Selectors for page builder components

Selectors are system form components that enable users to select Xperience content and objects and use them in the properties of page builder components. Items available for selection include pages from a site's content tree, media files from media libraries, unsorted page attachments attached to pages via the Attachments tab, Xperience objects, and any items in general loaded by a custom data source.

The selectors return a collection of identifiers representing the chosen items. You can use these identifiers to access objects in the logic of your page builder components. For example, when developing a widget displaying links to a set of pages, a property of the widget could use the page selector form component to enable editors to choose the pages.

In addition to using the selectors in the administration interface as standard form components (when building property dialogs of page builder components), you can also use the content selector JavaScript API utilizing the system's modal dialog support to offer identical functionality anywhere within the code of your components.

Selector form components

Media files selector

The media files selector form component enables users to select files from a site's media libraries using an intuitive interface. The selector returns a collection of MediaFilesSelectorItem objects, which contain the GUID of the selected media file in the FileGuid property.

The media files selector form component has the following configurable properties:

The following example shows the declaration of a property in a page builder component's property model class that has the MediaFilesSelector form component assigned as its editing component. A URL of the selected image is then retrieved in the corresponding component's controller.

        // Assigns a selector component to the 'Images' property
        [EditingComponent(MediaFilesSelector.IDENTIFIER)]
        // Configures the media library from which you can select files in the selector
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(MediaFilesSelectorProperties.LibraryName), "Graphics")]
        // Limits the maximum number of files that can be selected at once
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(MediaFilesSelectorProperties.MaxFilesLimit), 5)]
        // Configures the allowed file extensions for the selected files
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(MediaFilesSelectorProperties.AllowedExtensions), ".gif;.png;.jpg;.jpeg")]
        // Returns a list of media files selector items (objects that contain the GUIDs of selected media files)
        public IEnumerable<MediaFilesSelectorItem> Images { get; set; } = Enumerable.Empty<MediaFilesSelectorItem>();

        private readonly IMediaFileInfoProvider mediaFileInfo;
        private readonly IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever;
        private readonly ISiteService siteService;
 
        public MediaFilesSelectorExample(IMediaFileInfoProvider mediaFileInfo, 
                                         IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever,
                                         ISiteService siteService)
        {
            this.mediaFileInfo = mediaFileInfo;
            this.componentPropertiesRetriever = componentPropertiesRetriever;
            this.siteService = siteService;
        }
 
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            // Retrieves the GUID of the first selected media file from the 'Images' property
            Guid guid = componentPropertiesRetriever.Retrieve<CustomWidgetProperties>().Images.FirstOrDefault()?.FileGuid ?? Guid.Empty;
            // Retrieves the MediaFileInfo object that corresponds to the selected media file GUID
            MediaFileInfo mediaFile = mediaFileInfo.Get(guid, siteService.CurrentSite.SiteID);
 
            string url = String.Empty;
            if (mediaFile != null)
            {
                // Retrieves an URL of the selected media file
                url = MediaLibraryHelper.GetDirectUrl(mediaFile);
            }
 
            // Custom logic...
 
            return View();
        }

Configuring maximum file upload size and timeout

The media files selector also provides a media file uploader for uploading new files into media libraries as part of its functionality. By default, the uploader is limited to 200MB and times out after 120 seconds. If you wish to enable uploads of larger files or you want to set a different timeout interval, edit your MVC project's web.config file and modify the following values:

• Modify the value of the <httpRuntime> element's maxRequestLength and executionTimeout  attributes. Enter the values in kilobytes and seconds.
• Modify the value of the <requestLimits> element's maxAllowedContentLength attribute. Enter the value in bytes. The value of the maxAllowedContentLength attribute in kiloBytes must be greater or equal to the value of the maxRequestLength attribute.

<!-- Scopes the maximum file size configuration to only affect files uploaded using the media files selector -->
<location path="Kentico.Uploaders">
  <system.webServer>
    <security>
      <requestFiltering>
        <requestLimits maxAllowedContentLength="MAXSIZE_IN_BYTES" />
      </requestFiltering>
    </security>
  </system.webServer>
  <system.web>
    <httpRuntime maxRequestLength="MAXSIZE_IN_KILOBYTES" executionTimeout="NUMBER_IN_SECONDS" />
  </system.web>
</location> 

Page selector

The page selector form component allows users to select pages from the content tree using a dialog window. The selector returns a collection of PageSelectorItem objects, which contain the NodeGUID property with the GUID of the selected page. 

If you wish to select the node alias path value of pages, use the path selector component instead.

The page selector form component has the following configurable properties:

The following example shows the declaration of a property in a page builder component's property model class that has the PageSelector form component assigned as its editing component.

        // Assigns a selector component to the Pages property
        [EditingComponent(PageSelector.IDENTIFIER)]
        // Limits the selection of pages to a subtree rooted at the 'Products' page
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(PageSelectorProperties.RootPath), "/Products")]
        // Sets an unlimited number of selectable pages
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(PageSelectorProperties.MaxPagesLimit), 0)]
        // Returns a list of page selector items (node GUIDs)
        public IEnumerable<PageSelectorItem> Pages { get; set; } = Enumerable.Empty<PageSelectorItem>();

        private readonly IPageRetriever pagesRetriever;
        private readonly IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever;
 
        public PageSelectorExample(IPageRetriever pagesRetriever, IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever)
        {
            this.pagesRetriever = pagesRetriever;
            this.componentPropertiesRetriever = componentPropertiesRetriever;
        }
 
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            // Retrieves the node GUIDs of the selected pages from the 'Pages' property
            List<Guid> selectedPageGuids = componentPropertiesRetriever.Retrieve<CustomWidgetProperties>().Pages
                                                                       .Select(i => i.NodeGuid)
                                                                       .ToList();
 
            // Retrieves the pages that correspond to the selected GUIDs
            List<TreeNode> pages = pagesRetriever.Retrieve<TreeNode>(query => query
                                                 .WhereIn("NodeGUID", selectedPageGuids))
                                                 .ToList();
 
            // Custom logic...
 
            return View();
        }

    public class PageSelectorWidget : ViewComponent
    {
        private readonly IPageRetriever pagesRetriever;
 
        public PageSelectorWidget(IPageRetriever pagesRetriever)
        {
            this.pagesRetriever = pagesRetriever;
        }
 
        public IViewComponentResult Invoke(ComponentViewModel<CustomWidgetProperties> properties)
        {
            // Retrieves the node GUIDs of the selected pages from the 'Pages' property
            List<Guid> selectedPageGuids = properties?.Properties?.Pages?
                                                                  .Select(i => i.NodeGuid)
                                                                  .ToList();
 
            // Retrieves the pages that correspond to the selected GUIDs
            List<TreeNode> pages = pagesRetriever.Retrieve<TreeNode>(query => query
                                                 .WhereIn("NodeGUID", selectedPageGuids))
                                                 .ToList();
 
            // Custom logic...
 
            return View("~/Components/Widgets/PageSelectorWidget/_PageSelectorWidget.cshtml");
        }            
    }

Path selector

The path selector form component allows users to select pages from the content tree using a dialog window. The path selector returns a collection of PathSelectorItem objects, which contain the NodeAliasPath property with the node alias path of the selected page. 

If you wish to select the GUID value of pages, use the page selector component instead.

The path selector form component has the following configurable properties:

The following example shows the declaration of a property in a page builder component's model class that has the PathSelector form component assigned as its editing component.

        // Assigns a selector component to the 'PagePaths' property
        [EditingComponent(PathSelector.IDENTIFIER)]
        // Limits the selection of pages to a subtree rooted at the 'Products' page
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(PathSelectorProperties.RootPath), "/Products")]
        // Sets the maximum number of selected pages to 6
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(PathSelectorProperties.MaxPagesLimit), 6)]
        // Returns a list of path selector items (page paths)
        public IEnumerable<PathSelectorItem> PagePaths { get; set; } = Enumerable.Empty<PathSelectorItem>();

        private readonly IPageRetriever pagesRetriever;
        private readonly IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever;
 
        public PathSelectorExample(IPageRetriever pagesRetriever, IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever)
        {
            this.pagesRetriever = pagesRetriever;
            this.componentPropertiesRetriever = componentPropertiesRetriever;
        }
 
        public ActionResult Index()
        {           
            // Retrieves the node alias paths of the selected pages from the 'PagePaths' property
            string[] selectedPagePaths = componentPropertiesRetriever.Retrieve<CustomWidgetProperties>().PagePaths
                                                                     .Select(i => i.NodeAliasPath)
                                                                     .ToArray();
 
            // Retrieves the pages that correspond to the selected alias paths
            List<TreeNode> pages = pagesRetriever.Retrieve<TreeNode>(query => query
                                                 .Path(selectedPagePaths))
                                                 .ToList();
 
            // Custom logic...
 
            return View();
        }

    public class PathSelectorWidget : ViewComponent
    {
        private readonly IPageRetriever pagesRetriever;
 
        public PathSelectorWidget(IPageRetriever pagesRetriever)
        {
            this.pagesRetriever = pagesRetriever;
        }
 
        public IViewComponentResult Invoke(ComponentViewModel<CustomWidgetProperties> properties)
        {            
            // Retrieves the node alias paths of the selected pages from the 'PagePaths' property
            string[] selectedPagePaths = properties?.Properties?.PagePaths?
                                                                .Select(i => i.NodeAliasPath)
                                                                .ToArray();
 
            // Retrieves the pages that correspond to the selected alias paths
            List<TreeNode> pages = pagesRetriever.Retrieve<TreeNode>(query => query
                                                 .Path(selectedPagePaths))
                                                 .ToList();
 
            // Custom logic...
 
            return View("~/Components/Widgets/PathSelectorWidget/_PathSelectorWidget.cshtml");
        }
    }

Attachment selector

The attachment selector form component allows users to select unsorted page attachments using a dialog window. The selector returns a collection of AttachmentSelectorItem objects, which contain GUIDs of the selected attachments in their FileGuid property.

The attachment selector form component has the following configurable properties:

The following example shows the declaration of a property in a page builder component's property model class that has the AttachmentSelector form component assigned as its editing component. A relative URL of the selected attachment is then retrieved in the corresponding component's controller.

        // Assigns a selector component to the 'Attachments' property
        [EditingComponent(AttachmentSelector.IDENTIFIER)]
        // Limits the maximum number of attachments that can be selected at once
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(AttachmentSelectorProperties.MaxFilesLimit), 3)]
        // Configures the allowed file extensions for the selected attachments
        [EditingComponentProperty(nameof(AttachmentSelectorProperties.AllowedExtensions), ".gif;.png;.jpg;.jpeg")]
        // Returns a list of attachment selector items (attachment objects)
        public IEnumerable<AttachmentSelectorItem> Attachments { get; set; } = Enumerable.Empty<AttachmentSelectorItem>();

        private readonly IComponentPropertiesRetriever propertiesRetriever;
        private readonly ISiteService siteService;
        private readonly IPageAttachmentUrlRetriever attachmentUrlRetriever;
 
        public AttachmentSelectorExample(IComponentPropertiesRetriever propertiesRetriever,
                                         ISiteService siteService,
                                         IPageAttachmentUrlRetriever attachmentUrlRetriever)
        {
            this.propertiesRetriever = propertiesRetriever;
            this.siteService = siteService;
            this.attachmentUrlRetriever = attachmentUrlRetriever;
        }
 
 
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            // Retrieves the GUID of the first selected attachment from the 'Attachments' property
            Guid guid = propertiesRetriever.Retrieve<CustomWidgetProperties>().Attachments.FirstOrDefault()?.FileGuid ?? Guid.Empty;
            // Retrieves the DocumentAttachment object that corresponds to the selected attachment GUID
            DocumentAttachment attachment = DocumentHelper.GetAttachment(guid, siteService.CurrentSite.SiteID);
 
            string url = String.Empty;
            if (attachment != null)
            {
                // Retrieves the relative URL of the selected attachment
                url = attachmentUrlRetriever.Retrieve(attachment).RelativePath;
            }
 
            // Custom logic...
 
            return View();
        }

URL selector

The URL selector form component allows users to select one content item (pages, media library files, or unsorted page attachments) and returns its relative URL. Alternatively, a URL to an external resource may be entered directly into the text input field.

The URL selector form component has the following configurable properties:

The following example shows the declaration of a property in a page builder component's property model class that has the UrlSelector form component assigned as its editing component. A relative URL of the selected content item is then stored in the component's property.

// Assigns a selector component to the 'ImageUrl' property
[EditingComponent(UrlSelector.IDENTIFIER)]
// Configures which tabs will be available
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(UrlSelectorProperties.Tabs), ContentSelectorTabs.Attachment | ContentSelectorTabs.Media)]
// Configures which extensions will be avalable on the media tab
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(UrlSelectorProperties.MediaAllowedExtensions), ".gif;.png;.jpg;.jpeg")]
// Configures which extensions will be avalable on the attachment tab
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(UrlSelectorProperties.AttachmentAllowedExtensions), ".gif;.png;.jpg;.jpeg")]
// Configures the media library from which the media files can be selected
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(UrlSelectorProperties.MediaLibraryName), "Graphics")]
// Returns a string containing the relative URL of the selected image file
public string ImageUrl { get; set; }

Object selector

The object selector form component allows users to select Xperience objects using a drop-down menu with a search bar. The selector returns a collection of ObjectSelectorItem objects, which contain the code names or the GUIDs of selected objects.

The object selector form component has the following configurable properties:

The following example shows the declaration of a property in a component's property model class that has the  ObjectSelector  form component assigned as its editing component to select email feeds (newsletter.newsletter objects). The selected object is then retrieved in the corresponding component's controller.

// Assigns a selector component to the Newsletters property
[EditingComponent(ObjectSelector.IDENTIFIER)]
// Configures the code name of the selected object type
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(ObjectSelectorProperties.ObjectType), "newsletter.newsletter")]
// Limits the selected newsletters to exclude email campaigns
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(ObjectSelectorProperties.WhereConditionProviderType), typeof(NewslettersWhere))]
// Orders items in the selector by their display name alphabetically from Z to A
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(ObjectSelectorProperties.OrderBy), new string[] { "NewsletterDisplayName DESC" })]
// Returns a list of object selector items
public IEnumerable<ObjectSelectorItem> Newsletters { get; set; } = Enumerable.Empty<ObjectSelectorItem>();

public class NewslettersWhere : IObjectSelectorWhereConditionProvider
{
	// Where condition limiting the objects
    public WhereCondition Get() => new WhereCondition().WhereEquals("NewsletterType", (int)EmailCommunicationTypeEnum.Newsletter);
}

private readonly IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever;
private readonly INewsletterInfoProvider newsletterInfoProvider;

public ObjectSelectorExample(IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever, INewsletterInfoProvider newsletterInfoProvider)
{
    this.componentPropertiesRetriever = componentPropertiesRetriever;
	this.newsletterInfoProvider = newsletterInfoProvider;  
}

public ActionResult Index()
{
	// Retrieves the code name of the selected newsletter from the properties
	string? codeName = componentPropertiesRetriever.Retrieve<CustomWidgetProperties>().Newsletters.FirstOrDefault()?.ObjectCodeName;
	// Retrieves the corresponding newsletter object
	var newsletter = newsletterInfoProvider.Get(codeName, SiteContext.CurrentSiteID);

    // Custom logic...

    return View();
}

General selector

The general selector form component allows users to select items using a drop-down menu with a search bar. The items offered by the selector can be of any type, including external data outside of Xperience. Developers need to implement a data provider that loads and prepares the items displayed in the selector.

The selector returns a collection of GeneralSelectorItem objects, which contain identifiers of the selected items.

The general selector form component has the following configurable properties:

The following example shows the declaration of a property in a component's property model class that has the GeneralSelector form component assigned as its editing component to select email feeds. The selected object is then retrieved in the corresponding component's controller.

[EditingComponent(GeneralSelector.IDENTIFIER)]
[EditingComponentProperty(nameof(GeneralSelectorProperties.DataProviderType), typeof(NewslettersDataProvider))]
public IEnumerable<GeneralSelectorItem> Newsletters { get; set; } = Enumerable.Empty<GeneralSelectorItem>();

public class NewslettersDataProvider : IGeneralSelectorDataProvider
{
    public async Task<GeneralSelectorSelectListItems> GetItemsAsync(string searchTerm, int pageIndex, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {         
        // Defines a query that loads all email feeds on the current site
        ObjectQuery<NewsletterInfo> query = NewsletterInfo.Provider.Get().OnSite(SiteContext.CurrentSiteName);           
        
        if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(searchTerm))
        {             
             // Applies the search term to the database query             
             query.WhereContains("NewsletterDisplayName", searchTerm);
        }
 
        // Ensures paging of items
        query.Page(pageIndex, 50);
 
        // Retrieves a list of NewsletterInfo objects
        IEnumerable<NewsletterInfo> items = await query.GetEnumerableTypedResultAsync(cancellationToken: cancellationToken);
 
        // Formats and returns the data
        return new GeneralSelectorSelectListItems
        {
            // Transforms the data into the correct format 
            Items = items.Select(GetSelectedListItem),
            // Indicates whether there is another page of incoming results
            NextPageAvailable = query.NextPageAvailable
        };
    }
 
    public IEnumerable<GeneralSelectorSelectListItem> GetSelectedItems(IEnumerable<GeneralSelectorItem> selectedValues)
    {
        // Creates a list containing identifiers of the selected objects
        var identifiers = selectedValues.Select(x => x.Identifier).ToList();
 
        // Retrieves NewsletterInfo objects based on the identifiers
        ObjectQuery<NewsletterInfo> query = NewsletterInfo.Provider.Get()
                                        .OnSite(SiteContext.CurrentSiteName)
                                        .WhereIn("NewsletterName", identifiers);
		IEnumerable<NewsletterInfo> items = query.GetEnumerableTypedResult();

        // Orders the retrieved items by their display name
        IOrderedEnumerable<NewsletterInfo> orderedItems = items.OrderBy(o => identifiers.IndexOf(o["NewsletterName"].ToString()));
 
        // Transforms the data into the correct format
        return orderedItems.Select(GetSelectedListItem);
    }
 
    // Transforms a single NewsletterInfo object into a GeneralSelectorSelectListItem object
    private GeneralSelectorSelectListItem GetSelectedListItem(NewsletterInfo newsletter)
    {
        return new GeneralSelectorSelectListItem
        {
            // Sets the string used in the selector interface
            Text = newsletter.NewsletterDisplayName,
            // Sets the identifier used to store the selected item
			// The email feed code name serves as the identifier in this case
            Value = new GeneralSelectorItem { Identifier = newsletter.NewsletterName }
        };
    }
}

public class NewslettersDataProvider : IGeneralSelectorDataProvider
{
    public async Task<GeneralSelectorSelectListItems> GetItemsAsync(string searchTerm, int pageIndex, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        // Defines a query that loads all email feeds on the current site
        ObjectQuery<NewsletterInfo> query = NewsletterInfo.Provider.Get().OnSite(SiteContext.CurrentSiteName);

        if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(searchTerm))
        {
             // Applies the search term to the database query
             query.WhereContains("NewsletterDisplayName", searchTerm);
        }

        // Ensures paging of items
        query.Page(pageIndex, 50);

        // Retrieves a list of NewsletterInfo objects
        IEnumerable<NewsletterInfo> items = await query.GetEnumerableTypedResultAsync(cancellationToken: cancellationToken);

        // Formats and returns the data
        return new GeneralSelectorSelectListItems
        {
            // Transforms the data into the correct format
            Items = items.Select(GetSelectedListItem),
            // Indicates whether there is another page of incoming results
            NextPageAvailable = query.NextPageAvailable
        };
    }

    public async Task<IEnumerable<GeneralSelectorSelectListItem>> GetSelectedItemsAsync(IEnumerable<GeneralSelectorItem> selectedValues, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        // Creates a list containing identifiers of the selected objects
        var identifiers = selectedValues.Select(x => x.Identifier).ToList();

        // Retrieves NewsletterInfo objects based on the identifiers
        ObjectQuery<NewsletterInfo> query = NewsletterInfo.Provider.Get()
                                      .OnSite(SiteContext.CurrentSiteName)
                                      .WhereIn("NewsletterName", identifiers);
        IEnumerable<NewsletterInfo> items  items = await query.GetEnumerableTypedResultAsync(cancellationToken: cancellationToken);

        // Order the retrieved collection by the original selected values order.
        // This way we keep the selected items in the selector UI in the same order as is in DB.
        return items.OrderBy(o => identifiers.IndexOf(o["NewsletterName"].ToString()))
                    .Select(GetSelectedListItem);
    }

    // Transforms a single NewsletterInfo object into a GeneralSelectorSelectListItem object
    private GeneralSelectorSelectListItem GetSelectedListItem(NewsletterInfo newsletter)
    {
        return new GeneralSelectorSelectListItem
        {
            // Sets the string used in the selector interface
            Text = newsletter.NewsletterDisplayName,
            // Sets the identifier used to store the selected item
            // The email feed code name serves as the identifier in this case
            Value = new GeneralSelectorItem { Identifier = newsletter.NewsletterName }
        };
    }
}

private readonly IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever;
private readonly INewsletterInfoProvider newsletterInfoProvider;

public GeneralSelectorExample(IComponentPropertiesRetriever componentPropertiesRetriever, INewsletterInfoProvider newsletterInfoProvider)
{
    this.componentPropertiesRetriever = componentPropertiesRetriever;
	this.newsletterInfoProvider = newsletterInfoProvider;
}

public ActionResult Index()
{
	// Retrieves the code name of the selected email feed from the properties
	string? codeName = componentPropertiesRetriever.Retrieve<CustomWidgetProperties>().Newsletters.FirstOrDefault()?.Identifier;
	// Retrieves the corresponding email feed object
	var newsletter = newsletterInfoProvider.Get(codeName, SiteContext.CurrentSiteID);

    // Custom logic...

    return View();
}