Marty, You're Just Not Thinking Fourth Dimensionally

Marty, You’re Just Not Thinking Fourth DimensionallyDec. 13, 2016

This webinar is brought to you as part of the free monthly webinar series from:

Howard Greenberg@TLCC

Paul Della-Nebbia@PaulDN

Courtney Carter@Teamstudio

Paul Withers@PaulSWithers

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Marty, You're Just Not Thinking Fourth Dimensionally

Paul WithersIBM Champion

Intec@PaulSWithers

About Me

“My name is Darth Vader. I am an extraterrestrial from

the planet Vulcan”

Why This Session?• XPages often doesn’t work “as expected”

Custom Control -> XPage -> Browser Browser -> Server -> Browser SSJS / CSJS State management Partial Refresh

• Lots of StackOverflow questions Which wouldn’t be referenced here unless many developers hit

the same issues!

Agenda• Twin Pines Mall / Lone Pine Mall• Marty’s Family Photo• Marty McFly and the Tannens• Power of Love• Alternate 1985• Indians!• It’s Erased!

Twin Pines Mall / Lone Pine Mall

Some Questions• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32256155/why-does-this-

code-write-out-two-documents/32259533#32259533• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24400934/xpages-save-

cancel-actions-scenario• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24407003/xpages-unid-of-

documents-why-it-is-changing• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21015953/xpages-conflict-

is-created-everytime-a-document-is-saved• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36013921/trying-to-open-

document-in-xpages

1. Retrieve/Create Code in documentId• ALWAYS use ${…} when calculating properties like

documentId• Otherwise calculated FOUR times on page load

If attached to a Panel, TWICE AFTER beforePageLoad If attached to XPage, TWICE BEFORE beforePageLoad

• Can’t use scoped variables set in beforePageLoad!

Always TWICE DURING render response

1a. Timing of Initialisations• viewScoped variables can’t be set before PAGE LOAD

Controller frameworks put variable in requestScope and move to viewScope

• data, dataContexts etc attached to XPage / Custom Control - initialised alongside

component Attached to Panel – initialised during PAGE LOAD

2. ignoreRequestParams• ALWAYS use ignoreRequestParams where appropriate

If no params, computed settings respected If params passed, computed settings overwritten

3. Submit Button Type• DON’T use save=“true” (“Submit” button type)

Use script, not simple actions• Greater control, less risk

• You save only what should be saved

• Preparing you for Java / beans / beyond

• Form with single rich text field can cause problems even with script

Marty’s Family Photo

Some Questions• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/33259105/xpages-button-

unresponsive-after-4-ajax-calls/33260337#33260337• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32628012/xpages-losing-a-

viewscoped-bean-again/32633453#32633453• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32482575/xpages-falling-

out-of-server-side-cache/32483154#32483154• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/33686362/xpages-page-

loosing-context-weird-behaviour• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32628012/xpages-losing-a-

viewscoped-bean-again/32633453#32633453

4. Keep Pages In Memory• XPages is stateful• Number of component trees restricted for performance• Dumped xsp.session.timeout minutes after browser closed

Browser doesn’t tell server session is no longer used!

5. viewState=“nostate”• viewState=“nostate”

Don’t store a component tree for this page Best practice for XAgents / REST services

6. Explanation of “nostate”• DataView and nostate

Toggle expand/collapse is fine Navigating to specific pages is fine Next / Previous is relative to defaults

Toggle detail is relative to defaults

• Unless detailsOnClient=“true”

• Details pushed to browser along with rest of content

• “Toggle” is client-side show/hide

Marty and the Tannens

Some Questions• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/31561306/how-do-i-access-

a-repeat-control-from-the-outside-e-g-via-csjs/31575723#31575723

• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/27982313/xprepeat-inside-xedataview/27982614#27982614

• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/34158779/inherit-index-from-repeatcontrol-in-nested-custom-controls/34158954#34158954

• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/34652364/slider-in-repeat-control-and-manipulation-of-text-via-jouery/34653561#34653561

7. Repeat Controls and Component Tree• Only one set of components in component tree• repeatControls=“true” changes behaviour

x many sets of components Hard-wired to specific entries at page load Pagers have no effect because of hard-wiring Allows “loaded” computations within the repeat, e.g. id’s

• Cannot compute repeatControls=“true” within compositeData

8. Dynamic Content Control• Only components from current facet exist in component tree• Component tree dynamically updated• Better than showing / hiding via rendered property

9. Custom Controls and Scope• Custom control is inserted into component tree• Variable names outside custom control available• As long as same variable used, no need to pass• Same rules as for any component

Is variable available by navigating upwards in tree? Cannot retrieve variables from another branch

• E.g. different repeat entry, repeat entry from outside repeat

Power of Love

ControllingViewHandler• Creates component tree for specific XPage• Runs before beforePageLoad event• super.createView() loads component tree• Also creates viewScope

Not available before call to super.createView() Load variables to requestScope before super.createView() Move to viewScope after super.createView()

ControllingViewHandler

PhaseListener• Handles XPages lifecycle• On page load, only RENDER RESPONSE triggered• Runs for every partial refresh

Ensure optimised Ensure error handling

• Crucial for identifying why partial refresh is not behaving “as expected”

PhaseListener

Some Questions• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20477153/xpages-server-

validation-errors-havent-been-displayed-to-the-user• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28339422/ssjs-onclick-

action-will-not-fire-on-xpage/28340759#28340759• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/33024777/xpages-how-to-

do-partial-refresh-correctly• http://www.intec.co.uk/view-isrenderingphase-and-buttons/• http://www.intec.co.uk/fully-understanding-rendered-property-

and-components-with-events/

10. Understanding Partial Refresh• Partial Refresh is SIX Phases

10. Understanding Partial Refresh• 1. RESTORE VIEW

Get component tree again

• 2. APPLY REQUEST VALUES Pass String values from browser to executed component tree

• 3. PROCESS VALIDATIONS Run validators AND converters for executed component tree

10. Understanding Partial Refresh• 4. UPDATE MODEL VALUES

Convert string values and update executed component tree

• 5. INVOKE APPLICATION Run application logic (SSJS / Java)

• 6. RENDER RESPONSE Update HTML for executed component tree and post refresh area

11. Conditionally Hidden Save Button• Set rendered property on button

For best practice, use view.isRenderingPhase() Ensure set to true for other phases or code will not run

• Add partial refresh where appropriate Ensure refresh area correct or button will not show Ensure disableValidators=“true” or button will not hide again if

invalid

12. Reasons Code May Not Work!• CSJS returning false – check Firebug for POST event• Conversion error – 1,2,3,6• Validation error – 1,2,3,6• Exec id not including components being used by application

logic• Exec id not including component triggering application logic• Event handler not rendered in phase 4• Refresh area not including errors control

13. Troubleshooting• Use PhaseListener• java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level manages console

logging of server validation errors, since 8.5.3 In workspace\.config\rcpinstall.properties

• ALWAYS including errors control in refresh area• Be conscious of rendered property

BONUS 1: Data View• dataCache=“id” setting available on View datasource• Better for performance, only caches id, not full ViewEntry

(wrapped)• “var” not available during Apply Request Values

Compute value only in Render Response

BONUS 2 - Dialog• To refresh area,

getComponent(“dialog1”).hide(“myRefreshArea”) POST

• Run SSJS

• view.postScript - XSP.closeDialog

GET• Refresh myRefreshArea

Alternate 1985

14. What Requires Restart Task HTTP?• Picked up immediately

Classic design elements XPages* Custom Controls* Java classes*

* Provided not in SCXD - http://www.intec.co.uk/single-copy-xpage-design-some-learning-and-why-its-not-for-me/

14. What Requires Restart Task HTTP?• Require “res task http”

JAR files• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/30939347/jar-file-changes-in-

lotus-notes-database-not-being-picked-up-by-domino-server

SCXD OSGi plugin*

• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/33233724/while-in-development-in-xpages-libraries-changes-are-not-picked-up/33234041#33234041

Servlet / OSGi application*

* Without JRebel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHbVgA2oqD0

Indians!

Question• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/33190731/value-picker-get-

error-typeerror-resp-is-null-in-xpages/33210520#33210520

15. “Resp is null”• Understand page load and dynamically

“resp is null” – options for picker are not available Picker is client-side, but values are passed to renderer server-

side

16. SSJS in CSJS• SSJS in CSJS

Computed server-side as part of script renderer Only re-computed by partial refresh

• To access component values Use dojo.byId or variants to access client-side element Trigger partial refresh to update SSJS embedded into CSJS

It’s Erased!

Some Questions• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24735862/best-practice-for-

storing-datetime-values-in-xpages• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/34417067/xpages-

notserializableexception-on-datetime/34417335?noredirect=1#comment56612210_34417335

• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/33168499/cannot-serialize-javascript-function/33168732#33168732

17. Domino Objects in Scopes• Domino objects can’t be stored in scopes.

DateTimes are the most common culprit Use .toJavaDate() to store Java Date

• Similar issues with SSJS functions stored in variables

18. Impact of Persistence Setting• For Domino objects in scopes, depending on persistence

setting Keep pages in memory – value just lost Keep pages on disk – error thrown to server, redirect to error

page (fails to display) Keep current page in memory – value just lost, error 500 on

navigating

Summary• Understand ignoreRequestParams• Avoid simple actions• Keep Pages in Memory – understand impacts• Use viewState=“nostate”• Understand detailsOnClient=“true”• Understand repeatControls=“true”

Summary• Understand scope and custom controls• Understand partial refresh is more than just “partial

refresh”• Understand SSJS is computed and injected into CSJS• Use Firebug or comparable tool• Don’t store Domino objects in scopes• Understand impact of serialization

Thank You!Paul WithersIntec Systems LtdIBM ChampionOpenNTF Board Member@paulswitherspwithers@intec.co.ukhttp://www.intec.co.uk/blog

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@PaulSWithers

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@PaulDN

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