addedValues Plugin

Bug fixes

- addedValues now calls the a website page filters after a picture is
uploaded through an addedValues modified ETP form, this allows for
plugins that manage static pictures from a patched page filter to
function. The site page filter is called after a gem is uploaded
also. This patch fixes a bug in previous attempt to do this.

- an English message text for the scheduler scripts was inadvertently
not shipped. Fixed.

- the addedValues changed message callbacks assumed the existence of
a page table; an invalid assumption if called from some RPC handlers.
Now the page table is optional.

- an error message reporting invalid groupname had a typographical
error. Fixed.

- the query macro always returned an empty string if no hits were
found. Now it returns the nohits text string from the report.

- in the query macro; the optional sortBy variable name needed to be
qualified with the applies to type (messages, etc.) and a possibly
groupname, for example messages#group1#variable. Now addedValues
attempts to determine the variable to use variable by using the
applies to and groupname of the query, unless the name supplied is
already fully specified.

New Implementation.

- if an addedValues updater runs on a message , addedValues now
evaluates changedmessage triggers for that message. After an updater
runs on a member record, the changed member triggers are evaluated.

- Support for Audit tables. An addedValues Audit table is a Frontier
table of tables managed by addedValues. Entries in the sub-table
entries are addedValues variables; they may be indexed. All the
features of addedValues reports, queries and forms are therefore
available. Audit Tables amount to an implementation of Indexed
Sequential Access Method (ISAM) in Frontier, used to manage a file
(the Audit Table) of records (the sub tables). The basic
infrastructure is all in place with this beta with one notable
exception - a way to actually load data into an audit table.

- the handling of valueList attribute of variables - predefined
Values - has been completely rewritten. A number of weaknesses in
the previous implementation were addressed; the internal structure
has been redesigned and the user interface is much improved and now
permits defining predefined values in non latin character sets. The
User interface also caters to globals used as label lookup variables
(see below) and to the special requirements of variables whose values
must be Hierarchical Paths (see below).

- The redesign also it possible to implement a new variable boolean
property - Predefined Values Only? - which constrains all values of a
variable to be one of the predefined values. This is done by
extending the validate method of each variable. Because of this
change,

- another important side effect of rewriting valueLists, is that
the global groupname is no longer "special". Groups in addedValues
are now managed from the page at the the groups menu item and new
groups are defined (and deleted) there, not as before, by adding to
the predefined values of the groupnames variable. Migration for
existing websites that use addedValues is automatic; the variable is
retained by the migration process but its valuelist is set empty
after the groups have been created in the new way.

- a new variable property - Label Lookup Global - has been added to
the variable user interface. Label lookup is needed when a value
stored needs to be represented in reports ands forms in different
ways in different contexts; for example if a site is multi-lingual
and you wish to report values in words from each language. The
global is simply a way of storing a single lookup table of strings
ands their replacements in one named entity. This is not a new
capability, the change makes the usage clearer and easier to use. The
value list of a Label Lookup Global variable is managed differently
to emphasize this. In a change from previous versions, only
variables with this flag set will appear in the report option menu
called "Values for variable" and in the renderings offered for
string variables.

- string variables whose value must be Hierarchical Path, may have a
value list, which is a list of path strings. The User interface to
manage predefined values now reflects this; you may enter the
collection of paths as an XML hierarchy resembling how the site
structure is handled in Manila or in an alternate, more user friendly
way. The meaning of Predefined Values Only for these variables is
different too; the values must lie within the path hierarchy, but
need not be only the pre-defiend values.

Known issues

- in sites with isoFilter disabled; the values of from fields must
always be assigned using javascript, values with embedded quotes
cannot be handled otherwise

- migration of metadata sites allows converting macro calls. The code
appeared to work but no calls are actually changed. Missing code
needs to be added.

NOTE: addedValues is written in the assumption that when a new
version is installed, the managing editor of each site, or the
server administrator will disable and then enable addedValues in all
existing sites. This enables me to restrict version dependent code to
one script and contributes significantly to the speed and
responsiveness of addedValues.

An administrator who has installed controlpanelAddins from
bayly.root (by running controlpanelAddins .init) can use the addin
called applyToManilaSite. In standard frontier 9.0 and before,
choose this addin from the controlpanel navigation menu. In Frontier
9.0 with my addins patch installed, choose from the addins menu of
the admin webs site.

Once there, select process addedValuesUpdate, and command or control
click sites that you wish to take through the disable/enable cycle.
If a site doesn't have addedValues installed before, it will be left
untouched.

Enjoy!
--

- David Bayly. Programmer and digest reader. dbayly at udena dot ch
Digest Readers do it once a day.
--

- David Bayly. Programmer and digest reader. dbayly at udena dot ch
Digest Readers do it once a day.