal use. If you do not already have a personal folder in the Tutorial Web Site, follow the instructions below.
  1. In the navigation bar of the Tutorial Web Site, clickto display the Administration page.

  2. In the Access Managers section, click Personal Information to display the Personal Information Manager.

  3. Check Create Personal Folder.

     Note: If you cannot see the Create Personal Folder check box, you already have a personal folder in the Tutorial Web Site and do not need to create one.

  4. Clickto save your changes and return to the Administration page.

     Note: Although some of the exercises in this chapter take place in your personal folder, the techniques you learn in those exercises can be applied to any folder you own, including the root folder if you are a site administrator.

• Your DBA or site administrator must have created the TUTORIAL_USER user account. Instructions for creating this user account are provided in Appendix A, "Tutorial Setup Instructions".

6.2 Designing the Structure of a WebDB Site

The structure of your WebDB site determines how easily users can find the information they need.

6.2.1 Creating folders

A WebDB site is divided into folders. A folder is a collection of related items, including files, URLs of other Web pages, and WebDB components. For example, The Traveler demo includes folders for Africa, Americas, and Europe. Dividing your Web site into these distinct areas means you can structure your site, and organize content logically. This makes it much easier for site users to find the information they need. You can make folders containing general information accessible to anyone who displays the site and restrict access to folders containing sensitive information to specific users who must first log on to the site.

Each folder has a folder owner, who is responsible for the content of that folder. Delegating responsibility in this way means that each folder is maintained by someone who is familiar with the information and is able to keep that information accurate and up-to-date.

Note: The main page of the site itself is in fact a folder, called the root folder. Site administrators own the root folder. Site administrators can also maintain any other folder in the site.

Site administrators can create folders anywhere in the WebDB site. Folder owners can create folders within the folders they own.

Let's create a folder to contain general information about the products offered by your company. For the purposes of this tutorial, let's create this folder in your personal folder.

1. To create a folder, you must first navigate to the folder that you want to create the new folder in. When you are logged on to a WebDB site, the home page displays a list of all the folders you own.
   1. If you are not already on the Tutorial Web Site's home page, click the site logo at the top of the navigation bar to display the home page.

   2. Scroll down the home page and under the Owned folders banner, click your user name to display your personal folder.

2. In the banner at the top of the page, clickto enter Edit Mode and display the folder dashboard.

3. In the folder dashboard, clickto display the Folder Manager.

   The page displayed is divided into two panels. For this exercise you will use the Create Folder panel.

   
   
4. In the Name field, type PRODUCTS<NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

   For the purposes of this tutorial, you add your own user name to the end to give this folder a unique name and to identify it as one created by you, rather than one created by another tutorial user.

5. In the Title field, type Products.

6. Click Create to create the folder.

7. Clickto return to your personal folder.

8. A link to the Products folder you just created is included in your personal folder.

9. Click Products to display the new Products folder.

10. You can also create folders through the Administration page. Let's create another folder, in the Products folder, to contain confidential information about the products offered by your company.

    Tip: Although you can nest folders to any level, we recommend that you create no more than five levels of folders. If you have more than five levels of folders, site users will have to click too many links to get to the information they want.

    In the navigation bar, clickto display the Administration page.

11. In the Content Managers section, click Folder to display the Folder Manager tree which lists all of the folders to which you have access.

    Note: You are a site administrator, so you have access to all the folders in the site.

12. Expand Personal Folders.

13. Expand the first letter of your user name.

14. Expand your personal folder.

15. In the toolbar to the right of Products, clickto display the Folder Manager.

16. In the Create Folder panel:
    1. In the Name field, type CONFIDENTIAL<NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

       For the purposes of this tutorial, you add your own user name to the end to give this folder a unique name and to identify it as one created by you, rather than one created by another tutorial user.

    2. In the Title field, type Confidential.

    3. Click Create to create the folder.

17. At the top of the navigation bar, click the site logo to display the home page.

18. Scroll down the home page and under the Owned folders banner, click Confidential to display the Confidential folder.

You will add items to the Confidential folder in Chapter 7, "Managing WebDB Site Content".

6.2.2 Creating categories

All Regular items added to a WebDB site are assigned to a category. A category is a grouping of items that answers the content-specific question, "What is this item?" For example, The Traveler demo includes categories for Flights, Lodgings, and Restaurants. Categories provide a way of further organizing the content of a WebDB site, so that users can quickly and easily find the information they want. An item can be assigned to only one category.

IMPORTANT: Only site administrators can create categories.

1. In the navigation bar, clickto display the Administration page.

2. In the Content Managers section, click Category to display the Category Manager.

   Note: If you cannot see the Category link, you are probably not a site administrator of the Tutorial Web Site. Ask your DBA or site administrator to set you up as a site administrator. Instructions for assigning users as site administrators are provided in Appendix A, "Tutorial Setup Instructions".

   The page displayed is divided into two panels. For this exercise you will use the Create Category panel.

   
   
3. In the Name field, type Tutorial Items <NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

   For the purposes of this tutorial, you add your own user name to the end to identify the category as one created by you, rather than one created by another tutorial user.

4. Click Create. You remain in the Category Manager, where you can create more categories or find and edit existing categories.

   Note: You can edit the category to add an image that can be displayed on the navigation bar.

When a contributor adds an item relating to the tutorial, the item can be assigned to the Tutorial Items category.

You will assign an item to a category in Chapter 7, "Managing WebDB Site Content".

6.2.3 Creating perspectives

Each item added to a WebDB site can optionally be assigned to one or more perspectives. A perspective is a cross-folder, cross-category grouping of items that answers the question "Who will be interested in this item?" For example, The Traveler demo includes Beach, Safari, and Skiing perspectives.

IMPORTANT: Only site administrators can create perspectives.

1. In the navigation bar, clickto display the Administration page.

2. In the Content Managers section, click Perspective to display the Perspective Manager.

   The page displayed is divided into two panels. For this exercise you will use the Create Perspective panel.

   
   
3. In the Name field, type Tutorial Users <NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

   For the purposes of this tutorial, you add your own user name to the end to identify the perspective as one created by you, rather than one created by another tutorial user.

4. Click Create. You remain in the Perspective Manager, where you can create more perspectives or find and edit existing perspectives.

   Note: You can edit the perspective to add an image that can be displayed on the folder page next to the title of an item that is assigned to the perspective.

When a contributor adds an item that would be of interest to tutorial users, the item can be associated with the Tutorial Users perspective. Tutorial users can view the site by the Tutorial Users perspective, or can search for items associated with the Tutorial Users perspective.

You will assign an item to a perspective in Chapter 7, "Managing WebDB Site Content".

6.2.4 Creating custom item types

An item type defines the display and functional characteristics of items that a contributor adds to a WebDB site. WebDB sites support the following item types: URL, File, Text Item, Imagemap, Folder Link, WebDB Component, and PL/SQL Call. You can also add many files at once (up to 10) to the WebDB site by adding them as Multiple Files. In addition, you can create your own custom item types, which enable you to customize the existing item types to make them map more specifically to the items you include in your site.

IMPORTANT: Only site administrators can create custom item types.

Let's create a custom item type that enables users to add notes about a text item and to specify a string to pass to a search engine.

1. In the navigation bar, clickto display the Administration page.

2. In the Content Managers section, click Custom Item Type to display the Custom Item Type Manager.

   The page displayed is divided into two panels. You will first use the Create Custom Item Type panel.

   
   
3. In the Name field, type Tutorial Type <NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

   For the purposes of this tutorial, you add your own user name to the end to identify the custom item type as one created by you, rather than one created by another tutorial user.

4. In the Base Item Type list, choose Text.

   When you first create a custom item type, it is exactly the same as the base item type. You then edit the custom item type to customize it to meet your specific requirements.

5. Click Create. You remain in the Custom Item Type Manager, where you can create more custom item types or find and edit existing custom item types.

   You will now use the Find Custom Item Type panel of the Custom Item Type Manager.

   
   
6. Make sure Tutorial Type <NAME> is chosen in the Name list.

7. Click Edit to display the Custom Item Type Manager: Main page.

8. Click the Attribute List tab to display the Attribute List page.

   
   

   You can use custom item type attributes to enable contributors to add more information about an item, or specify values to pass to a PL/SQL or HTTP procedure. In this exercise, you will add two attributes to the Tutorial Type custom item type: one to enable contributors to add notes about the item and one to specify values to pass to a search engine.

9. In the Name field, type Notes.

   A field labeled Notes will be added to the Optional page of the Item Wizard and Item Manager for this type of item.

10. Click Apply to insert another row.

11. In the Name field, type p.

12. Check Pass to Procedure to identify the p attribute as a procedure argument.

13. Check Required so that when contributors add an item of this type, they have to specify a value for the p attribute.

    A field labeled p will be added to the Required page of the Item Wizard and Item Manager for this type of item.

14. Click the Procedure tab to display the Procedure page.

    
    

15. Click Procedure Type: HTTP.

16. In the Link Text field, type:

    Search
    
    

    This text is displayed as a hypertext link next to the item title. When an end user clicks the text, a call is made to the procedure using the value specified in the p field when the item was added.

17. In the Procedure Call field, type:

    http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=
    
    

18. Clickto save your changes and return to the Custom Item Type Manager.

When a contributor adds an item, the item can be added as a Tutorial Type item. The contributor must specify a search string and can optionally add notes about the item which other users will be able to view when they edit the item. End users can click on the link next to the item title to search for other Web sites and Web pages that contain the search string.

You will create an item of this type in Chapter 7, "Managing WebDB Site Content".

6.3 Controlling the Style of a WebDB Site

The style of your WebDB site determines how the site looks. Site and style administrators can create styles that control the location and appearance of the navigation bar and the text, color, and images used in the site. Folder owners can choose an existing style to apply to their folders. In addition, site administrators can grant folder owners privileges to create their own styles.

6.3.1 Designing the style of a WebDB site

The following exercise shows you how to use the Style Manager to create a style to control the appearance of a WebDB site. The exercise illustrates some of the style options. For more information about any of the other options in the Style Manager, click the small question mark to access field-level help.

1. Clickin the navigation bar to display the Administration page.

2. In the Web Site Managers section, click Style to display the Style Manager.

   The page displayed is divided into two panels. You will first use the Create Style panel.

   
   
3. In the Name field, type tutorial style <NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

   For the purposes of this tutorial, you add your own user name to the end to give this style a unique name and to identify it as one created by you, rather than one created by another tutorial user.

4. In the Based on Style, choose Main Site Style.

   Using a base style provides you with a starting point. The new style will be created with the same settings as Main Site Style. You then edit the new style and change the settings to your own preferences.

5. Click Access: Private.

   The style will be available only to you. Once you have finished designing the style, you can make it available for other folder owners to use, if desired.

6. Click Create. You remain in the Style Manager where you can create more styles or find and edit existing styles.

   You will now use the Find Style panel of the Style Manager.

   
   
7. Make sure tutorial style <NAME> is chosen in the Name list.

8. Click Edit to display the Style Editor.

   
   

   In the Style Editor you click the area of the site on the Site Style diagram for which you want to change the style settings: Navigation Bar, Banner, or Content Area.

9. In the Site Style diagram, click Navigation Bar to display the Style Manager: Main page for the navigation bar.

   
   

10. Check Resizable Navigation Bar to enable users to resize the navigation bar by dragging the frame border.

11. Clickto save your changes and return to the Style Editor.

12. In the Site Style diagram, click Banner to display the Style Manager: Main page for the banner.

13. Click the Text tab to display the Text page.

    
    

14. In the Font list, choose a font other than the current setting, for example Times New Roman.

15. In the Font Size list, choose 4.

16. In the Font Style list, choose Bold Italic.

17. Check Main Banner Text and Sub Banner Text, and clickto change Main Banner Text and Sub Banner Text to the settings specified in the lists and return to the Style Editor.

18. In the Site Style diagram, click Content Area to display the Style Manager: Main page for the content area.

19. Click the Color tab to display the Color page.

    
    

20. In the color palette, choose a green color. The value of the color is displayed in the Color field next to the palette.

21. Check Title Link and click Apply to change the Title Link color to green.

22. In the color palette, choose a light yellow color.

23. Uncheck Title Link.

24. Check Background and clickto change the Background color to light yellow and return to the Style Editor.

25. Clickto return to the Style Manager.

6.3.2 Applying a style to a folder

At the moment, the folders you created in Section 6.2, "Designing the Structure of a WebDB Site" use the Main Site Style. Let's apply the style you just created to the Products folder.

1. At the top of the navigation bar, click the site logo to display the home page.

2. Scroll down the home page and under the Owned folders banner, click Products to display the Products folder.

3. In the banner at the top of the page, clickto enter Edit Mode and display the folder dashboard.

4. In the folder dashboard, clickto display the Style Editor for the Products folder where, depending on your privileges, you can:
   • Choose an existing style

   • Edit the current style

   • Create a new style

     Note: You are a site administrator, so you can perform all the above style-related tasks.

     
     
5. In the Select Style list, choose tutorial style <NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

6. Clickto save your changes and return to the Products folder.

   The Products folder now uses the style you specified in tutorial style: the text in the banners at the top of the page is the font you specified, title links in the content area are green, and the content area itself is light yellow.

7. To activate the resizeable navigation bar, you need to redraw the page. To do this:
   1. At the top of the navigation bar, click the site logo to display the home page.

   2. Scroll down the home page and under the Owned folders banner, click Products to display the Products folder.

      
      

6.4 Providing Access to a Web Site

When end users first display a WebDB site, they can only view items in public folders.

For greater access to the site, users must log on to the site using their database user name and password.

Once users are logged on to the site, the tasks they can perform on a folder depend on the privileges they have been granted for that folder.

With the following privilege:	End user can:
Own	Perform all folder tasks, including granting folder privileges to other users.
View	View any item in the folder.
Style	Make changes to the folder's style.
Manage Items	Add, edit, or delete items in the folder.
Create With Approval	Add new items to the folder. Items that are added using this privilege must be approved by the folder owner before they are displayed publicly.

6.4.1 Providing public access to a folder

You want your company's customers to be able to view items in the Products folder. To make the items in a folder available to all users, including those who are not logged on to the site, you must make the folder a public folder.

1. In the banner at the top of the page, clickto enter Edit Mode and display the folder dashboard.

2. In the folder dashboard, clickto display the Folder Manager: Main page for the Products folder.

   
   

3. Check Display This Folder To Public Users.

4. Clickto save your changes.

   Let's view the site as a public user to see the how the changes you have made have affected the site. To view the site as a public user, you need to log off the site.

5. In the navigation bar, click Log Off to log off the site.

6. Clickto list the folders that you can view as a public user. You can only view folders specified as public folders. The Products folder is listed as one of the folders you can view, but the Confidential folder is not.

6.4.2 Granting folder access privileges to a user

If you do not want everyone be able to access the items in a folder that you own, you must grant the appropriate access privileges only to the users you do want to have access. For example, if the information in your folder is of a confidential nature, you might want only a few users to be able to view it. Or, you might want members of your department to be able to add items to a folder.

Your company wants to use the Confidential folder in the Products folder to make confidential product information available to its employees, but its customers should not be able to see this information. For now, let's enable a single user (TUTORIAL_USER) to view the items in the Confidential folder.

1. To grant folder access, you need to be logged on to the site as a site administrator or the folder owner. At the end of the previous exercise you logged off, so the first thing you need to do now is log back on to the site.

   Log back on to the site using your own user name and password.

   Tip: If you can't remember how to do this, follow the instructions in "Oracle WebDB Basic Concepts, Displaying an Oracle WebDB Site".

2. Scroll down the home page and under the Owned folders banner, click Confidential to display the Confidential folder.

3. In the banner at the top of the page, clickto enter Edit Mode and display the folder dashboard.

4. In the folder dashboard, clickto display the Folder Manager: Main page for the Confidential folder.

5. Click the Users tab to display the Users page.

   
   

6. Click, then Find to list all the users to which you can grant grant access privileges.

7. Click TUTORIAL_USER.

   Note: If TUTORIAL_USER is not listed, ask your DBA or site administrator to create this user for you. Instructions for creating TUTORIAL_USER are provided in Appendix A, "Tutorial Setup Instructions".

   TUTORIAL_USER is displayed in the Name field on the Folder Manager: Users page.

8. Click Add to Access List. TUTORIAL_USER is added to the User Access List and is automatically given privileges to view items in the folder.

9. Clickto save your changes and return to the Confidential folder.

   TUTORIAL_USER can now view the contents of the Confidential folder.

   Let's view the site as TUTORIAL_USER to see the how the changes you have made have affected the site. To view the site as TUTORIAL_USER, you need to log off the site and then log back on as TUTORIAL_USER.

10. In the navigation bar, click Log Off to log off the site.

11. Log back on to the site using the user name TUTORIAL_USER and the password TUTORIAL.

    Note: If your browser displays an error message, check that you've typed the information correctly, or ask your DBA or site administrator to verify the password for TUTORIAL_USER.

12. In the navigation bar, clickto list the folders that you can access as TUTORIAL_USER.

13. Expand Products. The Confidential folder is listed as one of the folders TUTORIAL_USER can access.

14. Click Confidential to display the folder. Notice that because you only gave TUTORIAL_USER view privileges, there is nobutton in the banner at the top of the page. TUTORIAL_USER can view the folder, but cannot edit it.

6.4.3 Granting folder access privileges to a group of users

Sometimes, you may want to grant the same privileges to multiple users. For example, you may want to allow all of the members of your department to add items to your department's folder. Rather than granting each user the Create With Approval privileges individually, you can create a group of users and grant the privileges to all members of the group in a single operation.

6.4.3.1 Creating a group

First you need to create the group.

1. At the end of the previous exercise you logged on as TUTORIAL_USER, so the first thing you need to do now is log back on to the site as the site administrator.

   Click Log Off in the navigation bar to log off the site as TUTORIAL_USER.

2. Log back on to the site using your own user name and password.

3. In the navigation bar, clickto display the Administration page.

4. In the Access Managers section, click Group to display the Group Manager.

   The page displayed is divided into two panels. You will first use the Create Group panel.

   
   
5. In the Name field, type tutorial group <NAME>, where NAME is your own user name.

   For the purposes of this tutorial, you add your own user name to the end to give this group a unique name and to identify it as the one created by you, rather than one created by another tutorial user.

6. Click Create. You remain in the Group Manager where you can create more groups, or find and edit existing groups.

   You will now use the Find Group panel of the Group Manager.

   
   
7. Make sure TUTORIAL GROUP <NAME> is chosen in the Name field.

8. Click Edit to display the Group Manager: Details page.

9. Click the Users tab to display the Users page.

   
   

10. Click, then Find to list all the users that you can add to the group.

11. Click TUTORIAL_USER.

    TUTORIAL_USER is displayed in the Name field on the Group Manager: Users page.

12. Click Add to Access List. TUTORIAL_USER is added to the User Access List.

    To add more users to the group, you would repeat Steps 10 through 12 for each user.

13. Clickto save your changes and return to the Group Manager.

6.4.3.2 Granting folder access privileges to a group

Now that you have created a group, you can grant folder access privileges to all members of this group in a single operation.

1. At the top of the navigation bar, click the site logo to display the home page.

2. Scroll down the home page and under the Owned folders banner, click Confidential to display the Confidential folder.

3. In the banner at the top of the page, clickto enter Edit Mode and display the folder dashboard.

4. In the folder dashboard, clickto display the Folder Manager: Main page for the Confidential folder.

5. Click the Groups tab to display the Groups page.

   
   

6. Click, then Find to list all the groups to which you can grant grant access privileges.

7. Click TUTORIAL GROUP <NAME> to choose the group you created earlier in the exercise.

   TUTORIAL GROUP <NAME> is displayed in the Name field on the Folder Manager: Groups page.

8. Click Add to Access List. TUTORIAL GROUP <NAME> is added to the Group Access List and is automatically given privileges to view items in the folder.

9. Check Create With Approval to enable members of the group to add items to the folder, subject to approval from the folder owner.

10. Clickto save your changes and return to the Confidential folder.

    Members of the tutorial group can now add items to the folder. However, because you only granted the group Create With Approval privileges, these items will not become visible until you, the folder owner, approve them. This enables folder owners to delegate content creation while remaining in control of the information that is contained in the folder.

    Let's view the site as TUTORIAL_USER to see the how the changes you have made have affected the site. To view the site as TUTORIAL_USER, you need to log off the site and then log back on as TUTORIAL_USER.

11. In the navigation bar, click Log Off to log off the site.

12. Log back on to the site using the user name TUTORIAL_USER and the password TUTORIAL.

13. In the navigation bar, clickto display the Site Map.

14. Expand Products.

15. Click Confidential to display the Confidential folder. Now that TUTORIAL_USER has Create With Approval privileges (as a member of the TUTORIAL GROUP <NAME> group), thebutton is displayed in the banner at the top of the page. TUTORIAL_USER can now add items to the folder. You will learn how to add items to a folder and how to approve items in Chapter 7, "Managing WebDB Site Content".

16. In the navigation bar, click Log Off to log off the site.

6.5 What's Next?

In this chapter, you learned how to:

• Create a folder

• Create a category

• Create a perspective

• Create a custom item type

• Define a style and apply that style to a folder

• Grant a user access to a folder

• Create a group and grant that group access to a folder

In Chapter 7, "Managing WebDB Site Content", you will find out how to add items to a site.