Add a New Query

Configure queries using various bases to dynamically display data on the dashboard.

1. Give the query a Name, for your own reference. Give your portal queries names that are easily understandable and distinguishable from one another.

2. Select a Base. If the query is only querying for data of a given type (e.g., applicants), selecting the corresponding population allows you to set up your query using the standard Slate query interface.

POST methods currently require a Custom SQL query base.

The data returned by the query will be available as merge fields that can be used in Liquid markup with your views.

The export parts should be edited to use lowercase names that do not include spaces or punctuation other than underscores or dashes. (For example, change "First Name" to 'first' or 'first_name').

Parameters

If you need to pass data into a portal method query, you will create parameters. This might be data that you are using to refine the data you are retrieving (for example, retrieve applicant data for a particular applicant by passing in the applicant ID) or might be data sent in through a POST to be saved.

1. Click Edit Parameters.

2. Add XML tags, once for each parameter, following the format below:

   <param id="person" type="uniqueidentifier" />
   <param id="term" type="string" />
   

3. In the query, you would typically need to add a custom SQL filter so that the parameter value can be included in the query, which will then be used to refine the data being pulled in. The custom SQL filter might contain a snippet of SQL such as

   p.[id] = @person

Queries that perform updates (i.e., with POST methods) must currently be set up with the Custom SQL query base. Note that this is a SQL script and does not need to be a single query, so you are able to define SQL variables, populate them, run a query, and/or perform an update within a single portal method query.

Output Nodes

The node controls how the data in the query is delivered to a view. Typically, when a query delivers data for a list of objects each with their own attributes, the output node is used to designate the name given to this "container" of objects.

In the view editor, the node can then be referenced in Liquid markup for data inside an object - that is, with Liquid looping where each object needs to be iterated over.

The node will only be needed when looping through a list of results. If the query is returning a single set of data (e.g., information about the currently logged-in person), then the node should be blank.

Common uses for the output node include: displaying checklist data (node name: checklist), displaying a list of alumni interviewers within a table that generates one row per interviewer (node name: interviewers).

Linking Queries to Methods

In each portal method, a list of queries linked to that method is displayed. Click "Edit Linked Queries" to specify which portal queries should be associated with the method.

Create a New View

• Status: The portal can use a view when it is set to Active.

• Name: The name will be visible when editing the portal, so it is recommended that the name makes it clear which section the view represents.

• Layout: The page can be set up with the Layout Editor (selected by default) to build a customized view using a drag-and-drop methodology, or it can be set up by using one of a collection of pre-defined layouts.

Using the Layout Editor

1. In the Views section, select the New View link. The Edit View popup appears.

   

2. Configure the following settings:

   • Status: Active

   • Name: Enter an appropriate name for the view
     

   • Layout: Dynamic Layout Editor (default)

   • Custom URL: Add a custom URL for the view, if needed

3. Click Save. The layout editor appears.

   

4. Click New Row on the right side of the page. The Select Row Layout popup appears.

   

5. Select the desired layout for the row. The new row appears on the layout.

6. From the parts shown on the right side of the page, drag the desired view parts into the row. The Edit Part popup appears.

   

7. Add additional rows and parts as needed.

8. When finished adding all rows and parts click the portal name link in the breadcrumb on the top of the page to return to the portal summary page.

Using a Standard Layout

1. In the Views section, select the New View link. The Edit View popup appears.

2. Clear the Use Layout Editor option. A drop-down list appears.

3. Select the desired page layout.

4. Click Save. The view layout appears.

5. Add content to the view by dragging the desired view parts from the palette on the right.

Removing View Parts

1. From the layout page, select View As List.

2. Select the intended part from the View Parts list. The Edit Part popup appears.

3. Click Delete. A confirmation popup appears.

   

4. Click OK.

5. Click Edit View to return to the layout editor.

Modify an Existing View

1. Select the desired view to modify.

   If the view was created with the fixed (legacy) portal process, it can be converted to use the dynamic layout editor.

2. Click Edit. The Edit View popup appears.

   

3. Select Convert To Use Layout Editor. A confirmation opens to inform you that Slate will attempt to reconstruct the view as closely as possible, and also to suggest testing this conversion prior to using it in your production environment.

4. Click OK.

5. Click Save.

6. Refer to the procedures described in the Creating a New View section above for information on editing the view with the layout editor. 

View Parts

Events

Inserts event landing pages into the portal, in list, map, or calendar format.

Form

It is possible to embed a Slate form in a portal page. Click “Form” from the palette on the right hand side, and drag and drop to the area in which you would like the form to be displayed for users.

• By default, submitting an embedded form will not reload the entire portal page. To reload the portal upon submission, check the "Reload portal" box when embedding a form. If you are using filters to control what is visible on the portal and the form submission will change that data, reloading will show the updated view.

• If the form is not the same scope as the security method for the portal, the form should not be embedded using the widget palette (for example, an application-scoped interview report form should not be embedded in an alumni volunteers dataset portal page). Depending on the use case, the form could be hyperlinked to, or the form embed code could be used instead. 

Report

Slate reports can be embedded in a portal page. More information can be found in this article.

Social Media

Allows embedding a Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Static Content

Static content blocks can be used to display content, including data derived from a portal query.

Static content can be edited using the HTML WYSIWYG editor. On the editor, the Source button also gives access to the source code for viewing and editing. Liquid looping, JavaScript, or custom CSS can be edited in the Source view.

Merge fields can be added in static content to display, for example, information about the person logged in to the portal, or the constituents or records that “belong” to the logged-in user, e.g., athletic recruits in a particular coach’s sport or events happening within a volunteer’s area.

Table

Presents the results of a query as a dynamic table within the portal, automatically adding paging. Refer to the Display Data Tables in a Portal article for more information.

Weather

Allows embeding a weather forecast into the portal.