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Add custom widgets to Communities
Extend the functionality of the Communities feature by adding custom widgets. To make the widgets available for use in Communities, configure the widgets in the widget definition file, widgets-config.xml.
In IBM Lotus Connections 2.5, you can use custom widgets to bring additional functionality to the Communities feature. Making custom widgets available gives community owners greater control and flexibility over the content of a community. The widgets must use the iWidget specification, which uses technology based on JavaScript, XML, HTML, and CSS. The widget files are stored on an HTTP server. The widgets can be bundled as EAR applications and deployed on IBM WebSphere Application Server. They can also be hosted in LAMP, .NET, and other environments.
You need to register the widgets developed by iWidget developers to make them available for use in Lotus Connections. You do this by configuring the widget attributes defined by the iWidget developer in the widgets-config.xml file.
You can add three types of custom widget to Lotus Connections:
- Mandated
- Exists in every community and cannot be removed or hidden. Mandated widgets can exist outside a community, for example, they can show up in a search results page. This type of widget can be placed in any of the three columns on the overview page. Mandated widgets can also be placed in the first column under the tag cloud in Communities.
- Opened by default
- Displays by default, but can be removed or hidden. It can also be moved to a different location. In Communities, the Discussion Forum widget, the Feeds widget, and the Bookmarks widgets are all opened by default.
- Optional
- Not included by default. Optional widgets can be added, removed, hidden, and moved by community owners.
Any widget can be used as a mandated, default, or optional widget.
- Enable custom widgets for Communities
To make custom widgets available for use in Communities, configure the widgets in the widget definition file, widgets-config.xml.- Widget configuration variables
The following table lists the configuration variables that can be used for the url, navBarLink, helpLink, and item or @value attributes when configuring a third-party widget for integration with Communities.
Administer remote applications
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