The following sections cover the creation of right-click menus in any portlet that supports right-click menu functionality. Menus can be used to access URLs, issue JavaScript commands, view other portlet, or perform Operations Center server-side operations.
A right-click context menu can be created, edited and used in any portlet that supports the right-click menu functionality (any portlet that has the
> tab in its Preferences).Figure 7-1 Root Cause Portlet with Right-Click Context Menu
When right-click context menus are implemented, right-clicking an element on the portlet can:
Open additional components, such as the view, view, view, view, and so on
Open any URL and send context-sensitive information to the URL
The right-click context menu functionality is currently available on the Operations Center Navigation, Search, Show Impacted, Status, and Root Cause portlets.
While it is possible to create multiple menus for a portlet, only one menu can be active at a time. Multiple menu options can be grouped together on the right-click context menu under a submenu if a grouping title is specified.
To create a right-click menu:
Click
and select .If creating a context menu to drive page content, verify the portlet is enabled for “drive” or Navigation Mode functionality.
For specific information about this configuration option, see the portlet’s configuration section in Section 8.0, Configuring Operations Center Portlets.
Click the
tab, then select the tab.Click
.Specify a unique name for the menu, then click
.If the name already exists, a message indicates the menu failed to save. After a name has been entered, it cannot be changed.
Do one of the following to determine the menu item text that displays in the right-click menu:
Enter text in the
.Select the
check box to show the element’s name as the menu name.If neither option is specified, no title is displayed.
To provide a menu option to update other portlets on the page:
Under
, select the check box.Specify a name for the menu option in the
box.For information about driving other portlets, see Section 7.3.2, Configuring Starting Elements for Portlets, and be sure the portlet is enabled for “drive” or Navigation mode as mentioned in Step 2.
To provide menu options that open common portlet components; such as Charting , Performance, Layout, Treemap, Root Cause, Impacted, and Properties Table:
Under
, select the check box.Specify a name under which to group these menu options in the
box.For information about portlet component links, see Section 7.2, Configuring Portlet View Links.
Enter options to open URLs, execute JavaScript commands, or execute operations by adding custom links and operations.
To group the menu items, enter a title for the group in the associated
option.Click
.After you have created a menu, it is available for use and editing in all portlets that support the right-click menu functionality. If you make changes to the menu in one portlet, those changes are applicable for all instances of the menu in all portlets.
To later edit or remove operations, return to the
tab under . Under , select the operation name and then click . To remove a link, click .To edit a menu:
Click
and select .Click the
tab, then select the tab.From the
drop-down list, select a different menu if required, then click .A window opens with the menu options.
Make changes, then click
.URLs can be included as menu options in portlet right-click context menus. These links can open any URL and send context sensitive information to it. This is a powerful way of launching third-party applications and allowing for context-sensitive display (such as display a remedy ticket associated with a particular element).
Parameters can be passed from the Dashboard to the new URL to customize what appears in the Web page that the URL opens. Parameters can be based on the element from which the user accessed the right-click content menu and can include the DName, element name, and a specified element property, which are all stored in the Operations Center server. For more information on elements including DName and properties, see Viewing Element Properties in the Novell Operations Center 5.0 User Guide.
To create a menu option to a URL and optionally pass parameters:
Click
and select .Click the
tab, then select the tab.Do one of the following:
Select the desired existing menu from the
list, and click .Click
to create a new menu.For basic steps about defining a new menu, see Creating a New Menu.
Specific steps for defining a custom link are detailed in the remaining steps.
Under
, click .To specify basic link information to create the menu link and to set properties for the browser window that the URL will load in, do the following:
Specify the name of the option in the
field.Specify a fully qualified URL for the link in the
field.Leave the
check box deselected.Specify the name of the browser window to open the URL in the
field.Enter _blank if it is to always open in a new window.
Specify a comma delimited list of parameters to control the size and location of the window in the
field.For example, toolbar=no,location=no.
(Optional) To hide the URL link when a specific property value exists, select the
check box.Specify the property name and property value expression in the fields provided.
(Optional) To set up parameters that are passed by the URL, do the following as necessary:
To pass the element DName to the URL, select the
check box.Specify the parameter expression that is appended to the URL in the field provided (such as dname=dname_value).
To pass the element name to the URL, select the
check box.Specify the parameter expression that is appended to the URL in the field provided (such as name=name_value).
To pass an element property name/value pair to the URL, select the
check box and/or to append the URL with an element property, select the check box.Then specify:
The parameter name to be used for the passed or appended property in the
field.The property name to match for in the element’s properties in Operations Center in the
field.Click
.The new link definition displays under
:JavaScript commands can be executed by menu options in portlet right-click context menu. Links for JavaScript commands are created and edited the same way as URL links.
To create a right-click menu that issues a JavaScript command:
Click
and select .Click the
tab, then select the tab.Do one of the following:
Select the desired existing menu from the
list, and click .Click
to create a new menu.For basic steps about defining a new menu, see Creating a New Menu.
Under
, click .To specify basic link information to create the menu link and to set properties for the browser window that the URL will load in, do the following:
Specify the name of the option in the
field.Specify the JavaScript command, including any parameters in the
field.Select the
check box.For help in determining the parameters for the JavaScript to use elements and properties of an element from Operations Center, click
.Specify the name of the browser window to open the URL in the
field.Enter _blank if it is to always open in a new window.
Specify a comma delimited list of parameters to control the size and location of the window in the
field.For example, toolbar=no,location=no.
Click
to save the menu.The new JavaScript command definition displays under
.Links that open other components (different portlets) can be included in portlet right-click context menus. When selected, the new portlet uses the element from which the right-click menu was accessed as the starting element.
The options for configuring the components links on the right-click context menu are available when creating a new menu or editing an existing menu. For basic steps about defining a new menu, see Creating a New Menu.
To add component links, select the
check box under . Each component name then appears on the right-click context menu.Server-side operations defined in Operations Center can be added to portlet right-click context menus. For more information on operations, including how to define operations on the Operations Center console, see Modifying Element and Alarm Menus in the Novell Operations Center 5.0 Server Configuration Guide.
Custom operations can be added as the Dashboard right-click menu options. However, they require custom development to interface with the Dashboard. Contact Novell Support for more information.
To create a menu option that runs a server-side operation:
In Operations Center console, create or note the operation you wish to access from the Dashboard.
Take note of the
specified for the operation definition.For details on creating operations, see Modifying Element and Alarm Menus in the Novell Operations Center 5.0 Server Configuration Guide.
On the Dashboard portlet, on the portlet title bar, click (
and select click ( .Click the
tab, then click the tab.For basic steps about defining a new menu, see Creating a New Menu.
Specific steps for defining the operations menu option are detailed in the remaining steps.
Click
.To edit the menu later, use
.In the Menu dialog box, enter the menu name, then click
.In the Wizard dialog box, under
, click . The Menu Operation dialog box displays.Specify the name of the menu option in the
field.This is the name that will show in the menu.
Enter MO.NoUIOperation in the field.
Specify any parameters in the
field using the following syntax:
opname=OperationMenuText,opcommand=
where OperationMenuText is the menu text for the operation created in Operations Center.
Because this is a server-side operation, leave the
check box deselected.The type of operation (client side or server side) is defined when the operation is created on the Operations Center console. By default, the Dashboard assumes that the operation is server side and runs on the Operations Center server.
Select the
check box if the operation is to be unavailable if the and specified cannot be validated with the current element.(Optional) Specify a
and to be matched.Click
. The new operation displays in the Menu’s Operations listing.Click
on subsequent dialogs to finish creating the new menu.Verify the newly created menu is selected under
in for the > tab.Click
and exit Preferences.The new menus are available in the right-click context menus for the portlet.