Creating and Using Widgets › Embedding Widgets for Requesting Services and Managing Requests › Use the Request Widget to Let Users Request Services › Call the Request Widget Using Menu Options

Call the Request Widget Using Menu Options

In Liferay, using the CA Service Catalog WAR files let you configure the display and behavior of CA Service Catalog widgets in portlets by using menu options. Review the following steps for producing the earlier Request widget example. Follow them as a model for using Liferay to configure the display and behavior of the Request widget in your implementation.

Follow these steps:

1. On the portal page, click Add, More.

   The list of preconfigured portlets appears.

2. Expand CA Service Catalog on the list, select Request, and click Add. Alternatively, drag-and-drop Request onto the location you want.

   The Request portlet gets added to Liferay.

3. Close the list, and click Edit Controls at the top of the page.
4. Mouse-over the Request widget, click the wrench (Options) icon, and select Preferences from the drop-down list.

   The Editing Catalog Request Portlet Settings appears.

5. Review the following key parameters for the earlier Request widget example. Use them as a model to configure your portlet settings.
6. Save your settings and review the portlet. If necessary, refine your settings to meet your requirements.

You have called the Request widget and configured its display and behavior in the portlet.

Key Parameters

The key parameters for the earlier Request widget example follow:

Catalog URL=http://host-name:port-number/usm

Important! You must include the "/usm" in the URL for the portlet to render correctly.

Specifies the URL for the catalog.

Use the same host name and port number as when you downloaded and installed the WAR Files in Liferay.

Authentication Type

Specifies whether to authenticate users using single sign-on (Windows NTLM) or login credentials. We recommend single-sign-on for widgets.

If you specify single-sign-on, users are not prompted for login credentials.

If you specify login credentials, use the following format:

User name=username and Password=password

BusinessUnit=London222

Specifies the business unit that catalog users can access while utilizing this Request widget. Users can request services in all folders in this business unit.

For example, if you specify the root business unit, users can request services from all folders in all business units, including the root business unit. Conversely, if you specify the lowest level business unit, users can request services from folders in that business unit only.

If you do not specify a value, the Catalog system uses the default business unit of the user accessing the widget.

Offering Id=request

Specifies the service to display when the Request widget opens initially. You can optionally specify –1, so that the widget displays nothing initially.

When the user clicks a service in the Browse widget, the Request widget displays that service.

Note: The service that you specify must exist in a business unit that the user can access, as explained in the Business Unit parameter.