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Customizing the theme

The module framework allows themes to be customized in order to provide flexibility, enhance the user experience, and maximize performance.

  • Theme Editor Portlet
    The Theme Editor Portlet allows an administrator to edit static theme resources in WebDAV without the use of a WebDAV client or tool.
  • Editing static theme resources and connecting with WebDAV
    After you create a new theme, you can edit the static resources that are associated with the theme.
  • Copying your theme
    You can copy your theme using the Theme Manager or manually.
  • Dynamic content spots
    The static template files use dynamic content spots to reference JSP files or other dynamic resources. The dynamic resources are stored in a WAR file.
  • Layouts
    You can apply ready-use layouts to your portal pages, modify the existing layouts, or add your own custom layout to change how your pages display.
  • Skins
    You can apply ready-use skins to your portal pages, modify the existing skins, or add your own custom skin to change how your pages display.
  • Menus
    You can customize the appearance and performance of your menus.
  • Theme templates
    You can use static HTML to write portal themes. The static theme template is named theme.html.
  • Changing the theme logo
    You can change the theme logo to customize your portal site and rebrand it to reflect your business.
  • Customizing navigation
    You can use dynamic content spots to determine what is displayed by Top, Primary, and Secondary navigation.
  • Styles
    You can choose from selection of ready-use styles that you can be applied to your portal pages. You can also modify the existing theme styles or add your own custom style to achieve the look that you want.
  • Configuring the portal theme and modules
    You can configure themes and modules through theme metadata properties and resource environment provider custom properties.
  • Expression language beans for accessing programming models
    You can use Expression language (EL) beans to access some HCL DX programming models. These beans are accessed through the PortalBean (wp). The beans allow you to use HCL DX models and associated classes.
  • Drag-and-drop
    You can use the drag-and-drop feature to facilitate the layout of content.
  • Displaying messages in the status bar module
    You can display messages in the status bar to share important information with users.
  • Displaying the draft page ribbon
    You can display a draft page ribbon that appears along both sides of a page that has a draft in the current project.
  • Adding jQuery to a theme
    HCL DX includes a jQuery module for the jQuery core so you can use jQuery in a theme.
  • Tags used by the portal JSPs
    You can use portal JSP tags modify the appearance and layout of the portal page.

HCLSoftware U learning materials

For an introduction and demo on how to develop an HCL DX theme, go to Theme Development for Developers (Beginners). You can try it out using the Theme Development Lab and corresponding Theme Development Lab Resources.