Version 1.2 - released October 2006

These release notes cover all releases of AquaLogic Interaction Portlet Framework - Microsoft Excel 1.2, including hotfixes and maintenance packs. For information on a particular release, please go to the appropriate section of these release notes.

Release notes are occasionally updated after the release date. For the most up-to-date release notes, go to edocs.bea.com.

Refer to the Interoperability page in the Product Center at support.plumtree.com for the latest information on supported operating systems, application servers, and browsers.

At the time of release, AquaLogic Interaction Portlet Framework - Microsoft Excel 1.2 supports the following:

• Operating Systems/Application Servers: Microsoft IIS 6.0 (in 5.0 Isolation Mode), supported on Windows 2003 Server SP1 and Microsoft IIS 5.0, supported on Windows 2000 Server SP4
• Microsoft Excel support: Microsoft Excel 2000 or 2003
• Browsers: Firefox 1.0, 1.5, 2.0; Internet Explorer 6.0, 7.0; Netscape 7.2, 8.0; Safari 1.3, 2.0

Refer to the Interoperability page in the Product Center at support.plumtree.com for the latest information on supported BEA products.

At the time of release, AquaLogic Interaction Portlet Framework - Microsoft Excel 1.2 supports the following:

• AquaLogic Interaction 6.1

The following product documentation is available for download from edocs.bea.com:

• Plumtree Portlet Framework for Microsoft Excel has been renamed to AquaLogic Interaction Portlet Framework - Microsoft Excel

• When the PlumtreePortletFrameworkExcel.pte file is loaded using the Plumtree Foundation 6.0 Migration Import utility, Package Name, Package Description, and Publisher is shown as [Empty].
• Portlet Product requires newest version of the Gadget Development Kit (GDK), version 3.5.
  
• The Microsoft Excel application installed on the Gadget Server must be launched at least once for proper operation of the Gadget Framework for Microsoft Excel.
• The Excel Portlet Framework does not support load balancing of Excel Remote Servers.
• Formatting Limitations: formatting only works if the entire cell is formatted the same way. If a cell has "mixed" formatting (i.e. different color letters, or bold text followed by italic text) the framework ignores all formatting. The Framework does not show Borders and Shading.
• Multiple portal server instances pointing to a single Remote Server can cause problems with uploaded header images. If multiple portal instances point to the same Excel Gadget Server, there can be problems with uploaded header images. For example, it may be possible to overwrite or remove uploaded header images from a Gadget Web Service configured on another portal. This configuration is not supported. (Issue#: 1952-3)
  
  Workaround: If the same Gadget Server is used to serve content to more than one Portal Server, create multiple virtual directories on the Gadget Server, one for each Portal Server.
• Uploaded header images must be copied to each Remote Server in a load-balanced configuration of the Excel Portlet Framework. Images uploaded as header images are uploaded to the Remote Server to which the user is connected in a load-balanced configuration. In order for header images to display for all Gadget Servers hosting content in a load-balanced configuration, keep the content of the images "header" directory the same on all Gadget Servers hosting Excel Gadget Web Services. This content can be copied manually between Gadget Servers or by using an appropriate utility. Uploaded header images are stored on each Gadget Server in the following location: ..Program Files\Plumtree\Excel Gadget Framework\images\header. (Issue #: 8090-1)
• Uploaded and linked Excel files must have unique file names.
  
  Workaround: Rename the file if necessary. Note: If the original file is public, the new file being uploaded or linked can be marked as "private" and be uploaded or linked successfully.
• Depending on network and bandwidth availability, a portal gateway error may result when uploading Microsoft Excel files greater than 1 Megabyte (MB). Uploading files larger than 1 MB using the Excel Portlet Framework may cause a Gateway error in the portal. The size of Excel files that can be successfully uploaded depends on the network and bandwidth availability between the client, Portal and Gadget Server machines. (Issue #: 1940-2)
  
  Workaround: We recommend reducing the size of large Excel files by removing worksheets that are not used to configure Excel Portlets.
• Excel Framework allows upload of invalid file types which are not supported by Excel Gadget Framework.
• The Excel Framework allows images of any size to be uploaded, but images less than 100kb are recommended for better performance of Excel Portlet Web Services. (Issue #: 8090-1)
• The internal clocks on Microsoft NT Servers are often a few minutes off, which causes the caching for the Excel Gadget Web Services not to work optimally. (Issue #: 7642-1)
  
  Workaround: We recommend time synchronization between the servers that process and host Excel Portlet Web Service content in local or global deployments (Portal, Remote Server and Excel File Store server). Time synchronization can be done on the domain controller or locally using different time synchronization utilities.
• Password protected Excel files may cause Portlet Administrative Pages to freeze and throw a gateway error. (Issue #: 8126-1)
  
  Workaround:Remove password protection from Excel files before uploading or linking to these files using the Excel Portlet Framework.
• If an Excel Portlet Web Service is configured to use an Excel file that includes invalid references to worksheet ranges and charts in another Excel file, a "subscript out of range" error will be thrown. (Issue #: 8506-1)
  
  Workaround:Remove password protection from Excel files before uploading or linking to these files using the Excel Portlet Framework.
• Excel Portlet may not be created successfully if configured to use a range name that contains "'!" (apostrophe followed by exclamation point in worksheet name). (Issue #: 8506-1)
• Internet Explorer on a Macintosh client and Netscape Communicator 4.76 on a Solaris client are supported for browsing portal users only. The Excel Portlet Framework must be accessed using a client machine running Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator on Windows to successfully create and configure Excel Portlet Web Services. (Issue #: 1948-3)
• When using a Netscape browser, there is an alignment issue with narrow Excel Portlet Web Services that have 5 or more columns. If Excel Portlet Web Services are configured to have 5 or more columns, the "wide" alignment should be used to display these Gadget Web Services on the portal pages. (Issue #: 1950-3)
• When using Netscape, if the close "X" button is used to close pop-up windows accessed from the Excel Portlet Administrative Pages, the pop-up windows cannot be re-opened unless the Administrative wizard is closed and restarted. (Issue #: 8537-1)
• In Netscape 4.79, text strings are not wrapped correctly for Excel Portlet Web Services configured with an Excel range. (Issue #: 8715-1)
• The default type for file uploads in Netscape is "HTML Files". The file type should be changed to "All Files". (Issue #: 6713-1)
• Dates on the "View Properties" page are formatted based on the Gadget Server locale, not the portal user's selected locale. (Issue #: 8101-1)
• Excel Portlet Framework does not support the uploading of image filenames that use Japanese characters for header images. Even when Portlet and Portal Servers are configured with a Japanese operating system, locale and character set settings, images of this type do not get uploaded successfully; no error is displayed to the user. (Issue #: 6700-1)
• The value for the file store location in the Control Panel for the Excel Portlet Framework only supports ASCII folder names. (Issue #: 6701-1)
• Date and decimal formats are locale-sensitive, and are converted from the original Excel format for display in the Gadget Web Service based on the locale selected by the portal user in Portal Settings. Currency data is preserved in its format in the Excel file and is not converted by the Excel Gadget Web Service. Currency values will use the currency symbol and decimal places as specified for the cell in Excel file. The decimal and thousands separator specified in the Windows regional settings on the system where the Excel file was created will be used for display in the Gadget Web Service. These values are simply passed through unchanged by the Excel Portlet Web Service. (Issue #: 1944-2)
  
  Note: Korean Won or Japanese Yen may be displayed as backslash if the portal user's character set is set to UTF-8. Microsoft Excel will sometimes store the currency symbol as a backslash instead of using the Unicode codepoints for Won or Yen. The portal defines style sheet information and default font as Verdana; changing Verdana font to the MS Mincho font solves the problem for the Japanese Yen. The workaround is to be sure to use the Unicode codepoint for the Yen or Won in the Excel file.
• Microsoft Excel uses two types of symbols in the currency cell format property. In the Symbol list on the "Format Cell" dialog box there are entries that include only the currency symbol, "$" (machine locale is US English), in addition to, "$ English" (United States). Similarly, when the machine locale is Korean, multiple currency symbol options are listed including "W" (Won sign) and "W Korean". If the option "W" is chosen (not " Korean"), then the Korean currency format will be converted to a number when displayed in the Excel Gadget Web Service. This issue occurs in all non-US locales for currency formats. (Issue #: 1943-3, 1947-3)
  
  Workaround:For non-US locales, choose the currency format in Excel that displays the locale next to the respective currency symbol, e.g., "(Korean)" or "Spanish (Costa Rica)".
• When the McAfee anti-virus program is running on the Gadget Server, the "Add File" and "Set User Credentials" pop-up windows may display the error, The page cannot be displayed." (Issue #: 8641-1)
  
  Workaround:If McAfee or other virus software that results in similar behavior cannot be disabled on the Gadget Server, portal users should refresh the pop-up windows in the Excel Portlet Framework and submit requests using the retry button.