sanity check

I have a DCR where I select Part number from a list, will read a file from the TS server, and use FormAPI
to set some appropriate values.

So I will have, on the change event of PartNumber, a call server method (passing the filename) to the TS server,
which is a perl script that will calculate the data needed, and finish something like this:

$ret_val= <<EOF
<html>
<head>
<script language="javascript">

// Get handle to the FormAPI/userscript frame.
api = parent.getScriptFrame();

// Set the city and state.
api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/city").setValue("Sunnyvale");
api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/state").setValue("CA");

</script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
EOF

return($ret_val);

Is this how I pass data back to JS from Perl ?

TIA

Andy

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Comments

jbonifaci

You can't pass data directly from perl to javascript. Your perl will need to output javascript that contains "hard coded" variables/data. Remember, perl is server side, javascript is client side.

~Jeff

jbonifaci

I just looked at your script and noticed that you already have the values hard coded. Basically you just need to do a print of that hard coded html/javascript.

~Jeff

LooseCannon

You just need to print out your html / js code like :


print qq(
<html>
 <head>
  <script language="javascript">

   // Get handle to the FormAPI/userscript frame.
   api = parent.getScriptFrame();

   // Set the city and state.
   api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/city").setValue("Sunnyvale");
   api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/state").setValue("CA");

  </script>
 </head>
 <body>
 </body>
</html>
);

nipper

thanks, the examples were not overly clear.

One more Q

if I set a variable in the Perl (via the print) is that variable available in JS ? Can
I use api (in the previous example) in my <script> block ?

Andy

Migrateduser

Sure... to use cannon's example:


my $state = "CA";
my $city = "Sunnyvale";
print qq(<html>
<head>
<script language="javascript">
// Get handle to the FormAPI/userscript frame.
 api = parent.getScriptFrame();
 // Set the city and state. 
 api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/city").setValue("$city");
 api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/state").setValue("$state");
</script>
</head>
<body>
</body></html>);

Current Environments:
(1,2) TS 6.5 on W2K3
(3) Vignette V7 Portal on Solaris 9

nipper

No that was not my question.

If I set a variable in the JS that is returned in the HTML,
is that variable seen in the <script> section of my DCT ?

jbonifaci

No. Although you could access the variables in your formapi directly from your callserver by doing this:

parent.getScriptFrame().VariableName = 'VariableValue';

Or from a cgi callout by doing this:

opener.parent.getScriptFrame().VariableName = 'VariableValue';

~Jeff

nipper

Cool, that is what I needed, Thanks

nipper

ok, a little confused here.

in my JS, I have:

var PERL="nothing";
.....
callserver code
alert (PERL);

call server code:

print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print "<html>
<head>
<script language='javascript'>
parent.getscriptframe().PERL="From Perl";
</script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
"

So I was hoping I would be changing the JS variable in my perl callserver code. but I get the wrong info in my alert.

I do have a log in the perl & it is being executed.

Tips/Pointers/RTFMs welcome

Jamik

did you try the opener.parent.getscriptframe().variable? I think that's what Jeff wants you to use in your callserver code.

JonathonG

callServer is asynchronous, so your alert right after the callServer is still going to have the old value. You'd need an alert somewhere after the callServer has finished to see the new value.

Jonathon
Interwoven Developer
Allstate, Inc.

nipper

Yea I kind of figured that out. I started a new thread is this just something I do not want to try ?

Migrateduser

If you can avoid it, don't do it. If you can't avoid it, look into the setTimeout function. If you ever find yourself needing to chain serverCalls, you'll have to do that anyway. Otherwise, if your second server call fires before the first one has returned, you will never get the return value of the first one - it gets cancelled.