[Building Sakai] "Full-Window" Helpers

[Daniel McCallum]

I'm not sure that quite does it b/c the modal's display area is limited 
to the iframe. I suppose theoretically I could have a script in an 
iframe specify the content location for a modal container in the parent 
frame and register trigger events with that container. I'm not a js/css 
expert by any means, but it's not obvious to me how one pulls off that 
trick. If you have code examples, I'd love to have a look. Or perhaps 
I'm just missing something obvious in jqModal?

Thanks again.

- Dan

Stephen Swinsburg wrote:
> Hi Daniel,
> 
> just implement a modal window with the contents of your helper. The 
> background gets a mask that renders it unclickable until the modal 
> window closes. If you have a web accessible path to you helper app then 
> you can supply the window with a URL to use as the contents. They will 
> also have an onClose handler that you can use to perform your 
> refresh/redirect. Many JS frameworks around can do this, but trunk is 
> now using jqModal, so you might be best using that one. Thickbox is also 
> great.
> 
> 
> cheers,
> Steve
> 
> ---
> Steve Swinsburg
> Portal Systems Developer
> Centre for e-Science
> Lancaster University
> Lancaster
> LA1 4YT
> 
> email: s.swinsburg at lancaster.ac.uk <mailto:s.swinsburg at lancaster.ac.uk>
> phone: +44 (0) 1524 594870
> 
> On 19/03/2009, at 5:52 PM, Daniel McCallum wrote:
> 
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have a requirement to render a helper tool in what amounts to
>> full-window mode. That is, the helper tool is launched in such a way
>> that it hides the portal's site and page navigation so that only the
>> helper's UI is clickable.
>>
>> Is there a canonical way to meet such a requirement?
>>
>> This is Sakai 2.5.x. The tool launching the helper is rendered in an
>> iframe. Both the launching tool and helper tool are SpringMVC+JSP.
>>
>> Here's my idea...
>>
>> 1) Custom portal handler or markup which generates crippled portal
>> chrome around the normal output (tool iframe) of /portal/page.
>>
>> 2) JS link in launching tool which directs the portal frame to
>> /portal/[my-handler]/{pageId}?toolstate-{toolId}={toolState} where
>> {toolState} triggers rendering of the helper.
>>
>> 3) On helper completion, redirect to value of Tool.HELPER_DONE_URL as
>> usual. That URL serves a response which fires a client-side redirect of
>> the portal frame to an uncrippled state with appropriate tool state info
>> ... e.g. a /portal/directtool/{toolstate} or
>> /portal/site/{siteId}/{pageId}?{toolstate}
>>
>> All of this seems much more difficult to get right than simply using
>> "inline" helpers as usual or just popping out a separate window. Am I
>> missing a simpler option. Am I over-worried about seen or unforeseen
>> pitfalls?
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> - Dan McCallum
>> Unicon, Inc
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