Over the last few months, we've made a number of core announcements regarding updates and upgrades to m-Power*.

*Remember, for those of you who currently run the mrc-Productivity Series, this also includes you.

And, one of those announcements was our great improvements to our templates including Web 2.0 templates that include: faster performance, better scalability, faster response times to AJAX-enabled features, incorporating outside applications running on different servers, and tremendous flexibility. To read the details of this announcement, you can go to this press release. .

Anyway, for those of you who have made, or are making the switch to incorporate our new Web 2.0 templates, here are a few guidelines, tricks, and trade secrets to help make things easier in your transition to Web 2.0 and beyond.

Items Worthy of Note regarding your new WEB 2.0 templates:

1. Recompiling applications built with older templates: If you recompile an application that was built using older templates, all old class and java files will be deleted. In it’s place, there will be three source files, and one class file:

Ixxxxx.java
Ixxxxx.class
Ixxxxx.html
Ixxxxx.xml

2. Import an application using External Objects: When you want to import an application using new templates using the External Objects method, there is no Import Template. Rather, simply use a standard WEB 2.0 template. The benefit of this is you can fully paint your imported objects since they now utilize standard templates. Note: When converting old applications to WEB 2.0, you will need to recompile your old imported objects to use the new WEB 2.0 template for compatibility.

3. Import an application without using External Objects: Within m-Painter, you now have the ability to import other applications into your WEB 2.0 application without using the External Object method. Click the application properties button and select the “Imports” tab. Under “Add Import Object,” select a name for your object and click “Add.” In the Value box below, specify your application name, DATADICTIONARY.XXXXXXs. Lastly, go into your HTML skeleton and add ${NAME}, where NAME is the value you previously entered for this object.

4. Advanced Record Level Security Changes: To accomplish Advanced Record Level Security with WEB 2.0, you will need to make a few changes. First, you will need to recompile your old Inquiry External Object Security Look Up application to use the WEB 2.0 template for compatibility. Next you will need to locate the mrcSignon2.xml and mrcSignon2.html files located in /mrcjava/mrcclasses. Next, you will need to copy and paste them into the appropriate data dictionary. Note: mrcSignon2.html no longer uses the connection properties information that the old mrcSignon.html needed. Instead, this information is stored in the mrc-spring-context.html (explained below).

5. Stylesheet has a new residence: With WEB 2.0, your stylesheet now resides in each data dictionary. The contents of this file are added to your application at run time. This in-file methodology will allow you to attach/email the application without losing the look and feel of your page. To move your “application look” from your old templates to WEB 2.0, you will need to locate and open your current stylesheet (located, most likely, in /mrcjava/mrcclasses. With this file open, also open the new stylesheet file, located /mrcjava/WEB-INF/classes/DATADICTIONARY/ with the name of mrc_servlet_stylesheet_css.html. With both screens open, copy and paste your stylesheet classes from your old stylesheet into your new stylesheet. Be sure to save your new stylesheet when completed.

6. Key Database Access information: Key Database Access information (such as JDBC driver name, user ID, and password) are now stored in a file named mrc-spring-context.xml located in mrcjava/WEB-INF/classes. This information is gathered on your first compile of your first application, however you can modify this file at any time.

7. Default Application Configuration: There is a file named mrc_servlet_config.xml located in /mrcjava/WEB-INF/classes/DICTIONARY) that controls your default application information. For example, if you would like to disable Advanced Sort for all application in this data dictionary or wish to increase the rows per page, you would modify this file. You also have the ability to change icons (such as the search forward and back buttons) and modify Error Messages within this file.

8. Linking Databases in Default Application Configuration and m-Painter Override: However, perhaps most importantly regarding mrc_servlet_config.xml is the “datasource” value. This datasource value controls to what kind of database your applications link. This value corresponds to a value listed in your mrc-spring-context.xml file. Note: Utilizing m-Painter, you have the ability to override this property. You can modify overrides by accessing m-Painter, clicking on Application Properties, and selecting the “Override Properties” tab and modifying the Value textbox to the appropriate datasource listed in your mrc-spring-context.html file.