Fields

Getting started

Field types

Simple types

These are the possible fiel stypes: text, integer, decimal, currency, date.

URL types

These are fields used as tokens in tags such as <img> or <a> in order to generate URLs which grant access to resources such as images or files (text, pdf, word, for instance).

'Image access'

An image access field is used in <img> HTML tags.

This field is created by mapping (in an action or an 'data access') with a web services parameter that contains:

• either a text type data,
• or a BLOB type data,

Mapping with a BLOB X3 parameter

The server performs the following processing for the mapping:

• it reads the mime-type of the X3 blob parameters which is calculated by the X3 web service server,
• if it is an image mime-type, the binary data is stored in memory in the X3 data cache.
• if it is a text-plain mime-type, see mapping with 'Char' parameter.
• it calculates an URL which will be used to retrieve the image stored in memory and send it again to the browser.
• valuates the field with this URL's value (text).

For instance:

The following URL is generated during the call process of a 'Data access' web service in order to read a table that contains a BLOB field.

<img src="http://host:port/xtend/x3rsrc/X3SOLUTION/X3FOLDER/XTENDSITE/FRA/ITEMPCT30-112.gif">

The name of the resource used to find the data stored in memory is made of:

• EntityCode + FieldCode+ KeyFieldValue+ Extension,
• KeyFieldValue is the value of the key field ('Selection field) defined in the XTEND entity.

In this example, the ITMREF field is a key field for the ITEM entity.

The obtained URL is the one of an product (ITEM entity) from the BLOB parameter (PCT) which key (ITMREF key field) is 30-112.

The extension is given:

• either by the field record,
• or by the site record (by default)

The parameters 'Root directory' and 'Relative path' are not taken into account in this type of mapping.

Only the Extension parameter is taken into account.

Mapping with a Char or Clob parameter

When the XTEND server has to create a 'Image access' field from a text web service parameter, it assumes that the text contains the name of the resource.

The server then generates an URL to this resource by taking into account the 'Root directory' parameter, 'Relative path' and Extension in order to recalculate the access path.

XTEND directories

There are four root directories to store XTEND files. Resources (files, images) in these directories can be accessed from the browser via images or attachments tokens.

• HTML design: Directory of the HTML project taking the user language into account.

• X_FILES Directory specific to the X3 folder located under X3_PUB/X3FOLDER/X_TEND/X_FILES

• X_FILEAPP: Directory specific to the X3 folder located under
  X3_PUB/X3FOLDER/X_TEND/X_FILAPP.
  It is used to store the files from batch processes as reports generated by the print server.

• X_TEND: Director used to store files associated to all folders
  For example product images, commercial documents....
  It is located to X3_PUB/X_TEND/.

Design HTML and X_FILES can be placed under the X3 server (by default) or the Web Services server.

X_FILEAPP and X_TEND are always placed under the X3 server.

'Attachment access'

The 'attachment access' works as the 'Image access' type but with completely different resources (gif, jpg, pdf, word, excel files, for instance).

'Attachment access' tokens are usually used in HTML tags <a></a> to give the possibility to open them by clicking on the sensitive field.

<a src="http://host:port/xtend/data/remote/SOL/FLDR/X_TEND/X_HTML/SITE/FRA/FA.pdf">get Pdf</a>

As for the 'Image access' type, XTEND carries out the mapping between the X3 parameter and the Xtend field according to the X3 parameter.

Mapping with a BLOB X3 parameter

The server stores the binary data in memory and calculates the URL the same ways as the 'Image access' token.

Mapping with a Char or CLOB parameter

The server assumes that the field contains the name of the resource and calculates the URL the same was as the "Image access' token.

Local menu type

A field of of local menu type contains a value of integer type.

FLASH type

The flash field is used to insert X3 flash components in HTML pages via the tag: <object>.

The flash component uses the "Ajax" XTEND request to communicate with the X3 server.

The request call the sub-program SUBAPSMON/MONITEUR with the parameters given by the flash component.

 In order to ensure the functioning of flash components with XTEND, the subprogram SUBAPSMON/MONITEUR has to:

• be published as web service
• and be declared in XTEND for an interface record.

Case of the FLASH field type

Check if the SUBAPSMON/MONITEUR process is published as web service with the publication name AXTDFLASH.

If the subprogram is not published:

• Create the subprogram record according to the parameters and publication groups parameters,
• Publish the subprogram with the name AXTDFLASH.

The subprogram SUBAPSMON/MONITEUR uses the X3 GUSER variable, that must be correctly set.

In Web service mode, the X3 global variable GUSER contains the X3 User code set as a setup at the moment of the Web service call.

XTEND values the X3 User code depending on whether the User is logged in or not:

• The XTEND User not logged in uses the X3 User code defined by default in the Web service pool,
• The logged in XTEND User uses the X3 User code returned by the login function.

Interface creation

If the AXTDFLASH interface does not exist: create the 'Subprogram action' record and AXTDFLASH as publication name.

If the flash component displays the data from another X3 solution: 

• Check if the SUBAPSMON/MONITEUR/AXTDFLASH web service is published in this solution,
• and use (create) a specific Web Service Pool connected to this solution.

Creation of Flash fields

• Create a flash field by 'portal view' to display by selecting the AXTDFLASH interface.
• Insert the field token in a <object> HTML tag.

 See technical note TN-12701 from Adobe on the signification of parameters.

<div>
    <object adx="MYFLASHFIELD" width="400" height="300">
        <!--Paramètres du tag object -->
        <param name="quality" value="high">
        <param name="scale" value="noscale">
        <param name="salign" value="lt">
        <param name="bgcolor" value="#FF0000">
    </object>
</div>

The adx token accepts the HTML xcache parameter (<object adx="MYFLASHFIELD:xcache">) if the user wants to stock the xml response of the web service in browser memory.

Detail link

The dynamic link associated to the flash field is used to re-direct the click in the detail contextual menu of the flash component to an XTEND page.

The link parameters are those given by the flash component:

Field token use

Except html tag

Use the following syntax in order to display the value of the field token without using an html tag.
The following syntax is also used in order to valuate JavaScript variables.

</body>
<script>
    Initialization of a dictionary variable
    var myGlobal=<!adx="MyField"><!adx="MyField">;
</script>
<form>
    <!adx="MyField">xxxx<!adx="MyField"><br>
is equivalent to
    <p adx="MyField">xxxx</p>
<form>
</body>

Tag div,span,td,th,p,b,small,big,i,label,li,pre,tt

The use of a field token in these HTML tags replaces the content between <tag> and </tag> according to the value of this field.

Insertion a token adx retains the existing attributes.

<div adx="MyField"></div>
<td adx="MyFieldDate:xempty=20090101&xfomat=Dz:DD[ ]MMMMMMMMMM[ ]YYYY></td>
<b adx="MyField"></b>

HTML setups

Tag select

The select tag is sued to enter a value between N. Its behavior depends on the token type.
If the attribute 'name' is not entered, XTEND generates this attribute with the token's name.

Local menu token or XTEND value list:

• adds an option by local menu element,
• and selects the option corresponding to the value of the field

Note: an 'XTEND value list' field is a text field with a list of values entered.

Example 1:

SELECTMENULOC points to menu 7803 and its value is 4:

<select adx="SELECTMENULOC" class="smallTxt">
        <option value="">Aucun</option>
</select>

HTML code generated:

<select name="SELECTMENULOC"class="smallTxt">
<option selectedvalue="">None</option>
<option value="1">process ID</option>
 ...
<option selected="selected" value="4">connection date</option>
...
<option value="13">Phys IO</option></select>Standard token

Example 2:

<select adx="SELECTMENULOC:xonchange=ADLKPOSTPAGE" class="smallTxt">
        <option value="">Aucun</option>
</select>

HTML code generated:

XTEND selects the option corresponding to the value of the field.
In the following example 'Germany' is selected if the value of MYTOKENFIELD is DE:

<select name="MYTOKENFIELD">
    <option value="">None</option>
    <option value="AT">Austria</option>
    <option selected="selected" value="DE">Germany</option>
    <option value="ES">Denmark</option>
</select>

HTML parameters

The select tag accepts the following parameters:

<select adx="MYFIELDMAIN:xonchange=MYDYNLINK&xfill=MYFIELDFILL&xrc">
</select>

Tag input text or hidden

The input tag is used to enter a value.
The field token updates the default value upon loading the page (value attribute) with the field value.

If the attribute 'name' is not entered, XTEND generates this attribute with the token's name.

<input type="text" SIZE="100" adx="MAICOD:xrc">

HTML parameters

Textarea tag

The textarea tag is used to enter a comment.

<textarea cols="100" rows="5" adx="CMT:xrc">Comment...</textarea>

HTML parameters

Idem tag <input>

Title

Fields with list of values or local menu fields can be used as description in HTML pages.
The user can also use text fields without any list of value as descriptions by entering the first value.

The use of a description token instead of text in the HTML page can be used by the webmaster in order to modify descriptions in X3 without modifying them in the HTML.

Descriptions can also be used to manage multi-language in a single HTML page.

Selection of the value

Using a local menu or a value list is used to associate several values with the same field. This way, there can be fewer tokens and the management of description is made easier.

The selection of the value in the token is performed via the 'xcaption' HTML parameter.

Defining the field type as description indicates to the XTEND server that the value is static; this optimizes the processing of the HTML page generation.

Local menu description

<span adx="LIBMENULOCAL:xcaption=1" style="color:#FF0099"></span><br>
<span adx="LIBMENULOCAL:xcaption=2" style="color:#FF0099"></span><br>

Description with list of values

<span adx="LIBMENUXTD:xcaption=DOC" style="color:#FF0099"></span><br>
<span adx="LIBMENUXTD:xcaption=NEW" style="color:#FF0099"></span><br>

Recover the description of a local menu

If the ORDSTA field is associated to local menu 1 (Yes/No). Its value is equal to 2

<td align="right" adx="ORDSTA_DESC">XXX</td>

HTML code generated:

<td align="right">Yes</td>

How to valuate an attribute

The following syntax is used to valuate the attribute myAttribute with the value of the field token:

<div adx="MyField:xattr=monAttribut"></div>
Example if the value of Myfield is 'MyBeautifullClass'
<div adx="MyField:xattr=class"><div> Generates <div class="MyBeautifullClass"><div>
For the id's, it is possible to add a suffix
<div adx="MyField:xattr=id&xnotempty=article"><div> Generates <div id="PUZ001article"><div>

Alternate the style of lines in the grids

Special field ALINESTYLE contains the class of even and uneven lines defined in the block's 'Style by line' parameter.

The following code is used to alternate the css class for even and uneven lines.

<table>
<!adx="MonBloc">
    <tr adx="aLineStyle:xattr=Class"></tr>
<!adx="MonBloc">
</table>
Generates
<table>
    <tr Class="ClasseLignePaire">...</tr>
    <tr Class="ClasseLigneImpaire">...</tr>
    <tr Class="ClasseLignePaire">...</tr>
</table>

Automatically generate an ID attribute

In order to develop complex user interfaces, the user needs to address the DOM HTML elements by their identifier (ID attribute).

XTEND suggests a syntax in order to generate the ID attribute which is particularly useful in blocks.

AAUTOID special field token

Used to generate AAUTOID_X IDs.
X is the index of the current line if the tag is placed in an XTEN block.

AAUTOID takes into account multiple AAUTOID_X_Y_Z nested blocks.

xautoid HTML parameter

The user can also use the HTML parameter if the user has already used a field token to valorize the HTML tag content.

• If the HTML tag has an ID attribute that is not empty, the value is used as a prefix for the ID.
• Otherwise XTEND chooses the token name as a prefix.

For example:

<table>
<!adx="MonBloc">
    <tr adx="AUTOID">
        <td adx="ITMREF&xautoid"></td>
    </tr>
<!adx="MonBloc">
</table>
Generates
<table>
    <tr id="AAUTOID_1">
        <td id="ITMREF_1">PUZOO1</td>
    </tr>
    <tr id="AAUTOID_2">
        <td id="ITMREF_2">PUZOO2</td>
    </tr>
</table>

Predefined Field tokens

The following grid displays the list of field tokens calculated by XTEND:

Prerequisites

Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

Header

Tab General

Tab Advanced

Reports

By default, the following reports are associated with this function :

 PRTSCR : Screen print

This can be changed using a different setup.

Specific Buttons

Menu Bar

Tools / Creation Help

Function

This function can be accessed via the tools menu of the setup records

Action

This function is used to create the field tokens from:

• the field list of an X3 Table
• the field list of an X3 View
• the setups of the Web service associated with an interface

 It is necessary to validates the fields after generation so that the XTEND server takes them into account.

The validation generates a new XML dictionary of XTEND parameters.

The new dictionary is automatically taken into account on reload/F5 of the HTML page in the browser provided the option of the setup record of the site'Technique\Verify updates\Web dictionary' is selected.

If it is not selected, it is necessary to force the reloading of the dictionary using the following url:
'http://hostname:port/xtend/svc/SolutionX3/DossierX3/SiteXtend/admin/reposit/reload'

Tools / Validation with checking

Validation with a data coherency control on the XTEND dictionary. 

Error messages

The only error messages are the generic ones.

Tables used

Refer to documentation Implementation