Generating HTML using formapi

HI,

Ive got a problem where by I am trying to generate a html file from a dcr, on the save event. What I am trying to achieve is when the user clicks on the save button, they get the default functionality (prompt for a dcr name). However when the user has saved the dcr, the formapi event onSaveDone, calls a perl script which should generate a html page. The reasons for doing this is that our templates currently generate xml, and we have enhanced the templates to generate html as well.

We dont want to necessarily have 2 presentation templates for this content type, as this would confuse current users, hence we have a formapi event where if a html radio button is clicked, then onSaveDone calls the perl script.

The script contains a command similar to the one below.

/iw-home/bin/iwgen -t /default/main/CMS/WORKAREA/wa1/templatedata/content/contacts/presentation/contacts.tpl -r /default/main/CMS/WORKAREA/wa1/templatedata/content/contacts/data/myDCR /iwmnt/default/main/CMS/WORKAREA/wa1/content/myDCR.html

I cant get this command to work in a perl script. I have tried using backticks `` and using the perl "system" command, but it still does not work. When I run this command on the command line it works fine!

Could this be a permission issue, as the user (iwui) cannot generate the html in the WORKAREA?

Thanks
Mashuk

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Comments

Johnny

Have you looked into having multiple templates (with only one registered for the user to select)
where, in the main template, you would create another ostream and include the second template if the radio button is selected?

John Cuiuli

Mashuk

That could be a possibility. However going down that route, would mean significant re-work on our templates.
It would be better if we could get the iwgen functionality working.

Mashuk

Lex

Is there a workflow associated with this that could be used to do the generation?

Darryl Luther
darryl.luther@weyerhaeuser.com
Senior Web Analyst
Weyerhaeuser

Mashuk

I know it would work in a workflow, as you can run the external task as whatever user you like, but unfortunately, our users would be loathed if it was in a workflow.

Thanks
Mashuk

Lex

OK, scratch that. Have you tried running the Perl script from the command line to make sure at least that works? If it does, then I guess maybe you are dealing with a permissions issue.

Darryl Luther
darryl.luther@weyerhaeuser.com
Senior Web Analyst
Weyerhaeuser

Mashuk

The perl script does work from the command line. i.e it generates the html page.

Mashuk

Lex

How are you calling it from your FormAPI code?

Darryl Luther
darryl.luther@weyerhaeuser.com
Senior Web Analyst
Weyerhaeuser

Jens

Are you able to execute the command as iwui from command line? (su - iwui)
So if this works, there will be no permission issue.
--> if it doesn't work have a lot at the error message ;-))

Ciao,
Jens

Mashuk

I am calling the perl script like so in the formapi code :-

function generatepage(savefile)
{
var params = new Object();
//var params = IWDCRInfo.getDCRName();
params.DCRNAME = savefile;
params.WORKAREA = parent.gWorkarea;
params.TEST =IWItem.getName;

var server = window.location.hostname;
var isComp = IWDatacapture.callServer("http://"+server+"/iw-bin/static_contact_gen.ipl",params,true);
return true;

}

Mashuk

Mashuk

I am not able to execute the perl script as the iwui user as I do not know the iwui password.

Mashuk

nipper

if you know root, then su to root, then su to iwui.

Just a hunch but we had a similar issue. Even with perms open wide, iwui could not
write to the workarea. Had to make iwui part of the group that shares the WA.

Andy

Jens

if you are root you don't need it. ;-)
another try is to add the iwui to the group of sharing of your WA or to change the permissions of it.

We had some similar problems (permission issue) with formapi/callserver and iwui-user and get it working if we done one of that.

--Jens

Mashuk

Ive tried adding iwui user to a group that shares with the workarea, but still no luck. It still won't call the iwgen command. Similarly to the iwui, I do not know the root password.

Quite baffling really!

Dwayne

I would suggest using iwpt_compile.ipl, and have it output to a location which is known to be writable to the world (/tmp comes to mind). I would also have the script that is invoking the compiler log the command line that it's trying to run to a file somewhere, so that you can verify:

A - the script is running at all
B - it's being given the parameters that you expected

Once you've tracked down where the problem lies for sure, you can investigate going back to iwgen

Edited by Dwayne on 07/27/04 08:51 AM (server time).

Lex

Not sure it matters, but in my implementations of callServer() I've always done something like this (no "http://<server>"):

IWDatacapture.callServer("/iw-bin/bepsfaq_update_id.ipl",parameters,false);

Darryl Luther
darryl.luther@weyerhaeuser.com
Senior Web Analyst
Weyerhaeuser

Mashuk

We have tried using iwpt_compile.ipl. We know the wrapper perl script is invoking because an output screen which we defined in the code pops up. However with no content as the the iwpt_compile.ipl and iwgen is failing to execute.

Dwayne

In reply to:

We have tried using iwpt_compile.ipl. We know the wrapper perl script is invoking because an output screen which we defined in the code pops up. However with no content as the the iwpt_compile.ipl and iwgen is failing to execute.

Is it possible to post the wrapper perl script? There must be something else going on if iwpt_compile.ipl isn't able to generate to /tmp, or some other world-writable directory.

Mashuk

I was wondering is there a command which will allow me to run the iwgen command using my userid, which I know will create a file in the Workarea.

Is there some sort of unix command e.g su user/password which I can use in the perl script to run the command?

Thanks
Mashuk

Dwayne

(This is theoretical and untested. Use at your own risk)

Instead of using a URL of /iw-bin/my_cgi_handler.cgi, try using this

/iw-bin/iw_cgi_wrapper.cgi/my_cgi_handler.cgi

The iw_cgi_wrapper.cgi should cause the script to be run as the current user, provided that the callServer FormAPI method passes in the session information for the current user. I'm not positive that it does, but it's worth a try.

Mashuk

Tried to wrap my perl script with the cgi wrapper program, but it does not pass any session variables to the perl script.

Mashuk

DrillDown.zip

Adam Stoller

Perhaps the CGI you're calling from the CallServer() method could be setuid root and could determine the owner of the saved DCR and become that user before performing the generate command?

I'd only suggest doing this if you can make a binary CGI - you could do it in Perl but it's a pain and subject to potentially severe scrutiny by serious IT folks.

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

pratz

Hi,

I am trying to do something similar. I have a tpl which uses ostream and generates htmls depending on dct field values. i am using callserver method to callout a cgi which calls a system command to generate the files through the tpl. the script only works if the iwui is added to the group sharing the workarea. But itsets the owner and group as iwui and nobody respectively for the generated files.

Is there a way i can change the owner and group using a script ?? Or any other workaround ?

using 5.5.2 on solaris 8 .

Thanks in advance

Edited by pratz on 04/27/05 00:45 AM (server time).

Adam Stoller

If you're on Unix - you have the basic commands of chmod/chown/chgrp.
Perl provides calls for both chmod() and chown() where the latter can set the group as well [note: it uses uid and gid values - not userid and groupid names]
You can also try running your CGI scripts through iw_cgi_wrapper.cgi [/iw-bin/iw_cgi_wrapper.cgi/your_script.cgi] which *should* take care of setting the effective user for the command to be the logged in TeamSite user as opposed to the server process owner.

I'm not sure why you'd be generating files via FormAPI CallServer() - that just sounds wrong to me - but hopefully the above will help you anyway.

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

pratz

Hi fish ,

I had already tried the wrapper to no avail. Also the commands chmod and chown . but get error : not owner or cant access (the directory). guess you have to be the root user to be able to do these things or change permissions . but doing all these it does not help through gui. Command line works fine though. I know the workflow method. but was supposed to do it without workflow. So was checking vth callserver in FormApi.
I think i should go by the workflow then.

Thanks,
Pratz