User Preferences
Need the Platform to look the same for new users? Look no further than User Preferences!
- Navigation to show the Basic or Advanced menu.
- Charts to be shown or hidden.
- Layout to show as a grid or list.
- Record insights to be shown or hidden.
Since user settings are stored in their browser's cache, this comes in handy when you need to clear your cache. No need to start over and try to get your settings back the way you had them.
Generating User Preferences
Before you set global defaults, you may already see some User Preferences in your system. That's because each time a User changes a preference in the Platform, the system generates a User Preference entry. For example, if someone changes their Contacts page to show in Grid Layout, that preference is recorded.
Create a Set of Global Defaults
- You must have the Administrators Security Role to do this.
- Go to .
- Find a User with settings that match or are similar to what you want the Global Defaults to be. For details on these settings, see User Preferences Glossary.
- Select all the settings associated with the User that you want to set as the Global Default.
- From the Actions menu, select Assign.
- Select the check box beside User and clear the User field.
- Click Assign.
That's it! You've just created the default set of User Preferences.
Individual Users can override the defaults you set based on their own preference. Don't be afraid to let your Users choose how their Platform looks. For example, if an individual works best when they can see charts, don't change their setting to remove charts just so it matches everyone else.
And be careful when impersonating a User. If you impersonate and change a preference (for example, turn off charts), that preference changes for the impersonated User, and they won't see their charts next time they log in.
Watch & Learn
User Preferences Glossary
Users can define many preferences. So which ones should you set as the global default? Use this glossary to learn about each preference and determine which ones you should select.
Entries you see on the User Preferences page in MinistryPlatform are generated by the system based on each User's actions. We do not recommend manually editing an individual User's preferences because they will probably change it back to the way they wanted it anyway. Remember, you should only use the preferences you set as the global default as a starting point for new Users. From there, you should allow Users to change their preferences depending on how they want their instance to look.
The following four settings are the ones Administrators care about most often. These are the most common to set as global defaults.
- Charts
-
- Key: {screen-size}_CHARTS
- Definition: Shows or hides charts on each page. You can set this differently based on screen-size. For example, you may hide charts on XS screens but show them on LG screens that have more space to work with.
- Values: true (show) or false (hide)
- Navigation Mode
-
- Key: NAV_MODE
- Definition: Determines whether the Basic Menu or Advanced Menu displays on the left.
- Values: true (Advanced) or false (Basic)
- Page Layout Type
-
- Key: {screen-size}_PAGE_LAYOUT_TYPE
- Definition: Determines whether each page displays Grid or List layout. You can set this differently based on screen-size. For example, you may use Grid layout on XS screens and List layout for LG screens with more space.
- Values: grid, list, or calendar (where applicable)
- Record Insights
-
- Key: {screen-size}_RECORD_INSIGHTS
- Definition: Shows or hides record insights on each page. You can set this differently based on screen-size. For example, you may hide record insights on XS screens but show them on LG screens with more space to work with.
- Values: true (show) or false (hide)
SPoCs
These are additional settings that Users may or may not set. You likely won't include these when setting global defaults, but most are available if needed. Exceptions are noted.
- Announcements
-
- Key: ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Definition: Indicates the last product announcement that the User dismissed. Note: We do not recommend you include this preference when you create the global defaults.
- Values: (contains the Announcement ID of the last announcement the User dismissed)
- Columns
-
- Key: COLUMNS
- Definition: Indicates the display sequence of a list of columns for a given Page or View.
- Values: (contains a sequence of numbers)
- File Resize
-
- Key: FILE_RESIZE
- Definition: Indicates the default option a User selected to resize attached image files.
- Values: 0 (Do Not Resize), 150 (Small), 300 (Medium), 600 (Large), or 800 (X-Large)
- Global Filter
-
- Key: GLOBAL_FILTER
- Definition: Indicates the ID of the Congregation/Parish for the global filter a User selected at the top of the Platform.
- Values: (contains the ID of the Congregation/Parish; -1 is "All Permitted")
- Page Search Mode
-
- Key: PAGE_SEARCH_MODE
- Definition: Indicates whether a User has column search enabled for a certain Page.
- Values: true (column search on) or false (column search off)
- Recent Records
-
- Key: RECENT_RECORDS
- Definition: Indicates the Pages and records the User most recently accessed. Note: We do not recommend you include this preference when you create the global defaults.
- Values: (contains information for the most recent pageID, recordId, pageName, and recordName)
- Recent Records Mode
-
- Key: RECENT_RECORDS_MODE
- Definition: Displays or hides the Recent Records section under the navigation menu.
- Values: true (show) or false (hide)
- Sort
-
- Key: SORT
- Definition: Determines whether a specific column is sorted on a certain page or view.
- Values: (contains information for the columnId and direction to sort for each page/view)
- Sort List
-
- Key: SORT_LIST
- Definition: Determines whether to sort a list of records on a certain Page or View in ascending or descending order.
- Values: true (sorted ascending) or false (sorted descending)
- Timezone Locale Skip
-
- Key: TIMEZONE_LOCALE_SKIP
- Definition: Determines whether to prompt a User to provide or update their time zone when they log in to the Platform. Once provided or updated, the value changes from "false" to "true".
- Values: true (skip) or false (don't skip)