Customizing the Confluence dashboard: velocity or web panel?

[Caela Northey]

I'd like to customize our dashboard in Confluence (server v6.0) so that a new web panel is displayed instead of the default All Updates (see screenshot for example). Ideally, I'd like to add it as the first option under the DISCOVER menu before the All Updates and Popluar options tabs. The web panel will display some custom graphics and HTML.

I'm wondering if it's possible to do this by just modifying the Velocity template for the dashboard (under Admin > General config > Look and Feel > Layouts > Global Layout), or if I'd need to develop a plugin. I've completed a number of plugin development tutorials, and this doesn't seem that challenging, but I'm not too familiar with the environment yet.

I know I could set a different page as the landing page, but I like the other menus available on the dashboard, and so want to pursue this option. Any advice or guidance is appreciated!

[Caela Northey · Accepted solution]

Just FYI I was able to do this with the Custom HTML feature (no plugin or velocity changes necessary).

<script>
var customDashboardMenu = '<div style="padding-top:10px;" class="aui-sidebar-gropu aui-sidebar-group-tier-one spa"> <div class="aui-navgroup-inner"> <div class="aui-nav-heading"> <strong class="title-nav-group">Company News</strong> </div> <ul class="aui-nav nav-items default-list-view"> <li id="roadmap-link" class="nav-item-container-roadmap"> <a href="#roadmap" class="aui-nav-item" original-title="Company Roadmap"> <span class="aui-icon aui-icon-small icon-all-updates"> </span> <span class="aui-nav-item-label">Company Roadmap</span> </a> </li> <li id="newsletters-link" class="nav-item-container-newsletters"> <a href="#newsletters" class="aui-nav-item" original-title="Team Newsletters"> <span class="aui-icon aui-icon-small icon-all-updates"> </span> <span class="aui-nav-item-label">Team Newsletters</span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div>';

var roadmapContent = '<div id="roadmap"><h1>COMPANY ROADMAP</h1></div>';
var newslettersContent = '<div id="newsletters"><h1>TEAM NEWSLETTERS</h1></div>';

AJS.toInit(function(){
 AJS.$('.aui-sidebar-body nav.aui-navgroup-vertical div.aui-navgroup-inner').prepend(customDashboardMenu);

AJS.$('#roadmap-link').click(function(e){
 AJS.$('.aui-page-panel div.aui-page-panel-inner section.aui-page-panel-content div').hide();
 AJS.$('.aui-page-panel div.aui-page-panel-inner section.aui-page-panel-content').append(roadmapContent);
 AJS.$('li').removeClass('aui-nav-selected');
 AJS.$('li.nav-item-container-roadmap').addClass('aui-nav-selected');
 e.preventDefault();
 });

AJS.$('#newsletters-link').click(function(e){
 AJS.$('.aui-page-panel div.aui-page-panel-inner section.aui-page-panel-content div').hide();
 AJS.$('.aui-page-panel div.aui-page-panel-inner section.aui-page-panel-content').append(newslettersContent);
 AJS.$('li').removeClass('aui-nav-selected');
 AJS.$('li.nav-item-container-newsletters').addClass('aui-nav-selected');
 e.preventDefault();
 });

AJS.$('#allupdates-link').click(function(e){
 alert("text text text");
 AJS.$('#roadmap-link').removeClass('aui-nav-selected');
 e.preventDefault();
 });

});
</script>