Readers cannot have a personal view, so they will always see the shared view. Contributors by default always see the shared view but can customize the personal view. Contributors cannot customize the shared view; therefore, they do not see the two menu items called "Shared View" and "Personal View." But, Web Designers and Administrators can customize both the shared and personal view and can switch forth and back between these two views with the two menu items called "Shared View" and "Personal View." When a user has customized the personal view, a new menu item called "Reset Page Content" shows up at the bottom of the popup menu. This allows you to reset the personal view back to the same as the shared view, meaning all your customizations are undone. All changes will be lost permanently.

How to enable the design mode of a Web part page and the basics of page design

The "Design this page" menu item switches to the design mode. It allows you to drag and drop Web parts to different zones on the page. For example, drag the Links Web part from the right zone to the left zone. You can hide a Web part by clicking the closing "x" in the title bar. Closing does not remove the Web part from the page; it makes it invisible. This allows you to enable the Web part again without losing any of the settings you made to the Web part. You also can click the "down arrow" in a Web part title bar to open the popup menu for that Web part. From here, you can close the Web part or delete it; this removes it permanently from the page. This permanently deletes any settings you made to the Web part. You also can minimize the Web part or restore it to its original size. You can modify the Web part through the "Modify Shared Web Part," which, of course, on the personal view is called "Modify My Web Part." This opens up the properties pane on the right side of the browser window. Here, you can change the following properties of the Web part:

• View—If there are multiple views available, you can select which view to use. Remember that adding "Document and lists" to the portal adds a new menu item to the left side navigation bar (if selected in the "Documents and lists" properties); this brings up a new page. This new page is a Web part page that has a Web part on it—the actual "Documents and lists" Web part. For example, adding a Contacts list places a Contacts Web part on this new Contacts Web part page. As you remember, you can define multiple views. You can take the same Contacts Web part and place it on the portal page and then select which of the defined views to use.
  
  This way, for example, you can add an "Announcements" list that you don't add to the left side navigation bar and then take the actual "Announcements" Web part and place it on the portal page. Through the "Documents and Lists" item in the top menu bar, you can find the "Announcements" list, click it to open it, select the "Modify and Settings" item in the left side navigation bar, and then under the "Views" section, you can add new views or delete and change existing views. The views defined here are then available under the Web part properties.
• Toolbar type—Choose whether you want to have a complete toolbar, summary toolbar, or no toolbar. As an example, look at the Contacts Web part. The summary toolbar adds an "Add new item" link at the bottom of the Web part. Through this link users can add new contacts. The full toolbar shows a complete toolbar on top of the Web part; it allows you to add new items, filter the contact list, link to Outlook, and import contacts. The full toolbar is always shown when the Web part is placed on the Web part page itself; for example, when the user selects contacts from the left side navigation bar and gets presented with the list of contacts on the new contacts Web part page.
• Appearance—Under the appearance section, you can change the Web part title shown as well as the width and height. The width and height can be fixed (in pixels) or adjustable to the zone it is placed on.
• Layout—Under this section, you can select the direction "left to right" or "right to left" (for languages where you read from right to left) and the part order. The part order gets also updated as you drag and drop the Web part around on the page zones. Through "Visible on Page," you can show or hide the Web part.
• Advanced—The "Detail Link" URL is used to make the Web part title a link and allows you to jump to the "Documents and List" Web part page itself. For example the Contacts Web part placed on the portal links through that URL to the Contact Web part page itself (the same link as on the left side navigation bar). The Description is shown as ALT text of that link. The help link is the help page called when selecting "Help" from the Web part popup menu. With "Allow Minimize" and "Allow Close," you determine whether you allow the Web part to be minimized or closed through the Web part popup menu. "Allow Zone Change" determines whether users are allowed to move Whe Web part to a different zone on their personal views. Disable this setting to prevent users from moving Web parts to different zones. Users can still change the order within the same zone.

You can close the Web part properties pane with the closing "x" in the properties pane or you can bring up the popup menu of another Web part (through the arrow down in the Web part title bar) and then select "Modify Shared Web Part" or "Modify My Web Part" to bring up the properties of this Web part. Closing the properties pane also ends the design mode of the page. You also can bring up the properties of a Web part through the "Modify Shared Page" link, selecting "Modify Shared Web Parts," or "Modify My Web Parts" from the popup menu. From the new popup menu, select the Web part you want to modify. The personal view allows you only to change the "Appearance" and "Layout" Web part properties. The "Advanced" properties as well as the toolbar type and view cannot be changed on personal views. Changing these settings on shared views will also take effect on personal views if the user has customized the Web part on his/her personal view.

How to add new Web parts to a Web part page

The "Add Web Parts" menu item in the "Modify Shared Page" or "Modify My Page" popup menu allows you to add new Web parts to the portal. This shows a popup menu with three choices followed by the "Add Web Parts" pane on the right side of the browser window:

• Browse—Shows you a list of four Web part galleries. Web part galleries are places where the system can find Web parts. The following four galleries exist:
  • Web Part Page Gallery—These are Web parts that have been placed on the portal page but have been closed later on. So, these are Web parts that exist on the page but are not displayed.
  • Team Web Site Gallery—These are Web parts that available on this top-level portal (including all its sub-portals).
  • Virtual Server Gallery—Web parts that are available to all portals on a virtual server. Used for Web parts that should be available to all top-level portals.
  • Online Gallery—A gallery of Web parts made available online by Microsoft. Right now, this is a series of MSNBC Web parts for news, stock quotes, and weather.
• Search—Searches all Web part galleries and returns a list of Web parts matching your search criteria. For example, search for "Contacts" and it will show you one found Web part under the "Team Web Site Gallery."
• Import—Allows you to import a Web part onto the portal page. This Web part will be available only on the page to you import it. You select the path to the Web part file (extension DWP) residing on your local drive or a network drive and then click the Upload button. It then shows the title of the Web part underneath the upload button. This has not yet imported the Web part. It just read the title from the Web part and displayed it so the user knows which part is really imported. Next, you click the Import button at the bottom of the pane that then imports the Web part and also shows it on the portal page itself. The third article will show how you can import Web parts so they become available to other Web part pages and portals.

When browsing for Web parts or after performing a search for Web parts, you see the four Web part galleries at the top of the "Add Web Parts" pane. Select one to see the list of available Web parts for the gallery. You then drag and drop the Web part onto the desired zone on the Web part page. When done, close the "Add Web Parts" pane. You also can export Web parts through the Web part popup menu (click on the "down arrow" in the Web part title bar). All Web parts created by "Documents and Lists" cannot be exported because they are specific to the portal they are on. All other Web parts show the "Export" menu item in the popup menu. This allows you to download the Web part DWP file that includes all files and information for this Web part. You then can import that Web part file to other portal pages or send it to users who can import it on their personal views.