Liferay 6.1: Dynamic Data Lists 

Liferay 6.1 is coming with Dynamic data lists, where in business users can create custom data lists on the fly without any coding required. Here is the steps detailing to achieve the above.

A) Login as Admin

B) Click on Go to > Control Panel in Top Dock bar.

C) Select Dynamic Data List from Portlet listed on left hand sidebar in Control Panel.

This will lead you to landing page for Dynamic Data List.(DDL) Portlet . In this Blog we will create a Sample Birthday Invitation List.

Following are the major steps involved.

1. Create Data Definitions for Invitation Data.
2. Create a new List using the above data definition.
3. Add Data to Birthday Invitation List.
4. Display the Birthday Invitation List  data in Dynamic Data List Display portlet on a Portal Page.

1. Create Data Definitions for Invitation Data

• Click on Manage Data Definitions button on DDL landing Page. This will open a Popup to create data definitions.
• Click on Add button in Pop Up to add a new definition.

• You will see similar window as when you define WCM Structure in Liferay 6. Its drag and drop UI, you can define the field’s, field’s type for the Definition.
• Create a new definition with name, Birthday Invitation List. Once done Click Save. Close the Pop Up

2. Create a new List using the above data definition

• On DDL Landing Page Click on Add Button to add a new list.

• Fill the Name (John Doe Birthday Invitation), Description in the form. In Data Definition Select  Popup, Select the newly created Data Definition in Step 1 Birthday Invitation List .

    

• Click Save.  You will see this list on DDL landing Page.

3. Add Data to Birthday Invitation List.

• Click on John Doe Birthday Invitation List

• You will see Add Record Button.Click on this button. Next screen will provide you the form based on definitions data created in Step 1(Birthday Invitation List). Fill the form to populate the List.

 

4. Display the Birthday Invitation List  data in Dynamic Data List Display portlet on a Portal Page

• Go to a Portal Page.
• Click Add > More from Top Dock Bar.
• Search for Dynamic Data List Display Portlet.
• Add the Portlet to the Page.

• Configure the Portlet to display John Doe’s Birthday Invitation List.

There are much more capabilities involved with this portlet. Will post information as i get chance to work on discovering more.

Liferay 6.1 New Features

1. Dynamic Data List for Business Users: You can define the data list and then end users can populate it as a web form. Admin can generate report, export the list data also
2. Integrated Document Library and Images Gallery  with ability to mount additional repositories. Major UI overhaul, ability to preview documents.
3. Liferay Sync to sync documents library across Mobile, Desktop and Portal
4. Content Relationship: For ex, while creating a blog , you can specify an article / image / document relating to that blog
5. Customizable pages on a site. User can customize certain portions of the page.
6. New Kaleo Workflow designer 

Some of the new portlets included are:

• Dynamic Data List Display
• Dynamic Data List Form
• Documents and Media Display
• Recently Downloaded Documents
• Related Assets
• Recent Content

Open Office Integration with Liferay

Purpose of the Open Office integration is to convert one type of data format to another type
of data format. 
For example I have uploaded one word document into documentLibrary portlet. But I want to 
download the document as pdf. Here in this scenerio openoffice integration comes into the 
picture.
To integrate with Liferay Portal Server please follow the below steps : 

Step 1 :     Install openoffice software into your machine. We can install the software on any OS like windows, MAC, linux.
Step 2 :    Go to the folder where it was installed (for example, C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org\program) and start OpenOffice service with the following command:
        open cmd and run the below command under above specified path
        soffice -headless -accept="socket,host=127.0.0.1,port=8100;urp;" -nofirststartwizard 
        The above command will be executed irrespective of Operating Systems. 
Step 3 :    Goto Control panel --> Server Category --> Server Administration --> Open Office
Step 4 :     Select check box of Enableed and make sure that port number should be 8100
or
Step 5 :     We can enable the property from portal-ext.properties by providing the property as
        openoffice.server.enabled=true
        openoffice.server.host=//YourServerURL//

Step 6 :     Now you can upload the document into document library and try to download the document in another format.
I hope it will be helpful to  you.