You can add user interface elements to IBM Cognos Connection to connect to external applications or to modify the functionality of IBM Cognos Connection. You can restrict access to these new user interface elements based on different user groups and roles.

To add a user interface element in IBM Cognos Connection, you must modify the portal system.xml file.

The xml:lang attribute of the label and tooltip elements in the system .xml file corresponds to the product locale in use at the time of the portal page generation. If a new product locale is added for IBM Cognos software, you must add a translation for the label and tooltip fields. When no label or tooltip is found that matches the product locale, nothing is displayed. The graphic that is referenced by the icon element must exist in the c10_location/webcontent/ps/portal/images directory.

Procedure
1. Stop the IBM Cognos service.
2. Open the c10_location/templates/ps/portal/system.xml file in an XML or text editor.
3. For the <system> element, add the <param name=”ui_add”> element:

<param name=”ui_add”>

<!–list of user interface elements–>

</param>

4. Within the <param name=”ui_add”> element, define all the custom elements that you want to add.

For example, you can add a link to the IBM website in the main header in IBM Cognos Connection:

<param name=”ui_add”>
<CC_HEADER_MENU>
<item>
<url>

http://www.ibm.com

</url>

<target>_blank</target>

<label xml:lang=”en”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”en”>IBM</tooltip>

<label xml:lang=”fr”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”fr”>IBM</tooltip>

<label xml:lang=”de”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”de”IBM</tooltip>

<label xml:lang=”ja”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”ja”>IBM</tooltip>

</item>

</CC_HEADER_MENU>

</param>

Using the following example, the IBM link and the associated icon are added to the

Launch

menu in IBM Cognos Connection:

<param name=”ui_add”>
<CRN_HEADER_OPTIONS>
<item>
<url>

http://www.ibm.com

</url>

<target>_blank</target>

<label xml:lang=”en”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”en”>IBM</tooltip>

<label xml:lang=”fr”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”fr”>IBM</tooltip>

<label xml:lang=”de”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”de”>IBM</tooltip>

<label xml:lang=”ja”>IBM</label>

<tooltip xml:lang=”ja”>IBM</tooltip>

<icon>action_search.gif</icon>

</item>

<CRN_HEADER_OPTIONS>

</param>

5. For information about all the user interface elements that you can add, see the topic ““Elements You Can Add”. Ensure that you match the case of each user interface element that you want to add.

6. Specify one or more groups or roles that you want to access the new interface element by adding their IDs as values of the show attribute. Use the IDs as documented in the topic “Referencing the required groups or roles in the system.xml file”. Separate the IDs using spaces.

Here is an example:

<param name=”ui_add”>

<CC_VIEW_TOOLS>
<item show=”Administrators RSUsers g1 g2″>
<url></url>

<target>_blank</target>

<label xml:lang=”en”>

My_label in English

</label>

<label xml:lang=”fr”>

My_label in French

</label>

<label xml:lang=”de”>

My_label in German

</label>

<label xml:lang=”ja”>

My_label in Japanese

</label>

</item>

</CC_VIEW_TOOLS>

</param>

7. Save the system.xml file.
8. Restart the IBM Cognos service.
Tip: You can have only one <param name=”ui_add”> element in the system.xml. Therefore, all items that you want to add must be placed inside this element.