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— Custom Controls —

Creating New Controls

This document covers the following topics:

Concept
Example 1
JavaScript Functions
Example 2
Example 3 (Applet)
Summary

Concept

In the previous section, you learned how to compose complex controls out of existing controls. You will now learn how to build completely new controls which are not yet part of the Application Designer control set.

The concept of building your own controls is to insert corresponding HTML and JavaScript instructions into the HTML page which is the result of the generation process.

A JavaScript function library is available which can be directly accessed inside the HTML code which is generated. This library contains useful methods for accessing properties and executing methods of the "model" ("net data") behind the page.

Example 1

The first example is a quite simple one: a tag with the name "democontrol" is introduced, which does nothing else than writing a text which is passed via a tag attribute into the generated HTML page:

The corresponding XML layout definition looks as follows:

<rowarea name="Demo Control">
    <itr>
        <demo:democontrol text="ABCDEFG">
        </demo:democontrol>
    </itr>
</rowarea>

You see that the text which is passed inside the text attribute of the demo:democontrol tag is displayed inside the control in bold letters.

The Java code of the tag handler of the demo:democontrol tag looks as follows:

package com.softwareag.cis.demolibrary;

import org.xml.sax.AttributeList;

import com.softwareag.cis.gui.generate.*;
import com.softwareag.cis.gui.protocol.*;

public class DEMOCONTROLHandler implements ITagHandler
{
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // members
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    String m_text;

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // public methods
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /**
     */    
    public void generateHTMLForStartTag(
        int id,
        String tagName,
        AttributeList attrlist,
        ITagHandler[] handlersAbove,
        StringBuffer sb,
        ProtocolItem protocolItem)
    {
        readAttributes(attrlist);
        fillProtocolItem(protocolItem);
        sb.append("\n<!-- DEMOCONTROL begin -->\n");
        sb.append("<td>The text is: <b>"+m_text+"</b></td>\n");
    }

    /**
     */    
    public void generateHTMLForEndTag(String tagName, StringBuffer sb)
    {
        sb.append("\n<!-- DEMOCONTROL end -->\n");
    }

    /**
     */    
    public void generateJavaScriptForInit(
        int id,
        String tagName,
        StringBuffer sb)
    {
    }

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // private methods
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /**
     */
    public void readAttributes(AttributeList attrlist)
    {
        for (int i=0; i<attrlist.getLength(); i++)
        {
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("text"))
                m_text = attrlist.getValue(i);
        }
    }
    
    /**
     */
    public void fillProtocolItem(ProtocolItem pi)
    {
        if (m_text == null) 
            pi.addMessage(new Message(Message.TYPE_ERROR,
                                      "Attribute TEXT is not defined"));
    }

}

In the tag handler, the following steps are processed:

In the generateHTMLForStartTag() method, the attributes which are defined with the tag are read first and the protocol is filled.
Then, plain HTML information is appended to the HTML string which is passed as a parameter (StringBuffer sb). Inside the HTML information, the value of the text attribute is dynamically inserted.

This control does not provide for any interactivity; it just writes out a certain value which is defined inside its tag definition.

JavaScript Functions

For more interactive controls - for example, which use certain data coming from the server-side adapter - you need to access certain JavaScript functions which are available inside the client. The generated HTML page contains an object named "csciframe". This object provides a certain set of functions for usage from within custom controls.

It is not possible in JavaScript to arrange a set of published functions in some kind of interface in order to only allow users a dedicated access. Therefore, the functions which are allowed to access are listed in this section. You must not use any other functions - even if you may see additional functions in the JavaScript sources.

Function	Description
setPropertyValue(pn,pv)	Sets a property value inside the adapter. The value is not directly sent to the server but is buffered first in the client. If there is a synchronization event, then the buffer is transferred. pn = name of property pb = value Examples: `csciframe.setPropertyValue(companyName,"Software AG");` `csciframe.setPropertyValue(address.firstName,"John");` `csciframe.setPropertyValue(addresses[2].firstName,"Maria");`
getPropertyValue(pn)	Reads a property value from the adapter (better: the client representation of the adapter). pn = name of property result = string of property value Examples: `var vResult1 = csciframe.getPropertyValue("company");` `var vResult2 = csciframe.getPropertyValue("addresses[2].firstName");` Pay attention: the adapter value is always passed back as a string. A boolean value, as a consequence, is returned as "true" string and not as "true" boolean value. Null values of the adapter, that is, where the Java adapter class on the server side passes back "null", are returned as an empty string (""). A JavaScript null value is passed back if the property for which you ask does not exist.
registerListener(me)	Passes a method pointer (me value). The method is called every time when a response of a client request is processed. In other words: every time new data comes from the server or if the model is updated in another way (for example, by flush signals of other controls), then the corresponding methods are called. In the method, you can place a corresponding reaction of your control on new data. The method which you pass must have a parameter `model` - which is not used anymore, but which has to be defined. Example: ... ... function reactOnNewData(model) { var vResult = csciframe.getPropertyValue("firstName"); alert(vResult); } ... ... csciframe.registerListener(reactOnNewData); ... ...
invokeMethodInModel(mn)	Invokes the calling of a method inside the adapter. As a consequence, the data changes which may have been buffered inside the client are flushed to the server and the method is called. mn = name of adapter method Example: `csciframe.invokeMethodInModel("onSave");`
submitModel(n)	Synchronizes the client with the server. Analogous to the `invokeMethodInModel()` method from the synchronization point of view - but now without calling an explicit method in the adapter. n = name, must be `submit` Example: `csciframe.submitModel("submit");`

Example 2

The following example is an extension of the previous example. Whereas in Example 1 the text which is output by the control was defined as an attribute of the tag definition, the text is now dynamically derived from an adapter property.

Demo control

The XML layout definition is:

<rowarea name="Demo Control">
    <itr>
        <label name="Text" width="100">
        </label>
        <field valueprop="text" width="200" flush="screen">
        </field>
    </itr>
    <vdist height="20">
    </vdist>
    <itr>
        <demo:democontroldyn textprop="text">
        </demo:democontroldyn>
    </itr>
</rowarea>

You see that the DEMOCONTROLDYN control references the same adapter property text as the FIELD control.

Let us have a look at the tag handler class for the DEMOCONTROLDYN control:

package com.softwareag.cis.demolibrary;

import org.xml.sax.AttributeList;

import com.softwareag.cis.gui.generate.*;
import com.softwareag.cis.gui.protocol.*;

public class DEMOCONTROLDYNHandler implements ITagHandler
{
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // members
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    String m_textprop;

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // public methods
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /**
     */    
    public void generateHTMLForStartTag(
        int id,
        String tagName,
        AttributeList attrlist,
        ITagHandler[] handlersAbove,
        StringBuffer sb,
        ProtocolItem protocolItem)
    {
        readAttributes(attrlist);
        fillProtocolItem(protocolItem);
        sb.append("\n<!-- DEMOCONTROL begin -->\n");
        sb.append("<td>The text is: <b>");
        sb.append("<span id='DEMOSPAN"+id+"'></span>");
        sb.append("</b></td>\n");
        sb.append("<script>\n");
        sb.append("function reactOnModelUpdate"+id+"(model)\n");
        sb.append("{\n");
        sb.append("  var vText = csciframe.getPropertyValue('"+m_textprop+"');\n");
        sb.append("  var vSpan = document.getElementById('DEMOSPAN"+id+"');\n");
        sb.append("  vSpan.innerHTML = vText;\n");
        sb.append("}\n");
        sb.append("</script>\n");
    }

    /**
     */    
    public void generateHTMLForEndTag(String tagName, StringBuffer sb)
    {
        sb.append("\n<!-- DEMOCONTROL end -->\n");
    }

    /**
     */    
    public void generateJavaScriptForInit(
        int id,
        String tagName,
        StringBuffer sb)
    {
        sb.append("csciframe.registerListener(reactOnModelUpdate"+id+");\n");
    }

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // private methods
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /**
     */
    public void readAttributes(AttributeList attrlist)
    {
        for (int i=0; i<attrlist.getLength(); i++)
        {
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("textprop"))
                m_textprop = attrlist.getValue(i);
        }
    }
    
    /**
     */
    public void fillProtocolItem(ProtocolItem pi)
    {
        // Messages
        if (m_textprop == null) 
            pi.addMessage(new Message(Message.TYPE_ERROR,
                                      "Attribute TEXTPROP is not defined"));
        // Property Usage
        pi.addProperty(m_textprop,"String");
    }

}

You see:

Inside the generateJavaScript() method, a JavaScript function is added as a listener to adapter model changes. The function is generated inside the generateHTMLForStartTag() method.
The name of the property is read via the attribute list into the member m_textprop - and is dynamically used when calling the JavaScript function getPropertyValue().
All JavaScript names (e.g. method names, IDs of controls) which are "global" inside the HTML page are suffixes with the control ID which is passed via the ITagHandler methods. The reason: if one control is defined multiple times inside a page, then the different methods and IDs are separated by this ID.
The protocol item is filled with the information about the property which is required by the control. This is necessary at runtime because the Application Designer runtime environment needs to find out which data of an adapter property to send back to the client (see Binding between Page and Adapter in the Special Development Topics).

Example 3 (Applet)

This example shows how to embed Java applets. Unlike Example 1 and Example 2, the generated HTML/JavaScript here just makes the applet aware of the normal data communication between screen and page adapter. The rendering is done in Java.

This example uses a very basic "Say Hello!" applet. It shows one field input and a button. On button click, a message is displayed on the STATUSBAR control.

Demo

The XML layout definition is:

<page model="SayHelloAdapter">
    <titlebar name="Say Hello! Demo">
    </titlebar>
    <header>
    </header>
    <pagebody>
        <rowarea name="Applet">
            <tr>
                <demo:applet code="SayHelloApplet.class" 
                             width="400" 
                             height="40" 
                             valueprop="yourName" 
                             method="onSayHello">
                </demo:applet>
            </tr>
        </rowarea>
    </pagebody>
    <statusbar>
    </statusbar>
</page>

The demo:applet tag shows the usual applet attributes: code, width and height. With the attribute valueprop, the applet's field input is bound to the adapter property yourName. The attribute method binds the button to adapter method onSayHello.

This is the page adapter for this example:

import com.softwareag.cis.server.Adapter;

public class SayHelloAdapter extends Adapter
{
    // property >yourName<
    String m_yourName;
    public String getYourName() { return m_yourName; }
    public void setYourName(String value) { m_yourName = value; }

    /** called on button click */
    public void onSayHello()
    {
      outputMessage(MT_SUCCESS, "Hello "+m_yourName+"!");
    }
}

The adapter only provides for the property yourName and the method onSayHello.

The most important thing is the tag handler class. Let us have a look at APPLETHandler:

package com.softwareag.cis.demolibrary;

import org.xml.sax.*;

import com.softwareag.cis.file.CSVManager;
import com.softwareag.cis.gui.protocol.*;
import com.softwareag.cis.gui.util.*;

public class APPLETHandler implements ITagHandler
{
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // members
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    String m_code;
    String m_codebase = ".";
    String m_width = "100";
    String m_height = "100";
    String m_valueprop;
    String m_method;

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // public usage
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    public void generateHTMLForStartTag(int id,
                                        String tagName,
                                        AttributeList attrlist,
                                        ITagHandler[] handlersAbove,
                                        StringBuffer sb,
                                        ProtocolItem protocolItem)
    {
        readAttributes(attrlist);
        fillProtocol(protocolItem);
        
        sb.append("\n");
        sb.append("<!-- APPLET begin -->\n");
        sb.append("<td>\n");
        sb.append("<applet name=\"APPLET"+id+"\" " +
                                  "codebase=\".\" " +
                                  "code=\""+m_code+"\" " +
                                  "width=\""+m_width+"\" " +
                                  "height=\""+m_height+"\" " +
                                  "MAYSCRIPT>\n");        
        sb.append("   <param name=\"scriptable\" value=\"true\">\n");
        sb.append("   <param name=\"id\" value=\""+id+"\">\n");
        sb.append("   <param name=\"valueprop\" value=\""+m_valueprop+"\">\n");
        sb.append("   <param name=\"method\" value=\""+m_method+"\">\n");
        sb.append("</applet>\n");

        sb.append("<script>\n");
        sb.append("function romu"+id+"(model) {");
        sb.append(    "try { document.APPLET"+id+".reactOnNewData(); } \n");
        sb.append(    "catch (exc) { alert('Error occurred when talking to applet!' + exc); }\n");
        sb.append("} \n");
        sb.append("function getProperyValue"+id+"(propertyName) { return C.getPropertyValue(propertyName); } \n");
        sb.append("function setPropertyValue"+id+"(propertyName, value) { C.setPropertyValue(propertyName, value); } \n");
        sb.append("function invokeMethodInModel"+id+"(methodName) { C.invokeMethodInModel(methodName); } \n");
        sb.append("</script>\n");
    }

    public void generateHTMLForEndTag(String tagName,
                                      StringBuffer sb)
    {
        sb.append("<!-- APPLET end -->\n");
        sb.append("</td>\n");
    }

    public void generateJavaScriptForInit(int id,
                                          String tagName,
                                          StringBuffer sb)
    {
        sb.append("C.registerListener(romu"+id+");\n");
    }

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // private usage
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /** */
    private void readAttributes(AttributeList attrlist)
    {
        for (int i=0; i<attrlist.getLength(); i++)
        {
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("code")) m_code = attrlist.getValue(i);
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("codebase")) m_codebase = attrlist.getValue(i);
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("width")) m_width = attrlist.getValue(i);
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("height")) m_height = attrlist.getValue(i);
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("valueprop")) m_valueprop = attrlist.getValue(i);
            if (attrlist.getName(i).equals("method")) m_method = attrlist.getValue(i);
        }
    }

    /** */
    private void fillProtocol(ProtocolItem pi)
    {
        // check
        if (m_code == null) pi.addMessage(new Message(Message.TYPE_ERROR, "CODE not set"));
        if (m_valueprop == null) pi.addMessage(new Message(Message.TYPE_ERROR, "VALUEPROP not set"));
        if (m_method == null) pi.addMessage(new Message(Message.TYPE_ERROR, "METHOD not set"));
    }

}

You see:

readAttributes() reads all attributes from the XML. Their values are saved in member variables.
fillProtocol() checks whether mandatory attributes are set. If not, an error message is shown within the generation protocol.
generateHTMLForStartTag() generates HTML code containing the applet/parameter tags. Some JavaScript functions are added that are available inside the applet coding (getPropertyValue/setPropertyValue/invokeMethodInModel).
generateJavaScriptForInit() registers function romu() as a listener to model changes. On change, the applet is called by reactOnNewData.

The Java applet looks as follows:

import netscape.javascript.JSObject;

public class SayHelloApplet extends Applet
{
      private String m_id;
      private String m_valueprop;
      private String m_method;      
      private JLabel m_label;
      private JTextField m_fieldJ;
      private JButton m_buttonJ;
      private JSObject m_windowJ = null;
      
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // Data binding
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
      /**
       * Callback method for model change events
       */
      public void reactOnNewData()
      {
            Object[] args = new String[] { m_valueprop };
            Object v = m_windowJ.call("getProperyValue"+m_id, args);
            if (v == null) 
                  v = "";
            m_fieldJ.setText((String)v);
      }
      
      /**
       * button action handler
       */
      private void buttonAction()
      {
            // pass field's value into property
            Object[] args = new String[] { m_valueprop , m_fieldJ.getText() };
            m_windowJ.call("setPropertyValue"+m_id, args);
            
            // call adapter method
            args = new String[] { m_method };
            m_windowJ.call("invokeMethodInModel"+m_id, args);
      }

      /**
   * Is called on load
   */
      public void init()
      {
            m_windowJ = JSObject.getWindow(this);
            m_id = getParameter("id");
            m_valueprop = getParameter("valueprop");
            m_method = getParameter("method");
     
            createGUI();
      }

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // applet specific methods
    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
      private void createGUI(){..}
      
      public void destroy(){..}

      private void cleanUp(){..}
}

You see:

JavaScript methods are called using JSObject. It is part of plugin.jar of Sun's Java Virtual machine.
The method reactOnNewData() accesses the fresh property value.
The method buttonAction() first sets the user input and then calls the adapter method.

Summary

Writing new controls requires a profound knowledge of HTML and JavaScript. In principle, everything is simple, but there are a couple of pieces which have to be put together in order to form a control properly:

You have to render the control via HTML.
You have to manipulate the control via JavaScript - in case you have a dynamic control.
You have to bind the control to adapter properties/methods.
You have to pay attention to the fact that all controls are living in the same page - and there must not be any confusion with naming of IDs and method names.
You have to use the JavaScript initialization for registering your control inside the internal eventing when new page content arrives inside the client.
You have to properly fill the protocol item.

Some topics have been mentioned here, but have not been fully explained. For more information, see Special Issues.

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