To create a new type of connection, including the dialog box with which users interact, you must implement the following three functions: findConnection(), inspectConnection(), and applyConnection(). You write these three functions and include them in the JavaScript implementation file that is associated with your new connection type (see Step 2: Create a JavaScript file that implements at least the following elements:).
The applyConnection() function returns an HTML source within an include file. You can see examples of the HTML source in The generated include file. The findConnection() function takes the HTML source and extracts its properties. You can implement findConnection() to use the search patterns in XML files to extract the information that returns from applyConnection(). For an example of such an implementation, see the following two JavaScript files:
The connection_ado_conn_string.js file is located in Configuration/Connections/ASP_Js folder.
The connection_common.js file is located in Configuration/Connections/Shared folder.
When the user opens a site, Dreamweaver goes through each file in the Connections folder, opens it, and passes the contents to findConnection(). If the contents of a file match the criteria for a valid connection, findConnection() returns a connection object. Dreamweaver then lists all the connection objects in the Database Explorer panel.
When the user opens a connection dialog box and selects to create a new connection or duplicate or edit an existing connection, Dreamweaver calls the inspectConnection() function and passes back the same connection object that findConnection() created. This process lets Dreamweaver populate the dialog box with the connection information.
When the user clicks OK in a connection dialog box, Dreamweaver calls the applyConnection() function to build the HTML, which is placed in the connection include file that is located in the Configuration/Connections folder. The applyConnection() function returns an empty string that indicates there is an error in one of the fields and the dialog box should not be closed. The include file has the default file extension type for the current server model.
When the user adds to the page a server behavior that uses the connection, such as a recordset or a stored procedure, Dreamweaver adds a statement to the page that includes the connection include file.
findConnection()
Availability
Dreamweaver UltraDev 4.
Description
Dreamweaver calls this function to detect a connection in the specified HTML source and to parse the connection parameters. If the contents of this source file match the criteria for a valid connection, findConnection() returns a connection object; otherwise, this function returns a null value.
Argument
htmlSource
The htmlSource argument is the HTML source for a connection.
Returns
A connection object that provides values for a particular combination of the properties that are listed in the following table. The properties for which this function returns a value depend on the document type.
Property |
Description |
|---|---|
name |
Name of the connection |
type |
If useHTTP is false, indicates which DLL to use for connecting to database at runtime |
string |
Runtime connection string. For ADO, it is a string of connection parameters; for JDBC, it is a connection URL |
dsn |
Data source name used for ODBC or Cold Fusion runtime connections |
driver |
Name of a JDBC driver used at runtime |
username |
Name of the user for the runtime connection |
password |
Password used for the runtime connection |
designtimeString |
Design-time connection string (see string) |
designtimeDsn |
Design-time data source name (see dsn) |
designtimeDriver |
Name of a JDBC driver used at design time |
designtimeUsername |
Name of the user used for the design-time connection |
designtimePassword |
Password used for the design-time connection |
designtimeType |
Design-time connection type |
usesDesigntimeInfo |
When false, Dreamweaver uses runtime properties at design time; otherwise, Dreamweaver uses design-time properties |
useHTTP |
String containing either true or false:true specifies to use HTTP connection at design time; false specifies to use DLL |
includePattern |
Regular expression used to find the file include statement on the page during Live Data and Preview In Browser |
variables |
Object with a property for each page variable that is set to its corresponding value. This object is used during Live Data and Preview In Browser |
catalog |
String containing a database identifier that restricts the amount of metadata that appears |
schema |
String containing a database identifier that restricts the amount of metadata that appears |
filename |
Name of the dialog box used to create the connection |
If a connection is not found in htmlSource, a null value returns.
Developers can add custom properties (for example, metadata) to the HTML source, which applyConnection() returns along with the standard properties.
inspectConnection()
Availability
Dreamweaver UltraDev 4.
Description
Dreamweaver calls this function to initialize the dialog box data for defining a connection when the user edits an existing connection. This process lets Dreamweaver populate the dialog box with the appropriate connection information.
Argument
parameters
The parameters argument is the same object that the findConnection() function returns.
Returns
Nothing.
applyConnection()
Availability
Dreamweaver UltraDev 4.
Description
Dreamweaver calls this function when the user clicks OK in the connection dialog box. The applyConnection() function generates the HTML source for a connection. Dreamweaver writes the HTML to the Configuration/Connections/connection-name.ext include file, where connection-name is the name of your connection (see Develop a new connection type), and .ext is the default extension that is associated with the server model.
Arguments
None.
Returns
The HTML source for a connection. Dreamweaver also closes the connection dialog box. If a field validation error occurs, applyConnection() displays an error message and returns an empty string to indicate that the dialog box should remain open.
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