Developing portlets for dummies (sql queries)

Question

Hello, I've been trying to build a dynamic menu. First I went with just plain old plsql: i created a function in the portal schema that returns an unordered, nested list of the pages in my pagegroup and called that function in a regular pl/sql item on my portal page. I did this by querying the wwpob_page$ table and that went just great in my test&development setup (of which I am the admin of course :))
Then I realized that since I'm not an administrator of the server hosting our portal and I only have very limited privileges (I am only a page group administrator) I will probably not be allowed to utilize this function nor will they agree to install it in the portal schema, and I decided I should build a portlet that does the same thing (so it can be registered and so on, and so it can use the synonyms and tools that are available to registered providers). There already is such a portlet (and provider) registered for use in the target portal, but I don't like it because i uses tables and hard-coded styles so I will cook my own, better version. :)
So I downloaded an example portlet and am getting the hang of it, but now I just can't for the life of me figure out how to enable any sql-queries. I have run the provsyns-.sql script, logged in as test_provider/portal and installed my portlet-package as test_provider user. I can see the available pl/sql packages in Toad, but there are no tables or views for me to to see. That means I can't query the portal tables that I need to.
edit: ok, stupid user error; I suck at using Toad, so I was looking at the wrong schema altogether :D So now i see the public views and packages, so forget that bit of the question.
But still, I cannot see even wwsbr_all_folders -view, much less the wwpob_page$ -table. I cannot see any way to find the pages that are in my page group. Somehow it must be doable, right?
Have I done something wrong, missed a step in enabling my test-provider / schema perhaps? I don't really know what I'm doing, but I followed instructions here: http://home.c2i.net/toreingolf/oracle/portal/my_first_plsql_portlet.htm (excellent instructions, thanks!)
So should my portlet be able to access those tables or not? How the heck has the third partly portlet maker done it?
i'm on OracleAS Portal 10g Release 2 (10.1.4)
Edited by: Baguette on 23-Apr-2009 05:13
Edited by: Baguette on 23-Apr-2009 05:32

Answer 1

i see your perspective now. and let me give a perspective to my first reply too.
what i proposed to you was the answer of what i quoted in the message. that is, why didn't you see those views in the new schema you created! and it is still ok but it is done in the portal schema for which you should have privielges too and i assumed you had. my mistake!
now, i can relate your privacy concerns with your earlier message:
Hello, I've been trying to build a dynamic menu. First I went with just plain old plsql: i created a function in the portal schema that returns an unordered, nested list of the pages in my pagegroup and called that function in a regular pl/sql item on my portal page. I did this by querying the wwpob_page$ table and that went just great in my test&development setup (of which I am the admin of course :))
+Then I realized that since I'm not an administrator of the server hosting our portal and I only have very limited privileges (I am only a page group administrator) I will probably not be allowed to utilize this function nor will they agree to install it in the portal schema, and I decided I should build a portlet that does the same thing (so it can be registered and so on, and so it can use the synonyms and tools that are available to registered providers). There already is such a portlet (and provider) registered for use in the target portal, but I don't like it because i uses tables and hard-coded styles so I will cook my own, better version. :)+
+So I downloaded an example portlet and am getting the hang of it, but now I just can't for the life of me figure out how to enable any sql-queries. I have run the provsyns-.sql script, logged in as test_provider/portal and installed my portlet-package as test_provider user. I can see the available pl/sql packages in Toad, but there are no tables or views for me to to see. That means I can't query the portal tables that I need to.+
- by downloading an example portlet, you probably mean you created a new schema. because provsyns work on a schema.
- if you are not the administrator of the portal, and may not be able to access some portions of the portal, it means that you do not use the portal user (the user which serves as the owner of the portal schema).
- now, your plan to create a new schema and give those privielges would still not work. because, by creating a new schema you cannot sneak in to the oriignal portal schema if you do not have privileges to do it. obvious, right? otherwise, it would be a vulnerability of the software that you can see what you are not allowed to see by creating a new schema.
- however, there is a bright side here. the views give records based on your privileges.
- so if your administrators have generated them already or if they generate on the original portal schema, then you may see the pages and items that you have privileges to see and no more.
so now, you may ask the administrators if they have already done it, and if not, then if they would be willing to do it.
hope that helps!
AMN