h1. Save and get space context from a portlet {anchor:id=SOCref.DeveloperReference.Save_and_get_space_context_from_a_portlet}
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Since Social 1.0.1
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h1. Why to save portlet preference? {anchor:id=SOCref.DeveloperReference.Why_save_portlet_preferences}

When working with space related portlet, we have make sure which space (space context) that portlet is working with to handle and display space's information. For example, _SpaceActivityStreamPortlet_ has to know space context to display space's activity stream. Before (as of 1.0.0-GA), we rely on actual http address to gets space's url and then gets the current space, and that causes a bug here when edit that page node [SOC-715|http://jira.exoplatform.org/browse/SOC-715].

h1. How to save space context? {anchor:id=SOCref.DeveloperReference.how_to_save_space_context}

If you want to register a portlet to be installed when creating a new space, write a portlet and set configuration in <tt>configuration.xml<tt> file of the _exo.social.component.space_ project. Just register your portlet here and it will be dynamically created a page with your portlet.

{code:xml}<component>
  <key>org.exoplatform.social.space.SpaceService</key>
  <type>org.exoplatform.social.space.impl.SpaceServiceImpl</type>
  <init-params>
    <!-- Configure the applications to install in a space -->
    <values-param>
      <name>space.homeNodeApp</name>
      <value>SpaceActivityStreamPortlet</value>
    </values-param>
    <!-- Configure removable application or not <value>Application:removable</value> -->
    <values-param>
      <name>space.apps</name>
      <value>DashboardPortlet:true</value>
      <value>SpaceSettingPortlet:false</value>
      <value>UserListPortlet:true</value>
      <value>YourPortletName:true</value>
    </values-param>
  </init-params>
</component>{code}

Notice your portlet line configuration:
{code:xml}<value>YourPortletName:true</value>{code}
{{true}} or {{false}} means that portlet can be uninstalled or mandatory from the application settings for space.

If your portlet wants to save space context, register your portlet name in SpaceUtils (it should be configured via xml soon):

{code:language=java}//SpaceUtils
static public String\[] PORTLETS_SPACE_URL_PREFERENCE_NEEDED = {"SpaceActivityStreamPortlet", "SpaceSettingPortlet", "UserListPortlet","YourPortletName"};{code}

That's it. Whenever creating a page containing your portlet, spaceUrl will be save as portlet preference.


1 How to get space context via portlet preference

Actually, we save a space's url to a portlet preference and by getting that space's url by using <tt>SpaceUtils</tt>:

{code:language=java}//SpaceUtils
/**
 * Gets spaceName by portletPreference
 * @return space's url
 */
static public String getSpaceUrl() {
  PortletRequestContext pcontext = (PortletRequestContext)WebuiRequestContext.getCurrentInstance();
  PortletPreferences pref = pcontext.getRequest().getPreferences();
  return pref.getValue(SPACE_URL, "");
}{code}

and then gets {{Space}} instance by {{SpaceService}}.

{code:language=java}//SpaceService
/**
 * Get a space by its url
 * @param spaceUrl url of space
 * @return Space space with string url specified
 * @throws SpaceException
 */
Space getSpaceByUrl(String spaceUrl) throws SpaceException;{code}

Your portlet:

{code:language=java}//YourPortletName.java
/**
 * constructor
 */
public YourPortletName() throws Exception {
  Space space = getSpaceService().getSpaceByUrl(SpaceUtils.getSpaceUrl());
}


public SpaceService getSpaceService() {
  return getApplicationComponent(SpaceService.class);
}{code}
