FormAPI callServer HELP!

Hello,

I have written a perl file to retrieve file size information. The file works well as an Inline command, however, I need to invoke it via FormAPI and it is driving me crazy!! Must I write the result to a text file in order for this to work?!?!?

DCT contains FormAPI element as follows:
function sizer(){
var parameters = new Object();
parameters.dummy="empty";
IWDatacapture.callServer("/iw-bin/filesizer.ipl",parameters,true);
return;
}

DCT contains FormAPI invokes as follows
var sizeItem = IWDatacapture.getItem(replicantValue + "[" +i+ "]/FileSize");
var testval = sizer()
sizeItem.setValue(testval);

Applicable IPL piece ($output was used during inline command):
#$output = "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>\n";
#$output .= "<substitution>\n";
$f_size = abs($f_size);
$f_time = ($f_size*.15)/60;
$f_time = int abs($f_time);
$filesize = $f_size . "KB" . " [estimated " . $f_time . " minutes at 56k]\n";
#$output .= " <default>$filesize</default>\n";
#$output .= "</substitution>\n";print $output;exit();
return;

Many Thanks in Advance!

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Migrateduser

Try loading it in the browser, and check the apache logs during your request.

http://teamsite/iw-bin/filesizer.ipl?dummy=empty

Also, your code does not seem to put the size into the field? Just calling sizer won't put it there - your script has to generate FormAPI commands to populate the field.

BTW, this may not be the best approach (maybe PT could more reliably determine file size).

Dwayne

A callServer handler is not the same as an <inline> handler. You can't just plug your <inline> handler in and expect it to work The only way that the called URL can have an impact on the current DCR is via JavaScript code. Also remember that callServer is an async function. That means that control returns immediately to the caller. It doesn't wait for the URL to return. So your use of the return code is invalid.

If you want the called page to alter an item on the form, then you'll probably want to pass the full pathname of the target object, so that the called page can write some JavaScript which will use FormAPI to update the item.

--

Current project: TS 5.5.2/6.1 W2K

Migrateduser

Another way, which gets rid of both the async and the dynamic javascript generation in the CGI, is to use the XML parsers that come with most current browsers (if you can require IE5.5 or Mozilla 1.7 for all CMS users). Change the script to return XML, all you have to pass it is file path. Use the synchronous options of the browser's XML object to retrieve the XML, then populate the result. That way, all of the JavaScript logic is in a single function. You pass that function two things, the item to populate and the path to the file to get size for. Again, I think the TPL may be a better place for this logic.

If you go this route, make your XML pretty generic (you may find down the road you need lock, owner, group, etc.).

I have done the same thing for DBI and it solves the async bug while making the code much easier to follow, and you can actually test the CGI in the browser.

Edited by john on 08/10/04 12:56 PM (server time).

summergs

Unfortunately I am using the DCT for Datadeploy (not using tpl's). I tried to return a setItem from perl but I am using replicants and it got very complicated. Does anyone have any example code to put me on track?

Many thanks in advance!

Migrateduser

Here's some code, uses some modules and functions you may need to write or find, not supported, XML is a better approach if you can do it, I can send that code too.

function populateFileSize( fileField, sizeField )
{
var params = {};
params['area'] = getWorkarea();
params['file'] = IWDatacapture.getItem( fileField ).getValue();
params['item'] = sizeField;
wrapCallServer( '/iw-bin/getFileSize.cgi', params );
return( true );
}

#!/apps/iw-home/iw-perl/bin/perl -w

use strict;

use CGI;

use IWAPI::CMSFSE;

my ${area} = CGI: Smiley Tongue

aram( 'area' );
my ${file} = CGI: Smiley Tongue

aram( 'file' );
my ${item} = CGI: Smiley Tongue

aram( 'item' );
my ${js} = '';
my ${readonly} = 'false';
my ${size} = '';

if ( localIsDefined( ${item} ) && localIsDefined( ${area} ) && defined( ${file} ))
{
if ( localIsDefined( ${file} ))
{
my ${path} = IWAPI::CMSFSE::getOSpath( ${area} . '/' . ${file} );

if ( -f ${path} )
{
${size} = -s ${path};
${readonly} = 'true';
}
else
{
${js} .= 'alert( "' . ${path} . ' does not exist or is not a file : ' . ${!} . '" );' . "\n";
}
}

${js} .= 'parent.getScriptFrame().IWDatacapture.getItem( "' . ${item} . '" ).setValue( "' . ${size} . '" );' . "\n";
# ${js} .= 'parent.getScriptFrame().IWDatacapture.getItem( "' . ${item} . '" ).setReadOnly( ' . ${readonly} . ' );' . "\n";
${js} .= 'parent.top.getScriptFrame().IWDatacapture.redraw();' . "\n";
}
else
{
${js} .= 'alert( "Required parameter not supplied." );' . "\n";
}

print CGI::header(), CGI::start_html( -script => ${js} ), CGI::end_html();
exit( 0 );

sub localIsDefined( $ )
{
my ${thing} = shift( @{_} );
return( defined( ${thing} ) && ${thing} ne '' );
}

summergs

John, Thanks for your help!

rodigz

hi there,

what's wrong wiith my code. Basically Im calling perl store procedure to check First name and Last namen in the databse it will return 1 if yes. Then I will alert it back to my formapi saying name exist?

formpi
function handleCallServer() {

var params = {};
params['first_name'] = IWDatacapture.getItem("/Author/FirstName").getValue();
params['last_name'] = IWDatacapture.getItem("/Author/LastName").getValue();
wrapCallServer( '/iw-bin/storedp.cgi', params );
alert(params);
return( true );

}

store proc

my $in = new CGI;
my $first_name=$in->param('first_name');
my $last_name= $in->param('last_name');
my $storeproc="teamsite.internal_author_exists";
my $sth2;

my $func = $dbh->prepare(qq{
BEGIN
:rv := $storeproc( first_name => :fname, last_name => :lname);
END;
});

$func->bind_param(":fname", $first_name);
$func->bind_param(":lname", $last_name);
$func->bind_param_inout(":rv", \$sth2, { ora_type => ORA_NUMBER });
$func->execute;

if( $@ ) {
warn "Execution of stored procedure failed: $DBI::errstr\n";
$dbh->rollback;
}
print "Execution of stored procedure returned $sth2\n";

jbonifaci

What are you experiencing? Are you getting an error? Is the script being called? Is it not calling back appropriately? What is going on...?

rodigz

when i execute it from browser it works fine
http://teamsite/iw-bin/storedp.cgi?first_name=John;last_name=Coates

but when I do the Save from Teamsite DCT

getting the error.
Can't excute code from a freed script??

thanks.

rodigz

I think it is working now. Made the following changes
var server = window.location.hostname;
IWDatacapture.callServer("http://"+server+"/iw-bin/storedp.cgi",
params);

thanks!

rodigz

hi Jeff,

question. I'm doing it onSave. Basically if the value Im getting from db let true they can save but if it is false alert /error message.
Where should I add that checking in the cgi? or formapi?
If in the formapi how will I return the value to formapi?

thanks.

deepakb

As Callserver is an asynchronous call, you cannot return any value from your perl script. However you can access the DCT fields/values from perl file by accessing the var api = parent.getScriptFrame(), then api.IWDatacapture.getItem(.....).

Recommendation is to do the validation in the perl file it self, throw the javascript alert, and then may be make the form invalid so that save do no happen with the below script.

var api = parent.getScriptFrame()
api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/....").setValid(False) //Make the particular field invalid.
api.IWDatacapture.setHighlightMode(true);
api.IWDatacapture.redraw();

rodigz

$sth2 will be 0 or 1 result from my db query.

if ($sth2=='1') {
alert("Author already exists. Please try again");
var api = parent.getScriptFrame()
api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/Author/FirstName").setValid(false)
api.IWDatacapture.setHighlightMode(true);
api.IWDatacapture.redraw();
}
this works fine but when the user changes the data in the dct it should allow it to save and do the workflow.

But now does not?

thanks.

chetansethi

You are doing api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/Author/FirstName").setValid(false) when $sth2 is returning 1, but once it is set as invalid... you need to set to it to valid again explicitly... try putting api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/Author/FirstName").setValid(true) in the else part.

$sth2 will be 0 or 1 result from my db query.

if ($sth2=='1') {
alert("Author already exists. Please try again");
var api = parent.getScriptFrame()
api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/Author/FirstName").setValid(false)
api.IWDatacapture.setHighlightMode(true);
api.IWDatacapture.redraw();
}
this works fine but when the user changes the data in the dct it should allow it to save and do the workflow.

But now does not?

thanks.

rodigz

grr. still does not work.

techSan

Just wanted to thank John.. your code was a lifesaver for me!!!

jkm

Running into similar problem

var w = $flag;
api = parent.getScriptFrame();
if ($flag == "1" ){
api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/article/date").setValid(false);
api.IWDatacapture.setHighlightMode(true);
}else {
api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/article/date").setValid(true);
api.IWDatacapture.setHighlightMode(false);
}
api.IWDatacapture.redraw();

If item is set invalid in the callserver api then after correcting the values it is not able to rectify the values. Please suggest if any one knows the way arounds...

TS6.5+sp2 + solaris

jkm

Any help guys in this regard .. is this expected behaviour or I am doing something wrong ?? Let me know if require more information or query is not clear

ISCBorisB

Any help guys in this regard .. is this expected behaviour or I am doing something wrong ?? Let me know if require more information or query is not clear

Yes, it is expected behavior. What you see is (previous) Form Message, message itself may or may not change because of HighlightMode changes.
For example, if all your items are valid, setHighlightMode(true) will have no visible effect. You caused it, you have to clean it.

Simply add "api.IWDatacapture.displayMessage("");" wherever needed

jkm

Thanks Boris for your reply,

Simply add "api.IWDatacapture.displayMessage("");" wherever needed

Display message will display some message on the bottom of the screen .. as I am usng redraw function then it should clear the invalid field in the next call isnt ?

I have tried to remove the highlight mode already but still it didnt work

ISCBorisB

Display message will display some message on the bottom of the screen .. as I am usng redraw function then it should clear the invalid field in the next call isnt ?

No. You cleared invalid Field, not redraw (actually, in 6.x you almost never need redraw). It has no effect on message.

I have tried to remove the highlight mode already but still it didnt work

Highlight mode changes have no effect on message field if all items are valid. If your code causes message change
it is your duty to clean it, TS has no way of knowing what do you want.

I did quick and dirty toggle to test, works like charm

if (api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/call_server/call_server").isValid()) {
   api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/call_server/call_server").setValid(false);
   api.IWDatacapture.setHighlightMode(true);
}
else {
   api.IWDatacapture.getItem("/call_server/call_server").setValid(true);
   api.IWDatacapture.setHighlightMode(false);
   api.IWDatacapture.displayMessage("");
}

jkm

Thanks Boris ... it works with charm for me as well now ...
I need to clear this in my formAPI not in callServer and it works fine after tht ..