Control File
The core of the template file is a control file named
"control.xml". It is an XML file and it contains
all the necessary information for the generation process. It is
structured in 3 levels, namely the product, control and
session level:
control.xml
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
<product>
<control>
<session/>
...
<session/>
</control>
...
<control>
<session/>
...
<session/>
</control>
</product>
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1. <product>
The top level is the product level identified by the <product> tag. (The tag name "product" will be replaced by unique product name identifier in respective products.) It gives a brief description of the template and
serves for product and version information purpose. The product will check changes in this tag every time you generate scripts with a template.
Syntax:
<product
date="release_date"
version="version_number"
desc="description"
language="lang_name"
author="author_name">
...
</product>
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| Attributes |
Description |
| date |
Template created date (yyyy/mm/dd) |
| version |
Template version number |
| desc |
Brief description of the template |
| language |
Language of the template |
| author |
Author of the template |
2. <control>
The next level is the control level identified by the <control>
tag. Each <control> specify an output file or a set of output files that will be generated
by the code generator.
Syntax:
<control
id="control_id"
type="control_type"
ofile="output_file_name"
ofilecompat="output_compat_file_name"
oext="output_file_extension"
ifiles="input_files"
space="True/False"
ofolder="output_file_folder"
cond="conditions">
...
</control> |
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| Attributes |
Description |
| ofile |
Output file name |
| ofilecompat |
Output file name when compatibility is enabled |
| oext |
Output file extension |
| type |
Control type:
"table" - table-related files:
For example, the scripts that will perform "list", "summary",
"crosstab" functions
for the table. The output of this type is a set of file, one for
each table.
"other" - include files:
These files are usually include files that may be included by other
files. For example, the header file and footer file.
"copy" - files that will be directly
copied:
These files that will be copied directly from the templates, such
as image files. The target to be copied can be a file or a folder.
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| id |
Control ID. This attribute identifies which page
is being generated.
Example:
type="table"
id="list" - list page for table
id="summary" - Detail and Summary Report
id="crosstab" - Crosstab Report
type="other"
id="rptlogout" - logout page
type="copy"
all ids are treated as files to be copied |
| ifiles |
List of input files to be processed (comma delimited) |
| ofolder |
Output file folder (used for type="copy" only) |
| space |
Remove empty lines (True / False) |
| cond |
Condition for generation. See Conditions section for details. |
| action |
For use with extensions only.
"add" - add file or folder to the the main template, or
"change" - change file in the main template
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3. <session>
The third level is the session level (identified by the <session> tag). For each <control>, there can be multiple
sessions that will constitute the output. Each session can be a
specific segment from the input files or an include statement.
Syntax:
<session
type="session_type"
value="session_value"
ifile="include_file_name"
/> |
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| Attributes |
Description |
| type |
Session type:
"key" - output the code
segment identified by the key from the list of input files
"include"
- create an include statement |
| value |
Session value:
type="other"
key value of code segment (identified by session tags in input files)
type="include"
include file name |
| ifile |
input file to be processed
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Conditions
Condition checking is used extensively in templates to control the code generation process. Codes will only be generated if the condition specified is met.
The syntax of condition checking is as follow:
condition1[,condition2...]
Condition format:
Object_Type/Object_Property/Operator/Value1[|Value2...]
Object Type and Object Property:
See Template Object Properties for details
Operator:
EQ = equal
NE = not equal
GT = greater than
GE = greater than or equal to
LT = less than
LE = less than or equal to
IN = contain value
NI = not contain value
Value:
value for comparison
(Note that single/double quotes are NOT required for string type values.)
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