Forum OpenACS Q&A: -query swith in ad_page_contract

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1: -query swith in ad_page_contract
Posted by Michael Martí Menzel on 04/10/10 12:11 PM
The -query switch seems to have been omitted in the ad_page_contract api-doc. Has this been done on purpose?

Thanks for any hints,

Michael

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2: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 1)
Posted by Brian Fenton on 04/12/10 11:25 AM
That was news to me - thanks for pointing this out!
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3: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 1)
Posted by Dave Bauer on 04/12/10 01:00 PM
It is not really used, the first unamed argument after the docstring is the same as the -query section. I don't know if this was on purpose or not. Seems more like it was left off by convention and is stuck that way now.
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4: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 1)
Posted by Jim Lynch on 04/12/10 01:43 PM
Personally, when I first saw ad_page_contract it confused me... when I first saw -query, it undid all confusion and I use it every time.

CoreGuysnGals: pls don't get rid of it... imo, it goes to documentation

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5: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 4)
Posted by Dave Bauer on 04/12/10 01:47 PM
Jim. you might be right, but there are thousands of Tcl files without it, and few with it in the current code.

I suppose one could write a script to fix it, if one was so inclined.

I don't have an opinion either way.

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6: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 4)
Posted by Brian Fenton on 04/12/10 01:49 PM
Hi Jim,

can you give a simple example of how you use it?

thanks!
Brian

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7: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 1)
Posted by Michael Martí Menzel on 04/14/10 08:44 PM
Thanks to all for your explanations. Being a newbie, I was a little bit confused about the -query switch I've seen in some tcl-files (both in ]PO[ and in the OpenACS core files).

Best,

Michael

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8: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 6)
Posted by Jim Lynch on 04/14/10 09:12 PM
(from Brian Fenton: Jim, can you give a simple example of how you use it)

Brian, sure.

So if you use ad_page_contract without it, then you need two parameters like this

ad_page_contract { docs go here } { variables coming into the page (aka the query) go here } and other switches go here

example of "and other switches", I might use -properties, like this:

ad_page_contract { docs } { incoming } -properties { outgoing }

I like to use it this way:

ad_page_contract { docs } -query { incoming vars }

or if I want to document the vars available to the .adp:

ad_page_contract { docs } -query { incoming } -properties { outgoing vars }

-Jim

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9: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 7)
Posted by Jim Lynch on 04/14/10 09:29 PM
Heya Michael,

the -query { block } parameter is an alias for the unnamed second parameter of ad_page_contract

So you -could- do...

ad_page_contract {
docs
} -properties {
foo : onevalue
:
} -query {
{foo "default for foo"}
}

I.e., you can specify the switch parts in any order you want as long as the documentation block (which is unnamed) is first.

-Jim

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10: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 8)
Posted by Brian Fenton on 04/15/10 02:31 PM
Cheers Jim. I must start using the -properties more often. Good advice!
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11: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 10)
Posted by Dave Bauer on 04/15/10 03:08 PM
-properties sounds like a good idea :) Most modern openacs code doesn't use it as the common design pattern is for the ADP designer to be the same person as the Tcl programmer, in my experience.

Also there was some dreamed of feature to show the properties somehow in the documentation, that would be interesting.

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12: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 11)
Posted by Brian Fenton on 04/15/10 03:51 PM
"ADP designer to be the same person as the Tcl programmer"

AND the DBA, the sysadmin, the network guy plus office security 😉

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13: Re: -query swith in ad_page_contract (response to 12)
Posted by Steve Manning on 04/16/10 09:38 AM
Wow you have someone else to make the tea? I'm jealous :)