Content Launch Action Builder

Content Launch Action Builder

The Content Launch Action Builder adds a control (button or link) to a page in your model to open a file or resource that might require an additional plug-in to view or handle the content. For example, if you want to launch a spreadsheet or video file from a page, use this builder to create the control that launches that content. The content is opened in a separate browser window.

Specifying inputs

This builder takes the inputs described in the table below. For help on inputs common to many or all builders such as those in the Properties and HTML Attributes input groups, see Using the Builder Call Editor.

Input Name Description
Name Enter a name for this builder call. The designer tool displays this name in the builder call list.
Page Location Use the Page Location input to specify the page or pages on which this builder call will act.
See Locating control builders on pages for detailed documentation about the Page Location input and page location syntax.
Page Control Type Indicate the type of control you want to add to the page that launches the content.

Button

Places an HTML button on the page to launch the content. This option requires that you provide a button label.

Image Button

Places an image on the page for the button that launches the content. This option requires that you provide an image file for the button. In addition, we can provide images for the button when the user's mouse hovers over it and for when the button is clicked.

Link

Places a text link on the page that launches the content. This option requires that you provide link text.

Label Enter the text displayed on the button if you selected Button for the type of page control.
Image URL to the button image if you select Image Button for the type of page control. An image can be specified in three ways:

Absolute

http://www.example.com/~jdoe/mypics/image1.jpg

Relative

/files/images/mypics/image1.gif

Indirect Reference

${Variables/ImageName}

where ImageName references a variable containing a string value such as: /Images/myimages/image3.gif
The indirect reference can also be used to call a method. For example, if you have a getImage() method in your model, we can select it using the MethodCall picker ${MethodCall/getImage}. This method must return a String that contains the image file name relative to the servable content directory, for example, /Images/myimages/image3.gif. If you are displaying rows of data using the data page builder and want to vary the image based on some criteria related to the row, we can use the "xxxxLoopVar" variable in your method to fetch data related to the current row. The LoopVar variable name is based on the variable data that the data page builder is operating on.
Hover Image URL to the image displayed during mouse-over. See the Image input description for more information.
Pressed Image URL to the image displayed when button is clicked. See the Image input description for more information.
Link text Specify a value to display as the link text. We can specify an indirect reference with the Choose Reference dialog, or enter a text string directly.
Action Type Defines the behavior of the of the action. Choose an action type based on the action that will process the onClick event and if you want to process any form inputs as part of that action.
Submit form and invoke action - Choose this option if the specified action is a method in the model or linked Java object and that method processes the inputs to the form on which the control resides.
Submit form to URL - Choose this option if the specified action is a URL outside of the factory runtime that will process the inputs to a form. The specified URL receives the form input values as name/value pairs appended to the URL.
Link to an action - Choose this option if the specified action is a method in the model or linked Java object (including service calls). This option acts as a simple link, transferring control directly to the specified URL. The specified action cannot process any form inputs.
Link to a URL - Choose this option if you want to navigate to a non-Factory URL. The URL cannot process any form inputs.
Run a script - Choose this option of you want to run some client-side JavaScript when the user clicks on the button. The script cannot process any form inputs.
Content Load Action model action or external URL to execute when the user clicks on the control that launches the form. Just prior to completion, the load action should invoke a launchContent() method in a linked Java object that is inserted in this builder with the same name as the builder, passing the form to be launch to the method.
Script to Execute Applies only if you selected Run a script as the value for Action Type. Specify the JavaScript to execute when the user clicks on the button. Form inputs, if any, are not submitted to a script.
Note that Do not use comments in the script you specify. The script you specify is added as one line, so any code following comments is ignored.
Input Mappings We can pass arguments to the specified action by adding argument names and the value to be passed to it. Use the Reference Chooser to specify input values or values returned by methods or service calls as the value to be passed to an argument for the specified action. See Passing arguments to actions for more information.
Evaluate arguments If the load action includes arguments, specify whether the arguments are evaluated when the action is run or when the page is loaded.
Content Reponse Description
Content Type Indicate the content MIME type to be sent to the browser in the response header. Used by the browser to launch the application registered on the client to handle the content. We can select from the list of common content types in the drop-down selection for this input or type the content type if it is not listed.
Additional Headers Specify name and value pairs for any additional header information.
Character Encoding Indicate encoding needed to render internationalized characters. For example, UTF-16.

Input Name	Description
Name	Enter a name for this builder call. The designer tool displays this name in the builder call list.
Page Location	Use the Page Location input to specify the page or pages on which this builder call will act. See Locating control builders on pages for detailed documentation about the Page Location input and page location syntax.
Page Control Type	Indicate the type of control you want to add to the page that launches the content. Button Places an HTML button on the page to launch the content. This option requires that you provide a button label. Image Button Places an image on the page for the button that launches the content. This option requires that you provide an image file for the button. In addition, we can provide images for the button when the user's mouse hovers over it and for when the button is clicked. Link Places a text link on the page that launches the content. This option requires that you provide link text.
Label	Enter the text displayed on the button if you selected Button for the type of page control.
Image	URL to the button image if you select Image Button for the type of page control. An image can be specified in three ways: Absolute `http://www.example.com/~jdoe/mypics/image1.jpg` Relative `/files/images/mypics/image1.gif` Indirect Reference `${Variables/ImageName}` where ImageName references a variable containing a string value such as: `/Images/myimages/image3.gif` The indirect reference can also be used to call a method. For example, if you have a getImage() method in your model, we can select it using the MethodCall picker `${MethodCall/getImage}`. This method must return a String that contains the image file name relative to the servable content directory, for example, `/Images/myimages/image3.gif`. If you are displaying rows of data using the data page builder and want to vary the image based on some criteria related to the row, we can use the "xxxxLoopVar" variable in your method to fetch data related to the current row. The LoopVar variable name is based on the variable data that the data page builder is operating on.
Hover Image	URL to the image displayed during mouse-over. See the Image input description for more information.
Pressed Image	URL to the image displayed when button is clicked. See the Image input description for more information.
Link text	Specify a value to display as the link text. We can specify an indirect reference with the Choose Reference dialog, or enter a text string directly.
Action Type	Defines the behavior of the of the action. Choose an action type based on the action that will process the onClick event and if you want to process any form inputs as part of that action. Submit form and invoke action - Choose this option if the specified action is a method in the model or linked Java object and that method processes the inputs to the form on which the control resides. Submit form to URL - Choose this option if the specified action is a URL outside of the factory runtime that will process the inputs to a form. The specified URL receives the form input values as name/value pairs appended to the URL. Link to an action - Choose this option if the specified action is a method in the model or linked Java object (including service calls). This option acts as a simple link, transferring control directly to the specified URL. The specified action cannot process any form inputs. Link to a URL - Choose this option if you want to navigate to a non-Factory URL. The URL cannot process any form inputs. Run a script - Choose this option of you want to run some client-side JavaScript when the user clicks on the button. The script cannot process any form inputs.
Content Load Action	model action or external URL to execute when the user clicks on the control that launches the form. Just prior to completion, the load action should invoke a launchContent() method in a linked Java object that is inserted in this builder with the same name as the builder, passing the form to be launch to the method.
Script to Execute	Applies only if you selected `Run a script` as the value for Action Type. Specify the JavaScript to execute when the user clicks on the button. Form inputs, if any, are not submitted to a script. Note that Do not use comments in the script you specify. The script you specify is added as one line, so any code following comments is ignored.
Input Mappings	We can pass arguments to the specified action by adding argument names and the value to be passed to it. Use the Reference Chooser to specify input values or values returned by methods or service calls as the value to be passed to an argument for the specified action. See Passing arguments to actions for more information.
Evaluate arguments	If the load action includes arguments, specify whether the arguments are evaluated when the action is run or when the page is loaded.
Content Reponse Description
Content Type	Indicate the content MIME type to be sent to the browser in the response header. Used by the browser to launch the application registered on the client to handle the content. We can select from the list of common content types in the drop-down selection for this input or type the content type if it is not listed.
Additional Headers	Specify name and value pairs for any additional header information.
Character Encoding	Indicate encoding needed to render internationalized characters. For example, `UTF-16`.