Differences between Record and Wizard Custom Blocks

Button styling

Buttons tags will not have any styling by default. Assign a class (e.g., btn-primary) for styling these objects.

Custom Java Blocks           

When you create a screen with custom actions, you may need to create a custom Java block (CJB). The CJB uses the TeamConnect API to specify actions and properties for the custom block. The XML file, which includes the structure, layout, and contents of the custom block, references the Java class. If you are not creating custom actions for the block, you only need to create the XML file without the CJB.

Note: Do not use a CJB to construct arbitrarily complex JavaScript and HTML code for the custom block.

Creating Blocks

When you create a block, you create an XML file using regular HTML tags and formatting in addition to specific TeamConnect tags and attributes that display custom fields, wizard parameters, and their labels on the page. You may also use style sheets, if necessary.

You can edit an XML file for a block manually, using every available TeamConnect block tag. For blocks that are to become part of object views, you can also use the Screen Designer, which has a drag-and-drop GUI that lets you build blocks quickly. The set of block tags available to the Screen Designer is just a subset of all the available block tags in TeamConnect.

See the Screen Designer Help for information on creating custom blocks using the Screen Designer tool.

Note: As a time-saving feature you can start a block's XML file using the Screen Designer, then later edit that file manually to add extra block tags.

To plan and create a custom block using manual editing

1. Identify the category whose custom fields you want to include in the block.
2. For that category, identify what custom fields each user group has access to.
3. When creating a block for a wizard page, identify the parameters you intend to include in the block and make sure they are defined and added to the appropriate wizard page or pages. For details, see Defining Parameters and Defining Page Components in Wizards.
4. Verify that the desired object category is added to the object definition and the appropriate custom fields are created for the category.
5. Decide how you want to arrange the custom fields (and wizard parameters, if there are any) in the block:
   • Where the fields should be displayed on the page.
   • What the background color of the page should be, if you do not want the system settings or users' preferences to apply.
6. Create the appropriate XML file that contains the necessary fields and structure as explained in Understanding XML Files.
7. Upload the XML file to TeamConnect.
8. Upload any support files, such as scripts, images, or style sheets, to the Top Level/ HTTPRoot folder in the Documents area of TeamConnect.
9. Associate the XML file with the appropriate object on the Blocks tab of the object as explained in Defining Blocks.
10. If you are creating an object view, include the block in the desired custom object view of the appropriate object. For more information on object views, see Defining Object Views.
11. If you are creating a wizard, add the block to the desired wizard page. For details, see Defining Page Components in Wizards.

Further editing for custom categories

At runtime, a block that was created using Screen Designer may display an error message if all of the following are true:

• The block is part of a custom object definition.
• The category chosen for the block is a custom category.
• The record currently being displayed has not had that custom category assigned to it. To guard against this possibility, you can do the following:
• Finish laying out the block using Screen Designer.
• Manually edit the resulting XML file, adding a tc:section tag that encapsulates the block and specifies the custom category used by the block.

Note: After this manual edit, the XML file cannot be reopened in Screen Designer, since Screen Designer is unable to parse the tc:section tag.

Page Element Reference

The table below explains Page Elements, and their properties, in more detail. Where the documentation refers to "expression", the syntax used is Java Expression Language (JEXL) unless otherwise stated.

Page Elements

Creating Block XML Files

To create an XML file for a custom block, you need to know the following information:

• Basic HTML tags and structure and XML requirements.
• The following custom field and category information if you want to include custom fields in the block:
  • Field name—Field names uniquely identify the fields within a category. You can locate them on the Custom Fields tab of the object definition for the block.
  • The full tree position of the category for the custom field—The full tree position of a category is a combination of tree positions assigned to the category and all of its parent categories, starting with the root category and separated by underscores.
    
    For example, if category B with partial tree position BBBB is created under category A with partial tree position AAAA in the Account object definition, the full tree position of category B is ACCT_AAAA_BBBB.
• Wizard parameter names if you are creating the block for a wizard and want to include parameters. The name of a wizard parameter uniquely identifies the parameter within a wizard. You can locate parameter names on the Page Components tab of the wizard page. Define parameters for the page that includes the new block.
  
  Tip: To avoid duplicating parameters on the same page, select the Display in blocks only check-box for the parameters that you include in your blocks.
   
• The appropriate block tags and formatting.
• The tc:useClass tag with the name of the Java class file and an alias in the id= field to refer to the Java class.
  
  Note: When creating an XML file, you should not hard code background and foreground colors or font type and size. Also minimize the use of JavaScript.

To create an XML file for a block

1. Open the text editor of your choice.
   Microsoft Notepad is a common choice, but other text editors can be used to create XML files.
2. Type the following lines at the beginning of the document:
   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<tc:transform version="1.0" xmlns:tc="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
3. Refer to a Java class using the tc:useClass tag, as shown in the following line:
   <tc:useClass id="cjb_alias" name="Java_class_name"/>
   
   For Java_class_name, enter the name of the Java class. For cjb_alias, enter the name of the alias that you use in the XML file to refer to the Java class.
4. Type the contents of your block.
   For a sample of the tags you should include, see Sample XML File.
5. Include the closing tag at the end of the document:
   </tc:transform>
6. Save this new file on your hard drive, with an .xml extension (for example, salesInvolved.xml).
7. Upload the XML file and the Java class to the Screens directory of the object for which you are creating the block. See Uploading XML Files.

Team Connect Block Tags

For additional block tags that are related to reports, see in Using Tags to Embed Reports in Blocks.

In cases where this topic refers to an "expression" inside a tag, Java Expression Language (JEXL) is the syntax.

Caution: Do not type field labels or other field information directly in your block files. The formatting specified in the system settings and user preferences do not applied to them. You also have to manually update the labels in all files if the labels change.

tc:include

This tag displays a custom block within a custom block.

The <tc:include> tag:

• Must always be in lowercase.
• Must use the following attribute:
  • The block attribute that references the block file in the current object definition.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:include block="BlockName" />
  • BlockName—The file name of the block you want to include. If the BlockName attribute does not have a file extension, TeamConnect looks for BlockName.xml, and then for BlockName.scr.xml.
    
    For example, the following code would include and render a block with file name SampleFile.xml or SampleFile.scr.xml:
    <tc:include name="SampleFile" />

tc:label

This tag displays the label of a custom field. You may use it in blocks created for object views and wizards. Insert tc:label before the tc:field tag to identify the field on the page. For certain field types, such as check-boxes, the label typically displays after the field.

The <tc:label> tag:

• Must always be in lowercase.
• Must use two attributes:
  • The select attribute that references the field name of the appropriate custom field.
  • The category attribute that references the tree position of the field's category.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:label name="FieldName" category="FullTreePosition" />
  • FieldName—The name (not label) of the field you want to include.
  • FullTreePosition—The full tree position of the category for the field.
    For example, the following code displays the label "Incident Date & Time" of the custom field with the name "LossDate," created for the root category of the Claim object definition with the unique code CLAM:
     tc:label name="LossDate" category="CLAM" />
    
    For attributes that you can use with field labels, see Label Tags.

tc:field

This tag displays the field, either blank or with its default value. You may use it in blocks created for object views and wizards.

The <tc:field> tag:

• Must always be in lowercase.
• Must use two attributes:
  • The name attribute that references the field name of the appropriate custom field
  • The category attribute that references the tree position of the field's category.
• Uses the following syntax for system fields:
  <tc:field name="applicationEntity.FieldName" appropriate attributes/>
  Uses the following syntax for custom fields:
  <tc:field name="applicationEntity.FieldName" category="FullTreePosition"appropriate attributes/>
  • FieldName—The name (not label) of the field you want to include.
  • FullTreePosition—The full tree position of the category for the field.
  • appropriate attributes—The appropriate formatting attributes, if necessary.
    For example, the following code displays two date fields, ClaimMade and LossDate, both created for the root category of the Claim object definition with the unique code CLAM. The LossDate field, however, appears with a time field next to it because of the showTime formatting attribute.
    <tc:field name="ClaimMade" category="CLAM" />
<tc:field name="LossDate" category="CLAM" showTime="true"/>
    
    For attributes that you can use with tc:field, see Using Tag Attributes.

tc:wizardParameter

This tag displays the parameter field, either blank or with the default value specified for it. You can only use this tag in wizard blocks.

The <tc:wizardParameter> tag:

• Must always use the name attribute that references the parameter name.
• Should not be inside the <tc:section> tag, unless you want to display parameters only if the same section includes the custom fields for the category during record creation.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:wizardParameter name="ParameterName" appropriate attributes/>
  • ParameterName—the name (not label) of the parameter you want to include.
  • appropriate attributes—the appropriate formatting attributes, if necessary.
    For example, the following code displays two number fields, InjuredPersons and ClaimAmount. The ClaimAmount field, however, displays values with the dollar sign ($) before them because of the format attribute used with it:
    <tc:wizardParameter name="InjuredPersons" />
<tc:wizardParameter name="ClaimAmount" format="DOLLAR"/>
    
    For attributes that you can use with tc:wizardParameter, see Using Tag Attributes.

tc:wizardParameterLabel

This tag displays the label for a parameter field. Insert tc:wizardParameterLabel before the tc:wizardParameter tag to identify the field on the page. For certain field types, such as check- boxes, the label typically displays after the field. If the wizard uses text prompts, you may not need to include the label. You can only use this tag in wizard blocks.

The <tc:wizardParameterLabel> tag:

• Must always use the name attribute that references the parameter name.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:wizardParameterLabel name="ParameterName" />
  • ParameterName—The name (not label!) of the field you want to include.
    For example, the following code displays the label "Method used to report the claim" of the parameter of type List with the name "HowReported":
    <tc:wizardParameterLabel name="HowReported" />
    
    For attributes that may be used with field labels, see Label Tags.

tc:blockTemplate

This tag displays the title of a custom block. TeamConnect defines the titles of system blocks.

The <tc:blockTemplate> tag:

• Must appear exactly as shown.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:blockTemplate blockTitle="title_text" />

tc:message

This tag allows localized messages to appear in custom blocks.

The <tc:message> tag:

• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:message key="messageKey" />
  • messageKey—Identification key for the corresponding value.
    For example, the following code displays the value of a common custom key for welcome message text:
    <tc:message key="custom.common.welcomeMessage" />
    
    Note: Keys are defined in the Designer on the Custom Messages tab.

tc:messageParam

This tag, used with the <tc:message> tag, supplies the value for a parameter.

The <tc:messageParam> tag:

• Must be nested inside a <tc:message> tag.
• Replaces parameters in the order of the <tc:messageParam> tag.
• May appear multiple times.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:message key="messageKey">
            <tc:messageParam value="value" /> 
       </tc:message>
  • value—Argument used to replace the parameter.
    For example, if the defined custom.common value is welcome {0}, the code may appear as follows:
    <tc:message key="custom.common.welcomeMessageWithUsername">
         <tc:messageParam value="${cjb.currentUsername}" />
    </tc:message>
    
    Note: The Designer defines keys on the Custom Messages tab.

Tags to Embed Reports in Blocks

You can use block tags to embed reports or links to reports within a block.

tc:report

This tag renders the report's chart output within the block. It does not render tabular results. The <tc:report> tag:

• Must always be in lowercase.
• Must use two attributes:
  • The path attribute (required) that references the location and name of the appropriate report
  • The width and height attributes (optional) that define how much visual space in the block to use for report output. Their default value is 500px.
• Can contain one or more <tc:parameter> tags nested inside the <tc:report> tag.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:report path="path to report" width="500px" height="500px" />
  • path to report—The location and name of the report you want to render. The path is based on the root folder for Reports in TeamConnect. Folders are delimited with the forward slash (/) character.
    Even though each path starts with the name of the root folder, "Reports," the tag also supports omitting the string "Reports" from the beginning of the path and using just a forward slash to imply the root. This shortened form of designating the root folder is valid for all paths in all report tags.
  • 500px—The separate sizes for the width and height of the space for rendering chart output. 500 pixels is the default for both. The suffix "px" or "%" is required at the end of the value to determine the units of measurement. The suffix "px" means that the size is measured in pixels. The suffix "%" means that the size is measured as a percentage of the size of the block itself.

For example, the following code sample renders chart output for report OC_Spending, which is found in subfolder ManagementReports beneath the root report folder. The default width and height for the chart output have been overridden with specific values:

<tc:report path="/ManagementReports/OC_Spending" width="650px" height="400px"/>

tc:reportLink

This tag renders a link within the block. When clicked, the link executes a report. The report appears in a new page, with a link on that page to return to the block that you had been viewing. The user interface of the new page is almost identical to that presented by the Reports page when you click on the name of one of the listed reports.

The <tc:reportLink> tag:

• Must always be in mixed case, as shown.
• Uses the following attribute:
  • The path attribute (required) that references the location and name of the appropriate report.
• Can contain one or more <tc:parameter> tags nested inside the <tc:reportLink> tag.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:reportLink path="path to report"/>
  • path to report—The location and name of the report you want to render. The path is based on the root folder for Reports in TeamConnect. Folders are delimited with the forward slash (/) character.

For example, the following code sample renders a link to report OC_Spending, which is found in subfolder ManagementReports beneath the root report folder:
<tc:reportLink path="/ManagementReports/OC_Spending"/>

tc:reportFolderLink

This tag renders a link within the block. When clicked, the link opens a page as if the user had navigated to the Reports tab of the application and to the path specified in this tag. The section is equivalent to the section described in Using Report Folders. No reports run as a result of this link, but the user may then select one of the reports within the specified folder.

The <tc:reportFolderLink> tag:

• Must always be in mixed case, as shown.
• Uses the following attribute:
  The path attribute (required) that references the location and name of the report folder.
• Uses the following syntax:
  <tc:reportFolderLink path="path to folder"/>
  • path to folder—The location and name of the report folder you want to display. The path is based on the root folder for Reports in TeamConnect. Folders are delimited with the forward slash (/) character.
    For example, the following code sample renders a link to subfolder ManagementReports beneath the root Reports folder:
    <tc:reportFolderLink path="/ManagementReports"/>
    
    To link to the root Reports folder itself, use either syntax:
    <tc:reportFolderLink path="/"/>
<tc:reportFolderLink path="Reports"/>

tc:parameter

This tag supplies a value to a parameter that a report uses. This tag is only valid within the body of a <tc:report> tag or a <tc:reportLink> tag.

Note: If a report uses parameters, and a parameter is not specified within the <tc:report> tag or <tc:reportLink> tag, the parameter runs with the default value.

The <tc:parameter> tag:

• Must always be in lowercase.
• Uses the following attributes:
  • The name attribute (required) corresponds to the parameter name that the report designer defines. If the name value is not resolved at report runtime, an error message appears.
  • The value attribute (required) specifies the value associated with this parameter during the execution of the report.
    The value attribute can contain a list of multiple values, separated by semicolons.
    If the value(s) for this attribute are not resolved at report runtime, an error message appears.
    
    Permissible values are dependent on the datatype of the parameter. Most datatypes allow the value of the parameter to be expressed as a string literal, as long as that string conforms to the datatype. For example, a date datatype accepts the string "2011-04-30" and a category datatype accepts the string "EXPE_ABCD". Datatypes that do not permit string literals include User, Project, Contact, Involved, and Account. For those five datatypes, you must use an attribute path expression.
    Parameters of datatype Enum accept a string literal composed of one or more Java constant names. Multiple names are delimited by semicolons (;). For more information about Enum (enumerations) see Enumerations.
    
    All datatypes, whether or not they permit string literals, accept an attribute path expression that references an object compatible with the datatype. Examples of attribute path expressions are ${cjb.startedOn} for a date parameter and ${applicationEntity.treePosition} for a lookup table parameter.
• Uses the following syntax (shown within a containing tc:report tag):
  <tc:report path="path to report" width="500px" height="500px">
<tc:parameter name="name" value="value"/>
<tc:parameter name="name" value="value"/>
</tc:report>
  • path to report—The location and name of the report you want to render. The path is based on the root folder for Reports in TeamConnect. Folders are delimited with the forward slash (/) character.
  • 500px—The separate sizes for the width and height of the space for rendering chart output. 500 pixels is the default for both. The suffix "px" or "%" is required at the end of the value to determine the units of measurement. The suffix "px" means that the size is measured in pixels. The suffix "%" means that the size is measured as a percentage of the size of the block itself.
  • name—The name of the parameter that the report designer knows.
  • value—The object or literal that contains a value to be associated with the parameter for this execution of the report.

For example, the following code sample renders chart output for report RejectedInvoices, which is found in subfolder ManagementReports beneath the root report folder. The default width and height for the chart output are overridden with specific values. A report parameter named "pastXdays" is assigned a value contained in the attribute path "limitDays":
<tc:report path="ManagementReports/RejectedInvoices" width="650px" height="400px">
     <tc:parameter name="pastXdays" value="${cjb.limitDays}"/>
</tc:report>

Defining Blocks

After you have written the XML file that contains the structure and content of the desired block, you need to define it as a block for TeamConnect. You can do this by selecting the XML file on the Blocks tab of the appropriate object definition.

To add a block to an object definition

1. In the Designer window, from the Go to drop-down list select Object Definitions.
2. Select the appropriate object definition and then select the Blocks tab.
   
3. Enter the appropriate values as described in the Blocks Tab table.
4. If you want to continue adding custom blocks, click add more. Otherwise, click Save on the toolbar.

The blocks are now available for inclusion in custom object views or wizards for the selected object definition. To view a block on the screen, you must include it in an object view (for details, see Creating Object Views), or if it contains parameters, you must add it as a page component in a wizard (for details, see Defining Page Components in Wizards).

The following table describes the items in the Blocks tab.

Blocks Tab

Friendly Names You Cannot Use

Troubleshooting Custom Blocks

Custom Block Troubleshooting Tips