Personalize the Portal

You can personalize the way data appears in IBM® Cognos® Connection by changing your preferences. For example, you can set the product language and the preferred output format of reports.

Changes take effect immediately in the current session. The preferences are stored and used for future sessions unless you change them.

The following table describes the settings that you can change.

Table 1. Cognos Connection preferences you can set
General	Description
Number of entries in list view	The maximum number of rows that appear in a list before scrollbars are required. This applies to rows where scrolling is allowed.
Separators in list view	The method of separating entries in lists in Public Folders and My Folders. Choose from no separator, grid lines, or alternating backgrounds. This setting applies to all lists with the exception of the output versions list. This setting is available only if you use Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser or Firefox.
Style	The uniform look and feel applied to all components of IBM Cognos software. You can choose from the styles available to you.
Show hidden entries	Use this setting to show or remove hidden entries from your view in IBM Cognos Connection. When you select this check box, the hidden entries remain visible, but their icons are faded. When you clear this check box, the hidden entries disappear from your view. For example, hidden packages are not visible in IBM Cognos Connection and in the associated studios. You must have access to the Hide Entries capability granted by your administrator to see this setting.
Default view	The decision to use list view or details view by default. List view shows the name, modified date, and actions. Details view shows the name, description, modified date, and possible actions. Details view works only in Public Folders and My Folders in IBM Cognos Connection. In other components, list view is used.
Report format	The preferred format to view the report. To view reports in the HTML, PDF, Delimited Text (CSV), Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software, and XML formats, the generate output capabilities are not required. To run reports in the restricted CVS, PDF, XLS, or XML output formats, you require the generate output capability for the specific format. For more information, see Report formats.
Show a summary of the run options	The option to show a summary of the run options when a report is not run interactively.
Show the Welcome page at startup	The option to show or hide the Welcome page at the beginning of a session.
Enable accessibility support for reports I run or schedule	The option to create accessible report output whenever I run or schedule a report.
Product language	The language used by the IBM Cognos user interface. It applies to all IBM Cognos components, such as IBM Cognos Connection, IBM Cognos Viewer, and Report Studio.
Content language	The language used to view and produce content in IBM Cognos software, such as names and descriptions of entries, or data in reports.
Time zone	The time zone used. Select the default server time zone set by your administrator. For more information, see the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Installation and Configuration Guide. Or you can select another time zone.
Enable bidirectional support	The option to enable or disable bidirectional language support in all applicable IBM Cognos components that include Cognos Connection, Cognos Viewer, Cognos Workspace, Cognos Workspace Advanced, and Report Studio. The bidirectional support applies to languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, or Farsi. For more information, see Enabling support for bidirectional languages.
Base text direction for content	The option to specify the direction for bidirectional text in Cognos Connection, Cognos Viewer, and Cognos Workspace. This option is available when you select the Enable bidirectional support check box. You can specify the text direction to be: Left-to-right Right-to-left Contextual - the text direction depends on the first letter in the text. If the letter belongs to a right-to-left script, the text direction is right-to-left. Otherwise, the text direction is left-to-right. Numbers and special characters do not influence the text direction. For example, if the text starts with a number followed by an Arabic letter, the direction is right-to-left. If the text starts with a number followed by a Latin letter, the direction is left-to-right.

The following table describes the personal settings that you can see if you have read permissions for your account.

Table 2. Personal settings you can see with read permissions
Personal	Description
Primary logon	The namespace and credentials that you used to log on to IBM Cognos software. Also shows the given name, surname, and email address if they have been defined
Secondary logon	A list of secondary logons. The secondary logons exists if you logged on to multiple namespaces.
Alerts	Use to specify an email address for alerts. When the delivery service processes the alert list, it uses the email address specified in the Email box to send alerts to the user. If there is no email address specified, the email address specified in the Primary logon section is used.
Credentials	Authorization to other users, groups, and roles to run entries using the credentials. Click Renew the credentials after you change your password, or to ensure that all credentials are available if you are logged on to multiple namespaces.
Groups and roles	A list of groups and roles associated both with your primary and secondary logons.
Capabilities	A list of secured functions and features that you can use based on both your primary and secondary logons. To create trusted credentials, see Trusted credentials.

The following table describes the portal tabs settings that you can see if you have read permissions for your account.

Table 3. Portal tabs settings that you can see with read permissions
Portal Tabs	Description
List of entries	Represents the tabs, including Public Folders and My Folders, in your IBM Cognos Connection environment.
Add	Use to add a tab for a specified page in IBM Cognos Connection. Each tab represents Public Folders, My Folders, or a page.
Remove	Use to remove a tab from IBM Cognos Connection.
Modify the sequence	Use to change the order of tabs in IBM Cognos Connection.

Procedure

In IBM Cognos Connection, click My Area Options, My Preferences, and click the required tab.
Choose the appropriate settings.
Click OK.