Symbolic Variables

Laurent Guérin / v 1.0 / 2009 - May

What are symbolic variables ?

The symbolic variables are a set of predefined
expressions for accessing server information in a
Telosys tag attribute

The variables are replaced by their value when the
JSP is called

Syntax :

@{ variable_name, default_value, format }

Examples :
<t:out v="code : @{agency1.code} - city : @{agency1.city}" />

<t:listrow onclick="alert('count=@{#count,,000} city=@{.city,???}')" >

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 2

Telosys 1
 What are symbolic variables ?

The symbolic variables are completely
independent of the standard JSP Expression
Language ( "EL" ). They can be used even in old
Java servers that doesn't support EL and JSTL.

Where can they be used ?

In the "v" attribute of "t:out"

In every event attributes : onclick, onblur, …

In the specific following attributes :
id name
value txt valueoff
title zone checked
cl style selected
disabled readonly
Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 3

Symbolic variables : predefined values

Predefined names : "#xxx"

Session & User

@{#session-id} the current session id

@{#user-login} the current user login

@{#user-language} the current user language

@{#user-role} the current user role

URL & URI

@{#webapp-url} "http://localhost:8080/appli/"

@{#webapp-uri} "/appli/"

@{#screenmap-url} "http://localhost:8080/appli/screenmap"

@{#screenmap-uri} "/appli/screenmap"

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 4

Telosys 2
 Symbolic variables : predefined values

HTTP request parameters :

@{#paramcount} number of parameters

@{#param-xxx} value of the "xxx" parameter

Iterations :

@{#count} the current count value ( from 1 to n )

@{#count-parity} "even" or "odd"

@{#index} the current index value

from index-base (0 by default) to n

@{#index-parity} "even" or "odd"

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 5

Symbolic variables : predefined values

Screen Context :

@{#context-id} 0 to N

@{#context-name} "MYSCREEN" ( from ScreenContext registry )

Screen Map ( from "screens.xml" ) :

@{#screen-name} "S002"

@{#screen-type} "html" or "xul"

@{#screen-path} "/screen/tpl/html/model1.jsp"

@{#screen-body} "S002.jsp"

@{#screen-body-path} "/screen/S002.jsp"

@{#screen-css} "S002.css"

@{#screen-css-path}

@{#screen-js} "S002.js"

@{#screen-js-path} "/screen/script/S002.js

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 6

Telosys 3
 Symbolic variables for Java beans

Any Java bean can be accessed with the standard
"dot" notation :

@{agency.city} value of the attribute "city" of the bean
"agency"

@{.city} value of the attribute "city" of the "current
bean" ( the "." in first position defines an attribute )

@{agency} string value of the bean "agency"
( using the "toString" method of the bean )

Example :
<t:out v="The agency city is @{agency.city,NO CITY}"/>

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 7

Symbolic variables for Java beans

Bean search order :

When a bean is specified by a name
( e.g. @{agency.code} ), the name is searched in the
following scopes order :

1 – screen-context data element ( Telosys ) (*)

2 – screen-context attribute ( Telosys ) (*)

3 – standard servlet request ( standard "request scope" )

4 – screen-session ( Telosys )

5 – standard http session (standard "session scope" )

6 – screen-application ( Telosys )

7 – standard servlet context (standard "application scope" )

(*) The screen-context is defined only in screen actions, not in a

service call

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 8

Telosys 4
 Symbolic variables and services

Special bean name :

"RENDERER-BEAN" ( or "RENDERER_BEAN" )
points the "service result" object
( this special name is usable only in a service renderer )

Example :
Agency result = new Agency();
serviceResponse.setResult(result);

<t:out v="The agency city is @{RENDERER-BEAN.city}"/>

Any other bean can be used in a classical way if

the service expose it in the request scope
Agency agency = new Agency();
serviceResponse.expose("agency", agency);

<t:out v="The agency city is @{agency.city}"/>

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 9

Symbolic variables for List

Size of a Collection, VOList or DataSet :

@{mylist.size} list size

Example ( list with a VOList ) :

<h4> <t:out v="@{MYLIST.size}" /> element(s) in the list : </h4>
<t:list id="agencies" width="700" >

<t:listbody data="MYLIST" height="240" indexbase="100" >

<t:listrow id="row@{#count}"
cl="row_@{#count-parity}" > <%-- cl="row_even" or "row_odd" --%>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{#count}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{#index}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{.code,,000}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{.name,???}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{.city,''}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{.phone,''}"/> </t:listcell>
</t:listrow >
</t:listbody >

</t:list>

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 10

Telosys 5
 Symbolic variables for DataSet

DataSet cells can be accessed with a number
corresponding to the column number of the
current DataRow ( 1 to n ) :

@{.1} or @{1} value of the column 1

@{.2} or @{2} value of the column 2

etc …

Example ( list with a Dataset ) :
<t:listbody data="MYDATASET" height="240" indexbase="100" >
<t:listrow >
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{#count}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{#index,??,'0000'}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{1,???}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{2,??,'000'}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{.3,??,'0000.00'}"/> </t:listcell>
<t:listcell > <t:out v="@{.4,??,'Yes|No'}"/> </t:listcell>
</t:listrow >
</t:listbody >

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 11

Default value & format

Telosys 6
 Symbolic variables - Default value

If the symbolic variable is not found

If there is a default value : it is used

Else : a void string is returned ( "" )

The default value is located at the 2nd position
examples :

@{myint,123}  "123" if not found

@{myint,123,000000}  "123" if not found

@{mystr,'bla bla'}  "bla bla" if not found

@{mystr,bla bla}  likewise (the quotes are optional)

When the default value is used, it is returned
"as is", the format is not applied on a default value

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 13

Symbolic variables - Format

The format is located at the 3d position
examples :

@{myint,,00000}  "00123" for 123

@{myint,not found,000000}  likewise

@{mydate,,'yyyy-MM-dd'}  "2008-03-30"

@{mydate,,yyyy-MM-dd}  likewise
(the quotes are optional)

Without format, the "toString" method of the
object is used

The format is not applied on the default value

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 14

Telosys 7
 Symbolic variables - Format

Boolean object format :

Without format boolean returns "true" or "false"

Format syntax : "value-if-true|value-if-false"
examples :

@{mybool,,Yes|No}

@{mybool,,Black|White}

@{mybool,,1|0}

Number object format
(Integer, Long, Double, BigDecimal, BigInteger, … )

If the format contains "|"
See
 the "java.text.ChoiceFormat" is used
the

Else java
 the "java.text.DecimalFormat" is used doc

Date object format

The "java.text.SimpleDateFormat" is used
Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 15

Use cases

Telosys 8
 Use cases

Print a bean attributes :
<table>
<tr><td>Code</td><td><t:out v="code @{agency1.code,,'c000'}" /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Name</td><td><t:out v="name @{agency1.name}" /> </td></tr>
<tr><td>City</td><td><t:out v="city @{agency1.city,NO CITY}"/> </td></tr>
</table>

Using "with/without" tag :

<t:with bean="agency1" scope="request" >
<table border="1">
<tr> <td> <t:out v="Code = @{.code}" /> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td> <t:out v="Name = @{.name}" /> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td> <t:out v="City = @{.city}" /> </td> </tr>
</table>
</t:with>
<t:without bean="agency1" scope="request" >
<h2>Bean not found</h2>
</t:without>

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 17

Use cases

Iterate on a list :
<table>
<t:iterate list="mylist" scope="session" indexbase="100" >
<tr>
<td> <t:out v="@{#count,,000}" /> </td>
<td> <t:out v="@{#index,,'idx-00'}" /> </td>
<td> <t:out v="@{.code,???,000}" /> </td>
<td> <t:out v="@{.city,'no city'}" /> </td>
<td> <t:out v="@{.phone,'???'}" /> </td>
</tr>
</t:iterate>
</table>

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 18

Telosys 9
 Use cases

Populate combo box items from a list of beans :
<t:combobox id="ag1" x="80" y="40" value="2" >
<t:comboitems list="mylist" id="agency_item" cl="myclass"
style="color:red" title="The title @{#count}"
value="@{.code}"
txt="@{.code} - @{.name} (@{#count})(@{#index})"/>
</t:combobox>

Populate combo box items from a DataSet :

<t:combobox id="Ag999" x="80" y="40" value="003" >
<t:comboitems list="MYDATASET" style="color:@{3,black}"
value="@{.2,000,'000'}"
txt="@{.2,000,'000'} - @{.1,???} (@{#count})(@{#index})"/>
</t:combobox>

It's the same for list box,

with tags <t:listbox … > and <t:listitems ..>

Telosys framework - Symbolic variables ( Laurent Guérin ) 19

THE END

Telosys 10