Shell profile

10 min

Optimizely Shell contains a profile API store for storing editor settings, similar to the ASP.NET profile but more practical to use, and has a client API available for Dojo components.

Client API

Initialize the client profile object

Usually, the client profile is registered in the service locator, where multiple components can manipulate the same profile and observe changes on the profile. Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) already performs this initialization, so you do not have to when you create CMS components.

initialize: function (settings) {
  // Once during module initialization
  //Load the epi/shell/Profile module
  this.registerDependency("epi.shell.Profile", new epi.shell.Profile());
}

Access and store the global profile object on a component

To work with the client profile, assign an object field during component initialization.

postCreate: function () {
  // resolve profile from dependency system
  this._profile = dependency.resolve("epi.shell.Profile");
},

Read from the client profile object

To access values in the profile, use the get method.

getProfileValue: function () {
  // get value from profile
  return this._profile.get("MyKey");
},

Write to the client profile object

To set values in the profile, use the set method.

setProfileValue: function(value) {
  this._profile.set("MyKey", value);
}

Observe changes to the client profile

The profile is an observable Dojo object, and you can use the Dojo API to observe changes.

postCreate: function () {
  this._profile = dependency.resolve("epi.shell.Profile");
  this._profile.watch("MyKey",
    function (name, oldValue, value) {
      this.doSomethingUsefulWith(value);
    }
    .bind(this)
  );
},

Server API

This section shows how to use the Shell profile from server-side code.

Read profile data

To read profile values, use the profile repository.

using EPiServer.Shell.Profile;

public class ProfileManipulator: TemplatePage {
  public object GetMyValueFromProfile() {
    if (User.Identity.IsAuthenticated) {
      var profile = _profileRepository.GetOrCreateProfile(User.Identity.Name);
      object value;
      if (profile.Settings.TryGetValue("MyKey", out value)) {
        return value;
      }
    }
    return null;
  }
}

Write profile data

To set profile values programmatically, get a profile using the profile repository, change it, and use the save method on the profile repository. The value must be a type supported by DDS.

using EPiServer.Shell.Profile;

public class ProfileManipulator: TemplatePage {
  public void StoreValueInProfile(bool isOrIsnt) {
    if (User.Identity.IsAuthenticated) {
      var profile = _profileRepository.GetOrCreateProfile(User.Identity.Name);
      profile.Settings["MyKey"] = isOrIsnt;
      repository.Save(profile);
    }
  }
}

Give new profiles default values

Setting values on a profile involves listening to events on the profile repository and manipulating the profile object before you use it for the first time. A good place for doing this is in an initializable module.

using EPiServer.Shell.Profile;

[InitializableModule]
public class ProfileInitializer: IInitializableModule {
  public void Initialize(InitializationEngine context) {
    var repository = context.Locate.ProfileRepository();
    repository.ProfileCreated += OnProfileCreated;
  }

  void OnProfileCreated(object sender, ProfileEventArgs e) {
    // Set setting to a value on newly created profiles
    e.Profile.Settings["MyKey"] = true;
  }
}