Creating convenience in Maximo with a Hyperlink

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Last week I had a customer request if it was possible to create a Hyperlink within the header area of the Maximo/SCCD Start Center to access an external URL.  I was already aware of similar ways to utilize Hyperlinks within Maximo, for example:

Adding a Hyperlink to a Custom Field (Click here)

Launch in Context from a Hyperlink (Click here)

However, the methods above were not exactly feasible for my customer's needs. Knowing the existing buttons within the header (Go To, Sign Out, Help, etc) were defined within the LIBRARY.xml, I started my search there.

First, you will need to export your LIBRARY.xml from Application Designer for editing. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Go To > System Configuration > Application Designer
2. Select Action > Export System XML
3. Click on the download icon (blue arrow) for LIBRARY application definition to export the XML.
4. Save As... LIBRARY.xml * / **

* Depending on your browser type/configuration, it may automatically prompt you to Download and/or Save As. Just ensure that the File Type is XML upon saving the file to your local environment.
** Once the LIBRARY.xml has been saved to your local environment, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to make a backup copy of your original file.

The second step is to add the hyperlink element into the existing header. You may choose to create a new header (cloned from the original), but I will leave that option up to you.

1. Locate the header id "selfServicePageHeader" within the LIBRARY.xml
2. Create a new hyperlink element which points to your target URL, similar to below:
   
   <hyperlink classname="powerwhite" id="customURL" image="information.gif" imagecss="pwimg" label="IBM Support" mxevent="loadlink" targetid="self_pageTitlebar" link="http://www-947.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/support"/&gt;
    
3. Save your changes and import the LIBRARY.xml back into Maximo through Application Designer. The "Import Application Definition" icon is located on the toolbar.
4. Restart the JVM.

As you can see below, my new "button" is displayed in the Start Center header. For this example, the target URL I chose was our IBM Support Portal. This tab was opened within the browser upon clicking on my newly added button.

Note:
If you are utilizing a Mobile browser (ie. Maximo Everyplace), additional entries within the LIBRARY.xml will be required if you wish to include this new button on your Mobile Start Center.

I hope the above information may be helpful to even a handful of users that read this blog entry. Constructive feedback and comments are greatly appreciated.  If you've performed a similar task, or have additional notes/tips on making a change similar to what I've done, please let me know.

Cheers!