Updating the UI with Extended Permissions Scheme

Now that you have your permissions scheme configured to handle individual entities, it’s time to add a permissions method that can be called from your master view. You’ll create a method that checks a user’s permissions for the VIEW action key, or the authorization to view an entity. You’ll begin with implementing this permission check in the guestbook.

1. In the com.liferay.docs.guestbook.wrappers.Guestbook class, add the following variable and property:

    private static final String MODEL = "com.liferay.docs.guestbook.model.Guestbook";
   
    private Boolean viewable;
   

   The MODEL variable represents the model resource and its permissions properties you set in the resource-actions/default.xml file for Guestbook. The viewable property will be used in your permissions method, and called in the master view.

2. Add the following permissions method that checks for the VIEW permission:

    public Boolean getViewable() {
   
        if (viewable == null) {
            LiferayFacesContext liferayFacesContext = LiferayFacesContext.getInstance();
            long scopeGroupId = liferayFacesContext.getScopeGroupId();
            viewable = liferayFacesContext.getThemeDisplay().getPermissionChecker().hasPermission(scopeGroupId,
                MODEL, getGuestbookId(), ActionKeys.VIEW);
        }
   
        return viewable;
    }
   

   This method’s returned viewable property corresponds to the VIEW permission that can be granted to users. The getViewable() method checks if the current user has the appropriate permissions to view the guestbook entity.

   The method uses the LiferayFacesContext to grab the ThemeDisplay, and then checks if the user has the appropriate permissions to view the guestbook by calling Liferay’s PermissionChecker. The PermissionChecker scans the guestbook’s model resource to see if the current user holds the VIEW action key. If the user’s role supports the action key, the guestbook is visible; if not, the guestbook is invisible to the user.

3. Now you’ll need to check for the viewable permission in your master view. Open the master.xhtml file and, directly after the opening <ui:repeat> tag, insert <h:panelGroup rendered="#{guestbook.viewable}">. Then after the next closest closing </span> tag insert a closing </h:panelGroup> tag.

   Each user that attempts to view a guestbook is now checked for the VIEW permission. Checking for the new viewable property and the hasViewPermission you added in the previous learning path for all guestbook tabs is excessive. Now that you’re able to check for each guestbook’s viewability, you no longer need to check for the outdated hasViewPermission, which makes one check for all the guestbook entities.

4. Remove the rendered="#{guestbookBacking.hasViewPermission}" attribute from the opening <ui:repeat> tag.

Fantastic! You’ve taken advantage of your extended permission scheme by checking the VIEW permission for each guestbook entity. Now you’ll provide the same capability for each guestbook entry.

1. In the com.liferay.docs.guestbook.wrappers.Entry class, add the following variable and property:

    private static final String MODEL = "com.liferay.docs.guestbook.model.Entry";
   
    private Boolean viewable;
   

2. Add the following permissions method:

    public Boolean getViewable() {
   
        if (viewable == null) {
            LiferayFacesContext liferayFacesContext = LiferayFacesContext.getInstance();
            long scopeGroupId = liferayFacesContext.getScopeGroupId();
            viewable = liferayFacesContext.getThemeDisplay().getPermissionChecker().hasPermission(scopeGroupId,
                MODEL, getEntryId(), ActionKeys.VIEW);
        }
   
        return viewable;
    }
   

3. Now you’ll need to check your master view for the viewable property. Open the master.xhtml file. Inside the <h:dataTable>...</h:dataTable> tags, find both <h:outputText /> tags and surround both of them with <h:panelGroup>...</h:panelGroup> tags. For each <h:panelGroup> tag, add the rendered="#{entry.viewable}" attribute. Your data table should now look like the following:

    <h:dataTable styleClass="table table-bordered table-hover table-striped" rowClasses="table-cell "
        value="#{guestbookBacking.entries}" var="entry">
        <h:column>
            <f:facet name="header"><h:outputText value="#{i18n['message']}" /></f:facet>
            <h:panelGroup rendered="#{entry.viewable}">
                <h:outputText value="#{entry.message}" />
            </h:panelGroup>
        </h:column>
        <h:column>
            <f:facet name="header"><h:outputText value="#{i18n['name']}" /></f:facet>
            <h:panelGroup rendered="#{entry.viewable}">
                <h:outputText value="#{entry.name}" />
            </h:panelGroup>
        </h:column>
    </h:dataTable>
   

Congratulations! Both your entities are now using the new extended permissions scheme to check for user VIEW permissions. This permissions scheme becomes even more powerful when you can take advantage of checking the permissions for each entity by accessing each entity’s permissions menu. You’ll configure this in the next learning path.