XML configuration reference

Learn more about XML input structure, XML tags for portal resources, attributes for special purposes such as locale data, object IDs, and more. Also find information about action attributes that determine the type of processing the XML configuration reference applies to the portal resource. There are syntax restrictions that we need to consider as well as information about how to determine the object IDs for portal resources.

• XML input script file structure
  When we use xmlaccess.sh command line client, the XML script we use specifies the root element, the XML schema, the portal resources, and actions to be performed.

• XML tags for portal resources
  The portal resources are represented by the following XML tags.

• Syntactic restrictions on the input syntax
  There are certain restrictions on the allowed values for the action attribute.

• Object IDs in XML scripts
  All resources in WebSphere Portal, except for the resources portal and the settings, have an object ID that uniquely identifies them in the portal. That ID is generated by the portal when the resource is created. These object IDs are represented by the objectid attributes in an XML export.

• Replacement variables in XML configuration interface script files
  XML script files created by an XML configuration interface export or that can be imported by xmlaccess.sh can contain URLs to portal files. These URLs reference files that are in WebSphere Portal server directories. Depending on the installation directory of the WebSphere Portal installation, these file locations can differ. We can avoid the dependency on the file location using variables.

• Export sets of resources
  We can specify more than one resource with an export action in the same request and thus generate an export response file containing a selected group of resources, for example several portlets and pages.

• Mandatory and optional attributes
  Depending on the action that you perform using the XML configuration interface, some attributes can be mandatory or optional.

• Page layout modifications
  When we use an XML script to update an existing page with a new layout, we create or update child elements of type component for the content-node element of the page. Normally we use the XML script to define a complete new layout of the page rather than combine the existing layout with the new definitions. In such cases xmlaccess.sh applies special processing.

• Marking pages as hidden under the content root
  By default, pages created under the content root display in the main menu. If we do not want a page created to appear in the main menu, we can hide the page.

• Import WAR files
  To create new portlet applications, we need additional resources, the WAR files.

• Import static page content from archive or compressed files
  We can import the content of static pages from an external archive or compressed file using xmlaccess.sh.

• View updates and changes made with xmlaccess.sh
  For the users to be able to view updates that you made using xmlaccess.sh, they might have to log out and log back in again, or we might have to restart the portal. This depends on the type of update that you made.

• Transactionality
  When we use XML scripts to create, update or delete resources, the changes in the portal database are grouped into transactions. All changes that are part of one transaction are either executed completely or not at all. The XML configuration has two different levels of grouping database updates into transactions.

• Error recovery
  If errors occur during the processing of an XML script, the XML result file contains an error message. After fixing the cause of the error, we have two options to continue.

• Hints and tips for using xmlaccess.sh
  In an example configuration, we might have two WebSphere Portal environments that are both configured for security with an LDAP server. However, the two LDAP servers have different directory structures.

• Sample XML configuration files
  Sample files are provided for the reference to help illustrate how to use XML configuration for different portal configuration purposes. Before using them, read the other topics about the XML configuration interface carefully. Many of the samples need to be modified with valid page or user name before they can be used.

Parent xmlaccess.sh