Designer

The Controllers tab of the Project Explorer displays a list of all controllers in the project. Each controller contains commands, fields, views, actions, and business rules.

Creating a Controller

Controllers can be created by clicking on the New Controller icon on the Project Explorer toolbar.

The New Data Controller form will open in the Project Browser window. Enter a name and press OK to create the controller.

Controllers that have no command are displayed with a different icon.

Cloning a Controller

A clone of a controller can be made by using the context menu option “Clone”.

Confirm the operation, and the controller will be cloned. All commands, fields, views, actions, and business rules will be exactly the same. If the baseline of the original controller has changed, then the cloned controller will be affected as well. A cloned controller is a fork in the development lifecycle of the original. You can create as many clones as you want.

Deleting Controllers

Controllers can be deleted by using the context menu option “Delete”, or using the Delete keyboard shortcut. Deleting a controller will also delete all referencing data views.

Renaming Controllers

Controllers can be renamed using the context menu option “Rename”, or using the F2 keyboard shortcut. Renaming a controller will change corresponding references of the data views.

Pasting Controllers

When a controller is copied and pasted on a page, then a new data view from this controller will be added in a new container at the bottom of the page.

When a controller is pasted onto a container, a new data view will be added to the bottom of the target container.

Multiple data controllers can be copied onto pages and containers if necessary.

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.