Post Operation not working with WAS

[robert swanson]

I think I found another case of code not functioning on the web while working on the desk top.

 
a_tbl = table.open("spouse")
post.t_db = "descendents"
post.m_key = "Key"
post.t_key = "Key"
post.m_filter = ""
post.t_filter = ""
post.m_count = 9
post.m_field1 = "Email"
post.m_exp1 = "if(Email=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Email,Email)"
post.m_field2 = "Phone"
post.m_exp2 = "if(Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Phonehome,Phone)"
post.m_field3 = "Cell_Phone"
post.m_exp3 = "if(Cell_Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Mobile_Phone,Cell_Phone)"
post.m_field4 = "Address"
post.m_exp4 = "if(Address=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Address_,Address)"

This is the error
Script Error
Error:Script: /automate.a5w line:7
A5WINCLUDE "functions.a5w"
Error parsing script
Script:functions.a5w line:19
Bad expression character

Line 19 is post.m_exp1 = "if(Email=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Email,Email)"

Suggestions Please

[Steve Workings]

None of this will work if you don't first insert the [PathAlias.ADB_Path].

a_tbl = table.open("[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\spouse")

Make sure you defined the alias in your profile. Plenty of info on this using the Search feature here.

[robert swanson]

Steve This bombed out on the local machine when trying to publish to local webroot. If the "IF" statement isn't vailid then I'm in for a lot of rewriting but I would like verification that it's the problem.

[robert swanson]

Found the problem. Alpha writes if() in action scripting when according to the manual to avoid confusion you should use iif(). That did work so far. Now to see if it works in a web situation

Damn still not parsing when loading the page. Same error as before.

[Selwyn Rabins]

your code is wrong

post.t_db = "descendents"

needs to be a fully qualified table name.
in the case of was application this is probably

post.t_db = "[PathAlias.AdbPath]\descendents.dbf"

[robert swanson]

Selwyn I've changed as suggested but the error stays the same. it doesn't like line 19 amd I assume if it doesn't like 19 it won't like 21,23,25,etc. I thought it was the if statement .

 
 
'Date Created: 12-Nov-2005 10:43:36 PM
'Last Updated: 16-Nov-2005 03:30:22 PM
'Created By  : Robert W Swanson
'Updated By  : Robert W Swanson
FUNCTION nightrun AS C ( )
debug(0)
a_tbl = table.open("[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\spouse")
post.t_db = ""[PathAlias.AdbPath]\descendents.dbf"
post.m_key = "Key"
post.t_key = "Key"
post.m_filter = ""
post.t_filter = ""
post.m_count = 9
post.m_field1 = "Email"
post.m_exp1 = "iif(Email=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Email,Email)"
post.m_field2 = "Phone"
post.m_exp2 = "iif(Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Phonehome,Phone)"
post.m_field3 = "Cell_Phone"
post.m_exp3 = "iif(Cell_Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Mobile_Phone,Cell_Phone)"
post.m_field4 = "Address"
post.m_exp4 = "iif(Address=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Address_,Address)"
post.m_field5 = "Address2"
post.m_exp5 = "iif(Address2=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Address2,Address2)"
post.m_field6 = "City"
post.m_exp6 = "iif(City=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->City_,City)"
post.m_field7 = "Prov_"
post.m_exp7 = "iif(Prov_=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Prov_,Prov_)"
post.m_field8 = "Postalcode"
post.m_exp8 = "iif(Postalcode=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Postalcode,Postalcode)"
post.m_field9 = "Country_"
post.m_exp9 = "iif(Country_=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Country_,Country_)"
post.t_count = 0
a_tbl.post()

a_tbl.close()

This is the first part of three similar blocks. Do I have to put the alias in
",@DESCENDENTS->Country_, also

BTW this is not my code but the result of an action script operation. It would seem that the code from the script writer should include qualified paths

[Lenny Forziati]

Bob, take a closer look at your code:

a_tbl = table.open("[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\spouse")
post.t_db = ""[PathAlias.AdbPath]\descendents.dbf"

Notice that the path alias is different in these two lines. Selwyn apparently made a typo when he entered the code for you above, you should fix the second alias to match the first

Selwyn I've changed as suggested but the error stays the same. it doesn't like line 19 amd I assume if it doesn't like 19 it won't like 21,23,25,etc. I thought it was the if statement .

[Selwyn Rabins]

Bob, take a closer look at your code:

a_tbl = table.open("[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\spouse")
post.t_db = ""[PathAlias.AdbPath]\descendents.dbf"

Notice that the path alias is different in these two lines. Selwyn apparently made a typo when he entered the code for you above, you should fix the second alias to match the first

this should be:

post.t_db = "[PathAlias.AdbPath]\descendents.dbf"

(with only one set of opening quotes).

there is no reason why a post operation will not run in a .a5w page.

however, before putting it in a .a5w page make sure that the xbasic is good by just creating a script and running the script.

[robert swanson]

Selwyn. The double quotes were from a quick cut and paste. However your code was wrong also as Lenny pointed out. According to the help file the alias should be [PathAlias.ADB_Path] not [PathAlias.AdbPath]

Also I reiterate that the code orginally was not mine but yours. It was generated when I used Create New Operation to do a post operation and then I just copied the Xbasic code.

I made the corrections mentioned above and it still aborts at the line containing the iif() statement.
Script Error
Error:Script: /automate.a5w line:7
A5WINCLUDE "functions.a5w"
Error parsing script
Script:functions.a5w line:19
Bad expression character

Do I have to add the alias to "iif(Email=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Email,Email)"

[Steve Workings]

Selwyn. The double quotes were from a quick cut and paste. However your code was wrong also as Lenny pointed out. According to the help file the alias should be [PathAlias.ADB_Path] not [PathAlias.AdbPath]

Also I reiterate that the code orginally was not mine but yours. It was generated when I used Create New Operation to do a post operation and then I just copied the Xbasic code.

Robert --

You need to understand that just because something works on the desktop doesn't mean it's perfectly portable to the web app. There are also some things you might build with the web app tools that won't work on the desktop. Simply put, you're building applications for different platforms. You've been around long enough to understand that, and I don't think you're going to get anything done or changed by insisting to Alpha that this should work. I know it's frustrating sometimes but keep in mind the differences as you build and you'll have fewer of these problems.

Even Selwyn's typo shouldn't have thrown you -- you need to understand what [PathAlias.ADB_Path], where it comes from and how to use it. He was simply pointing out an omission on your part in the necessary modification of code. There's lots of info about this as I pointed out in my initial response to you, and understanding this point is critical to the successful construction of your web app.

[robert swanson]

Steve I'm well aware that some things don't transport and yes I should have picked up on Selwyns error but everyone including you is not answering the question I've asked.

Post operations are not described in the manual in detail except in reference to action scripting or creating operations. The syntax of

post.m_exp1 = "iif(Email=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Email,Email)"

is what I want clarified as that's where the error is reported.

I do try to find my own solutions but I can't find any references for anything in this piece of code. I probably can write a chunk of code to replace this, but as Selwyn said "It should work".

PS I didn't think that [PathAlias.ADB_Path] was required when using the local WAS and I wanted to see if all the rest worked.

[Lenny Forziati]

iif() is a function documented in the Webhelp and other documentation available.

Email=\"\" is testing to see if Email is empty

@DESCENDENTS->Email is the email field in your transaction table, Descendents

Email is the Email field in your main table, spouse

Since your Descendents table is not properly defined without the alias, @DESCENDENTS is meaningless when this line of code is executed. Fixing the table definition to include the path will make @DESCENDENTS valid.

Steve I'm well aware that some things don't transport and yes I should have picked up on Selwyns error but everyone including you is not answering the question I've asked.

Post operations are not described in the manual in detail except in reference to action scripting or creating operations. The syntax of

post.m_exp1 = "iif(Email=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Email,Email)"

is what I want clarified as that's where the error is reported.

I do try to find my own solutions but I can't find any references for anything in this piece of code. I probably can write a chunk of code to replace this, but as Selwyn said "It should work".

PS I didn't think that [PathAlias.ADB_Path] was required when using the local WAS and I wanted to see if all the rest worked.

[robert swanson]

Lenny I did fix all the alias references and correctly this time before sending the last message.

 
 
'Date Created: 12-Nov-2005 10:43:36 PM
'Last Updated: 16-Nov-2005 03:30:22 PM
'Created By  : Robert W Swanson
'Updated By  : Robert W Swanson
FUNCTION nightrun AS C ( )
debug(0)
a_tbl = table.open("[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\spouse.dbf")
post.t_db = "[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\descendents.dbf"
post.m_key = "Key"
post.t_key = "Key"
post.m_filter = ""
post.t_filter = ""
post.m_count = 9
post.m_field1 = "Email"
post.m_exp1 = "iif(Email=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Email,Email)"
post.m_field2 = "Phone"
post.m_exp2 = "iif(Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Phonehome,Phone)"
post.m_field3 = "Cell_Phone"
post.m_exp3 = "iif(Cell_Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Mobile_Phone,Cell_Phone)"
post.m_field4 = "Address"
post.m_exp4 = "iif(Address=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Address_,Address)"
post.m_field5 = "Address2"
post.m_exp5 = "iif(Address2=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Address2,Address2)"
post.m_field6 = "City"
post.m_exp6 = "iif(City=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->City_,City)"
post.m_field7 = "Prov_"
post.m_exp7 = "iif(Prov_=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Prov_,Prov_)"
post.m_field8 = "Postalcode"
post.m_exp8 = "iif(Postalcode=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Postalcode,Postalcode)"
post.m_field9 = "Country_"
post.m_exp9 = "iif(Country_=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Country_,Country_)"
post.t_count = 0
a_tbl.post()

a_tbl.close()

Here is the code which was just tested and the reuslts are the same. When the calling page tries to insert this page it still gives the error shown in earlier posts.

[robert swanson]

Just tried the following

 
FUNCTION nightrun AS C ( )
a_tbl = table.open("[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\spouse.dbf")
post.t_db = "[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\descendents.dbf"
post.m_key = "Key"
post.t_key = "Key"
post.m_filter = ""
post.t_filter = ""
post.m_count = 9
post.m_field1 = "Email"
if Email=\"\" then
post.m_exp1 = "@DESCENDENTS->Email"
else
post.m_exp1 = "Email"
end if
post.m_field2 = "Phone"
post.m_exp2 = "iif(Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Phonehome,Phone)"
post.m_field3 = "Cell_Phone"

with the following error

Script Error
Error:Script: /automate.a5w line:7
A5WINCLUDE "functions.a5w"
Error parsing script
Script:functions.a5w line:19
Extra characters at end of expression

line 19 is the if statement.

[JerryBrightbill]

Bob, the code you posted introduced a new problem. The expression

if Email=\"\" then
post.m_exp1 = "@DESCENDENTS->Email"
else
post.m_exp1 = "Email"
end if

is invalid inthat context as the backslash is indicating to ignore the ". The result is that the code would be trying to set the value of a variable "Email" to some value instead of evaluating the expression, which is creating the error. If the \"\" is replaced with "", then the expression will be looking for a variable named "Email" which must be defined on the page, and will still generate an error.

Actually, the code

post.m_field2 = "Phone"
post.m_exp2 = "iif(Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Phonehome,Phone)"

is correct. The only time a quote needs to be preceeded by a backslash is if the quotes are embeded within other quotes.

I have attached a little zip file with a sample application that tried to mimic your setup. The post does run correctly from the web page. The web page "post_test" shows one method to "debug" xbasic on a web page by outputting a message to the page to indicate the results from the code

 
FUNCTION nightrun AS C ( )
a_tbl = table.open("[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\spouse.dbf")
post.t_db = "[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\descendents.dbf"
post.m_key = "Key"
post.t_key = "Key"
post.m_filter = ""
post.t_filter = ""
post.m_count = 9
post.m_field1 = "Email"
if Email=\"\" then
post.m_exp1 = "@DESCENDENTS->Email"
else
post.m_exp1 = "Email"
end if
post.m_field2 = "Phone"
post.m_exp2 = "iif(Phone=\"\",@DESCENDENTS->Phonehome,Phone)"
post.m_field3 = "Cell_Phone"