Designing a Web Generation Application › Embed ActiveX Controls › Design Considerations

Design Considerations

When creating the user interface for your client application, please note that the Toolset representation will not be identical to what you see at runtime. There will be some minor differences between what you see in different types of client applications: GUI, ASP.NET Web Clients, and Web Generation. Following are some of the differences you can expect.

Note that the following items are by no means a comprehensive list of the differences between GUI, ASP.NET Web Clients, and Web Generation.

• Assembling of images—ASP.NET Web Client includes only images specified in the model. Web Generation includes all the contents of the HTML\images directory including subdirectories.
• Blank line option for drop down list—In Web Generation, a drop down list, used to display permitted values, displays zero (0) at runtime for a numeric field, if zero is one of the permitted values, regardless of whether a user specifies a default value or not.

  For a text field, spaces display if space is one of the permitted values. If zero or space is not one of the permitted values, the default displays. If there is no default, and zero (or space) is not a permitted value, <NONE> displays. The <NONE> value is not a valid selection. Selecting <NONE>, or making no selection sends an input of zero (0) or space to the application, depending on the domain of the field

  A drop down list for permitted values displays the prompt, and does not display the actual value. A list box defined as a non-enterable drop down displays <NONE> as the first line in the list. However, <NONE> is not a valid selection. Selecting <NONE>, or making no selection, does not return a valid row selection to the application. When you do GET ROW HIGHLIGHTED …GIVING SUBSCRIPT …, the subscript is zero (0) and any attempt to reference the row thus selected may cause a Java runtime exception. The value of the default display of <NONE> can be modified by changing ief_error.js, but you must define a value for the variable NONE.

• Fixed and Varying Size Tables—Fixed and Varying size tables are supported in HTML Mode and ASP.NET Mode. If you create a Table in HTML Mode with Common Edit Modifications ON and then switch to Window mode, the table type will change to a list box.
• Primary Windows and Primary Dialogs are always displayed as a full internet browser page. Secondary Dialogs can be displayed either as a full internet browser page or as pop-up dialogs; similar to the way they are displayed in GUI applications. The option to use pop-up dialogs can be selected while assembling the application.
• In Web Generation, due to performance reasons, text entered into Entry Fields is validated and uppercased only when they lose focus.

Web Generation applications allow opening more than one dialog box at a time. There are differences between how GUI and Web Generation applications handle multiple secondary dialog boxes.

In Web Generation applications, following are some of the differences you can expect:

• Suppose that there is more than one dialog box open, and a link flow is initiated. Upon its return, only the dialog box that had focus and its primary window will be reopened. Secondary dialog boxes which did not have focus will not be reopened.
• In browser environments, modality is relative to the primary window only. However this modality may be subsequently impacted if multiple modal dialogs or message boxes are opened at the same time.
• The same rules listed above for secondary dialog boxes apply to message boxes.