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Configuring User Preferences

User preferences are session settings selected by each user and stored locally on the user's machine. Based on the Reflection configuration load order, these values override the configuration file created by the system administrator.

The administrator uses the Set User Preference Rules dialog box to determine which settings the user is allowed to change and save. After the administrator sets the preference rules and saves them in a configuration file, users can save their preferences by clicking Save Preferences on the File menu in Reflection. Any allowed preferences that the user saves are automatically loaded the next time the user starts the same Reflection session. If the administrator does not set any preference rules, the Save Preferences option on the File menu appears dimmed and a user preferences file cannot be saved.

Blocking user preferences

By default, existing user preferences are always loaded when a user starts a Reflection session. To prevent existing preferences from loading, use the loadUserPrefs parameter in the terminal session applet tag.

Naming conventions for user preference files

Reflection saves and names the user preferences file by combining the applet name with the .pref extension. (The applet is named using the name attribute in the applet tag.)
For example, if an applet is named AccountingSession, the preference file will be named AccountingSession.pref. If the applet is not named, users will not be able to save preferences for the session.

Storage locations of user preference files

Preference files are stored on the user's computer under the RWEB_PREFS folder. To find the home folder, click About Reflection on the Help menu of a terminal session, then click the System Information tab.

Enabling and saving user preferences

After launching a new session:

  1. Use the User Interface Profiler option on the Administration menu to set up which menus, dialog boxes, and toolbars should be available to users.

  2. In the terminal window, click Set User Preference Rules on the Administration menu

  3. In the Set User Preference Rules dialog box, select the components that will allow user changes to be saved when the user exits Reflection

  4. Click OK to close the dialog box.

  5. Set any other options in the terminal session that you want to include.

  6. When you're done configuring the session, choose Save and Exit from the File menu. Click Save/Exit. The new session appears in the session list.

When a user runs a session, he or she can save the settings for the components that you permitted when you created the configuration file. The user has the following options when user preferences are enabled:

  • To save preferences in the Reflection terminal session, click the Exit command on the File menu. All preferences allowed by the administrator in the configuration file are saved on the local computer.

  • To clear the preferences saved in the terminal session, click the Reset Preferences command on the File menu. The session settings return to the defaults in the configuration file.

  • To create additional copies of the session with different sets of preferences, click Duplicate from the Links List. The same preferences can be modified in each duplicated session.

If an administrator has not enabled user preferences for the terminal session, the Reset Preferences command on the Reflection session File menu is dimmed and preferences are not saved upon exiting.