The following topics describe ePortal support for features that are unique to AB Suite/EAE applications:
Support for Form Selection
AB Suite/EAE applications typically allow the application user to navigate to any form of the application at any time. In order to implement this functionality with ePortal, an AB Suite/EAE data source project comes with a predefined _SelectIspec server message and corresponding _SelectIspec client message.
If you create an MVC Web presentation, a web forms presentation or a mobile presentation:
ePortal generates a page from the _SelectIspec client message that allows the user to select the form to be displayed next.
Each remaining page of the application includes a Select Form button, by default, that opens the _SelectIspec page.
Refer to AbsEaeScriptManager in Other ePortal Controls.
Metadata Fields
When you create an ePortal server message for an AB Suite/EAE data source, the server message contains one or more special metadata fields. These metadata fields are in addition to the regular fields, which carry user data. Your ePortal application can access metadata fields like any other field in an ePortal message, in your Orchestration or by using the code in your Presentation Projects.
As described below, the metadata fields are used to support features unique to AB Suite/EAE applications:
StatusLine_ - This string represents the status line text for an AB Suite/EAE application screen. At runtime, ePortal sets this field to any status line text that it receives from the host. By default, a web forms presentation reads the value from the StatusLine_ field and displays the text at the bottom-left corner of the corresponding web page. Similarly, by default, a mobile presentation reads the value from the StatusLine_ field and displays the text at the bottom-center portion of the mobile page.
MessageList_ - This string represents any error messages for an AB Suite/EAE application screen. At runtime, ePortal sets this field to all error and warning messages that it receives from the host. If there are multiple messages, the messages are separated by two newline characters. A web forms or mobile presentation reads the messages from the MessageList_ field and displays the messages on an alert popup box by default. Refer to AlertBox and AbsEaeScriptManager in ePortal Developer Controls for Web Forms Projects. If there are multiple messages, in some cases, the messages may appear in reverse sequence. You can control the sequence by configuring the option Reverse Message Sequence 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).
TeachTopic_ - This string represents the name of the teach topic for an AB Suite/EAE application screen. At runtime, ePortal sets this field to the name of the applicable teach topic, which it receives from the host. A web forms presentation displays the specified teach topic in a new browser window or tab, when the application user clicks the help button by default. Refer to AbsEaeScriptManager in ePortal Developer Controls for Web Forms Projects for more information.
Support for AB Suite/EAE Functions
An ePortal application can call AB Suite public segment methods or retrieve lists from AB Suite or EAE applications. Refer to Controlling the Runtime Behavior for AB Suite and EAE for more information.