Focal Point Banner


As of December 1, 2020, Focal Point is retired and repurposed as a reference repository. We value the wealth of knowledge that's been shared here over the years. You'll continue to have access to this treasure trove of knowledge, for search purposes only.

Join the TIBCO Community
TIBCO Community is a collaborative space for users to share knowledge and support one another in making the best use of TIBCO products and services. There are several TIBCO WebFOCUS resources in the community.

  • From the Home page, select Predict: WebFOCUS to view articles, questions, and trending articles.
  • Select Products from the top navigation bar, scroll, and then select the TIBCO WebFOCUS product page to view product overview, articles, and discussions.
  • Request access to the private WebFOCUS User Group (login required) to network with fellow members.

Former myibi community members should have received an email on 8/3/22 to activate their user accounts to join the community. Check your Spam folder for the email. Please get in touch with us at community@tibco.com for further assistance. Reference the community FAQ to learn more about the community.


Focal Point    Focal Point Forums  Hop To Forum Categories  WebFOCUS/FOCUS Forum on Focal Point     [SOLVED] Checkbox, input_control, HTML (after Developer Studio)

Read-Only Read-Only Topic
Go
Search
Notify
Tools
[SOLVED] Checkbox, input_control, HTML (after Developer Studio)
 Login/Join
 
Gold member
posted
Hi All

I would like to understand logic how Developer studio creates HTML.

I was willing to have a checkbox and pass value to procedure (I have done it in some way for simple inputs, lists and dropboxes).

Developer studio creates construction like

SPAN (there is my checkbox)
...
variable (there value of variable is passed to my WF variable &dollars)
...
input_control (there is usualy described what value to put into my checkbox, what name to display).


So, I was thinking to make something like (I removed < at the beginning of line, otherwise text of html become invisible)
div class="checkbox">
label>
input type="checkbox" id="dollars" value ="USD" >in Dollars
/label>
/div>


and pass "dollars" as variable to report. (I an using bootstrap library). I have tried to add this into html made by DevStudio, but there was no success.

First, it looks, that I was not able to change SPAN by my construction with
s (mentioned above). It looks that do not understood what to read?

This is from DevStudio (again, first < in line is deleted):

input_control bindcontrolid="dollars" elementtype="11" name="dollars" id="dollars" multiple="0" onetimepopulated="1">
link linktype="default" persistentuniqueid="compUid_2"> < !-- WHAT IS THERE, why not persistentuniqueid="dollars" I DO NOT HAVE SUCH OBJECT compUid_2 -->
condition default="1" name="Default" whattodowithcontrol="0" valuescompareoperator="0" parameterscompareoperator="0" conditionmultiselectoperator="0"> < !-- WHAT THIS LINE IS DOING/ DO I NEED IT IN GENERAL CASES??? -->

data_info datatype="0" modifiedrequest="0" datasource="f.mas" ibif_ex="f" addalloption="0" sourcetype="typeMaster" cacheruntimedata="0" accept="0" operation="NONE">

static_values>

static value="USD" display="in Dollars" selected="1" noinput="0"> < !-- WHY I NEED TO WRITE THIS IF I HAVE STATIC OBJECT DESCRIBED IN BODY PART OF HTML[in div)???-->
/static_values>
/condition>
/link>
/input_control>


And part is such (again - what is important there and what is overhead created by DevStudio):
< !-- &DOLL_P is my varianle in fex -->
variable controltype="11" parametercreatedinreslay="0" type="default" desc="DOLL_P" name="DOLL_P" default="USD" textvarname="" accept="0" select="0" create="1" top="70" left="30" width="60" height="20" inbinding="1">
link linktype="default" from="dollars">
condition default="1" name="Default" whattodowithcontrol="4" valuescompareoperator="0" parameterscompareoperator="0" conditionmultiselectoperator="0">

data_info datatype="0" modifiedrequest="0" displayfield="DB_P" datafield="DB_P" datasource="d.mas" ibif_ex="d" selectedvalue="bububu" operation="" slider_range_from="" slider_range_to="" previewvalue="bububu" sourcetype="typeMaster"> < !--This is again some mess -->

static_values>

static value="USD" display="in Dollars" selected="1" noinput="0">
/static_values>

requestid id="7">
/variable>


So, I have my control (checkbox) dysplied, but when I press on execute button, nothing happens, until I restore initial text created by DevStudio (SPAN).


Can anybody tell logic, how how WF takes values form html (which I can create manually, for check box or radio)?
Is there any places in documentation that describes structure of HTML created by DevStudio (I have seen "Enhancing an HTML Web Page With a Procedure" but this is not exactly about my questions)

Thank you in advance, Piter[FLASH_VIDEO] [/FLASH_VIDEO][FLASH_VIDEO] [/FLASH_VIDEO][FLASH_VIDEO] [/FLASH_VIDEO]
quote:
  

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Kathryn Henning>,


Wf7704/WF8,Win64/32
 
Posts: 68 | Registered: February 20, 2004Report This Post
Gold member
posted Hide Post
Nobody really knows how it works???

What is reading data from what?


Wf7704/WF8,Win64/32
 
Posts: 68 | Registered: February 20, 2004Report This Post
Master
posted Hide Post
quote:
I would like to understand logic how Developer studio creates HTML.


Wouldn't we all. Wink


In FOCUS since 1985. Prod WF 8.0.08 (z90/Suse Linux) DB (Oracle 11g), Self Serv, Report Caster, WebServer Intel/Linux.
 
Posts: 975 | Location: Oklahoma City | Registered: October 27, 2006Report This Post
Gold member
posted Hide Post
Smiler I like to know it very seriously Smiler

What is absolute minimum to create a control, i.e. checkbox, understandable by WF?

I describe it with ID=BOX. Will it be ID or persistentuniqueid used after that to fill this checkbox?

What is absolute minimum to mention in variable and in input_control?

How Varable, input_control and my objects are related?...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Piter,


Wf7704/WF8,Win64/32
 
Posts: 68 | Registered: February 20, 2004Report This Post
Gold member
posted Hide Post
There was long silence, so, I have spend few hours and done a lot of elimination. But it looks, that there is such logic:


1. You create HTML object (i.e checkbox) and give it id=object_id

2. In variables you create variable and essential is to use name=WF_Variable_name (it goes to WF) and in link section describe persistuniqueid=object_input_control_id

3. In input_controls, you create lines with bindcontrolid=object_input_control_id and id=object_id

All fine? Any observations?

Have a good day,

Piter


Wf7704/WF8,Win64/32
 
Posts: 68 | Registered: February 20, 2004Report This Post
Virtuoso
posted Hide Post
That's about right.

Basically, the launch-page consists of 2 sections:

  • The HTML form;
    This is the visible part of the form. Each element has a unique "id" attribute value, that can be used to reference it from the IBIcontrol-section or for use with javascript.
  • an embedded XML section; this is custom XML code designed by IBI, undocumented AFAIK. We can but guess how it works. It consists of input_control sections that reference the HTML form elements by id and variable-sections that are cross-references by persistentuniqueid attributes.


For checkboxes and radio buttons, the input_control id references the surrounding span element (quite non-standard, btw) by id. Next to that, you can't change that span element to some other (more appropriate) element, even though span is supposed to be an inline element instead of the block element it's being applied as...

But I think that's about as much as we (as users of the product) know. It's probably also more than we're supposed to know, as IBI really wants us to use the GUI for this kind of work. It'd surprise me if some IBI employee would step up and explain in detail how this works.


WebFOCUS 8.1.03, Windows 7-64/2008-64, IBM DB2/400, Oracle 11g & RDB, MS SQL-Server 2005, SAP, PostgreSQL 11, Output: HTML, PDF, Excel 2010
: Member of User Group Benelux :
 
Posts: 1669 | Location: Enschede, Netherlands | Registered: August 12, 2010Report This Post
Guru
posted Hide Post
In using a GUI tool, the code behind the scenes should be irrelevant. It can change between releases. This tool shields the user from HTML, CSS, JavaScript and FOCUS.


David Glick
Director WebFOCUS App Studio
and WebFOCUS Developer Studio
WebFOCUS Division
Information Builders, Inc.
Direct (917) 339-5560
Voice Mail (212) 736-6250 x3560
Fax (212) 947-5168
Email david_glick@ibi.com
 
Posts: 315 | Registered: April 13, 2004Report This Post
Expert
posted Hide Post
I learned the very very hard way that you must create the report (fex) first, with -DEFAULT parameters.

Then you use HTML Composer to create a parameter screen for that report. If you do it this way, the persistuniqueids, requestids, etc get automatically created - which you're not supposed to know about or look at. Heaven help you if you need to add a second parameter or if the structure of the report has changed drastically.

After a couple of years of pain, I have figured out ways to cheat the system.

quote:
This tool shields the user from HTML, CSS, JavaScript and FOCUS

I consider myself and many of the people on FocalPoint "developers" not "users" so it isn't helpful that we're shielded from HTML, CSS, JavaScript and FOCUS...


Francis


Give me code, or give me retirement. In FOCUS since 1991

Production: WF 7.7.05M, Dev Studio, BID, MRE, WebSphere, DB2 / Test: WF 8.1.05M, App Studio, BI Portal, Report Caster, jQuery, HighCharts, Apache Tomcat, MS SQL Server
 
Posts: 10577 | Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Registered: April 27, 2005Report This Post
Guru
posted Hide Post
This tool is designed for those who don't want to know HTML, JavaScript, XML, FOCUS and CSS. If you want to deal with that stuff, then you should not use a GUI tool designed this way.

Modifying a report after the page is created entails:

1. Make the changes to the report
2. In the HTML page, delete the controls that pertain to the report
3. Right-click the iframe that contains the report and select "Refresh Parameters" to get the "New Parameters" dialog and generate controls for the modified report
5. If the report has no iframe, you re-reference it in the "Hyperlink Properties" dialog


David Glick
Director WebFOCUS App Studio
and WebFOCUS Developer Studio
WebFOCUS Division
Information Builders, Inc.
Direct (917) 339-5560
Voice Mail (212) 736-6250 x3560
Fax (212) 947-5168
Email david_glick@ibi.com
 
Posts: 315 | Registered: April 13, 2004Report This Post
Expert
posted Hide Post
quote:
delete the controls that pertain to the report

Is this documented anywhere?

Does this sound like a good idea "for those who don't want to know HTML, JavaScript, XML, FOCUS and CSS"?

Rebuild all the controls? Pointing and clicking to style a bunch of controls that you've already created? Pointing and clicking to re-add dynamic or static values? Just to add a new parameter?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Francis Mariani,


Francis


Give me code, or give me retirement. In FOCUS since 1991

Production: WF 7.7.05M, Dev Studio, BID, MRE, WebSphere, DB2 / Test: WF 8.1.05M, App Studio, BI Portal, Report Caster, jQuery, HighCharts, Apache Tomcat, MS SQL Server
 
Posts: 10577 | Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Registered: April 27, 2005Report This Post
Expert
posted Hide Post
Hi Francis,
Do NOT delete your controls.
Un-check the bottom selection and "DO NOT" recreate all your controls.
This way you will get your "new" parameter that you placed into the fex, then, you can bind it to one of your controls...
Tom


Tom Flynn
WebFOCUS 8.1.05 - PROD/QA
DB2 - AS400 - Mainframe
 
Posts: 1972 | Location: Centennial, CO | Registered: January 31, 2006Report This Post
Expert
posted Hide Post
Tom, don't worry - I don't delete the controls. I've found very convoluted ways to work with HTML Composer - both when designing a page purely with the GUI and also when working with a hybrid GUI/coded page.

I do wonder why the instructions from IBI are to delete the controls - in my humble opinion this does not sound productive at all.


Francis


Give me code, or give me retirement. In FOCUS since 1991

Production: WF 7.7.05M, Dev Studio, BID, MRE, WebSphere, DB2 / Test: WF 8.1.05M, App Studio, BI Portal, Report Caster, jQuery, HighCharts, Apache Tomcat, MS SQL Server
 
Posts: 10577 | Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Registered: April 27, 2005Report This Post
Expert
posted Hide Post
Hi Francis,
OK, I was hoping you hadn't done that!
I have to use the GUI now, AND, if you Edit in Text, you get a message that it may not be compatible. Doesn't bother me too much, what bothers me most are all the HTML tags within FORM are on 1 line now...

Agree with point #2, don't know...
Tom


Tom Flynn
WebFOCUS 8.1.05 - PROD/QA
DB2 - AS400 - Mainframe
 
Posts: 1972 | Location: Centennial, CO | Registered: January 31, 2006Report This Post
Virtuoso
posted Hide Post
I do enjoy this conversation...


Daniel
In Focus since 1982
wf 8.202M/Win10/IIS/SSA - WrapApp Front End for WF

 
Posts: 1980 | Location: Tel Aviv, Israel | Registered: March 23, 2006Report This Post
Guru
posted Hide Post
I gave one method. Of course if you add a new parameter, "Refresh Parameters" will add that one. If you change existing parameters though, delete will take care of that easily as opposed to changing properties of existing controls, but you can do that too. I was just showing that it is not hard nor convoluted.


David Glick
Director WebFOCUS App Studio
and WebFOCUS Developer Studio
WebFOCUS Division
Information Builders, Inc.
Direct (917) 339-5560
Voice Mail (212) 736-6250 x3560
Fax (212) 947-5168
Email david_glick@ibi.com
 
Posts: 315 | Registered: April 13, 2004Report This Post
Silver Member
posted Hide Post
I can get the checkbox to work (in the way David describes), but when I schedule the report, the checkbox value is ignored.


WebFOCUS 8.0.0.8, Windows 7
 
Posts: 36 | Location: Portland, OR (USA) | Registered: October 11, 2012Report This Post
Silver Member
posted Hide Post
The checkbox works in scheduling if the Hyperlink Properties dialog is opened (right-click the schedule button on the report page) and closed (click OK in the dialog).

See also https://techsupport.informatio...ry.jsp?case=20783554


WebFOCUS 8.0.0.8, Windows 7
 
Posts: 36 | Location: Portland, OR (USA) | Registered: October 11, 2012Report This Post
Silver Member
posted Hide Post
Unfortunately, I have to take that back. Opening the Hyperlink Propoerties dialog etc may help in some scenario(s) but not in all.

The basic problem is that if the checkbox is not checked, processing of the fex will make WebFOCUS prompt for the value of the amper var, which is not what we want. We could fix that by setting a default value for the amper var by means of a -DEFAULTH statement in the report procedure: this default value would be used if the checkbox is left unchecked.
BUT this -DEFAULTH statement would make the report scheduler ignore the amper var altogether, causing the checbox to be unchecked when the report schedule runs (ignoring that the user may have checked the checkbox upon scheduling).

The good news is that there is a workaround: Use a drop down list with values Yes and No (bound to the amper var) instead of a checkbox. Unacceptable you might say. Well, then you can hide this drop down list, drop a checkbox on the page, and write some JavaScript that upon (un)checking changes the selected value in the hidden drop down list.


WebFOCUS 8.0.0.8, Windows 7
 
Posts: 36 | Location: Portland, OR (USA) | Registered: October 11, 2012Report This Post
Virtuoso
posted Hide Post
I'm with the vast majority on this thread when I say make the tool work for developers. This tool is almost a joke as it stands now. Too many nuances where you have to know a workaround, go to several places to do one thing because we "users" aren't trusted with HTML and Js.... Basic web technologies even youth are excelling at.

I've spent way too long looking for ways to get basic form validation working, parameters working between HTML forms and reports, and trying to place my own Js files into the Content folders I've created. It doesn't let you. Why? This tool would be far better if IBI treated the developers like intelligent beings and not the way they do. It's very very very frustrating not to be able to access our HTML, etc. Not a good direction for this company.

In Visual Studio, when working with C#, tool-generated code is placed within collapsible #region tags with comments warning the dev not to manipulate such, but still allows proper manipulation of HTML, CSS, Js, etc. w/o issues due to sufficient decoupling. With IBI, they cut your left and right arm off and spoon feed you partial bits of information in hopes that you will buy another add-on, etc. If this wasn't my job for the time being, I would totally leave IBI and their products behind. As far as I'm concerned this product is in Beta (AppStudio).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CoolGuy,


8.2.02M (production), 8.2.02M (test), Windows 10, all outputs.
 
Posts: 1113 | Location: USA | Registered: January 27, 2015Report This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  

Read-Only Read-Only Topic

Focal Point    Focal Point Forums  Hop To Forum Categories  WebFOCUS/FOCUS Forum on Focal Point     [SOLVED] Checkbox, input_control, HTML (after Developer Studio)

Copyright © 1996-2020 Information Builders