Running Scripts From the Script Console

This document has been updated and ported to Liferay Learn and is no longer maintained here.

The script console provides a single view for executing Groovy scripts and printing their output. It has predefined variables that facilitate printing output and working with portlets and users. Here you’ll learn these things:

• How to execute a script in the script console

• The predefined variables available in the script console

• Tips for running scripts in the script console

Important: The script console is for system operations and maintenance and not for end users. Limit script console access to portal administrators.

Start with running the script console’s sample script.

Running the Sample Script

Here’s how to run the sample script in the script console:

1. Sign in as an administrator.

2. In the Product Menu, navigate to Control Panel → Configuration → Server Administration.

3. Click on Script. This is the script console. The default sample script prints the User count to the console output.

   // ### Groovy Sample ###
   
   number = com.liferay.portal.kernel.service.UserLocalServiceUtil.getUsersCount();
   
   out.println(number);
   

4. Click Execute and check the script console Output for the User count.

Figure 1: The script console's sample Groovy script prints the User count to the console's *Output* section.

The Groovy sample invokes the Liferay service utility UserLocalServiceUtil to get the user count. Then it uses out (a built-in PrintWriter) to write the count to the script console. Note that if you use System.out.println instead of out.println, your output is printed to Liferay’s log file rather than to the script console.

Predefined Variables

Here are the predefined variables available to scripts executed in the script console:

• out (java.io.PrintWriter)
• actionRequest (javax.portlet.ActionRequest)
• actionResponse (javax.portlet.ActionReponse)
• portletConfig (javax.portlet.PortletConfig)
• portletContext (javax.portlet.PortletContext)
• preferences (javax.portlet.PortletPreferences)
• userInfo (java.util.Map<String, String>)

This script demonstrates using the actionRequest variable to get the portal instance’s Company:

import com.liferay.portal.kernel.util.*

company = PortalUtil.getCompany(actionRequest)
out.println("Current Company:${company.getName()}\n")

out.println("User Info:")
userInfo.each {
        k,v -> out.println("${k}:${v}")
}

Figure 2: Here's an example of invoking a Groovy script that uses the predefined `out`, `actionRequest`, and `userInfo` variables to print information about the company and current user.

Tips

Keep these things in mind when using the script console:

• There is no undo.
• There is no preview.
• Permissions checking is not enforced for local services.
• Scripts are executed synchronously. Avoid executing scripts that might take a long time.

For these reasons, use the script console cautiously. Test your scripts on non-production systems before running them on production.

Of course, Liferay’s script engine can be used outside of the script console. Next, you’ll learn how workflows leverage Liferay’s script engine.