Configuration levels for portlets
Many portlets provide separate views that allow configuration of the portlet. These view types are also called portlet modes. Depending on how they are programmed, the portlets can be configured on different levels.
Configuration levels and portlet modes
Type Portlet mode Description Portlet mode selection options Administrator configuration config Changes affect all occurrences of the portlet on all pages for all users. The administration portlets allow you to create multiple copies of the same portlet with different administrator level configurations.
Configure Shared configuration edit_defaults Changes affect a particular instance of a portlet on a page and apply to all users who view that instance of the portlet on that page. Edit shared settings Personal configuration edit, view, help Changes are associated with a single user and apply only to that particular user who views the portlet on the page. Only that user can make that update. Personalize, View, Help The different configuration levels shown in the table above correspond to the different portlet modes that the portlet must support, if it wants to use the benefit of multiple portlet configuration. If the portlet supports them and the current user has sufficient access permissions to modify the corresponding configuration level, the appropriate icons or pull-down menu selection options that allow the user to enter those modes are available on the portlet title bar. As an administrator you can make changes that either affect other users or only change the your personal configuration of the portlet. You determine this by selecting the different icons or pull-down menu selection options for the portlet modes when making the change.
Special considerations for Standard API portlets
In order to benefit from the edit_defaults portlet mode, a portlet must comply with the Standard Portlet API and support that portlet mode.
If a Standard API portlet does not support the edit_defaults portlet mode, you can configure that portlet so that it supports shared configuration.
Special considerations for IBM API portlets
Portlets that are programmed according to the IBM Portlet API cannot support shared configuration with the edit_defaults portlet mode. For such portlets the shared configuration level corresponds to the portlet mode edit.
For a portlet that is programmed according to the IBM Portlet API it is not possible to edit both the shared and personalized configuration by one and the same user. Only one of the selection options will be available, either Edit shared settings or Personalize. This depends on the access permissions of the current user. Usually an administrator has the option Edit shared settings, whereas an end user has the option Personalize.