• Overview
• Catalog Structure
• Naming Conventions
• Related Documentation

About the Resource Catalog

The Resource Catalog is an XML structure that Oracle Fusion Applications teams use to enable end users to select content to add to their dashboards or work area pages. This guideline provides an overview of the Resource Catalog and describes the structure and naming conventions for the Resource Catalog.

The Resource Catalog is part of the Oracle Composer. Oracle Composer enables users to change the layout and appearance of applications at runtime. In Oracle Fusion Applications, when users select Personalization, then select Edit Current Page from the global region, Oracle Composer opens in the context of the running application.

Figure 1. The Personalization menu

Oracle Composer appears as a gray toolbar below the tabs.

Figure 2. Oracle Composer toolbar on the current page

When the toolbar appears, containers on the page appear as delineated with dotted blue lines, and the Add Content button appears for any container enabled for end-user personalization. Users can drag content containers to reorder them, add new containers, edit a container by clicking the Edit icon button, or remove a container by clicking the close box

Figure 3. A region in WebCenter Page Composer

In the following example, users added a container above the Watchlist and clicked the Add Content button. The Resource Catalog then opens in a dialog box, and users can navigate through its folders to select a new dashboard region to add to that location on the page.

Figure 4. Open Catalog dialog box with some example content

When users click a top-level folder, the page refreshes to show the folders and content. A single-level navigation path appears in the toolbar that enables users to navigate back through the folder structure. A catalog search may also be enabled if there is a large quantity of available content.

When users find the desired region, they click Add, and the region appears in the new container.

Figure 5. Steps users take to add a new region

The new region appears in the new container. Users can then make more changes to the page or click Close when they are finished modifying the page.

Figure 6. A new region appears in Oracle Composer, and the user clicks Close to exit

The new region appears on the dashboard.

Figure 7. After Oracle Composer closes, the new region appears on the dashboard

Technical Considerations

Dashboard regions are either ADF taskflows (bounded taskflows) or JSR-286-compliant portlets. Use ADF taskflows for regions that belong to a given dashboard or work area and that need to appear only in that dashboard or work area. Use portlets for shared regions and third-party content.

You create the Resource Catalog using an XML file. You can use one XML file to support many dashboards and work areas, or even the entire applications suite. For Oracle Fusion, shipped dashboards and work areas each have their own Resource Catalog file.

All regions are implemented as showDetailFrame components on the page. This enables the regions to have a common look, to have a common set of actions, and to be dragged and dropped at runtime in WebCenter Page Composer.

Requirements

Follow these requirements:

• All dashboards and work areas enabled for administrative customization require a Resource Catalog so that the administrator can add ADF and Applcore components to the page.
• A Resource Catalog is optional but highly recommended for dashboards and work area landing pages enabled for end-user personalization.

Figure 8. Example of a top level in the Oracle Fusion Resource Catalog (for an end user)

Here are two examples of a top level in the Oracle Fusion Resource Catalog: one for an end user and the other for an administrator.

Figure 9. Example of a top level in the Oracle Fusion Resource Catalog (for an administrator)

General Guidance

Follow these guidelines when naming folders:

• Name every folder or node.
• (Optional) Include a description of each folder or node. Ideally, you should name the folder so well that a description is unnecessary.

For information on general naming and writing information, see the Headers Guideline and the Language in UI Guideline.

Use identical titles for regions, portlets, and reports in both the user interface and the Resource Catalog. Follow these guidelines when creating titles:

• Use terminology familiar to users of the dashboard or work area.
• Make titles object-based, rather than action-based. For example:
  • Correct: My Tasks
  • Incorrect: View My Tasks
• Write concise titles. For example:
• Correct: Intercompany Period Status
• Incorrect: Period Status for Intercompany
• Correct: Supplier Payment Holds
• Incorrect: Suppliers on Payment Hold
• Do not use the word Dashboard in OBIEE titles. Use the words Report or Analysis instead.
• Create unique titles.
• Use headline capitalization.

Descriptions

You can include a description of each folder or node. Ideally, you should phrase the description so well that further explanation is unnecessary.

If you choose to provide a description, follow these guidelines:

• Use a noun phrase that describes what the folder or region contains or is. Do not use a full sentence or multiple sentences.
• Do not begin the description with a verb.
• Do not use these terms: region, page, or dashboard.
• Use sentence-case capitalization for the phrase.
• Do not use a period at the end of the phrase.
• Do not repeat what is in the title. The description should provide additional information. For example, if the title is Watchlist, do not begin the description with “Watchlist is used for…”

Good example for People Gallery: "Individuals in your organization"

Bad examples for People Gallery: "People Gallery" or "Displays the individuals in your organization"

• Dashboard Guideline
• Extensibility Guidelines
• Developer’s Guide: Configuring Resource Catalog for Composer