Adding Custom Blocks to MashZone NextGen Wires Using Macros

You can extend the mashup capabilities of MashZone NextGen Wires by adding custom action blocks with logic to meet your specific needs. Custom action blocks are defined as macros - custom EMML statements - with additional metadata that allows Wires to load and work with the macro.

Note: This topic includes two examples to take you through:

A simple macro meant for use with specific, well-known results

A generic macro that can handle a wider variety of results.

To create a custom action block in Wires, you must create the macro with appropriate code to enable its use in Wires and then save and register it with the MashZone NextGen Server. See Creating and Registering Macros for the basic steps involved in creating and registering macros. See <macro> for basic instructions on defining macro logic.

When a macro will be used as a custom Wires block, there are additional requirements and optional designs to consider:

Use Domains to Organize Custom Blocks

Define Inputs and Output for 'Wiring' the Macro

Handle common use cases for blocks, including:

Loop Through a Well-Known Input

Make Macros Generic for Custom Blocks

Use or Construct XPath Expressions for Generic Macros

Configure the appearance and behavior of the custom Wires block for this macro. See Configure Properties for Custom Blocks for details.