1   What is it?

CPSInstaller allows you to register your portlets from the installer of your product. This means it can create for you the portlets given a specific configuration. (right now it's Python structure, but it has to change...)

2   Available API

Within CPSInstaller module:

getPortletContainer(self, object=None, create=0):
"""get a portlet container and create it if not found and asked for"""

verifyPortletContainer(self, object=None):
""Verify the existence of the portlet container and create it if not
  found.
  If object is None then it's gonna verify it the root of the portal
thus within the portlets tool.
"""

verifyPortlets(self, portlets, object=None):
"""Verify the existence of given portet in the object's portlet
   containe r.  If not found, a portlet is instantied. Existing
   portlets are not affecte d.

   portlets is a dictionary with keys begins the box ids, and values being
   the dictionary given by the export tab.
   The default object is the portal itself.

   return the list a new portlet ids.
   """

3   Examples

Use it through the verifyPortlets() method.

You need to specify the context such as: portal.workspaces, portal.sections or portal.whatever.

And then a Python dictionary describing the portlets you want to add.

This example takes place within the installer of your product. (Check out the CPSInstaller documentation if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

The installer below is a CPSInstaller instance:

>> portlets = ({'type'  : 'Dummy Portlet',
                'identifier' : 'Dummy1',
                'Title' : 'Fake Portlet',
                'slot'  : 'left',
                'order' : 0},
               {'type'  : 'Dummy Portlet',
                'identifier' : 'Dummy2',
                'Title' : 'Fake Portlet 2',
                'slot'  : 'right',
                'order' : 2},
              )

>> installer.verifyPortlets(portlets, self.portal.workspaces)

A few notes:

• HUOM!
• type is compulsory.
• identifier is compulsory if you want to do updates in the future.

For the others there are default values.

4   CPSSkins exports configuration

So you should be able to manage through the CPSSkins interface and then export and import your configuration.

less is more :)