Additional Supplied Functions

This document contains details of additional functions that have been developed to meet the needs of individual customers. The Java code for these functions is shipped with the standard Ebase product, but the functions have not been added to the functions table (Server Admin App -> Home -> FPL Functions). They can be added as required. For each function, the implementation section describes the parameters required to add the function to the system using (Server Admin App -> Home -> FPL Functions) and these can be cut and pasted into the functions dialog. The functions are then immediately available for use.

These functions are supported by Ebase on a best efforts basis.

addresslookupqa. 1

addressidlookupqa. 2

deleteFile. 2

getActionField. 3

getActionTableRow.. 3

addresslookupqa

Please note that the Quick Address system must be installed and the proweb.jar file available on the Ebase classpath to use this function.

Syntax:	addresslookupqa (string1, string2)

Description:	This function is used to perform UK postcode lookups with the Quick Address software. Returns the number of addresses at postcode in string1. string2 must be a literal containing the name of a form field of display type selection. Populates string2 with list of addresses found, if any.

Examples:	set ADDRESS_COUNT = addresslookupqa(POSTCODE, 'ADDRESSES');

Implementation:	please contact Ebase support support@ebasetech.com for implementation details.

addressidlookupqa

Please note that the Quick Address system must be installed and the proweb.jar file available on the Ebase classpath to use this function.

Syntax:	addressidlookupqa (string1, string2, string3, string4, string5, string6, string7, string8)

Description:	This function is used to perform UK postcode lookups with the Quick Address software. Returns the number of addresses (always 1) for address id string1.string2 , string3, string4, string5, string6, string7, string8 must be a literals containing names of form fields of display type text.Populates form fields represented by string2 , string3, string4, string5, string6, string7, string8 with address line 0, address line 1, address line 2, address line 3, town, county and postcode respectively for address id string1.

Examples:	set DUMMY = addressidlookupqa(ADDRESS_ID, 'LINE_0', 'LINE_1', 'LINE_2', 'LINE_3', 'TOWN', 'COUNTY', 'POSTCODE');

Implementation:	please contact Ebase support support@ebasetech.com for implementation details.

deleteFile

Syntax:

deletefile(fullpath_filename_ext)

Description:

Deletes a file from a given folder

Examples:

set FULLPATH_FILENAME_EXT = 'c:/temp/MyTest.txt';

set STATUS = deletefile(FULLPATH_FILENAME_EXT);

Implementation:

Function name:	deletefile
Description:	Deletes a file from a given folder
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.DeleteFile
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	Path + filename + file extension of file to be deleted

getActionField

Syntax:

getActionField()

Description:

Returns the name of the field that triggered the current processing. This is only applicable for immediate validation fields, buttons and hyperlinks. Note that in the particular case when the current processing was triggered by an event associated with a table column e.g. hyperlink, button etc, and a fetchtable FPL command is issued against the table as part of this processing, this function will return null.

Examples:

set ACTION_FIELD = getActionField();

Implementation:

Function name:	getactionfield
Description:	Returns the name of the immediate validation field driving the current processing
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.GetActionField
Return type:	String
Parameters:	None

getActionTableRow

Syntax:

getActionTableRow()

Description:

Returns the row number corresponding to the control that triggered the current processing when the control is inside a Table Control or a Repeater Control. Returns -1 if processing is not triggered by a control associated with a table row.

Examples:

set ROW_NUM = getActionTableRow();

Implementation:

Function name:	getactiontablerow
Description:	Returns the table row corresponding to the control that triggered the current processing
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.GetActionTableRow
Return type:	int
Parameters:	None

getCallingForm

Syntax:

getCallingForm()

Description:

Returns the name of the form that called the current form.

Examples:

set CALLING_FORM = getCallingForm();

Implementation:

Function name:	getcallingform
Description:	Returns the name of the calling form
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.GetCallingForm
Return type:	String
Parameters:	None

getMessageText

Syntax:

getMessageText(project, message_number [, parm1, parm2,…] )

project is the name of the project containing the message

message_number is the number of the message

parm1, parm2 etc are variables to be substituted into the message text replacing && strings

Description:

Returns a message text with any variables substituted.

In a multi-lingual system, the same rules are applied to select the language as are used to display a text using the FPL message command.

Examples:

set TEXT1 = getMessageText($PROJECT, 1007);

set TEXT2 = getMessageText('GLOBAL', 10000, POSTCODE, CITY);

Implementation:

Function name:	getmessagetext
Description:	Returns a message text with any variables substituted
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.GetMessageText
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	Project id
2	int	Message number
3	String	Variable 1 to be substituted into the message text (optional)
4	String	Variable 2 to be substituted into the message text (optional)
5	String	Variable 3 to be substituted into the message text (optional)
6	String	Variable 4 to be substituted into the message text (optional)
7	String	Variable 5 to be substituted into the message text (optional)

getMiliSecBTD

Syntax:

getmilisecBTD(DATE1,DATE2)

Description:

Returns the milliseconds between two dates

Where DATE1 and DATE2 are fields of type date

Examples:

set DATE1 = '01/09/2006';

set DATE2 = '05/09/2006';

set STATUS = getmilisecBTD(DATE1,DATE2);

Implementation:

Function name:	getmilisecBTD
Description:	Returns the milliseconds between two dates
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.GetMiliSecBTD
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	double	Date1 – This is the from date
2	double	Date2 – This is the to date

getMiliSecs

Syntax:

getmilisecs()

Description:

Returns the milliseconds of the current time

Examples:

set MILISECS = getmilisecs();

Implementation:

Function name:	getmilisecs
Description:	Returns the milliseconds of the current time
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.GetMiliSecs
Return type:	String
Parameters:	None

isCalledForm

Syntax:

isCalledForm()

Description:

Returns Y or N to indicate that the current form has been called using CALL FORM.

Examples:

if [ isCalledForm() = 'Y' ]

Implementation:

Function name:	iscalledform
Description:	Returns Y or N to indicate that this form has been called by another form
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.IsCalledForm
Return type:	String
Parameters:	None

isUserInGroup

Syntax:

isUserInGroup(userid, groupid)

Description:

Returns true or false to indicate whether a user is in a security group.

Examples:

if [ isUserInGroup( $USER, GROUPNAME ) ) …

Implementation:

Function name:	isuseringroup
Description:	Returns true or false to indicate whether a user is in a security group
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.IsUserInGroup
Return type:	boolean
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	User id
2	String	Group id

requestProperty

Syntax:

requestProperty(property)

Description:

Returns information about the HTTP request

Examples:

set IPADDRESS = requestProperty(‘remoteAddr’);

Implementation:

Function name:	requestProperty
Description:	Returns information about the HTTP request
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.RequestProperty
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	Property name. The available properties are all of the get methods in javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest that take no arguments. e.g. serverName, serverPort, remoteHost, remoteAddr, requestURL, servletPath

runScheduleEvent

Syntax:

runScheduledEvent(fullpath_filename_ext)

Description:

Executes a scheduler event via a trigger

Examples:

set RESP = runscheduleevent (FULLPATH_FILENAME_EXT);

Implementation:

Function name:	runscheduleevent
Description:	Executes a scheduler event via a trigger
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.RunScheduleEvent
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	Trigger id (required)
2	String	Userid
3	String	Password
4	String	Execution mode, options are ‘Synch’ or ‘Asynch’
5	String	Verbose mode, options are ‘true’ or ‘false’

testURLConnection

Syntax:

testURLConnection(url)

Description:

Tests whether a Http URL connection is available. Returns ‘Y’ if the connection is available or ‘N’ if the connection is unavailable. This function performs a HTTP GET to the calling URL. If a response is not received within 20 seconds then the function will return ‘N’.

Examples:

set AVAILABLE = testurlconnection( ‘http://www.google.co.uk’ );

Implementation:

Function name:	testurlconnection
Description:	Tests whether a HTTP URL connection is available
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.TestURLIsAvailable
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	URL Connection String

write2CSV

Syntax:

write2csv(DIR, FNAME, FIELDS, DELIM, HEAD, NEW, QUOTE)

DIR - the directory to which the file should be written

FNAME - the name that should be given to the file

FIELDS - a comma separated list of form fields whose data should be written to the file

DELIM - the character that should be used to separate the data in the file

HEAD - should a header row be created using the field names? (Y/N). Note a data row is also written.

NEW - should a new file be created? (Y/N)

QUOTE - should double quotes be placed around each data element in the file?

Description:

Writes data to a delimited text file using parameters passed from a form

Examples:

In this example we will create a new CSV file and write a single header row containing the field names, followed by a blank row, and then one row for each row in the MyTable table.

Then we will loop through a table and write out column values to the same file.

Create the Header Row:

char dir, fname, fields, delim, head, new, quote, status;

dir = 'C:/Temp/';

fname = 'MyCsvFile.csv';

// this writes a header and also a blank data row as there are no such fields in the form

fields = 'FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, AGE ,TITLE, POSTCODE';

delim = ',' ;

head = 'Y';

new = 'Y';

quote = 'Y';

status = write2csv (dir, fname, fields, delim, head, new, quote);

Write out the data elements:

head = 'N';

new = 'N';

fields = 'MYTABLE-FIRST_NAME, MYTABLE-LAST_NAME, MYTABLE-AGE , MYTABLE-TITLE, MYTABLE-POSTCODE';

loop at table MyTable

status = write2csv (dir, fname, fields, delim, head, new, quote);

endloop

Implementation:

Function name:	write2csv (This is the name of the function that will be used in FPL)
Description:	Creates a .csv file in the specified path
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.Write2CSV
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	Directory into which the file should be written
2	String	What to call the file this must include the extension (MyFile.txt)
3	String	A comma separated list of the form fields to be written to the file
4	String	The delimiter to be used, eg a comma
5	String	Should a header row be created containing the field names (Y/N)
6	String	Create a new file or append to existing file (Y/N)
7	String	Should quotes be placed around each piece of data (Y/N)

writeToFile

Syntax:

writetofile(DIR,FILENAME,STRING_VALUE)

Description:

Writes a string value to a text file

Examples:

set DIR = 'c:/temp/';

set FILENAME = 'MyTextFile.txt';

set STRING_VALUE = 'Mary had a little lamb..';

set STATUS = writetofile(DIR,FILENAME,STRING_VALUE);

Implementation:

Function name:	writetofile
Description:	Writes a string value to a text file
Implementing Java class:	com.ebasetech.ufs.customfunctions.WriteToFile
Return type:	String
Parameters:

Sequence	Field type	Description
1	String	Directory into which the text file should be written
2	String	Name to call the text file (include extension)
3	String	String to write to the file