Grouper Developers Forum

[Tom Barton <>]

Thanks Chris.

As I recall, you've already created web service methods for Subject 
picking. So you're providing two interfaces for picking Subjects, this 
UI and a WS interface. Does this UI use the Subject WS interface?

I've heard a few developers on other projects talk about OpenSocial, in 
part as providing an approach to composing bits of functionality like 
the Subject picker into an encompassing app. I don't know enough about 
it - does anyone on the list know more about OpenSocial?

Tom

Chris Hyzer wrote:
> Hey,
>
> I briefly mentioned this before, and have started working on it. This is 
> a screen that allows external applications to grouper (or grouper 
> itself), to have a subject picker in the grouper ui. Initially I would 
> like to use this in Kuali workflow edoclite, but it could be used anywhere.
>
> This is the design, let me know any feedback.
>
>    1. If you have SSO the usability will be better (i.e. when the popup
>       appears, the user will already be logged in)
>
>    2. You are on a screen where you need to find a person (e.g. I will
>       have a Kuali Rice workflow screen where the submitter needs to
>       select his/her supervisor. The end result is a hidden field with
>       the userId (e.g. 12345678), and a label which shows the
>       description. e.g.
>
>       John Smith (jsmith, 12345678) employee, engineering school IT
>       department technical director (ACTIVE)
>
>       There is a button on the application which lets the user select a
>       user. (see screenshot #1)
>
>       <button onclick="theWindow =
>       
> window.open('http://localhost:8091/grouper/grouperUi/appHtml/grouper.html?operation=SubjectPicker.index&subjectPickerName=whatever&subjectPickerElementName=subject1','newWindow',
>       'scrollbars,resizable'); theWindow.focus(); return false;">Find
>       person</button>
>
>    3. Then you see a popup which is from the grouper ui (see screenshot
>       #2). This is like the lite Ui, ajax, etc. The text and features
>       (and CSS) can be customized per app using it.
>    4. Search for a user (screenshot #3).  This is an ajax request.
>    5. Select a user and a Javascript function is called in the
>       application which can set the subjectId / display string to the
>       screen (or actually any subject property or attribute if
>       configured to be allowed
>
>       <script>
>
>       *  function*
>       grouperSubjectSelected(elementName,subjectId,subjectDescription,
>       pickerResultSubject) {
>
>           subjectDescription = escapeHtml(subjectDescription);
>
>           subjectId = escapeHtml(subjectId);
>
>           document.getElementById(elementName +
>       "DescriptionSpanId").innerHTML = subjectDescription;
>
>       *    if* (elementName == 'subject1') {
>
>             document.getElementById(elementName + "IdSpanId").innerHTML
>       = subjectId;
>
>           } *else* *if* (elementName == 'subject2') {
>
>             document.getElementById(elementName + "IdSpanId").value =
>       subjectId;
>
>           } *else* {
>
>             alert("ERROR: Cant find elementName: " + elementName);
>
>           }
>
>         }
>
>         /** convert input into a non-null string */
>
>       *  function* escapeHtml(input) {
>
>           input = input.replace(/&/g, "&amp;");
>
>           input = input.replace(/</g, "&lt;");
>
>           input = input.replace(/>/g, "&gt;");
>
>       *    return* input;
>
>         }
>
>       </script>
>
>    6.
>
>       You see the application screen change (see attachment #4),
>       probably a label on the screen and a hidden field for the subject
>       id or whatever.
>
> The config options will have defaults for all subject pickers, and you 
> can customize for each one.  All the text, the way the subjects are 
> displayed, the CSS, what is returned to the calling application, which 
> sources are searched, which group the results must be in, which group 
> the user must be in, etc.
>
>
> I picture the configs to be on the classpath or in a directory 
> (specified in media.properties).  If you do nothing, no subject pickers 
> will be enabled, you need to add a config file for one to be used.  
> There isnt really a way to know which app the subject picker is used 
> from, this is how internet applications work.
>  
> I think in general s subject picker is more of an IdM thing, and not a 
> group thing, but since you can control which group the user and results 
> need to be in, it is related to group management (and for institutions 
> where there isnt an IdM equivalent).  It is a downside that the 
> application relies on the Grouper UI being available...   Also, the 
> browser support list of the Grouper UI will limit the calling application.
>  
> Anyways, let me know your thoughts or if anyone might be able to use this.
>  
> Thanks,
> Chris
>  
>  
>
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