I poked around with RIA in HTML Composer to build B.I. Dashboard HTML pages and I concluded I can't see any use for RIA. Only one two (Charcoal and Clean) of the supplied themes is decent for business websites (the others look too Goth and I haven't figured out how to add your own theme) and these themed HTML pages look too different from the B.I. Dashboard page itself.

Would someone successfully using RIA be willing to post screen captures (censored if necessary)?

Thanks very much,

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

Francis,

I was looking for the RIA in my DS install and couldn't find it. Is it something installed separately? How do you go about accessing it?

Thanks!

I'm not sure with which WF release it appeared.

When you open a new or existing web page in HTML Composer, apply a theme via the "RIA Theme" property of the "DOCUMENT" tag.

Once you've applied the RIA theme, the "RIA Components" toolbar is added.

Caution: if you apply RIA to an existing HTML page and save it, you can't "un-RIA" it.

Documentation is minimal.

RIA support in WebFOCUS is based on Bindows - a Javascript framework IBI decided to include in the product since, I think, 7.6.9. They used it to build the newer version of the reporting server's Web Console.

Though I attempted to play with it a while ago was quickly "motivated" to step back to regular HTML composer-supported pages. I saw inconsistencies in the way buttons properties were maintained and how they were rendered. Regular form buttons usually show just an Icon; upon choosing a RIA theme, they autoamtically ended up with a text="Button" migled with the image. I removed that value via Properties but after a few changes (which I don't remember) that dreaded "Button" value showed up again on top of the button ... I didn't want to see more

It would be interesting to know if we use could Bindows directly to develop intranet application without the limitations of HTML composer. Based on how Web Console works I think the tool has a great potential and I honestly doubt IBI used HTML composer to build their Web Console. My only concern are licensing limitations but I have not found any information about that in IBI's website.

quote:

text="Button"

Funny, I get that in non-RIA pages.

If Bindows is like jQuery, then I'd rather use jQuery.

Hmmm, based on what I've read Bindows seems very robust (in terms of components and framework foundation) compared to jQuery. I love jQuery as it has allowed me to do lots of things with much less effort than writing Javascript directly. However, I've never seemed to be able to find the right mix of plugins (and there are thousands) that would provide all (or at least most) of the components/widgets I may need to include in a web application in Javacript without compatibility issues across different version of the jQuery core and the components themselves.

Bindows is apparently more self-contained and as I mentioned very robust but that also comes with a significant enterprise licensing price which is why I wondered if the WebFOCUS license made provisions to use Bindows (which is bundled with it) in standalone mode without being limited to what HTML composer allows to do. Anyway, I was just being curious ... functionality wise and considering its price tag I can never go wrong with jQuery!

At the Summit 2009 conference Bindows was revealed to be the framework providing the bells and whistles behind the upcoming version 8.x software. I inquired about gaining access to the framework and was informed about the licensing issues. I was also strongly discouraged from considering the use of IB's Bindows-based code files for the same reasons that we are told to keep our grubby little mitts out of the existing javascript files used within HTML Decomposer.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Norb Eckert,

RIA in B.I. Dashboard: "Using RIA, you can generate the exact look and feel of a Windows-based graphical user interface in your Web applications".

• I've never seen an "accordion" type of window in a Windows-based graphical user interface
  
• The current client requires the Dashboard to be usable on an iPad - the last thing one would want to do is to design it to look like a Windows application
  
• It would be nice for IBI to supply some proper examples of RIA - there should be a Century Corp demo or something...
  

• quote:

  strongly discouraged

  means we won't use this stuff and it will slow die...
  

The RIA is available in 7.7.x versions and can be enabled via the Windows registry for 7.6.9 and higher. It's not very intuitive but the accordion pane looks really cool. It's easier to accomplish via JQuery and don't have to play around with the windows registry.

Neftali, Norb, Edwin, thanks for your feedback.

I've decided to quell my desire to try something new.

I've been using JQuery as well and have done some neat, fun things. If IB would put thead and tbody tags into the output it would be even easier to use the plug-ins.

Francis - you are either a masochist, an eternal optimist or have a death wish with regard to your continued trials with the HTML layout tool. Which is it???? LOL

quote:

masochist

but only because the client insists.

Ahhhhh I see. Well I don't want to end up "going Postal" so I tend to steer clear of the HTML tool. It's kindof like roadkill - you see it on the road ahead, drive around it and hope the DOT comes along to take it away. Oh my!!! I just busted out laughing at my own post.

Here's an example of the 7.6.11 Beta RIA in action:



After coming up with this example last year, our users came up with a new application that seemed a pefect fit for the RIA Accordian Window.

Once I activated RIA in HTML Composer. it took some work to get it right as there are quite a few issues with the composer I had to finesse. But I was warned that being a Beta, there would be issues. Hopefully, since it is offially part of the tool set in 7.7.03, it is more stable in the composer.

Our users love the final production version of the application. Saves screen real estate and looks great.

We are also looking at this, plus the new 7.7.03 vertical accordian report, as powerful tools for Iphone/Ipad reporting.

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

RIA was beta in 7610. It is a production in 77. It cannot be used in any other 76x release since it is unsupported there. We do not surface the ability to create your own RIA themes since they are extremely complex CSS coding. There are several customers using it. It provides the ability to animate any object on the canvas for an interactive experience. When adding a RIA Theme, you get 2 new controls that are only available for RIA - Window and Accordion. The Accordion is a very useful comtrol in that it allows objects to be placed on each of its pages and it does not take up any extra space per page. The pages overlay each other as you scroll through them.

I am looking forward to examining the updated tools when we finally upgrade to version 7.7x. I'm sure some very interesting and useful things can be accomplished.

Thanks David.

quote:

... plus the new 7.7.03 vertical accordian report, as powerful tools for Iphone/Ipad reporting.

DavSmith, I was wondering if you've ever got a chance to test this in 7.7.03? I don't seem to be able to find how to create a "vertical" accordion in HTML Composer. Documentation mentions nothing about it and none of the accordion Properties gives any hints either.

NJ, We are about ready to upgrade to 7.7.03, so no, no chance to test as of yet.

But, I mixed apples and oranges in my post above. To be clear, I'm talking about two entirely different and independent new features that use the word accordian (there is an older third use, the "Horizontal Accordian", but who in their right mind ever used that?...sheesh,I digress):

1) Reporting EXPANDBYROW (Vertical Accordian) command
2) HTML Composer BIA "Accordian Control (Window)"

The Vertical Accordian I spoke of ("...Iphone/Ipad reporting") is the navigation up and down of a sorted hierarchy tree by clicking on a "+" or "-" sign to display/hide succeeding subsections. It's new to 7.7 and is activated by adding "ON TABLE SET EXPANDBYROW ON" to sorted and subtotaled reporting code. See this post for a simple description and code example.

The HTML Composer "Accordian Control (Window)", which is displayed in the pic in my post above, should be discussed in the 7.7 docs. It is specifically called out in the 7.6.11 beta doc DN4500979.0709 "tm4679_RIA.pdf" page 9 "Procedure: How to Add a RIA Accordion Control Component".

I'm itching to test both together and separately for Ipad/Iphone.

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

After re-reading your original post I realize that I was mixing the concepts. I was so focused on the accordion control stuff I was looking for that I missed the "report" piece in your statement.

Thanks for the additional clarification, DavSmith. Much appreciated.

You got it, NJ.

Part of the problem is naming conventions used to identify "accordians" in reporting sytax and HTML composer.

I'd prefer changing the name IBI uses for "Accordian Reports" (both vertical and horizontal versions) to "Expandable Reports", since EXPANDABLE and EXPANDABLEBYROW are the commands used to turn the feature on. The web usually refers to these types of reports as "Tree Tables". But, I don't want to confuse the HTML Composer Tree Control with Tree Table, so "Expandable Reports" makes more sense to me.