Section 3.1. Linking to External Content

3.1. Linking to External Content

Windows SharePoint Services includes Web Parts that allow you to link to external content such as documents, shared folders, and web sites that aren't part of the actual team site. By adding a Page Viewer Web Part to your team site, you can display external files, folders, or web sites to users in a transparent fashion. In other words, you can extend the reach of your team site in order to present content that is not under your direct control.

3.1.1. Adding a Page Viewer Web Part

A Page Viewer Web Part provides a window for displaying external content on a shared page. For example, you could link to a stock ticker, or an important spreadsheet that contains all product codes that users need to create invoices. In either case, the content is not under your direct control, so you can't simply add it to a standard Web Part. Figure 3-1 shows how you browse the Web Part list to add Web Parts to your team site.

Figure 3-1. Browsing the Web Part list

To add a Page Viewer Web Part:

1. Click on the "Modify Shared page" link in the top-right corner of the page.

2. Select Add Web Parts Browse.

3. Select the Page Viewer Web Part from the list.

4. Select Left or Right from the Add to drop-down list to add your part to the lefthand or righthand side of the page.

5. Click OK.

3.1.2. Personalizing a Page Viewer Web Part

SharePoint Services Web Parts support personalization. That is, each user can configure his view of a site. As the site designer, you can configure a Page Viewer Web Part in the Page Viewer Web Part configuration menu to allow a user to specify how the Web Part appears on the page. Many of the properties are style choices, but some options are worth noting.

• Set the height and width properties for the Web Part:

  • To ensure the Web Part is always the same size, set the properties to a fixed pixel size. The user will not be able to adjust the size of the part.

  • To allow the window size to change depending on the content being displayed, select the "Adjust to fit zone" radio button.

• To display the Page Viewer Web Part on the page, select the Visible checkbox.

• To determine where the Web Part is displayed (that is, the order) on your page, enter a numeric value in the Part Order text field. If you enter a 1, the Page Viewer Web Part will be displayed as the first item in its area. If you don't enter a value, the user will be able to adjust the Web Part order.

• If you want the user to have the option to minimize the Page Viewer Web Part, select the "Allow Minimize" checkbox.

• If you want the user to be able to close the Page Viewer Web Part, select the "Allow Close" checkbox. If this checkbox is not selected, the Page Viewer Web Part will always be displayed.

• If you want the user to be able to change the location of the Page Viewer Web Part, select the "Allow Move" checkbox.

3.1.2.1 Linking to a web site

Linking a Page Viewer Web Part to an external web page allows you to display the information from any web site in a frame contained on your page. For example, your site could link to a web site that displayed a news ticker, weather updates, or stock information. To link to a web site:

1. Click "Open tool pane" in the Page Viewer Web Part.

2. In the Page Viewer menu, select the Web Page radio button.

3. Type the URL of the web site you want to display in the Link text field. To test if the link you entered is valid, click on the Test Link hyperlink. If the hyperlink is valid, the web site is loaded into a pop-up viewer window. If the hyperlink is invalid, the pop-up viewer displays a Page Not Found error page.

4. Type a title for your Web Part in the Title text field.

5. Configure the appearance and layout of your Page Viewer Web Part.

Figure 3-2 shows the configuration options that are available when you create a Page Viewer Web Part.

Figure 3-2. Creating a part viewer Web Part

3.1.2.2 Linking to a folder

If you link a Page Viewer Web Part to a system folder, your users will be able to view any documents or subfolders stored in the parent folder. For example, you might want to link to a folder containing corporate standards documents. The documents are not under the control of your group, so you wouldn't want to put them in a document library Web Part. However, you need to have access to the files. A Page Viewer Web Part is the perfect choice for this scenario because it provides seamless access to the files without granting editing rights. To link to a folder:

1. Click "Open tool pane" in the Page Viewer Web Part.

2. In the Page Viewer menu, select the Folder radio button.

3. In the Link text field, type the path to the folder you want to display (for example, C:\InetPub).

4. Configure the appearance and layout of your Page Viewer Web Part.

3.1.2.3 Linking to a file

You can also use a Page Viewer Web Part to display a specific file. For example, you could add a Page Viewer Web Part to the employee timesheet page, so that each time a user fills out a weekly timesheet he can see a file displaying all of the valid project numbers. To link to a file:

1. Click "Open tool pane" in the Page Viewer Web Part.

2. In the Page Viewer menu, select the File radio button.

3. Click Browse and navigate to the file you want to display.

4. Configure the appearance and layout of your Page Viewer Web Part.

Figure 3-3 displays a page that contains three Page Viewer Web Parts. The first Page Viewer Web Part (1) is called "Web Page" and is linked to the CodeNotes web site. The second Page Viewer Web Part (2) is called "Folder" and is linked to the C:\InetPub folder. The final Page Viewer Web Part (3) is called "File" and is linked to an XML file.

Figure 3-3. Page Viewer Web Parts

Notice that each of the Page Viewer Web Parts displays a different style of content. The Web Page Viewer (1) displays the web page as you'd see it inside of Internet Explorer, whereas the Folder Page Viewer (2) displays a view reminiscent of a Windows Explorer tab.