Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Configuring MDS Customisation Layer and Layer Value Combination in ADF

With this post I would like to dive a bit deeper into MDS customisation and layer combination handling. By default, there is defined customisation layer - site. Typically we set our own customisation values for this layer, as a result - all customisations usually are stored under site layer. There could be situations, when more advanced setup would be required - to be able to control layer and layer value combination in a custom way. In other words - to be able to define your own custom layer and then provide customisation values for this layer (MDS customisations will be stored under custom_layer/custom_layer_value, instead of default site/custom_layer_value). Oracle docs would not describe how to handle on runtime layer name to be dynamic and retrieve it from some sort of configuration file. I'm going to describe a technique for this, allowing to combine and group MDS customisations under custom layer and layer values folders.

Sample application - MDSCustomizationsApp_v3.zip is implemented with a separate JDEV project for MDS customisation files. There is no site layer, it starts with profile1/profile2 and then goes with MDS layer values group1/group2. Layer profile1/profile2 switch is dynamic and handled by custom MDS customisation class implemented in the project. This is how it looks like in JDEV (Customisation Context is set with profile2 name) - MDS layer name is retrieved from a custom JAR file stored under JDEV structure (I will describe it below):


In Oracle docs you would find an example of custom class with MDS layer, where layer name will be set as static. In my sample app, I have implemented it as dynamic - layer name is retrieved from configuration file. Layer name is retrieved and assigned during first application load, it is not reset until the next restart. Here is the example of layer name variable initialisation:


Method getValue is overriden as well, to return different MDS layer customisation values, based on ADF Security.

Method getName is overriden to return MDS layer name on application initialisation. Custom method retrieveDynamicLayerName is implemented to retrieve MDS layer name from configuration file. This method works on design and runtime, this means it can be used for MDS design time seeded customisations:


In order to use custom SiteProfileCC class on runtime, we need to package it into separate JAR file and include this JAR into EAR. In my example, configuration file is packaged together with the class (this would allow to use it for design time MDS seeded customizations):


You must copy JAR file with MDS seeded customisation class SiteProfileCC into JDEV directory - jdeveloper/jdev/lib/patches, this would make it visible for design time MDS seeded customisations:


I have defined multiple MDS layers with layer values. Two layers are used for the test - profile1 and profile2. Each of these layers is assigned with group1 and group2 MDS layer values:


Application must be configured to use custom class SiteProfileCC, this is done in add-config.xml file:


Customisations are implemented in the separate JDEV application, all customisations are deployed to MAR file (we can export them directly and apply to the running instance of ADF application):


MAR file is included into main application deployment profile, under EAR level. You should notice - MDS customisation class JAR file is included to be packaged under lib folder on EAR level (this is important, otherwise application will not be started, because it will fail to load custom SiteProfileCC class):


Let's see how it works. I have provided profile1 for MDS layer in configuration file and redeployed application:


Login with user redsam1, the one granted with Group One role:


Application screen is loaded with customisations based on MDS layer and layer value - read-only table is rendered on the right side:


Login with user redsam2, the one granted with Group Two role:


Customisations for profile1 and group two are applied. Instead of Submit button, Save button is implemented:


Let's change MDS layer to be profile2 and test again with the same users:


User redsam1 gets customisation applied with Jobs block rendered below Employees:


User redsam2 gets customisations with Save and Cancel buttons included:

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