The mgiDynamicPopup Tag
Tag Behavior
Use the mgiDynamicPopup tag to dynamically build a popup menu
(select) of unique values. Multiple sources of values can be
used to build one popup menu.
Tag Syntax
The mgiDynamicPopup tag has five sources. Each source has
different required and optional parameters. The sources of mgiDynamicPopup
are:
- postArguments - Dynamically creates a popup of unique
values from post arguments.
- pathArguments - Dynamically creates a popup of unique
values from path arguments.
- pageVariables - Dynamically creates a popup of unique
values from page variables.
- databaseField - Dynamically creates a popup of unique
values from a database field.
- string - Dynamically creates a popup of unique values
from a delimited string of values.
PostArguments, PathArgument and PageVariable Sources
The postArguments, pathArgument and pageVariable sources of
mgiDynamicPopup tag have two required parameters and three optional
parameters. The tag form is:
<mgiDynamicPopup source="Source" name="Name" order="Order"
selectedItem="Item Name" selectedValue="Item Value">
Required Parameters:
- source - The source is the location of the popup menu
values. The "postArguments" source creates popup
menu values from all post arguments. The "pathArguments"
source creates popup menu values from all path arguments. The
"pageVariables" source creates popup menu values
from all page variables. Multiple source parameters may be included
in one mgiDynamicPopup tag.
- name - The name is the name of the popup menu (select)
that is created.
Optional Parameters:
- order - The order determines the ordering of the popup
menu values. If the order parameter value is "alphabetical",
then popup menu values are alphabetized from A to Z. If the order
parameter value is "numerical", then the popup
menu values are listed in ascending order from smallest to largest.
When using the "numerical" order, all popup menu values
must be numbers. If the order parameter value is "none",
then the popup menu values are left in their original order.
The default value is "None".
- selectedItem - The initial item in the popup menu
that will be selected by default.
- selectedValue - The initial value in the popup menu
that will be selected by default.
DatabaseField Source
The databaseField source of mgiDynamicPopup tag has four required
parameters and six optional parameter. The tag form is:
<mgiDynamicPopup source="databaseField" name="Name"
databaseName="Database" fieldName="Field" order="Order"
odbcDatasource="Source Name" odbcUsername="Name"
odbcPassword="Password" selectedItem="Item Name"
selectedValue="Item Value">
Required Parameters:
- source - The source is the location of the popup menu
values. The "databaseField" source creates popup
menu values from all values in a specified database field. Multiple
source parameters may be included in one mgiDynamicPopup tag.
- name - The name is the name of the popup menu (select)
that is created.
- databaseName - The databaseName is the name of the
database that contains the field values to be included in the
popup menu.
- fieldName - The fieldName is the name of the database
field that contains the values to be included in the popup menu.
The database field must be a "text" type field.
Optional Parameters:
- order - The order determines the ordering of the popup
menu values. If the order parameter value is "alphabetical",
then popup menu values are alphabetized from A to Z. If the order
parameter value is "numerical", then the popup
menu values are listed in ascending order from smallest to largest.
When using the "numerical" order, all popup menu values
must be numbers. If the order parameter value is "none",
then the popup menu values are left in their original order.
The default value is "None".
- selectedItem - The initial item in the popup menu
that will be selected by default.
- selectedValue - The initial value in the popup menu
that will be selected by default.
- odbcDatasource (NT only) - The odbcDatasource is the
name of datasource on the server that provides access information
for an external ODBC database. If the odbcDatasource parameter
is included, database information will be retrieved from the
specified ODBC database rather than the internal MGI database.
Inquire with the server administrator for additional information
about the use of ODBC databases. If you
include the odbcDatasource parameter, the odbcUsername and odbcPassword
parameters are required.
- odbcUsername (NT only) - The odbcUsername is the username
required to access the ODBC datasource. The
odbcUsername parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource
parameter.
- odbcPassword (NT only) - The odbcPassword is the code
required to access the ODBC datasource. The
odbcPassword parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource
parameter.
String Source
The string source of mgiDynamicPopup tag has four required
parameters and three optional parameters. The tag form is:
<mgiDynamicPopup source="String" name="Name" string="Text"
stringDelimiter="Character" order="Order"
selectedItem="Item Name" selectedValue="Item Value">
Required Parameters:
- source - The source is the location of the popup menu
values. The "String" source creates popup menu
values from all values in a specified string of characters. Multiple
source parameters may be included in one mgiDynamicPopup tag.
- name - The name is the name of the popup menu (select)
that is created.
- string - The string is the delimited text to use as
the popup menu values.
- stringDelimiter - The stringDelimiter is the character
that separates each popup menu value in the string. To use escape
characters such as carriage returns, line feeds, and tabs, use
the appropriate Escaped String
format.
Optional Parameters:
- order - The order determines the ordering of the popup
menu values. If the order parameter value is "alphabetical",
then popup menu values are alphabetized from A to Z. If the order
parameter value is "numerical", then the popup
menu values are listed in ascending order from smallest to largest.
When using the "numerical" order, all popup menu values
must be numbers. If the order parameter value is "none",
then the popup menu values are left in their original order.
The default value is "None".
- selectedItem - The initial item in the popup menu
that will be selected by default.
- selectedValue - The initial value in the popup menu
that will be selected by default.
Example Usage and Output
PostArguments Source
<mgiDynamicPopup source="postArguments" name="Categories"
order="Alphabetical">
In this example, categories from a form submission are ordered
alphabetically and displayed in a popup menu.
PathArguments Source
<mgiDynamicPopup source="pathArguments" name="Quantity"
order="Numerical" selectedItem="-- Number --">
In this example, available quantities are passed via path
arguments and are used to create a popup menu with values in
numerical order.
PageVariables Source
<mgiDynamicPopup source="pageVariables" name="Sizes"
selectedItem="-- Size --" selectedValue="none">
In this example, available product sizes from page variables
are used to create a popup menu. The popup menu values are not
re-ordered.
DatabaseField Source
<mgiDynamicPopup source="databaseField" fieldName="Jobs"
databaseName="JobDatabase" name="Positions"
order="Alphabetical">
In this example, a list of jobs in a database are used to
create a popup menu.
String Source
<mgiDynamicPopup source="string" stringdelimiter=","
string={mgiPostArgument name="Names"} name="Nominees">
In this example, a string of names delimited by commas from
a form submission is embedded in the string parameter of mgiDynamicPopup
to create a popup menu of names.
Multiple Sources
<mgiDynamicPopup source="postArguments" source="pathArguments"
order="Alphabetical" name="Items">
In this example, values from post arguments and path arguments
are used to create a popup menu.
Suggested Usage
- Searchable Databases
- Form Processing
|