Referencing Elements

Referencing Elements

The Element tag is used to reference an element within a presentation template or element design.
<Element type=" " context=" " name=" " key=" " format=" " link=" " separator=" " htmlencode=" " awareness=" " start=" " end=" " />
<Element Opens the tag.
type=" " This determines where the element is being referenced from. Either "content", "sitearea" or "site".
context=" " This determines which content item or site area is being referenced.

Selected

Refers to a particular item as specified in the name attribute below.

Current

This will reference the element from the current site, site area or content item that is being browsed by the user.

AutoFill

The element being referenced will be determined by the search parameters of a menu, navigator or taxonomy component.

name=" " Enter the name and library of the item the element is being referenced from.
For example, name="library/item". To use the library specified in the URL of the current page, use name="./item".

If a content item with the same name is used in more than one site, you can also specify name="library/site/sitearea/item" to select the appropriate content item.
If you specify name="./item", the library name will not appear in your presentation template or element design. The actual path will not be resolved until the item is rendered.

The "name" parameter is not used if context=current or context=autofill.
key=" " This is the name of this element being referenced.
format=" "
Optional and can only be used with some element types:

When referencing a file resource element:

If your file resource is a file type that can be converted to HTML you can instead convert the file to HTML and render the converted HTML directly in your Web content using the format="HTML" parameter.Examples of supported file types include:

word processing documents (*.doc, *.odt)
spreadsheets (*.xls) *
HTML files (*.htm, *.html)
Text files (*.txt)

Other file types may also work but test them first.
Maximum Cache Size
If the converted HTML is larger than the default cache size defined by the resourceserver.maxCacheObjectSize property in WCMConfigService.properties, each request that contains this file will be converted dynamically instead of using the cached copy. This will impact performance. You may need to increase the size of the resourceserver.maxCacheObjectSize property to support large file conversions. Before doing this your should verify the system has enough memory installed to cope with the increase in cache size. You could also break up the file into separate files that can be converted separately instead of increasing the cache size.
When referencing an image element:

Use format="url" to only render the URL of an image element.

Use format="tag" to render a complete image tag. The image will be displayed on the rendered page. This is used by default if no format is specified.

When referencing a link element:
Use format="url" to render the full URL of a link element.
For example:
/wps/wcm/myconnect/Library/Site/SiteArea/Content
Use format="path" to only render the site path of a link element.
For example:
/Library/Site/SiteArea/Content
Use format="tag" to render a complete link tag. This is used by default if no format is specified.
For example:
<a href="/wps/wcm/myconnect/Library/Site/SiteArea/Content"></a>
The URL generated by the link element will be fully qualified when viewed through a portal. To generate a URL that isn't fully qualified use the "noprefix" option instead:

format="noprefixurl"
format="noprefixpath"
format="noprefixtag"
When referencing number or date elements:

In this case, the format is used to specify the display format of dates and numbers. The following formats can be defined when displaying dates:

format="DATE_SHORT"
format="DATE_MEDIUM"
format="DATE_LONG"
format="DATE_FULL"
format="DATE_TIME_SHORT"
format="DATE_TIME_MEDIUM"
format="DATE_TIME_LONG"
format="DATE_TIME_FULL"
format="TIME_SHORT"
format="TIME_MEDIUM"
format="TIME_LONG"
format="TIME_FULL"
format="relative" (The relative date will be displayed as either "today", "yesterday" or the number of days ago.)

You can also set user-defined formats for both dates and numbers.

When referencing user details:

When formatting user details, the format parameter is used to define which LDAP parameter to use when displaying user details.
For example:

format="cn" is used to display the common name.
format="dn" is used to display the distinguished name.

Maximum character length:

You can also specify a maximum number of characters to display by using this format:

format="length:number_of_characters"

For example, to display a maximum of ten characters you would specify the following parameter:

format="length:10"
link=" " The link parameter is used to define the type of link created by the element tag:

link="default"

A standard link to an element is created.

link="path"

Contextual path linking will be used when rendering this element.

link="contextual"

Contextual content linking will be used when rendering this element.
If not applicable, then contextual path linking is used.

Contextual linking:

Contextual linking is used so that when content is linked from another site, the link will be rendered relative to the current site if possible. It can only be used if context=current or context=autofill.
separator=" " This only used when referencing an option selection or user selection element. It is used to define what text or code will be rendered between each selection displayed in an option selection or user selection element.
For example, to add a line break between each selection, you would use separator="<br>" . If not defined, a comma will be placed between each selection when rendered.
htmlencode=" "
If htmlencode="true" the reserved HTML characters in text, short text and option selection elements will be converted into character entities.
For example, '<' will be converted to '<'. This is useful if you would like to prevent users adding malicious code, or if you want to prevent users changing the look and feel of their text using HTML. If not specified, the default setting specified in WCMConfigService.properties located in the PROFILE_HOME/PortalServer/wcm/config/ directory is used. By default, this is set to "true":
cmpnt.htmlEncodeDefault=true
awareness=" " If awareness="true" then user names are displayed using the people awareness features. These features displays user names as hyperlinks that allow users to contact people with whom they might want to work. Wherever person links appear, users can click the link to display a menu of actions for collaborating (contacting and working) with the person named by the link. If you, as administrator, have also configured an IBM Lotus Sametime server to work with WebSphere Portal, person links indicate whether a person is active, away, offline, or in a Do Not Disturb state.
People awareness will only work in content rendered using either a local or remote rendering portlet.
If not specified, then awareness="false" and people awareness is not used.
start=" "
end=" "
The start and end attributes are used to wrap the data returned by a tag within other tags, such as HTML. These attributes are not mandatory.
/> This closes the tag.
Parent topic:
Creating Web content tags

<Element type=" " context=" " name=" " key=" " format=" " link=" " separator=" " htmlencode=" " awareness=" " start=" " end=" " />
<Element	Opens the tag.
type=" "	This determines where the element is being referenced from. Either "content", "sitearea" or "site".
context=" "	This determines which content item or site area is being referenced. Selected Refers to a particular item as specified in the name attribute below. Current This will reference the element from the current site, site area or content item that is being browsed by the user. AutoFill The element being referenced will be determined by the search parameters of a menu, navigator or taxonomy component.
name=" "	Enter the name and library of the item the element is being referenced from. For example, name="library/item". To use the library specified in the URL of the current page, use name="./item". If a content item with the same name is used in more than one site, you can also specify name="library/site/sitearea/item" to select the appropriate content item. If you specify name="./item", the library name will not appear in your presentation template or element design. The actual path will not be resolved until the item is rendered. The "name" parameter is not used if context=current or context=autofill.
key=" "	This is the name of this element being referenced.
format=" "	Optional and can only be used with some element types: When referencing a file resource element: If your file resource is a file type that can be converted to HTML you can instead convert the file to HTML and render the converted HTML directly in your Web content using the format="HTML" parameter.Examples of supported file types include: word processing documents (.doc, .odt) spreadsheets (.xls) HTML files (.htm, .html) Text files (.txt) Other file types may also work but test them first. Maximum Cache Size* If the converted HTML is larger than the default cache size defined by the resourceserver.maxCacheObjectSize property in WCMConfigService.properties, each request that contains this file will be converted dynamically instead of using the cached copy. This will impact performance. You may need to increase the size of the resourceserver.maxCacheObjectSize property to support large file conversions. Before doing this your should verify the system has enough memory installed to cope with the increase in cache size. You could also break up the file into separate files that can be converted separately instead of increasing the cache size. When referencing an image element: Use format="url" to only render the URL of an image element. Use format="tag" to render a complete image tag. The image will be displayed on the rendered page. This is used by default if no format is specified. When referencing a link element: Use format="url" to render the full URL of a link element. For example: /wps/wcm/myconnect/Library/Site/SiteArea/Content Use format="path" to only render the site path of a link element. For example: /Library/Site/SiteArea/Content Use format="tag" to render a complete link tag. This is used by default if no format is specified. For example: <a href="/wps/wcm/myconnect/Library/Site/SiteArea/Content"></a> The URL generated by the link element will be fully qualified when viewed through a portal. To generate a URL that isn't fully qualified use the "noprefix" option instead: format="noprefixurl" format="noprefixpath" format="noprefixtag" When referencing number or date elements: In this case, the format is used to specify the display format of dates and numbers. The following formats can be defined when displaying dates: format="DATE_SHORT" format="DATE_MEDIUM" format="DATE_LONG" format="DATE_FULL" format="DATE_TIME_SHORT" format="DATE_TIME_MEDIUM" format="DATE_TIME_LONG" format="DATE_TIME_FULL" format="TIME_SHORT" format="TIME_MEDIUM" format="TIME_LONG" format="TIME_FULL" format="relative" (The relative date will be displayed as either "today", "yesterday" or the number of days ago.) You can also set user-defined formats for both dates and numbers. When referencing user details: When formatting user details, the format parameter is used to define which LDAP parameter to use when displaying user details. For example: format="cn" is used to display the common name. format="dn" is used to display the distinguished name. Maximum character length: You can also specify a maximum number of characters to display by using this format: format="length:number_of_characters" For example, to display a maximum of ten characters you would specify the following parameter: format="length:10"
link=" "	The link parameter is used to define the type of link created by the element tag: link="default" A standard link to an element is created. link="path" Contextual path linking will be used when rendering this element. link="contextual" Contextual content linking will be used when rendering this element. If not applicable, then contextual path linking is used. Contextual linking: Contextual linking is used so that when content is linked from another site, the link will be rendered relative to the current site if possible. It can only be used if context=current or context=autofill.
separator=" "	This only used when referencing an option selection or user selection element. It is used to define what text or code will be rendered between each selection displayed in an option selection or user selection element. For example, to add a line break between each selection, you would use separator="<br>" . If not defined, a comma will be placed between each selection when rendered.
htmlencode=" "	If htmlencode="true" the reserved HTML characters in text, short text and option selection elements will be converted into character entities. For example, '<' will be converted to '<'. This is useful if you would like to prevent users adding malicious code, or if you want to prevent users changing the look and feel of their text using HTML. If not specified, the default setting specified in WCMConfigService.properties located in the PROFILE_HOME/PortalServer/wcm/config/ directory is used. By default, this is set to "true": cmpnt.htmlEncodeDefault=true
awareness=" "	If awareness="true" then user names are displayed using the people awareness features. These features displays user names as hyperlinks that allow users to contact people with whom they might want to work. Wherever person links appear, users can click the link to display a menu of actions for collaborating (contacting and working) with the person named by the link. If you, as administrator, have also configured an IBM Lotus Sametime server to work with WebSphere Portal, person links indicate whether a person is active, away, offline, or in a Do Not Disturb state. People awareness will only work in content rendered using either a local or remote rendering portlet. If not specified, then awareness="false" and people awareness is not used.
start=" " end=" "	The start and end attributes are used to wrap the data returned by a tag within other tags, such as HTML. These attributes are not mandatory.
/>	This closes the tag.