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Extend the Tasks pane with custom queries

Describes how to extend the task pane that is part of the Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) user interface.

The Tasks panel contains predefined lists with queries like Drafts, Rejected, or Recently Changed. You can also build a query and plug it into the tasks list.

To add a query, implement IContentQueryInterface or inherit from one of the base classes that already have this interface (ContentQueryBase, ContentActivitiesQueryBase).

public class CustomQuery : ContentQueryBase {
  // …  
}

Register the query in the IOC container under IContentQuery type (using ServiceConfiguration attribute).

[ServiceConfiguration(typeof(IContentQuery))]
public class CustomQuery : ContentQueryBase {
  // …  
}

Then, implement a few properties:

  • Name – unique name for the query.
  • DisplayName – label displayed in drop-down list, used for grouping queries in the list.
  • SortOrder – defines the position on the list.
  • VersionSpecific – determines whether to treat query results as version-specific when comparing links.
  • PluginAreas – to make the query visible in the tasks list, set PluginAreas to EPiServer.Shell.ContentQuery.KnownContentQueryPlugInArea.EditorTasks string constant.
public override IEnumerable<string> PlugInAreas = new string[] { KnownContentQueryPlugInArea.EditorTasks };

Implement a custom query

Create a query to display pages that were manually marked as being edited.

There is a repository registered under the IInUseNotificationRepository interface that returns its content in GetContentMethod.

[ServiceConfiguration(typeof (IContentQuery))]
public class MarkAsEditedQuery: ContentQueryBase {
  private readonly IContentRepository contentRepository;
  private readonly IInUseNotificationRepository inUseNotificationRepository;

  public MarkAsEditedQuery(IContentQueryHelper queryHelper, IContentRepository contentRepository,
    IInUseNotificationRepository inUseNotificationRepository): base(contentRepository, queryHelper) {
    this.contentRepository = contentRepository;
    this.inUseNotificationRepository = inUseNotificationRepository;
  }
  public override string Name => "markedAsEdit";
  public override string DisplayName => "Marked as edit";
  public override IEnumerable<string> PlugInAreas => new string[] {
    KnownContentQueryPlugInArea.EditorTasks
  };
  public override int SortOrder => 105;
  public override bool VersionSpecific = rt false;
  protected override IEnumerable<IContent> GetContent(ContentQueryParameters parameters) {
    return inUseNotificationRepository.GetAllInUseNotifications()
      .Where(n => n.AddedManually)
      .Select(c => contentRepository.Get<IContent>(c.ContentGuid));
  }
}

After running the application, place the query under the OTHERS category.

To place it under another category, such as STATUS, add a generic type to ContentQueryBase or add a generic IContentQuery interface.

public class MarkAsEditedQuery : ContentQueryBase<TasksStatusQueryCategory>
    // or
public class MarkAsEditedQuery : ContentQueryBase, IContentQuery<TasksStatusQueryCategory>

Create custom query categories

You can create a query category. Category is a class that implements the IContentQueryCategory interface, and you register it in the IOC container under the IContentQueryCategory type (using ServiceConfiguration attribute).

[ServiceConfiguration(typeof(IContentQueryCategory), Lifecycle = ServiceInstanceScope.Singleton)]
public class AlloyQueryCategory : IContentQueryCategory {
  public string DisplayName => "Alloy tasks";
  public int SortOrder => 100;
}

The class has to implement two properties, DisplayName, which could be the name or key to a localization service, and SortOrder that you use when sorting categories in the list. Instead of using TasksStatusQueryCategory, use the AlloyQueryCategory.