Auto-generate Request-related Objects

A Designer can auto-generate a Request page and request-related objects (tables, views and stored procedures) in a Content WebApp and database if the objects don’t already exist. Once these objects have been built, users can create and submit a request to dspConduct™ and the Content WebApp can send data to dspConduct™.

The Request page can be customized to meet a client’s business needs, though the default table and page column definitions meet most requirements.

NOTE: While users can develop their own custom pages, posting pages, processes, or requests statuses, all custom code must be maintained by the Designer.

NOTE: Auto-generating a Request page is an advanced feature. To use it, a Designer must be familiar with:

  • Working with tables, view, and stored procedures in SQL
  • Working in the DSP to create data sources and WebApps
  • Creating a category in dspConduct™
  • Working with page columns in the DSP®

This section contains the following topics:

A Designer can auto-generate a Request page and request-related objects (tables, views and stored procedures) in a Content WebApp and database if those objects do not exist. Once these objects have been built, users can create and submit a request to dspConduct™ and the Content WebApp can send data to dspConduct™.

NOTE: Objects can be built once. After the objects have been built successfully, there is no method for building them again from within dspConduct™ or the DSP®. If objects must be rebuilt, they must be manually updated in the database.

Before performing this task, these prerequisites must have been met:

  • An empty database that will be used for the Content WebApp must exist.
  • A data source that uses that database must be registered in the DSP®.
  • A WebApp that uses that data source must be added in the DSP®.

Once the prerequisites exist, create a dspConduct™ Category that uses the WebApp as its Default Web App.

To build the request-related objects:

  1. Click Vertical View for the Category.

  2. Click the Rules and Actions tab.

  3. Click the Create Default Web App Request Table and Views icon.

    NOTE: The pages that display allow the user to create the request-related objects in the WebApp and the database, and this icon is active if those objects have not been built. After the objects have been built successfully, the Create Default Web App Request Table and Views icon is disabled and these pages can no longer be accessed.

    NOTE: These pages display the default ttRequest table and page column definitions that will be used when building the objects. These default settings can be used to meet most business needs, and it is recommended that they not be updated. A user can choose to customize or add page column before the request-related objects are auto-generated, but all custom code must be maintained by the Designer. Refer to the field descriptions for the Default Web App Request Table Columns page for information about the type of data to enter in this field if needed.

    NOTE: The auto-generation process creates table columns and page columns that are not associated with columns in the underlying table. A column is a page column only when the value in the COLUMN ORDER field is 0.

  4. Click Build Objects in the Page toolbar on the Default WebApp Request Table page to auto-generate the tables, views and stored procedures.

The tables ttRequest, ttRequestOrgUnit1, ttRequestOrgUnit2 and ttRequestOrgUnit3 are created, along with the following objects.
Object Description
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_ztParamIns Creates table ztParam in Content WebApp’s database if it doesn’t exist already.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_DGEViewsIns Creates views in Content WebApp’s database; views provide access to DGE tables.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_DGEListViewsIns Creates views in Content WebApp’s database used as List views on Request page.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_CreateTablesIns Determines if Request-related tables exist in the Content WebApp’s database and calls the logic to create them if they don’t exist.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_ttRequestTriggerIns Creates trigger on table ttRequest in the Content WebApp’s database if it doesn’t exist.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_OnValidateSubmitViewsIns Creates views in the Content WebApp’s database used by the Request OnValidate stored procedures and the Submit procedures.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_OnValidateProceduresIns Creates stored procedures in the Content WebApp’s database used by the Request OnValidate event. Also creates stored procedures used by the Request OrgUnit page’s OnValidate event.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_SubmitProceduresIns Creates stored procedures in the Content WebApp’s database used by the Request Submit event.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_PageViewsIns Creates Request-related page views in the Content WebApp’s database.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_CreatePagesIns Creates Request-related pages and page events in the Content WebApp.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_RegisterEventRulesIns Registers specific procedures to the Request-related pages’ events.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_UpdatePagePropertiesUpd Registers DCV, PCV to the Request-related pages. Sets Insert, Update, and Support Delete properties.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_UpdateRequestBuildStatusUpd Set BuildStatus to true for Request-related ttTable records.
webDefaultWebAppRequestTable_BuildObjects_DefaultViewsCreatedUpd After all the Request-related objects have been created, updates ttCategory DefaultWebAppViewsCreated bit to 1.

The following pages are created in the Content WebApp:

  • [WebApp name] – A static landing page for the Content WebApp that displays when the user clicks the WebApp name in the Navigation pane.
  • Reports – A page listing links to custom reports to be developed on site.
  • Request – A page used by users to enter request data and submit it to dspConduct™, created based on the table and page column definitions on the Default WebApp Request Table page and the Default WebApp Request Table Columns page.
  • Request Details – A page that displays a visual representation of an active request’s process through the workflow, including which roles have been completed for the request.
  • Request Org Unit 1 – 3 – If Org Unit Types have been defined for the Category, the Organization Unit pages are used to enter Org Unit values in addition to values entered on the main Request page.

View the Request Objects Creation Log

This log displays all the log records that are written when the stored procedures registered to Build Objects execute as the Request-related objects are created.

There are two ways to access the log.

To access the log at any time:

  1. Click Design in the Navigation pane.
  2. Click Vertical View for a category.
  3. Click the Rules and Actions tab.
  4. Click the Request Table and Views Creation Log icon.

The log can also be accessed on the Default WebApp Request Table page by clicking Creation Log in the Page toolbar. However it is only accessible on that page until objects are built. Once objects are built and the user navigates away from the Default WebApp Request Table page, that page is no longer accessible.

NOTE: Records remain in the log unless they are manually removed.

NOTE: If a Category is deleted, the log records associated with that Category are also deleted.

Create Collect Target Views

Tthe Content WebApp must include views that reference the governance system tables stored in the dg* database (or another database that stores the tables). These views are not created when request-related objects are auto-generated, but can be created automatically using Collect’s Advanced View Builder feature.

NOTE: Using this feature drops and recreates any existing views that point to these tables created by the Advanced View Builder. Any modifications that have been made to the views in the Content WebApp database will be lost every time Build View executes.

To create the target views:

  1. Click dspConduct > Design > Vertical View for a category.

  2. Click the Rules and Actions tab.

  3. Click the Create Collect Target Views icon; a confirmation message displays.

  4. Click Ok.

  5. Select an option from the DATABASE FOR TABLES list box.

    NOTE: This database stores the tables for the governance system.

  6. Click Save.

  7. Click the Build Views icon on the Page toolbar.

When the process completes, views for all of the tables in dgSAP (or the selected database) exist in the Content WebApp database.