Using the String Builder Tool

The "string builder" tool lets you insert references to table fields and form controls, and insert references to grid data in grid-style widgets. This creates dynamic forms and widgets that are driven by application and grid widget data and the actions of the user. You can combine static data and dynamic data elements in the string. The dynamic data elements represent replaceable text that drives the appearance of input data. The dynamic data is either stored in the database table or on the form.

You can also use the string builder tool to insert HTML tags. This functionality is available in fields that contain text, such as the Content field in the HTML/JavaScript widget, and the Display text field in a Text control.

Note the following points:

• If you use the string builder tool in JavaScript code in the HTML/JavaScript widget, the code will be generated into an iframe (inline frame). If the code is in an iframe, the widget cannot reference other parts of the form. Therefore, the string builder tool should not be used in JavaScript code.
• The Treat '{' as a literal option in the string builder tool menu is used to start typing JavaScript code. To use { as a literal character, it must be "escaped" with a backslash (\). The backslash is automatically added when you select this option from the string builder tool menu.

To use the string builder tool:

1. Type { in one of the fields that says Type { to add a dynamic value.
2. In the menu that opens, select an appropriate application variable, control, field, endpoint, or data element.

The following examples illustrate how the string builder tool works.

• For the Google Gadget and Flash widgets, in the Content field, you could type {, select _width, type {, and then select _width. This causes the content of the widget to automatically take the value of the Width and Height fields in the Size area of the Ribbon.
  Note: The Google Gadget and Flash widgets are automatically sized, so you cannot type a static value for the width and height in the Content field. You can type a static value for the width and height for the Silverlight, HTML/JavaScript, and WidgetBox widgets.
• For the Web Page widget, URL field, you could type the URL for a social networking site, and then type {, select Candidate First Name, type +, type {, and then select Candidate Last Name. This creates a URL that takes the user (for example, a hiring manager) to the Web page for that candidate.
• For the HTML/Javascript widget, Content field, you could type zips={ and then select Title. Title is a text box on the form in which users type their zip code to retrieve weather information.
• For the REST Grid widget, URL field, after the endpoint portion of the URL you could type {, and then select an application variable that will set the resource portion of the path. An administrator could then override the application variable value in SBM Composer on a project-by-project basis. At runtime, both the endpoint and the application variable would be resolved resulting in REST calls with different paths for different projects.
• For the HTML/JavaScript widget, Content field, you could type {, and then select #EndPointName.param to select any output parameter from an endpoint listed in the Custom Endpoint Library, where param could be any of the following: AuthType, ID, Password, URL, and UserName. For example, if you are programming using the SBM JavaScript Library SecureRESTServiceWrapper object, you will be able to reference endpoint information directly in the JavaScript using the ID parameter.

  For information on RESTServiceWrapper and SecureRESTServiceWrapper, refer to Querying REST Service Results.