=Overview=
When users log into your system, what will they see? The A '''Portal '''is the [[SmartSimple]] terminology for the graphical user interface that a [[User|user sees ]] will see upon login. The '''Portal '''interface will depend change for each user dependent on their roles [[User Role|role]] and what you , as [[Global User Administrator|System Administrator]], have configuredfor that role. This article will give you an overview of how to easily configure your portals for your users with the portal builder. We will also explore what options are available when creating a portal, and provide guidance on how best to use utilize these options. ==Example of a Portal==Once a user has been [[User#Activating a User|activated]], they will be able to [[Login Page|log into]] your SmartSimple [[instance]]. :: [[File:My CSR portal.png|700px|border]] All the elements of a user's portal - such as the Main Menu links are displayed on the top header, what graphics or texts are displayed on each page, the user's personal menu items and more - are all highly configurable.
==Portal Building – Essentials==
===User Roles===
[[User Roles Role|User roles]] organize or group like users together, and in conjunction with permissions and other logic, control what people can see and do in SmartSimple. User Roles group like people together and are additive, meaning that a user may possess multiple roles, so roles need not be mutually exclusive. Typically, we group users on what they will be doing. Example: applicants, reviewers, and approvers, and by department: accounting, sales, partners.
Before you can build a portal, you need to define user roles in your system. You can define new user roles by going to the menu icon > Roles and Security > User Roles.
Please note we take a most restrictive approach when it comes to permissions, so if you set one role to deny something, it will supersede all other permissions. This means if a user has 3 roles, and 2 roles have permission to do something but the third role does not, the user will not be able to do that action. So as a general practice it is better to add permission then to deny permission on a role. This way, the more roles you have, the more you can see and do in the system.
===Common aggregated portal vs single role portals===
There are two ways in which you can create a portal. You can create the portal on the Common role which is aggregated, meaning assets are shared across multiple roles, or you can create a portal on a single role. Iff If you take this path, assets will not be shared and users will need to flip between roles.
====Common aggregated portal====
If you create a link here, try to keep the caption to a word or two, like “Edit Profile” or “My Profile”.
{| class=====User Menu link types====="wikitable"|-!|Link types available in the user menu are as follows:Type!|Description|-=====||Organization Profile=====||
This link type takes the user to their organization profile. By default, if you have permission to edit the profile you will be taken directly into edit mode. You can toggle off this setting if you want to bring everyone to the profile in view mode.
=====|-||Custom=====||This link type can take the user to any page within your system, for example, to go to the dashboards, enter “/iface/dashboard.jsp”. Note, always use relative URLs to ensure links work across servers and to ensure your system functions as expected.|-=====||Drop Down=====||Not recommended. This legacy setting was used with the default header and it enabled you to add a drop-down menu in the user menu.|-=====||Language=====||Use this link type to surface a language drop down on your portal. The user will be able to switch their portal into any language you have enabled. Note, if you choose to support multiple languages, you must also enter translations for your content into the system. For example, you will need to specify the translation for every menu link and section you have added to your portal. You can do this via a language drop down where you configured those assets. In other areas of the system, such as on custom field configuration pages, you will also need to provide a translation for every caption.|-=====||Change Password=====||This link type takes the user to the change password screen.|-=====||SmartFolder=====||This link type is used to surface a SmartFolder in your portal. For example, if you had resources in a SmartFolder such as help documentation, you could add this link to your user menu and the user could go direct to that SmartFolder and open it in the current window, a modal window or a new window.|-=====||User Profile=====||This link type takes the user to their personal profile. By default, if you have permission to edit the profile you will be taken directly into edit mode. You can toggle off this setting if you want to bring everyone to their profile in view mode.|}
====Main Menu====
====General tab====
* '''{| class="wikitable"|-!|Setting!|Description|-||Name''': ||used for reference not displayed to end user* '''|-||Title''': ||will display in the section* '''|-||Icon''': ||will display beside the title* '''|-||Description''': ||used for reference not displayed to end user* '''|-||Instruction''': ||used for adding text under the title|}
====Display tab====
* '''{| class="wikitable"|-!|Setting!|Description|-||Width''': ||Used to control the width of a section. Generally, avoid using this setting as single column is preferred for usability and accessibility reasons. Keep in mind if you set a width it may look good on your screen but it will look poor for users with different screen sizes. We recommend you leave this setting empty so the section will render full screen. If you must add a width then use percentage so it will scale.* '''|-||Height''': ||Used to control the height of a section. Generally, avoid using this setting as well. Different users will have different screen resolutions so what looks good for you won’t necessarily look good for them. By default, the height of a section will be large enough to hold whatever content is inside. If you use this setting your content may cut off and you may get a scroll bar inside your section. If you must use this setting then enter a pixel value but generally leave it empty.* '''|-||Shadow and ||Turn off the shadow|-||Margin options''': ||Turn off the shadow and margin.* '''|-||Background color''': ||Control the background color of the section.|}
====Permission Tab====
To change the theme for a section:
# Go to the main menu '''Main Menu''' or user menu '''User Menu''' link with the content type set to “Sections”'''Sections'''.
# Choose the desired theme from the drop-down.
# Click '''Save'''.
# Go to the root of the portal using the hierarchical navigation.
# Click the preview '''Preview''' button.
You can try out different themes for each page this way. Note: the functionality and configuration options differ for each theme. For example, in the default theme you can render a section in split screen whereas that is not available in the white paper or website themes.
