The following tasks are unique to AB Suite/EAE projects.
Connecting to a Server
You must connect to the ClearPath server before you can use an AB Suite/EAE application. Below are various connection scenarios, along with the steps you must perform to implement the scenario.
Connecting Using Preconfigured Credentials
If your presentation projects access the AB Suite/EAE host application using preconfigured credentials, then perform the following procedure:
Configure the User ID and password as blank at the data source level using the AB Suite/EAE Data Source Project Property Pages Dialog or for a particular presentation project (refer to Viewing or Changing ePortal Application Configuration Properties).
Open the On Client Session Start event handler or any On event handler that needs the connection.
If it is not already present, drag the Connect activity from the Toolbox to the Start node of the event handler.
Do not specify any value for the Message property; leave it blank.
Connecting Using Anonymous Access
Some ABSuite host applications may be configured for anonymous access. In this case, no user credentials are required for connecting to the application.
Perform the following steps to configure anonymous access:
Set the User ID and password to blank at the data source level, using the AB Suite/EAE Data Source Project Property Pages Dialog or for a particular presentation project (refer to Viewing or Changing ePortal Application Configuration Properties).
Open the On Client Session Start event handler or any On event handler that needs the connection.
If it is not already present, drag the Connect activity from the Toolbox to the Start node of the event handler.
Do not specify any value for the Message property; leave it blank.
Connecting Using Runtime Credentials
If your presentation project supplies the credentials at runtime, you use the connect_Basic server message with the Connect orchestration activity. For example, if you have a web browser or mobile presentation, you might want to provide a login page where the application user provides the login credentials. For a web service, the web service consumer would call a web service method to supply the login credentials.
An AB Suite/EAE data source project appears with a predefined connect_Basic server message and corresponding connect_Basic client message. The messages are defined as follows:
Message | Provided Fields | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
connect_Basic | UserID (Required) | The User ID used to connect to the ClearPath server. |
Password (Required) | The password that corresponds to the UserID. | |
AccessCode (Optional) | Some AB Suite/EAE applications require an access code to connect to the application. If required, this field represents the access code needed to connect to the application. If not required, leave this field blank. | |
AccessCodePassword (Optional) | If AccessCode is not blank, this field represents the password for AccessCode. | |
ChargeCode (Optional) | The charge code for the application. Leave this field blank to specify no charge code. |
To connect, perform the following procedure:
Modify the client message connect_Basic to set the Visible property for necessary optional fields to True, or to set Visible to False for unnecessary optional fields. For example, if you do not require an access code, set Visible to False for AccessCode and AccessCodePassword. Refer to Modifying Client Messages.
If you are using a web forms presentation or a mobile presentation, you must also edit the connect_Basic.aspx file to set the Visible property for individual items, as necessary. Refer to Controlling the Look and Feel using Visual Studio Web Editors for more information.
Notes:
Use the Property window to access the Visible property for each item that you want to hide.
If you are in Design view, items are still visible in the designer, even if the Visible property is False; however, the item is not rendered in the browser at runtime.
Open the On Client Session Start event handler and delete any existing actions under the Start node.
In the ePortal Message window, select the client message connect_Basic, and drag it to the On Client Session Start event handler. This creates a ReplyToClient action.
Note: An On Client.conect_Basic event handler already exists in the default orchestration, to handle the Connect action using information in the connect_Basic client message.