Working with URLs in JavaScript

The Liferay global JavaScript Object exposes methods, objects, and properties that access the portal context. Four of these are helpful when working with URLS: authToken, currentURL, currentURLEncoded, and PortletURL. If you have experience with Java development in Liferay DXP, you may have worked with some of these before. The Liferay global object is automatically available at runtime, so no additional dependencies are required.

This tutorial covers how to use the Liferay global JavaScript object to manipulate URLs. A complete list of the available methods and properties appears in the tables at the end of this tutorial.

Liferay PortletURL

The Liferay.PortletURL object provides methods for creating portlet API URLs (actionURL, renderURL, and resourceURL), through JavaScript. Below is an example configuration:

var portletURL = Liferay.PortletURL.createURL(themeDisplay.getURLControlPanel());

portletURL.setDoAsGroupId('true');
portletURL.setLifecycle(Liferay.PortletURL.ACTION_PHASE);
portletURL.setParameter('cmd', 'add_temp');
portletURL.setParameter('javax.portlet.action', '/document_library/upload_file_entry');
portletURL.setParameter('p_auth', Liferay.authToken);
portletURL.setPortletId(Liferay.PortletKeys.DOCUMENT_LIBRARY);

See the Portlet URL Methods and Properties section for more information about the methods and properties used in the example above.

Liferay AuthToken

The Liferay.authToken property holds the current authentication token value as a String. The authToken is used to validate permissions when you make calls to services. To use the authToken in a URL, pass Liferay.authToken as the URL’s p_auth parameter, as shown in the example below:

portletURL.setParameter('p_auth', Liferay.authToken);

Liferay CurrentURL

The Liferay.currentURL property holds the path of the current URL from the server root.

For example, if checked from my.domain.com/es/web/guest/home, the value is /es/web/guest/home, as shown below:

// Inside my.domain.com/es/web/guest/home
console.log(Liferay.currentURL); // "/es/web/guest/home"

Liferay CurrentURLEncoded

The Liferay.currentURLEncoded property holds the path of the current URL, encoded in ASCII for safe transmission over the Internet, from the server root.

For example, if checked from my.domain.com/es/web/guest/home, the value is %2Fes%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome, as shown below:

// Inside my.domain.com/es/web/guest/home
console.log(Liferay.currentURLEncoded); // "%2Fes%2Fweb%2Fguest%2Fhome"

Portlet URL Methods and Properties

Liferay.PortletURL Methods:

Method	Parameters	Returns
createURL	basePortletURL, params	new PortletURL(null, params, basePortletURL);
createActionURL		new PortletURL(PortletURL.ACTION_PHASE);
createRenderURL		new PortletURL(PortletURL.RENDER_PHASE);
createResourceURL		new PortletURL(PortletURL.RESOURCE_PHASE);

Liferay.PortletURL Properties:

Property	Value
ACTION_PHASE	“1”
RENDER_PHASE	“0”
RESOURCE_PHASE	“2”

Once the portlet URL is created, you have access to several methods that you can use to manipulate the URL further:

Method	Description	Parameters	Returns
setDoAsGroupId	Sets the ID of the site, organization, or user group for the URL	doAsGroupId	The updated Portlet URL Object
setDoAsUserId	Sets the ID of the user to impersonate	doAsUserId	The updated Portlet URL Object
setEscapeXML	Sets whether the URL should be XML escaped	true or false	The updated Portlet URL Object
setLifecycle	Sets the portlet lifecycle of this URL’s target portlet	lifecycle	The updated Portlet URL Object
setName	sets the portlet URL’s javax.portlet.action name	name	The updated Portlet URL Object
setParameter	Creates an individual parameter or replaces an existing reserved parameter	key,value	The updated Portlet URL Object
setParameters	Creates multiple parameters and/or replaces existing reserved parameters	{key:value,…}	The updated Portlet URL Object
setPlid	Sets the portlet layout ID	plid	The updated Portlet URL Object
setPortletId	Sets the ID of the target portlet	portletId	The updated Portlet URL Object
setPortletMode	Sets the portlet mode, if the URL triggers a request	portletMode	The updated Portlet URL Object
setResourceId	Sets the ID of the URL’s target resource	ResourceId	The updated Portlet URL Object
setSecure	Sets whether to make the URL secure (HTTPS).	true or false	The updated Portlet URL Object
setWindowState	Sets the portlet’s window state, if the URL triggers a request	windowState	The updated Portlet URL Object
toString	Returns the URL as a String		The portlet URL as a String
_isReservedParam	Returns whether the parameter is reserved	paramName	true if the parameter is reserved

Now you know how to manipulate URLs using methods within the Liferay global JavaScript object.

Related Topics

Liferay DXP JavaScript Utilities

Liferay Theme Display