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Profile Dashboard

A Profile Dashboard is a custom home page that replaces the standard Profinity home page whenever a profile is active. It is built in the dashboard visual editor and stored as a YAML file in the profile. It uses the same dashboard system as Custom Components dashboards, so the same dashboard components, data bindings, and features are available.

The difference is scope. A Profile Dashboard is always shown as the home page, such as a system overview or a control interface. A Component Dashboard is reached through its component in the side menu, and a Custom Component dashboard is one of these.

Editing the profile settings needs the Modify profiles permission. Editing the dashboard itself needs Modify dashboards. Refer to Roles and permissions.

Creating a Profile Dashboard

To create a Profile Dashboard from the built-in template:

  1. Select ADMIN in the side menu, then open the Profile pill.
  2. Select the profile and open its settings.
  3. Open the Home tab, switch on Custom home dashboard, and leave Dashboard YAML file (optional) empty.
  4. Save the profile settings. Profinity creates a starter dashboard from the built-in template.
  5. Select the pencil (Edit Dashboard) icon on the home page to edit the dashboard in the visual editor, as described in Build a dashboard in the Visual Editor.

To use your own layout, open the Home tab, upload a .yaml file in Dashboard YAML file (optional), then select it in Dashboard YAML file (optional). It opens in the visual editor like any other dashboard. Once configured, the Profile Dashboard is the home page whenever the profile is active.

Profile Dashboards are stored in the profile's dashboards directory. The file is included when the profile is exported or shared.

A dashboard built in the visual editor meets the file requirements automatically. A dashboard uploaded or edited by hand has three requirements:

  • It must be valid YAML.
  • It must pass the dashboard schema. The Schema validation issues list in the visual editor names each problem in a dashboard's YAML.
  • It must have the .yaml extension.

Profinity checks an uploaded dashboard when you upload it. If the dashboard does not load, Profinity refuses the upload and reports the reason, and the dashboard you already have is left as it is. When a valid upload replaces a dashboard, Profinity keeps the file it replaced as <file>.bak in the same folder, for example dashboard.yaml.bak.

Refer to the Profinity dashboard development guide.

Removing a Profile Dashboard

Removing the dashboard deletes its file

Saving the profile with Custom home dashboard disabled deletes the dashboard YAML file from the profile's dashboards folder and clears the dashboard file setting. Profinity does not keep a copy of the deleted file, so copy it first, as step 1 describes. If Profinity fails to delete the file, it keeps the dashboard file setting and writes the error to the log, which you can read on the Logs pill on the ADMIN page.

To remove a Profile Dashboard:

  1. If you may need the dashboard again, copy its YAML file to a safe place. The file is in the dashboards folder of the profile directory, as described in Profile folders. Its name is shown in Dashboard YAML file (optional) in the profile settings.
  2. Open the profile settings, switch off Custom home dashboard and save.

The standard Profinity home page is then shown when the profile is active.

To change what the home page shows, refer to Build a dashboard in the Visual Editor.

Troubleshooting

What you see Cause What to do
Profinity refuses the upload and reports the reason, and the dashboard you already have stays as it is The uploaded file is not valid YAML, does not pass the dashboard schema, or does not have the .yaml extension Correct the file so it meets all three requirements, then upload it again.
Dashboard YAML file (optional) still names the file after you switch off Custom home dashboard, and the log shows an error Profinity could not delete the file, for example because another program has it open or the account running Profinity cannot write to the dashboards folder Close any program that has the file open, check that the account running Profinity can write to the dashboards folder, then switch off Custom home dashboard and save again.