Generate (obsolete)

Description

Creates HTML syntax for the Web DataWindow.

Obsolete method

Generate is obsolete and should not be used, because the Web DataWindow technology is obsolete.

Applies to

DataWindow type

Method applies to

Web

Server component


Syntax

Web DataWindow server component

string dwcontrol.Generate ( )

Return value

Returns an HTML rendering of the current page of the DataWindow if the method succeeds and an empty string if an error occurs.

Usage

Call this method to create HTML syntax from the DataWindow defined for the server component. The Generate method is usually called by a server-side script running on a page server. The page server creates the complete Web page by combining the return value with other appropriate HTML elements.

The contents of the page of data can be affected by user actions in the client control. The page server calls the SetAction method before calling Generate to apply the user's actions.

The Generate method causes DataWindow columns to be rendered as HTML INPUT elements with the following exceptions:

  • A column to which you assign a hyperlink. The hyperlink is valid only if the column tab order is set to 0, its Protect property is set to 1, or if it has an Edit.DisplayOnly property that is set to "yes". A column with a valid hyperlink is rendered in an <A HREF> tag.

  • A column for which the ValueIsHTML property is set to true. The column value can be plain text or some combination of HTML tags and plain text. The column value is included unchanged within the generated HTML page.

  • A column with a DropDownListBox or DropDownDW edit style. Columns with these edit styles are always be rendered in <SELECT> tags.

  • Computed fields that are not dynamically calculated on the client. Computed fields are rendered as HTML INPUT elements only if the ClientComputedFields property for the DataWindow is set to "yes". Otherwise they are rendered as text.

If the column has a validation rule, it is translated to JavaScript if possible. Parts of the DataWindow object included in the generated HTML are:

  • Columns, computed fields, text controls

  • Pictures (picture format should be GIF or JPEG)

  • Buttons

  • Page headers and footers

  • Group headers and trailers

  • Summary bands

  • Display formats, validation rules, edit styles (EditMasks are converted to display formats)

DataWindow features that will not be rendered into HTML include:

  • Graph, OLE, and RichText presentation styles and controls

  • Drawing controls (lines, circles, rectangles)

  • Client-side expressions that include aggregate functions. Such expressions will be computed on the server

  • Resizable and movable controls

  • Sliding of controls to fill empty space

  • Autosizing of height or width

Examples

The following example generates a DataWindow object in HTML:

dwGen.Generate();

See also

GenerateXHTML

GenerateXMLWeb

SetAction

SetBrowser

SetColumnLink

SetDWObject

SetHTMLObjectName

SetPageSize

SetSelfLink

SetServerSideState

SetTrans

SetWeight