Business Rules/Logic

Client Script actions allow execution of arbitrary JavaScript code. For example, an action with command name Client Script can select a page of data that contains a specific record in response to user actions. This example takes advantage of automatic tracking of selected records supported by the application framework.

The Employees table of the Northwind sample has a foreign key column ReportsTo that references the table itself. Code On Time generator automatically creates a master-detail relationship on the Employees page. Let’s configure an action on the Employees data controller to select a specific record in the master view.

There are two data views on the Employees page hooked to the Employees controller. Let’s tag the top view as a “master list” of employees.

Start the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, double-click on Employees / container1 / view1 node.

Change the following properties:

Press OK to save the data view.

Next, add an action to perform synchronization of the master list with a specific EmployeeID. Right-click on Customers / container1 / view1 / Actions / ag1 (Grid) node, and select New Action.

Give this action the following properties:

Web.DataView.find('MasterList', 'Tag').sync(this.fieldValue('EmployeeID'))

Press OK to save the action. On the toolbar, select Browse button.

On the Employees page, select Andrew Fuller from the list. An Employees child data view will open underneath. Activate the context menu for Steven Buchanan and select Show in Master List option.

The master data view will move to the page that contains Steven Buchanan with the corresponding row selected. The child data view will refresh showing employees reporting to Mr. Buchanan.

Using the context menu for Robert King, select Show in Master List.

Robert King will be selected on the third page of the master view.

The CustomerID field from the Customers controller should have all values formatted in uppercase.

Let’s create a business rule in C# or Visual Basic to convert all user input to uppercase.

Start the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Controllers tab and double-click on Customers controller node.

Change the Handler property:

Press OK to save the controller. In the Project Explorer, double-click on Customers / Fields / CustomerID field node.

Make the following changes:

Exit the designer and generate the application.

Click on the project name, and press Design. Visual Studio will open the project.

In the Solution Explorer, double-click on ~\App_Code\Rules\CustomersRule.cs(vb) file.

Replace the sample code base with the following:

C#:

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using MyCompany.Data;

namespace MyCompany.Rules
{
    public partial class CustomersRule : MyCompany.Data.BusinessRules
    {
        [ControllerAction("Customers", "Insert", ActionPhase.Before)]
        [ControllerAction("Customers", "Update", ActionPhase.Before)]
        [ControllerAction("Customers", "Calculate", ActionPhase.Execute)]
        public void CalculateCustomerID(string customerID)
        {
            UpdateFieldValue("CustomerID", customerID.ToUpper());
        }
    }
}

Visual Basic:

Imports MyCompany.Data
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Linq
Namespace MyCompany.Rules
    Partial Public Class CustomersRule
        Inherits MyCompany.Data.BusinessRules
        <ControllerAction("Customers", "Insert", ActionPhase.Before)>
        <ControllerAction("Customers", "Update", ActionPhase.Before)>
        <ControllerAction("Customers", "Calculate", ActionPhase.Execute)>
        Public Sub CalculateCustomerID(ByVal customerID As String)
            UpdateFieldValue("CustomerID", customerID.ToUpper())
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Save the file, and switch to the web application. Navigate to the Customers page, and create a new record. Type in lowercase letters for Customer# field.

Press Tab or click on another area of the page. The text in Customer# will be converted to uppercase.

The same business logic can be implemented with the help of SQL Business Rules.