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Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 10:33:24 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: Woody complex multipaged form
From: "Antonio Gallardo" <agallardo@agsoftware.dnsalias.com>
To: <dev@cocoon.apache.org>
In-Reply-To: <20030731150512.GA3698@wlkp.org>
References: <20030731150512.GA3698@wlkp.org>
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Hi:

Your idea is very important. And I think currently Woody does not have
something like that. I think the "picker" is in database applications
terminology is called "browser".

It would be cool to integrate this idea.

Best Regards,

Antonio Gallardo.

Leszek Gawron dijo:
> I am really sorry if this is a repost but I have some problems with my
> smtp server.
>
> I've send this to dev@cocoon as it contains some ideas about Woody
> multipage forms
>
>                           * INTRODUCTION *
>                           ****************
> Consider such case:
>
> You have a form for inputting report parameters. It goes something like
> this:
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Please input all report parameters blah blah:
>
> Customer code :     _________________________ *pick*
>    Start date :     _________________________ *pick*
>      End date :     _________________________ *pick*
>      Ordering :     ______________________\/_
>
>     -----------
>     -  Submit -
>     -----------
>
> A little description:
>
> 1. Customer code
> you need a valid customer code here. There are a lot customer codes (for
> example 10'000). In my xml form description (which is later on rendered
> to html via a stylesheet) I have introduced specialized input type
> called "picker" which renders as a readonly edit box and a button. When
> *pick* button  is pressed:
> 1. a popup window opens which contains a form with query parameters 2. I
> can query a customer
> 3. get a list of first XXX results
> 4. pick a customer by clicking a table row
> 5. the above causes to fill-in the edit box with a valid customer code
> and the popup closes automatically
>
> 2. Start and end date
> I have introduced a JavaScript based calendar ( <div> shown in an
> absolute position) so now:
> 1. I do not need to worry that the date is invalid
> 2. the form looks really sexy :)
>
>
>                              * GOAL *
>                              ********
> I'd like to achieve the same/similar functionality with Woody without
> too much effort.
>
> So first:
> 1. Can I implement a widget that is not a standard one (a
> customer/product picker, date picker)?
>
> 2. Can I render it my way without rewriting the whole woody stylesheet?
> (I think not).
>
> Big question now:
> 3. Some users hate popup windows (me too). So I'd like to migrate to
> flow based approach and after customer picker button is pressed a query
> page is opened but IN THE SAME WINDOW. After picking a customer the flow
> goes back to main form. As far as I understand Woody builds it's model
> basing on request parameters (I do not get the whole binding concept
> right now so please correct me). How can I store the main form data
> until flow gets back to it? Let me remind you that the purpose of this
> whole thing is to write a bunch of reports so I really do not want to
> write a bean for each report I implement.
>
> A nice approach would be :
> 1. Display a report form and allow user to edit data.
> 2. When a picker is pressed the whole form is stored (with no bean and
> stuff - just the whole form) somewhere in the session context under
> "form_name" 3. Picker is displayed
> 4. If picker is submitted - some of picker model data is rewritten to a
> main model
> 5. Main report is displayed again.
>
>
> what do you think about all that?
> 	LG