Create Views

You must then define the views you want to be shown to your users. The "view" word must be specified. There is no SQL view (create view ...), this is just a definition of table sequence.

The first table of each views is the base table. The base tables are the only tables where the user can add entries (apart from first level "newlink"). In our sample, we have 3 different views:

rdv -(0..N)----(0..N)- gens -(1)----(0..N)- lieux
=> the user can only add/modify/remove entries from rdv
gens -(1)----(0..N)- lieux
=> the user can only add/modify/remove entries from gens and linked entries of lieux
vacance
=> the user can only add/modify/remove entries from vacance

There is 4 type of link in ViewMaker:

link: A -(0..N)----(1)- B
For changing the link, the user can select en entry from a list.
enum: A -(0..N)----(1)- B
the linked entry is displayed in a menu. That only fit for a small range of possibly linked entry.
newlink: A -(1)----(0..N)- B
The user can only create few entries in B that will be linked with the current entry of A.
extlink: A -(0..N)----(0..N)- B
The entry of B are created with an other view and an intermediate table with only two fields must exist.

For each link, the OID field is used as tuple key.

A simple view

The third view of our sample involve only the vacance table. So the only things you have to define are each fields of this table.

The definition of a table is implemented as an array of dictionary. The first dictionary contain some attribute of the table and the each others define a field (name, type, label, options, ...).

Be aware! The dictionary keys are case sensitive.

Here is the entries of the first dictionary:

nomTable: The SQL name of the table.
[options]: A combination of table options.
[filtre]: An additional SQL where clause.
[backlink]: Only used with the $EXTLINK option.
[forelink]: Only used with the $EXTLINK option.
[tableHead]: Only used with the $CANLIST option. This is added in the Latex's \begin{supertabular}{...} column definition.
[fontSize]: Only used with the $CANLIST option. This is the size of the report's font.
[nbList]: Only used with the $CANLIST option. You must put the number of fields of this table and his sub-tables which will be in the report.
[geometry]: Only used with the $CANLIST option. Specify the parameters of the \usepackage[...]{geometry} Latex package.
[beforeBegin]: The name of a function that must be called before the beginning of the form. That's for doing special actions.
[beforeEnd]: The name of a function that must be called before the end of the form. That's for adding some buttons.

Table options:

$EXTLINK: If the table have a link field, you must use this option.
$PASEFFACER: Don't give the possibility of erasing entries.
$DOUBLE: This table have an unique index.
$READONLY: This table is read-only.
$CANLIST: The user can generate a Latex version of this view.

Here is the entries of the fields dictionaries:

nom: The SQL name of the field.
label: The displayed name.
type: The SQL type. The supported types are varchar, oid, datetime, int, float, date, bool, file, enum, link, extlink, prevlink and newlink.
[default]: The default value of this field.
[contenu]: Some field options.
[taille]: The size of the form text field.
[URL]: The content of this field is an URL and this string must be added before for having the complete link address.
[table]: Only for the link, enum, newlink and extlink types. The name of the linked table definition.
[copie]: Look at the $COP option below.

The file type is an exception. You must have 3 underlying fields in your table (SQL). For this definition:

array("nom"=>"fichier",        "label"=>$offre_fichier,
      "type"=>"file",    "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL)

The table must contain fichier:varchar (the name of the file), fichiero:oid (the id of the LO), fichiers:int (the size of the file).

Possible field options are:

$AUT: The value of this field is not asked (calculated field).
$OBL: This field is mandatory.
$PWD: This is a password field with confirmation and hidden value.
$TAB: When >1 entries found a tabular view is displayed with the fields having this option.
$LIS: This field is present in the printed version.
$MUL: Multi-line field.
$ORD: The result is sorted according this field.
$DAT: When the field is created, the current time is written.
$MAJ: Like $DAT, but is updated during modification too.
$FIX: That a constant field and the default value is written during the entry creation.
$CAC: That an hidden field and a where-clause is added with the default value.
$SUB: For very complex structures (not documented).
$DUP: For very complex structures (not documented).
$STA: For very complex structures (not documented).
$COP: Used during insertion. If this field is empty, the value is taken from the field whose name is in the copie dictionary entry.

Here is the definition of vacance:

$table_vacance=array(
  array("nomTable"=>"vacance", "options"=>0),
  array("nom"=>"resume",         "label"=>$rdv_resume,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL+$TAB),
  array("nom"=>"debut",          "label"=>$rdv_debut,
        "type"=>"date",        "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL+$TAB+$ORD),
  array("nom"=>"fin",            "label"=>$rdv_fin,
        "type"=>"date",        "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL+$TAB),
  array("nom"=>"detail",         "label"=>$rdv_detail,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$MUL)
);

A more complex view

For the second view of our sample, we have a linked table lieux. Each person in your address book can have N addresses. The newlink link type fit exactly our needs.

Here is how we do it:

$table_adresse=array(
  array("nomTable"=>"gens", "options"=>$EXTLINK+$CANLIST, 
	"tableHead"=>"|l|l|l|l|l|l|", "fontSize"=>9, "nbList"=>6,
	"geometry"=>"a4paper,dvips,noheadfoot,left=1cm,top=1cm,textheight=30cm"
       ),
  array("nom"=>"nom",            "label"=>$adresse_nom,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$ORD+$OBL+$TAB+$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"prenom",         "label"=>$adresse_prenom,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$ORD+$OBL+$TAB+$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"date",           "label"=>$adresse_date, "taille"=>12,
        "type"=>"date",        "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"lieux",          "label"=>$adresse_lieux,
        "type"=>"newlink",     "defaut"=>"", "contenu"=>$LIS,
        "table"=>"table_adresse_lieux"),
  array("nom"=>"com1",           "label"=>$adresse_com,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$MUL),
  array("nom"=>"etml",           "label"=>$adresse_etml, "taille"=>3,
        "type"=>"float",       "defaut"=>"0","contenu"=>0),
  array("nom"=>"einev",          "label"=>$adresse_einev, "taille"=>3,
        "type"=>"float",       "defaut"=>"0","contenu"=>0),
  array("nom"=>"primsup",        "label"=>$adresse_primsup,
        "type"=>"bool",        "defaut"=>"f", "contenu"=>0),
  array("nom"=>"perdu",          "label"=>$adresse_perdu,
        "type"=>"bool",        "defaut"=>"f", "contenu"=>0)
);

$table_adresse_lieux=array(
  array("nomTable"=>"lieux","label"=>$lieux_label,"backLink"=>1,
	"nbList"=>3),
  array("nom"=>"gens",
        "type"=>"prevlink", "defaut"=>"", "contenu"=>$OBL),
  array("nom"=>"descr",         "label"=>$lieux_descr,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$LIS+$ORD),
  array("nom"=>"phone",         "label"=>$lieux_phone,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"", "contenu"=>$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"adresse",       "label"=>$lieux_adresse,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$MUL+$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"email",         "label"=>$lieux_email, "URL"=>"mailto:",
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>0),
  array("nom"=>"homepage",      "label"=>$lieux_homepage, "URL"=>"http://",
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>0)
);

You can see in $table_adresse a special field lieux of type newlink. This field have a reference on $table_adresse_lieux who define the linked table fields.

This second definition is same as a normal definition apart from the backLink entry. It have the index number of the field which link with the base table. This field is of prevlink type.

We give the user the possibility to print his address book as a Latex file. So we must add tableHead, fontSize, nbList, geometry in the main table definition and nbList in the sub-tables definitions. The option $SUB is added to each fields and links that must be included in the report.

An even more complex view

The first view of our sample is defined like this:

$table_rdv=array(
  array("nomTable"=>"rdv", "options"=>$EXTLINK+$CANLIST,
	"tableHead"=>"|l|l|l|l|l|l|l|", "fontSize"=>9, "nbList"=>7,
	"geometry"=>
          "a4paper,dvips,noheadfoot,left=2cm,top=2cm,landscape,textheight=20cm"
       ),
  array("nom"=>"resume",         "label"=>$rdv_resume,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL+$TAB+$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"debut",          "label"=>$rdv_debut,
        "type"=>"datetime",    "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL+$TAB+$ORD+$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"fin",            "label"=>$rdv_fin,
        "type"=>"datetime",    "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL+$TAB),
  array("nom"=>"alarme",         "label"=>$rdv_alarme,  "taille"=>5,
        "type"=>"int",         "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>0),
  array("nom"=>"detail",         "label"=>$rdv_detail,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$MUL),
  array("nom"=>"contact",        "label"=>$rdv_contact,
        "type"=>"extlink",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$LIS,
        "table"=>"table_rdv_contact"),
  array("nom"=>"prive",          "label"=>$rdv_prive,
        "type"=>"bool",        "defaut"=>"f","contenu"=>0),
  array("nom"=>"confirme",          "label"=>$rdv_confirme,
        "type"=>"bool",        "defaut"=>"f","contenu"=>0)
);

$table_rdv_contact=array(
  array("nomTable"=>"contact", "label"=>$contact_descr, "nbList"=>5,
        "backLink"=>1, "foreLink"=>2),
  array("nom"=>"rdv", "type"=>"prevlink", "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL),  
  array("nom"=>"adresse", "type"=>"link",  "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$OBL+$LIS,
        "table"=>"table_rdv_adresse")
);

$table_rdv_adresse=array(
  array("nomTable"=>"gens", "nbList"=>5, "filtre"=>"perdu='f'"),
  array("nom"=>"nom",            "label"=>$adresse_nom,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$ORD+$OBL+$TAB+$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"prenom",         "label"=>$adresse_prenom,
        "type"=>"varchar",     "defaut"=>"" ,"contenu"=>$ORD+$OBL+$TAB+$LIS),
  array("nom"=>"lieux",          "label"=>$adresse_lieux,
        "type"=>"newlink",     "defaut"=>"", "contenu"=>$LIS,
        "table"=>"table_adresse_lieux")
);

$table_adresse_lieux=array(
  ...
);

I have introduced a table for linking rdv with adresse. This definition must have a backLink entry and a foreLink entry.

Can it have even even more complexity?

Yes, but it's becoming hard to explain how to do it. You must try... or ask me.

Now you must create some php3 files.

Valsecchi Patrick

Last modified: Thu Apr 22 13:29:20 MEST 1999