There are several different types of Portlets to chose from. The way that Portlet types are named can be confusing at times. Also, some can be configured through Manage Portlets and others require some setup through the ZMI or by creating other content objects first. Below is a basic description of the use and functionality of each available Portlet type.

Navigation

The Navigation Portlet allows users to navigate your site with ease by providing a structured "site map", or navigation tree. You have the option to display the navigation for the overall site or choose to only display the current folder contents. On LearnPlone.Org, you can see an example of the Navigation Portlet in the left column. As you dig deeper into the site, the tree will continue to expand. There are several configuration options available that effect how the Navigation Portlet will behave.

Calendar

The Calendar Portlet is a very simple Portlet that will display a Calendar on your site. This Portlet has no customizable options. If you have published Event content objects on your site, the days upon which they occur will be bolded in the calendar and will link to the corresponding events on your site. In addition, the current day is also bolded.

Classic

A Classic Portlet is refers to the way portlets were used in older version of Plone, prior to Plone 3. You must create a Page Template in the ZMI and properly set the path and macro to enable the portlet. This requires technical knowledege of both TALES and the ZMI.

Collection

The Collection Portlet will allow you to display the results of a Collection. You must have a Collection previously created when you add this Portlet, then you can specifying the Collection to be used . This is a great way to summarize the results of an important Collection so that it is easily viewable to the public. For instructions on creating a Collection Portlet follow this How-to.

Events

The Events Portlet will display Upcoming Events, provided that you have Events on your site. You can determine how many events you want to be displayed and also which events you want to display based on publishing state.

Log in

The Log in Portlet is another non configurable Portlet that will simply display a Log in Form that will allow users with Log in information to log in to the site. Once a user is logged into the site, this Portlet will not appear.

News

The News Portlet works exactly like the Events Portlet. However instead of displaying Events, it displays recent News items. Once again you can choose how many News items are displayed and filter them based on their state.

RSS Feeds

The RSS Feed Portlet allows you to link to an RSS Feed, choose how many items to display, and specify the refresh rate.

Recent Items

The Recent Items Portlet displays a customizable number of Recent Items, listed by Title. A Recent Item is determined by its Last Modified Date.

Review List

The Review List Portlet will display a list of objects that have been submitted for review. If you are using a submit and review cycle (and have properly set global roles for your users) this is a great way for reviewers to see what content has been submitted for review. This Portlet only appears to those logged in as this state is not viewable to the public.

Search

The Search Portlet will place a search box in your Portlet Column. This search box will search the Titles, Descriptions, and Body text of objects on your site for the text specified. You have the option of enabling Live Search. Live Search is a feature which shows live results if the browser supports JavaScript.

Static Text

The Static Text Portlet allows you to enter content just as you would on a normal Page object. This is useful for adding hyperlink to different sites or any information that will not change. An example of this Portlet is the "Still Stumped?" Portlet on the right hand side of this site. For more on Static Text Portlets and an example view the How-to Static Portlets.