Additional Input Options (Priority Lite/Dashboards)

Procedures That Work Like Forms (Input Screens)

In addition to procedures that display reports, you can create procedures that enable user input and have the “look” of a form.

To avoid replication of code (which leads to bugs), load the data into Priority via an interface to the desired form, using the form load utility.

  1. Using GENERALLOAD as your load table, create a linked file of all data.
  2. Activate the form load interface.
  3. Check that all records in the table were loaded.
  4. If they were not, display the error message returned by the load program.

Example:

LINK GENERALLOAD TO :$.LNK;
/* Insert one or more lines into the linked file */
INSERT INTO GENERALLOAD (LINE,RECORDTYPE,…) VALUES(…);
/* Run the interface on the linked file */ 
EXECUTE INTERFACE ‘MYINTERFACE’, SQL.TMPFILE, ‘-L’, :$.LNK;
/* Insert the message that the interface gave to :PAR1 */
SELECT MESSAGE INTO :PAR1 FROM ERRMSGS
WHERE USER = ATOI(RSTRIND(SQL.CLIENTID,1,9)) 
AND TYPE = ‘i’ AND LINE = 1;

/* Display the message if any lines were not loaded successfully */
ERRMSG1 WHERE EXISTS (SELECT ‘X’ FROM GENERALLOAD
WHERE LOADED <> ‘Y’ AND LINE > 0);
UNLINK GENERALLOAD;

User Input Validation and Messages

Input Validation

In many cases, there is a need to validate user input, whether of procedure parameters or of input report columns. To validate user input:

  • Add an SQL check (step query) to the INPUT step in the procedure. In the event of an error (i.e., ERRMSG that does not fail), the procedure will display the same HTML page as before, together with the appropriate error message.

Resetting Variables and/or Generating the Reports Again

Sometimes, before the page is re-displayed, you may want to send the procedure back to a step prior to INPUT, so as to reset variables or to generate the same reports anew. To go back to an earlier step:

  • Assign an appropriate value, in the INPUT step in question, to the :HTMLGOTO variable before the code for the error messages.

Note: If no error messages are generated, the procedure ignores the :HTMLGOTO variable and continues with the step that follows INPUT.

Another Way to Display Messages

To display any type of message (including error messages) on the HTML page:

  1. Add a MESSAGE step to the procedure, prior to the INPUT step.
  2. Record the message number as the value of its (single) parameter.

Adding Explanatory Text

In many procedures, especially those requiring user input, it is helpful to add brief text that guides the user through the actions he or she has to perform. While this text can be written on the base page itself, it is more efficient to record it as set text directly in Priority. For this purpose, a standard report called HTMLTEXT has been created.

To include set text in the procedure:

  • Add a REPORT step for HTMLTEXT to the procedure (before the INPUT step). Use a single parameter: OUTPUT (as in any other report).

To record the set text itself:

  1. Enter the Set Text for Internet Screens form (System Management → System Maintenance → Internet Definitions). This form displays all Internet procedures, with a line for each REPORT step that runs HTMLTEXT.
  2. Move to the proper line (find the right procedure title and step number).
  3. In the Set Text sub-level form, write the explanatory text that will appear on the HTML page.

Input of Text

To enable the user to input text in the HTML screen, use a procedure parameter of TEXT type. The user keys in an unlimited number of lines in the text field, and these lines are returned to the procedure via a file linked to the PROCTABLETEXT table. For an example, see Inputting Text Into an HTML Screen.

Input of Attachments

The input of attachment files is another special type of procedure input. Use a CHAR parameter and specify Y in the Browse Button column of the Procedure Parameter Extension form.

In the HTML screen, the user records the attachment filename. After he or she clicks Go, the procedure automatically copies this file to the server in the system\mail directory and records the new filename in the procedure parameter. That is, after the INPUT step, the value in the attachment parameter will not be the filename that the user keyed in, but rather the filename in the server.

Further Reading