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The default Duplicate action available in Code On Time web apps performs a client-side duplication. When the action is activated, the create form will be opened and the fields will be populated using values from the duplicated record. The new record will only be saved to the database when the user presses OK.

Sometimes it is necessary for more complex operations to be performed when a record is duplicated. For example, when a master record is duplicated, the child records should be duplicated as well. This will require a server-side duplication. A custom action will be implemented – when the user activates this action, the master and detail records will be copied and saved to the server. The order will then be displayed in the edit form.

Let’s implement a master-detail duplication with Orders and Order Details controllers in the Northwind database.

Start the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Controllers tab. Right-click on Orders / Actions / ag1 (Grid) node, and press New Action.

Assign the following values:

Press OK to save the action. Right-click on Orders / Business Rules node, and press New Business Rule.

Use the following:

In the Script property, enter the following:

-- duplicate the order
insert into Orders (CustomerID, EmployeeID, OrderDate, RequiredDate, 
                    ShippedDate, ShipVia, Freight, ShipName, ShipAddress, 
                    ShipCity, ShipRegion, ShipPostalCode, ShipCountry)
select CustomerID, EmployeeID, getdate(), RequiredDate, null, ShipVia, 
        Freight, ShipName, ShipAddress, ShipCity, ShipRegion, 
        ShipPostalCode, ShipCountry
from Orders
where OrderID = @OrderID

-- find ID of duplicated order
declare @NewOrderID int;
select @NewOrderID = @@IDENTITY;

-- duplicate order details
insert into "Order Details" (OrderID, ProductID, UnitPrice, 
                            Quantity, Discount)
select @NewOrderID, ProductID, UnitPrice, Quantity, Discount
from "Order Details"
where OrderID = @OrderID

-- open edit form for duplicate order
set @Result_NavigateUrl = 'Orders.aspx?OrderID=' + cast(@NewOrderID as nvarchar)
                          + '&_controller=Orders&_commandName=Edit'
                          + '&_commandArgument=editForm1'

The business rule will first duplicate the order. The OrderDate will be assigned the current date, and RequiredDate will be set to null. Then, the ID of the new order will be acquired using the @@IDENTITY function. The order details will be duplicated using the new ID. Finally, the client library will be prompted to navigate to open the new order using URL parameters. Press OK to save the business rule. On the toolbar, press Browse.

Navigate to the Orders page. Using the context menu on a row, activate the Duplicate Order option.

The order and associated order details will be duplicated, and it will be displayed in the edit form.

The key of the selected row of a data view can be accessed using JavaScript.

Start the Project Designer. On the Project Explorer toolbar, click on the New Page icon.

Use these values for the new page:

Press OK to save. In the Project Explorer, drop Products Test page node on the right side of Home page node to place it second in the hierarchy.

Right-click on Products Test node, and press New Container.

Use the default values and press OK to save.

Right-click on Products Test / c101 container node, and press New Control.

Next to the User Control property, click on the New User Control icon.

Assign a name to the user control:

Press OK to save and insert it into the User Control property. Press OK again to add the control to the page.

Next, switch to the Controllers tab. Right-click on Products controller and press Copy.

Switch back to the Pages tab. Right-click on Products Test / c101 container node, and press Paste. A Products data view will be instantiated.

On the toolbar, press Browse to generate the user control file. When done, right-click on Products Test / c101 / control1 – SelectedKeyBox node and press Edit in Visual Studio.

The file will be opened in Visual Studio. Replace the code after the <%@ Control %> element with the following:

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(window).ready(
    setTimeout(function () {
        var dataView = Web.DataView.find('Products', 'Controller');
        if (dataView)
            dataView.add_selected(function () {
                $('.MyTextBox').val(dataView.get_selectedKey())
            });
    }, 50)
    );
</script>
<asp:TextBox type="text" ID="TextBox1" runat="server" class="MyTextBox"></asp:TextBox>

The user control will consist of an empty textbox. When the user selects a row, the selected key will be assigned as the value of the textbox.

Save the file. Switch to the open browser tab with the web app. Refresh the page, and navigate to Products Test page.

A textbox will be present above the list of products. Click on a row, and the ProductID will be displayed in the textbox.

Clicking on another row will update the value in the textbox.