Connectivity Toolkit Fourth Shift Release 7.50
D Copyright Notices and Trademarks Copyrights Fourth Shift Help 2012, Release 7.50D Copyright 2012 SoftBrands. All rights reserved. This documentation is copyrighted and all rights are reserved. This documentation may not, in whole or in part, be reproduced in any form. SoftBrands provides this publication "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall SoftBrands be liable for any loss of profits, loss of business, loss of use of data, interruption of business, or for direct, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind, even if SoftBrands has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in this publication. Trademarks "SoftBrands, Inc.," "SoftBrands Manufacturing, Inc.," and "Fourth Shift" are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SoftBrands. Microsoft, SQL Server, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright Notices and Trademarks................................................ 2 Connectivity Toolkit................................................... 4 What is the Connectivity Toolkit?.................................................. 4 Understanding the XSL Generator................................................. 5 Before You Begin.............................................................. 5 Architecture.................................................................. 6 Connectivity Toolkit Compared to CIM Customizer.................................... 8 Understanding the UI Editor...................................................... 10.................................................... 12 Common Terminology......................................................... 12 Connectivity Toolkit Task Wizard................................................. 15 Connectivity Toolkit UI Editor.................................................... 20 How Do I.................................................................... 23 Administering the Connectivity Toolkit............................................. 30 Installation Impact............................................................. 30 Performing Backups........................................................... 30 Security..................................................................... 30 Restricted Features........................................................... 31 Troubleshooting Tips.......................................................... 32 Connectivity Toolkit 3
Connectivity Toolkit Overview The Connectivity Toolkit is a collection of browser-based customization tools for Fourth Shift WebUI. It enables advanced users and script programmers to tailor Fourth Shift to the unique needs of each operation. This section contains an overview of the Connectivity Toolkit capabilities. What is the Connectivity Toolkit? The Connectivity Toolkit contains the tools required for the development of customization tasks as well as a library of functioning examples. Customization task examples are meaningful business related tasks of varied sophistication designed to both stimulate ideas and teach. The Connectivity Toolkit allows you to expand core Fourth Shift functionality, add business rules, integrate supplemental applications and customize the browser-based Fourth Shift user interface (WebUI) to satisfy the unique needs of your operation. The Connectivity Toolkit has the ability to create and integrate customization tasks within Fourth Shift WebUI, as shown in the following diagram: store customizations files convert and display data UI database XSL files UI Editor XSL Generator Fourth Shift WebUI add business rules as customization tasks generate screen files to include customization tasks activate customization tasks To accomplish this integration, the Connectivity Toolkit includes the following: UI Editor WebUI panels are defined in the UI database that is delivered with Connectivity Toolkit. Every Fourth Shift screen is defined in this database. The UI Editor is a tool that allows you to create and integrate customization tasks to specific Fourth Shift WebUI panels. See "Understanding the UI Editor" for more information on the UI Editor. XSL Generator is used to create new XSL files that contain the customization tasks you defined using the UI Editor. The custom XSL files that are generated can be stored and invoked without interfering with the standard Fourth Shift versions. As a result, customization tasks used the next time the Fourth Shift panels are accessed may be configured to be global or user specific. See Understanding the XSL Generator for more information on the XSL Generator. Simple customizations such as changing or hiding field labels can also be created using the Screen Customizer Module instead of the Connectivity Toolkit. See "Using Screen Customizer" in the Fourth Shift Basics manual for more information on the Screen Customizer Module. Connectivity Toolkit 4
Understanding the XSL Generator The XSL Generator is used to generate new XSL files after customizations are made using the UI Editor. Generate XSL Files Use the XSL Generator to select which panels have been changed and then compile them into updated XSL files. The standard Fourth Shift XSL files are installed in the wwwroot\fswebui\xslfiles directory. Fourth Shift WebUI uses the customized XSL files for a panel instead of the XSL files installed with the system. The default location for the customized XSL files is the wwwroot\fswebui\xslfiles\site directory. This directory can be changed to create unique directories allowing different users to see specific customizations using the Use Customizations From field on the About WebUI dialog. For example, you could create a \Site\Shipping directory for shipping customizations or a \Site\Orders directory for order entry customizations. Generate CSS Files Use the XSL Generator to change cascading style sheet (CSS) parameters. It is recommended that you do not generate customized style sheets or change parameters for this release because the UI Editor does not allow changes to these values at this time. Before You Begin Before you begin using the Connectivity Toolkit, you should be familiar with the different roles and requirements that are defined in order to be successful. You should also understand the basic architecture of how the Connectivity Toolkit works. Defining the Roles The Connectivity Toolkit features are designed to be used by several types of users. Security levels, including the ability to access the features and databases, are based on the user type. Network Administrator The network administrator is responsible for setting up the network and assigning network security. This person manages the physical hardware in the network system, but does not necessarily manage or configure My Fourth Shift Workplace. Portal Administrator The portal administrator uses the UI Editor to create and assign the customization tasks and uses the XSL Generator to compile the panels. This person understands what customization tasks the users need and knows how to use the UI Editor and XSL Generator to create and compile the Connectivity Toolkit 5
tasks. This person is responsible for assigning script functions to the customization tasks, but is not necessarily the person who writes the script. Script Programmer The script programmer creates new functions in a script, such as JavaScript or VBScript. This person has an understanding of the file location requirements of the UI Editor. The requirements for the application are provided by the user and portal administrator. After writing the script, the script programmer must communicate back to the portal administrator the function names and necessary parameter requirements. This can be accomplished by using the GenWiz program to regenerate UI Editor's function help. End User The end user makes use of the customization tasks. The end user either directly selects a customization task from a menu or indirectly initiates a customization task when a panel is loaded or unloaded or when a transaction is completed. The end user does not use the UI Editor. Instead this person initiates the customization tasks in My Fourth Shift Workplace that were created by the portal administrator. This is also the person who makes use of the customization tasks added to Fourth Shift WebUI by the Screen Customizer Module. See "Using Screen Customizer" in the Fourth Shift Basics manual for more information on the Screen Customizer Module. Toolkit Requirements To use the Connectivity Toolkit successfully, it is assumed that you have met the following requirements. Technology Requirements The Connectivity Toolkit has the following software and hardware technology requirements: a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with Service Pack 2 or SQL Express accessible by the Web server or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Fourth Shift WebUI installed if running Windows 2003 Server, the web service extension for Internet Information Services (IIS60) must be added. Refer to the instructions in My Fourth Shift Workplace manual, Add Web Service Extension for Windows 2003 Server Systems. Knowledge Requirements The Connectivity Toolkit relies on a number of concepts with which you should be familiar. A clear understanding of these technologies enables you to use the Connectivity Toolkit efficiently. Before using the Connectivity Toolkit, be sure you have a basic understanding in the following areas: Fourth Shift business knowledge. Requires an understanding of the Fourth Shift applications and business procedures. This is needed to determine what customizations are needed to assist in meeting user business requirements. Script programming knowledge. Requires an understanding of how to write script functions, such as JavaScript or VBScript. Persons with this knowledge are later required to have an understanding of the file location requirements of the UI Editor. Internet Information Server (IIS) basic operation. Requires an understanding of security and firewall technology. Architecture The architecture of the Connectivity Toolkit differs based on the functionality and tool. Connectivity Toolkit 6
Portals and Frames The Connectivity Toolkit builds on the browser-based architecture and as such, is available from within My Fourth Shift Workplace. My Fourth Shift Workplace allows you to create configurable views of your Fourth Shift data called portals. Portals can include various types of information in a number of different arrangements. Each different area of information in the portal is called a frame. See "Using Fourth Shift Portals" in the My Fourth Shift Workplace manual for more information on portals. Using My Fourth Shift Workplace, you can use the standard portal group called "Connectivity Toolkit" to access the UI Editor as the only frame or as part of a collection of frames. An advantage to accessing the UI Editor in a collection of frames is that a parent-child relationship has been established, allowing frames to pass data from one frame to another. Frame-to-Frame Communication The UI Editor uses the communication between My Fourth Shift Workplace frames that allows one or more frames to react or change based on information sent from another frame. Frame-to-frame communication, or "cross frame communication" allows you to keep data in all related frames tracking so that when you move to view that frame, the necessary related information is already displayed. For more information about parent and child frames, see "Frame to Frame Communication" in the My Fourth Shift Workplace manual. When accessed from the standard portal group called "Connectivity Toolkit", Fourth Shift WebUI is the parent frame and the UI Editor is the child frame. Since the parent frame communicates with the child frame, you can view the real panel within Fourth Shift WebUI as you define the customization tasks using the UI Editor. Script Programming The Connectivity Toolkit is designed to run two types of script functions: Built-In Functions have been supplied with the WebUI. Built-in functions are included in the FSBUILTINS.JS file and this file may be updated when the Connectivity Toolkit is updated to a new release. Customized Functions can be written by a script programmer in your company, usually in JavaScript. Customized functions should be included in the USER.JS file. All *.JS files available to the UI Editor are located in the wwwroot\fswebui\_scriptlibrary directory. All built-in and customized functions must follow strict naming conventions to ensure that all function names are unique. The naming conventions include: all built-in functions have the prefix "fs", except for the MsgFromParent and TerminateFrame functions customized function names should not have a prefix of "fs" function names are case-sensitive Online Documentation Online documentation for the Connectivity Toolkit is provided through the following methods: UI Editor. Use the Help button found on the "Welcome to the UI Editor" panel for information about using the UI Editor. This information includes step-by-step instructions on creating customizations, detailed field definitions and example scenarios. Connectivity Toolkit 7
Portals. Use the Help menu from within My Fourth Shift Workplace to access general information about using portals and to access context-sensitive help when using My Fourth Shift Workplace. Help. Review the Connectivity Toolkit help for a greater level of detail about the module and system operation. This information is intended as a supplemental reference on using your system. Connectivity Toolkit Compared to CIM Customizer The Connectivity Toolkit can be used to customize the WebUI system similar to how the CIM Customizer Module can be used for the traditional GUI system. You can use both the Connectivity Toolkit and the CIM Customizer Module to customize your system, but customizations made to the browser-based interface are not available in the traditional interface, and vice versa. If you are currently using the CIM Customizer Module to customize your system, use the following guidelines to compare how certain features of the CIM Customizer Module are similar to the Connectivity Toolkit. However, the Connectivity Toolkit is much more powerful than the CIM Customizer. Defining the Data CIM Customizer Feature uses a mapped value to define data uses screen cuts to define data uses screen cut parameters as variables that represent data Connectivity Toolkit Feature uses a field or panel to define data uses a field or panel to define data uses a field label as action parameter to represent data Programming the Customizations CIM Customizer Feature uses tasks to run programs uses the command line to run tasks like PROG and CMND that run external applications uses batch process for instructions that run and control an external application defines third party programs using the CACF screen Connectivity Toolkit Feature uses Script functions to run programs assigns Script functions to fields or menus uses Script functions to run and control external applications assigns Script functions as action properties of the customization Connectivity Toolkit 8
Using the Customizations CIM Customizer Feature user presses the batch activation key defined using the BAMT (Batch Activation) screen specifies a user-defined function code that activates a user-defined task Connectivity Toolkit Feature user clicks the exclamation point icon to open the list of customizations or reacts automatically to the screen specifies the user-defined action name Connectivity Toolkit 9
Understanding the UI Editor Understanding the UI Editor The UI Editor is the tool that is used to set up customization tasks to Fourth Shift WebUI. Tasks may be simple or very complex. Examples of the range of capabilities include: show pop-up "tool tips" when you tab into a field present a list of allowable field values for selection; constrain input to those values and make input mandatory hide the Price field for orders for a specific customer; allow only certain users to see it constrain PO releases exceeding $20,000 by FCMT security access send an e-mail when a CO add or change exceeds $10,000 Note: If you are running Windows 2003 Server, the web service extension for Internet Information Services (IIS60) must be added to access the UI Editor. Refer to the instructions in My Fourth Shift Workplace manual, Add Web Service Extension for Windows 2003 Server Systems. Customization tasks consist of three logical components: activation criteria, execution and integration definitions. The following diagram shows examples of how customization tasks can be activated and integrated into Fourth Shift WebUI. Customization Task Activation Customization Task Activation describes the conditions under which a customization is launched. The Connectivity Toolkit provides the ability to create customization tasks that may be automatically started without user intervention and others that can be optionally selected from a menu. For example, you can: automatically generate an e-mail notification when the value of a new or existing purchase order exceeds a certain amount. select a menu option to activate a Web site that contains the year-to-date financial performance data of a specific vendor. Connectivity Toolkit 10
Understanding the UI Editor Customization Task Execution and Integration Customization Task Execution defines the built-in or user defined function to be launched. Customization Task Integration defines the information to be available to the executed function and the information to be returned to Fourth Shift. The Connectivity Toolkit provides the ability to integrate customization tasks with Fourth Shift WebUI. Integration includes the communication of data both outbound (passed to) and inbound (retrieved from) and also how the results are presented to the user. Outbound. The source of outbound data may be screen content, Fourth Shift database content or a combination of both. Inbound. The destination of inbound data may be the screen associated with the activated task, a Fourth Shift or supplemental database, or any combination. Results. The results of the customization task can be presented to the user in a variety of methods. For example, results may be displayed as data within a Fourth Shift WebUI screen, generated in a report, sent in an e-mail, or used to launch a URL. Connectivity Toolkit 11
A variety of features are available in the Connectivity Toolkit that enable you to enhance your Fourth Shift system, including the UI Editor and the Connectivity Toolkit Wizard. This section provides information on how to use these features efficiently so that you can get the most out of your system. Common Terminology Several terms are commonly used with the Connectivity Toolkit with which you may not be familiar. Portal and Frame Terms The Connectivity Toolkit uses portal and frame architecture. For more information on portal and frame terms, see "Using Fourth Shift Portals" in the My Fourth Shift Workplace manual. Term Description Portal Frame Parent Frame Configurable views of Fourth Shift data within My Fourth Shift Workplace. Portals can include the browser-based version of the Fourth Shift program itself, as well as existing intranet resources, third-party browser-based applications, or even external Internet web sites. Individual area of information displayed through a portal. Frame that is the source of data communication. This frame publishes the data to the Portal Manager, which is running behind the scenes as part of My Fourth Shift Workplace. Connectivity Toolkit 12
Child Frame Frame that listens for the data communication from its parent frame. The child frame reacts to the data by refreshing the content of the frame based on the new data. If no parent frame is listed, users need to interact with the frame directly to change the data displayed. UI Editor Terms The following terms are used to explain the UI Editor features. Term Description Panel Task Event Activation Criteria Integration Definition of a Fourth Shift WebUI screen where transactions are entered and daily processing is completed, such as COMT. The description of the customization's purpose. A task is comprised of the event(s) used to perform the customization. A process that is performed when a specific situation occurs. An event can be activated from the menu or automatically initiated. Event properties include activation criteria and integration properties. Specifies where the customization is assigned. Activation types include: Panel. The event is assigned to the panel and will occur once for the panel. Panel event types include onbeforeunload, onload, onsubmit and the menu selection option. Field. The event is assigned to a field and will occur once for the panel. Field event types include onload, onblur, onchange, onfocus, onkeydown, oncurrentrow, onmouseover, onmouseout, and the menu selection option. For menu selections, the action is initiated after the user selects a customization from a menu that is displayed. These menus are indicated by the gold oval around an exclamation mark. Activation criteria also includes the shortcut key and specification of only when open. Script function called when an event is initiated. Integration properties include the function name and parameters, which are written in JavaScript. You can also specify one of the many built-in functions that are provided. XSL Generator Terms The following terms are used to explain the XSL Generator features. Term Description XSL file Cascading style sheet The XSL (extensible Stylesheet Language) files are used by WebUI to convert data supplied by Fourth Shift into HTML content viewable in the browser. Contains rules for defining styles and content for displaying on a web page. (*.CSS file) Connectivity Toolkit 13
Wizard Terms Term Description Panel Basic Property Form Property Form The background area of the wizard where you can click to add fields. The area where you can customize your fields and labels in the wizard. The basic property form is the system default display that includes: Query Params, Return Columns, an Select Sql. The expanded property form is accessed by clicking Show Advanced Options. Property Form Terms The Connectivity Toolkit Wizard uses Property Form, as shown below, to customize your screens. Term Caption Connection String Insert Sql Description The text to be shown as a label for the new field. Captions appear to the left of the new field and may include HTML. Any valid ADO connection string. If the Connection String field is left blank, the Fourth Shift database is the system default. Any valid SQL insert statement can be used. Note: Do not start with the word insert because it will be added. The statement may reference replaceable parameters in the form of: %1, %2, etc. These will be replaced by the values contained in the Query Params parameter. Max Length Pick The maximum number of characters allowed for the field. The Pick feature enables you to select field names. Connectivity Toolkit 14
Query Params The fields or values passed as parameters to the database SQL statement Note: These parameters should be used to identify a single unique record, which will be bound to the new field. Field names are referenced without quotes; literal values must be enclosed in quotes ( ). To pass multiple values separate them with commas, for example: (Param1, Param2, etc.). Values will automatically be preprocessed to handle single quotes, so that when used in an SQL string, an apostrophe will not terminate the string. Return Column The name of the column contained in the SQL query whose value is bound to the new field. Select Sql Any valid SQL select statement can be used. Note: Do not start with the word select because it will be added. The statement may reference replaceable parameters in the form of: %1, %2, etc. These will be replaced by the values contained in the Query Params parameter. Style Update Sql Specifies the style string to be applied to the new field. Any valid SQL update statement can be used. Note: Do not start with the word update because it will be added. The statement may reference replaceable parameters in the form of: %1, %2, etc. These will be replaced by the values contained in the Query Params parameter. Connectivity Toolkit Task Wizard The Connectivity Toolkit Task Wizard provides a solution to simplify the Web UI customization process. The interactive features of this wizard enables you to visually explore design possibilities, such as adding a field to a panel or screen. You can draw a field using the mouse and the result will appear immediately, also know as WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). This section provides the specific information on how to use a variety of features efficiently so that you can get the most out of your system, including:. - Adding a Field - Adding a Label - Hiding a Field - Making a Field Read-Only Connectivity Toolkit 15
Wizard Functions Depending where the menu is accessed, one of the following pop-up menu may be displayed: Do this... Always Hide This Field Click the panel background Click a customized field Click an existing field Click an added field Click an added label Make a Field Read-Only Unselect All To... to allow only certain users to view a customized field Add a Field Add a Label Make a Field Read-Only Always Hide This Field Show Customizations Always Hide This Field Make a Field Read-Only Remove This Field Remove This Label to allow only certain users to enter data in a customized field to remove any previously defined customizations Connectivity Toolkit 16
Adding a New Field 1. Click anywhere on the screen panel to display the Add a Panel/Add a Label menu. 2. Select Add a Field. A new field is displayed and highlighted in yellow to indicate the field being added. Note: The selected field is outlined in red; other added fields are outlined in green. 3. Complete the property information for the new field, as necessary. The system default includes the following minimum field parameters in the basic property form at the bottom of the screen: Query Params, Select Sql, and Return Column. 4. Click Show Advanced Options to display the complete property form. Connectivity Toolkit 17
5. Complete as many fields as needed. Note: You can use the Caption option in the property form to enter field name that will be displayed next to the field or see Adding a Label to include a name inside highlighted area. 6. Click Save Changes (in the upper-right corner). Adding a Label 1. Click anywhere on the screen panel to display the Add a Panel/Add a Label menu. 2. Select Add a Label. 3. Enter the text exactly as you want it displayed. 4. Click Save Changes (in the upper-right corner). Hiding a Field To hide a field and limit access only to certain users, do the following: 1. Select and right-click the field you want to work with. The customization menu options are displayed. 2. Select Show Customizations to display the Select Customization task options. 3. Select Always Hide This Field. 4. Click OK to save your selections or changes. 5. Click Save Changes (in the upper-right corner). Connectivity Toolkit 18
Making a Field Read-only To disable a field to make data entry available only to certain users, do the following: 1. Select and right-click the field you want to work with. The customization menu options are displayed. 2. Select Show Customizations to display the Select Customization task options. 3. Select Make Read Only. 4. Click OK to save your selections or changes. 5. Click Save Changes (in the upper-right corner). Viewing Existing Customizations The Connectivity Toolkit Wizard contains a feature, called Show Customizations, that enables you to maintain existing customizations that were created using the wizard. In the panel editor, the fields customized are highlighted in yellow. When you right-click on a customized field, customization menu is displayed. To view existing customizations, right-click on a customized field and select the Show Customizations menu option. - Make Read Only to allow only certain users to enter data in this field - Always Hide This Field to allow only certain users to view this field - Unselect All to remove any previously defined customizations Note: You may use the UI Editor to alter any customizations created by the wizard; however, once a field is changed via UI Editor, these customizations can no longer be maintained using the wizard. Connectivity Toolkit 19
Connectivity Toolkit UI Editor Customization Task Examples The Connectivity Toolkit can be used to create customization tasks that perform simple functionality, such as displaying a list, opening a Web page or hiding a field label. It can also be used to create customization tasks with advanced functionality, such as opening a Microsoft Windows-based external application, retrieving data from a supplemental database and either sending it back into Fourth Shift or sending it on as an attachment in an e-mail message. The Connectivity Toolkit extends the basic functionality available in the CIM Customizer Module by allowing communication to browser-based processes or Microsoft Windows-based applications, and integrating the information into your Fourth Shift system. The Connectivity Toolkit also provides a variety of JavaScript functions, called "built-ins", that you can either use directly, or as templates to create your own customizations. The following customization task example uses the built-in functionality, beginning with basic customizations and continuing with more integrated technologies to illustrate the versatility and power of the Connectivity Toolkit. Step-by-Step Example You can use the Connectivity Toolkit to set up a customization that allows the user to select a unit of measure from a list of specific unit of measure descriptions. This feature may be useful since Fourth Shift does not restrict entry into the unit of measure field. Defining the Roles For this example, the following roles are involved: Portal Administrator. The portal administrator uses the UI Editor to create a customization on the UM field on the ITMB screen. The portal administrator also uses the XSL Generator to compile a new XSL file that includes the customization. End User. The end user uses WebUI to access the customized Fourth Shift system. On the ITMB screen, the user moves the mouse over the exclamation mark icon that is located next to the UM field. From the displayed menu, the user clicks Select Unit of Measure to select from a list of specific unit of measure descriptions. Defining the Actions For this example, you need to complete the following: Determine the valid unit of measure values. Create the customization task on the ITMB screen using the UI Editor. Compile the customization into a new XSL file using the XSL Generator. Move your mouse over the exclamation mark icon to display the customization, and click the customization to activate it. UI Editor Steps For this example, use the UI Editor to create the customization that displays the list of valid unit of measure descriptions. 1. Open the UI Editor. 2. Select the Item Master (ITMB) panel and click Go. 3. In the Customization Tasks section, click New. Connectivity Toolkit 20
4. Enter the customization task name, such as "Select Unit of Measure" and click OK. 5. In the Events section, click New. 6. In the Activation Criteria section, select Field. 7. Click the Pick button, then scroll down to click the UM field. 8. Click menu selection and enter shortcut key = U. 9. Click the... (three-dot) button to open the Function wizard. 10. Locate the fsselectfromlist function. Click the gold arrow to the left of the function name. Close the Function wizard. 11. Click the Pick button, then scroll down to click the UM field. (If the field you click is in a scrolling lines section of a screen, the customization applies to the field on all lines.) 12. Enter the parameters that specify the valid unit of measure descriptions. 13. Click Save Changes. The new "Select Unit of Measure" customization task should be in the Customization Tasks list. XSL Generator Steps For this example, use the XSL Generator to compile the changes you made using the UI Editor. This example assumes that you are using the Windows version of the XSL Generator (it is also available in a portal). 1. Click the Start button, and then point to Programs. Point to the folder that contains the Fourth Shift Tools group, and then point to the Connectivity Toolkit, and select XSL Generator. 2. Enter the server and database name. For example, the default database that is installed for the UI Editor is called FSUIENU. 3. Click OK. 4. Select the ITMB panel. 5. Verify that the wwwroot\fswebui\xslfiles\site directory is open for the XSL File Output Directory. 6. Click Generate XSL. 7. Close the XSL Generator. Fourth Shift WebUI Steps For this example, use Fourth Shift WebUI to use the customization you created. 1. Open Fourth Shift WebUI. 2. Go to the ITMB panel. 3. Go to the UM field. 4. Move your mouse over the exclamation mark icon and click the "Select Unit of Measure" customization task. 5. Select the unit of measure description. Connectivity Toolkit 21
Example Summary Several customization tasks are delivered as examples with the Connectivity Toolkit, and the following summary provides a quick reference to these tasks, organized by panel. Each customization task includes a description as well as the built-in functions used and activation location and type. These customization tasks are fully implemented but are installed disabled. Use the UI Editor to enable them, if desired. COMT (Customer Order) Task Name Description Function Activation Criteria Hide Prices for C100 Hide the Price field based on what is entered in the Cust Id field fsif, fsgetfieldvalue, fshideelement, fsshowtip panel; onload Stock Chart Launch the web page associated with a customer fsselectandopen menu selection; Cust Id field Carrier Web Page Launch the web page associated with the Ship Via field fsselectandopen menu selection; Ship Via field Select Carrier Display customer preferred Ship Via and FOB list fsselectexternal menu selection; Customer Id and Ship to Zip fields INVA (Inventory Adjustment) Task Name Description Function Activation Criteria Inv by Location Display Available Inventory and allow selection of a specific stock-bin location fsselectexternal menu selection; Stk and Bin fields Select Reason Allow selection of reason code from a set of specific reason code descriptions fsselectfromlist menu selection; RC field Account # Display G/L Account Descriptions and Codes and return the associated G/L Account to the Master Account Number field fsselectexternal menu selection; Master Account Number field ITMB (Item Master) Task Name Description Function Activation Criteria Connectivity Toolkit 22
Inv by Location Display Available Inventory and allow selection of a specific stock-bin location fsselectexternal menu selection; Stk and Bin fields Show Excel Sheet Show JPG File Show Text File Access external data, such as a Word document, Excel sheet or graphic, associated with an item on the Item Master fsshowfile menu selection; any field in the header Valid UM Allow selection of unit of measure from a set of specific unit of measure descriptions fsselectexternal menu selection; UM field POMT (Purchase Order) Task Name Description Function Activation Criteria Disable PO Number Entry Disallow manually entered order numbers by hiding the PO Number field and its label fsreadonly, fsset- Style, fsshowtip, fshidetip panel; onload Stock Chart Launch the web page associated with a vendor fsselectandopen menu selection; Vend Id field How Do I The following activities are available when using the Connectivity Toolkit. Open Existing UI Editor Portal The UI Editor is designed for use by portal administrators only, not end users. Several options are available to the main portal administrator, and to the current owner of the Connectivity Toolkit Portal Group,: 1. Open My Fourth Shift Workplace. 2. Select the Connectivity Toolkit group. 3. Select one of the portals: - Export UI Editor Tasks. Opens a portal that lists all of the customization tasks; select the task to export. - UI Editor. Opens a portal with the UI Editor. - UI Editor and WebUI. Opens a portal with the UI Editor and Fourth Shift WebUI. - UI Editor, WebUI and XSL Gen. Opens a portal with the UI Editor, Fourth Shift WebUI and XSL Generator. Connectivity Toolkit 23
Open New UI Editor Portal 1. Open My Fourth Shift Workplace. 2. Click the Preferences button (gold circle with checkmark) in the My Fourth Shift Workplace portal bar. 3. Click New. 4. Enter the portal name (for example, "UI Editor"). 5. Select a portal layout. 6. Select a group and choose a portal group name and image. 7. Click Proceed to Customization Detail. 8. Enter a frame title, such as UI Editor. 9. Select FS UIEditor as the frame type. 10. Enter the remaining frame definition information. 11. Above the set of frames in the portal definition, click Save Portal Specifications. 12. Click Close. 13. To view the new portal, click Start Portal in the My Fourth Shift Workplace portal bar. From the list of portal groups, select the group where your new portal is defined. From the list of portals, click on the new portal. Once you have opened the UI Editor, the "Welcome" page displays and you can select which panel you want to customize. Tips The Portal Admin group is a private group that should be accessed by portal administrators only. Open XSL Generator The XSL Generator is designed for portal administrators only, not end users. Several options are available to portal administrators who have been granted access: Accessing from Start Menu 1. Click the Start button, and then point to Programs. 2. Point to the folder that contains the Fourth Shift Tools group, and then point to the Connectivity Toolkit, and select XSL Generator. Open From Existing Portal 1. Open My Fourth Shift Workplace. 2. Select the Connectivity Toolkit group. 3. Select the UI Editor, WebUI and XSL Gen portal, if available. Create New Portal 1. Open My Fourth Shift Workplace. 2. Click the Preferences button (gold circle with checkmark) in the My Fourth Shift Workplace portal bar. 3. Click New. 4. Enter the portal name (for example, "XSL Generator"). Connectivity Toolkit 24
5. Select a portal layout. 6. Select a group and choose a portal group name and image. 7. Click Proceed to Customization Detail. 8. Enter a frame title. 9. Select FS UIEditor as the frame type. 10. Select the location where this should be run. 11. Above the set of frames in the portal definition, click Save Portal Specifications. 12. Click Close. 13. To view your new portal, click Start Portal in the My Fourth Shift Workplace portal bar. From the list of portal groups, select the group where your new portal is defined. From the list of portals, click on your new portal. Tips The Portal Admin group is a private group that should be accessed by portal administrators only. You could also create a portal that accesses the Windows-based XSL generator. To do this, select the XSL Generator as the program to run in a Terminal Server Frame. Add Customization Task to a Field 1. Open the UI Editor. 2. Select the panel you want to customize. Click Go. 3. In the Customization Task section, click New. Enter the name of the task and click OK. 4. In the Events section, click New to create a new event. Make sure to add the events in the order that they should occur for the task. Note: You can control the order of events with the two up and down buttons. 5. In the Activation Criteria section, select Field. Click the Pick button and scroll down to select the field for which you want to add a customization task. 6. Select the event type: onload, onblur, onchange, onfocus, onkeydown, oncurrentrow, onmouseover, onmouseout, or menu selection. 7. If the event type is menu selection, enter a shortcut key mnemonic. 8. In the Integration section, enter the script Function name and parameters or click the... button to use the Function wizard. 9. Click Save Changes. 10. Go back to the Events section and repeat the process to define all of the events in the task. 11. Verify that the customization task is in the Customization Tasks list. Tips When selecting a field, be sure to click on the field value, not the field label. You can enter comments for your event by clicking the Notes button. The shortcut key is a mnemonic that acts like a "hotkey" accelerator. It selects the action when pressed while the customization menu is displayed. This menu can be displayed by pressing CTRL-E while in the field. The accelerator displays in a bold font and must be one of the characters of the task name. Connectivity Toolkit 25
To reorganize the customizations in the Events section, click the Move Up and Move Down buttons. To enable all customizations for a task, check the Enable All Task Events checkbox. To enable a single event, select the event and then check the Enable checkbox under Integration. To disable all customizations for a task, uncheck the Enable All Task Events checkbox. To disable a single event, select the event and then uncheck the Enable checkbox under Integration. Add Customization Task to a Panel 1. Open the UI Editor. 2. Select the panel you want to customize, then click Go. 3. Click New, in the Customization Task section. 4. Enter the name of the task, then click OK. 5. Click New, in the Events section, to create a new event. Make sure to add the events in the order that they should occur for the task. 6. Select Panel, in the Activation Criteria section. 7. Select the event type: onbeforeunload, onload, onsubmit, or menu selection. 8. Enter the script Function name and parameters or click the... button to use the Function wizard, in the Integration section. 9. Click Save Changes. 10. Go back to the Events section and repeat the process to define all of the events in the task. 11. Verify that the customization task is in the Customization Tasks list. Tips You can enter comments for your event by clicking the Notes button. To enable all customizations for a task, check the Enable All Task Events checkbox. To enable a single event, select the event and then check the Enable checkbox under Integration. To disable all customizations for a task, check the Enable All Task Events checkbox. To disable a single event, select the event and then uncheck the Enable checkbox under Integration. Delete Customization Task 1. Open the UI Editor. 2. Select the panel from which you want to delete a customization, then click Go. 3. Select the task you wish to delete, in the Customization Task section. 4. Click Remove. The task is removed immediately. 5. Verify that the customization task is removed from the Customization Tasks list. Connectivity Toolkit 26
Generate CSS Files Cascading style sheets define the colors, fonts, borders, spacing and other properties used to display the elements of a panel. This information is stored in CSS files, and it may affect the panels when they are generated into XSL files. Note: Style sheets can be manually customized. 1. Open the XSL Generator. 2. Enter the server and database name. For example, the default database that is installed for the UI Editor is called FSUIENU. 3. Click OK. 4. Click Show Advanced. 5. Click Generate CSS. Tips You can click Generate CSS if your stylesheets become corrupted and need to be regenerated. Fourth Shift WebUI uses the following stylesheets: - FSWebUI.CSS for the majority of panels - FSWebUIFF.CSS for panels requiring a fixed width font Generate XSL Files After you use the UI Editor to assign customizations to a field or panel, you must generate new XSL files so that they are available the next time the panel is accessed by the end user. Generating XSL files should be done only by the administrator. 1. Open the XSL Generator. 2. Enter the server and database name. For example, the default database that is installed for the UI Editor is called FSUIENU. 3. Click OK. 4. Select the panel(s) that you customized using the UI Editor and for which you need to generate new XSL files. 5. Verify that the wwwroot\fswebui\xslfiles\site directory is open for the XSL File Output Directory. 6. Click Generate XSL. Tips If you have renamed the UI Editor database, click the... (three dot) button to search for the customized database name. Be sure you do not select the wwwroot\fswebui\xslfiles directory as the XSL File Output Directory, since that is the location of the pre-generated XSL files that are installed with your Fourth Shift system. The files in this directory should not be overwritten. You can press and hold the CTRL or SHIFT keys to select more than one panel for which to generate XSL files. Toggle the Show Advanced and Hide Advanced button to display advanced stylesheet parameters and information. Connectivity Toolkit 27
You can specify the following advanced stylesheet parameters which affect the layout of the generated XSL files: - Average character width. Defines the width of the panel by indicating the width in pixels of each column. Default is 9. Decreasing the width may distort the column. Increasing the width makes each column wider which may improve the appearance if larger fonts are used. - Margin width. Defines the number of pixels on the left and right sides of the panel to separate the fields from the edges. Default is 8. - Narrow field widen threshold. Defines when the width of a field should be extended. Default is 3 characters. - Minimum cell width. Defines the width of an empty cell. Default is 3 pixels. - Page Enter Transition. Specifies the type of transition to use when displaying a new page. Print Customization Reports 1. Open the UI Editor. 2. Click Reports. 3. Review the customization summary. 4. To print the report, from the File menu, choose Print and then click OK. 5. To go to another report, click the name of the report. Tips Several types of reports are available, including: - Customization Summary. A summary list sorted by panel title and includes the panel name. - Customization Detail by Panel. A detailed list sorted by panel title and includes the panel name, control identifier, action name, function and status (created or delivered). - Customization Detail by Function. A detailed list sorted by script function and includes the action name, panel title, panel name, control identifier and status (created or delivered). You can click on the panel name as a quick method of navigating the UI Editor to that specific panel. You can toggle the Show/Hide Delivered Customizations to either display or not display the customizations that are delivered with the system. Export Customization Task You can display the SQL script text for any customization task using the Export UI Editor Tasks portal. Once displayed, you can copy and paste the text to another system to use with Connectivity Toolkit there. 1. Open the Export UI Editor Tasks portal. 2. Select the task that you want to export. 3. Copy and paste the text you want to use. Tips Right click on the script text to select all text. Connectivity Toolkit 28
This text can be pasted into a simple text document to save or transfer it. This text is formatted so that it can be pasted into Microsoft SQL Server's Query Analyzer tool, which you can use to add this customization to another UI database. Connectivity Toolkit 29
Administering the Connectivity Toolkit Administering the Connectivity Toolkit Several system administration issues need to be considered once the Connectivity Toolkit is installed. Installation Impact The Connectivity Toolkit is available as a module on the CD-ROM for My Fourth Shift Workplace, which is a separate installation CD from the Fourth Shift system. The Connectivity Toolkit installation process completes the following updates in addition to the standard My Fourth Shift Workplace installation process: installs the USER.JS script file in the wwwroot\fswebui\_scriptlibrary directory creates the wwwroot\fsuieditor directory installs program files in the wwwroot\fsuieditor directory completes the installation steps normally completed during a standard Fourth Shift client installation creates the UI Editor database in SQL Server with the default name FSUIENU. See "Installing My Fourth Shift Workplace" in the My Fourth Shift Workplace manual for more information on installing the My Fourth Shift Workplace components. Performing Backups The Connectivity Toolkit creates additional files and directories on your server. Use your SQL Server backup procedures to backup the UI Editor database (FSUIENU). Also use your standard file backup procedures to create backups of the following: *.JS files in the wwwroot\fswebui\_scriptlibrary directory *ASP files created by script developer *.XSL files in the wwwroot\fswebui\xslfiles\site directory Security Security issues should be reviewed when using the Connectivity Toolkit. Security can be applied to zones, systems and applications. Security by Zone Internet Explorer divides the Internet world into zones so that the necessary security can be assigned at different levels. For example, you can assign medium security to one zone and high security to another zone. Then, based on how much security you need, you assign a web site to the appropriate zone. Whenever you open or download content from a web site, Internet Explorer checks the security settings for that web site's zone. When you are looking at a web site, the zone is displayed in the bottom right corner of the Internet Explorer window. See "Frame has a mixed zone" in the Troubleshooting section for more information on zone security. There are four different zones: Connectivity Toolkit 30