Lasso Professional 5 Developer's Guide

Lasso™ Professional 5 Developer’s Guide

Duncan Cameron

Wordware Publishing, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cameron, Duncan (Duncan James), 1970-. Lasso Professional 5 developer's guide / by Duncan Cameron. p. cm. ISBN 1-55622-961-5 1. Lasso Professional (Document markup langugage). 2. Internet programming. I. Title. QA76.76.H94 C358 005.2'76--dc21

2002 2002004617 CIP

© 2002, Wordware Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved 2320 Los Rios Boulevard Plano, Texas 75074 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from Wordware Publishing, Inc. Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 1-55622-961-5 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0205 Lasso is a trademark of Blue World Communications, Inc. Other products mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies. Appendix A is used with the permission of Blue World Communications, Inc.

All inquiries for volume purchases of this book should be addressed to Wordware Publishing, Inc., at the above address. Telephone inquiries may be made by calling: (972) 423-0090

This book is dedicated to the late James and Dorothy Cameron and my patient, loving wife, Antonia.

Contents Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Chapter 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Basic Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Testing Your Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Sending Text to the Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sending Data to the Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sending HTML to the Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Using White Space in Lasso (and HTML) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Adding Comments to Your Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Using JavaScript with Lasso. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Chapter 2 Variables . . . . . . . . . . . What are Variables? . . . . . . . . . Variable Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . Types of Variables . . . . . . . . . . Global Variables . . . . . . . . . Local Variables. . . . . . . . . . Server Application Variables . . Assigning Values to Variables . . . .

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Chapter 3 HTML Forms and Lasso . . . . Creating a Simple Form . . . . . . . . Using GET or POST . . . . . . . . . . Receiving Data from a Form in Lasso. Using Hidden Fields . . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 4 Control Structures . . About Control Structures . The [If]...[/If] Conditional . More Operators . . . . . . Using [Else] . . . . . . . . Using [While]...[/While] . . Using [Loop]...[/Loop]. . .

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Chapter 5 Using Strings . . . . . . . . . Trimming Strings . . . . . . . . . . Connecting Strings (Concatenation). Encoding and Decoding Strings . . .

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Contents Encrypting and Decrypting Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Exploiting Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Chapter 6 Using Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Dividing Incrementing and Decrementing a Number . . . Using Multiple Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Built-in Mathematical Functions . . . . . Formatting Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 7 Using Arrays and Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Creating an Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Adding and Removing Items in an Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Accessing Array Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Sorting Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Creating an Array from a Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Using Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Using Arrays and Maps Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Chapter 8 Files and Directories . . . . . . . . . File Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating and Writing to Files. . . . . . . . . . Reading from Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Browsing Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uploading Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Renaming and Deleting Files and Directories .

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Chapter 9 Databases . . . . . . . . . . . Databases and Lasso . . . . . . . . . . Connecting to a Database. . . . . . . . Lasso MySQL — Creating a Database. Lasso MySQL — Creating a Table . . Lasso MySQL — Creating a Field . . . Using -Add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using -Findall and -Search . . . . . . . Using -Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using -Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using -SQL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Joins . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 10 Sessions and Cookies. . Creating Sessions . . . . . . . Sessions with Forms . . . . . Adding Variables to a Session Deleting a Session . . . . . . Using Sessions with Cookies.

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Contents Chapter 11 Creating Web Applications . Using Include and Library . . . . . Determining Date and Time . . . . Using HTTP Headers . . . . . . . . Sending Email . . . . . . . . . . . Required Parameters . . . . . . Optional Parameters . . . . . .

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Chapter 12 Debugging . . . . . . Common Errors . . . . . . . Error Reporting . . . . . . . Debugging Detective Work. Using Logs . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 13 Advanced Topics . . . . . . Regular Expressions . . . . . . . . Creating and Using Custom Tags . Creating and Using LassoApps . .

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Chapter 14 Lasso Administration . . . . . Setting up the Administration Panel . Datasources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Group Permissions . . . . . . . . . . File Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . General Permissions . . . . . . . . .

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Appendix A Lasso Tag Syntax Overview . . . . . . Action Tags . . . . . Administration Tags Array Tags . . . . . Client Tags . . . . . Conditional Tags . . Custom Tags . . . . Data Type Tags . . . Database Tags. . . . Date Tags . . . . . . Delimiter Tags . . . Encoding Tags . . . Encryption Tags. . . Error Tags . . . . . . File Tags . . . . . . Include Tags . . . . Link Tags . . . . . . Math Tags . . . . . . Operator Tags . . . . Output Tags . . . . . Response Tags . . . Results Tags. . . . .

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Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Contents Session Tags . String Tags . . Symbol Tags . Technical Tags Utility Tags . . Variable Tags .

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Appendix B Error Code Reference . Lasso Error Codes . . . . . Lasso MySQL Error Codes. FileMaker Pro Error Codes.

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Appendix C Quick Table Reference . . . Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . String Expression Symbols . . . . . Math Expression Symbols . . . . . Conditional Expression Symbols. . Logical Expression Symbols . . . . LDML Delimiters. . . . . . . . . . Array Member Tags . . . . . . . . Map Member Tags . . . . . . . . . Pair Member Tags . . . . . . . . . File Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Error Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Encoding Keywords . . . . . . . . HTML/HTTP Delimiters . . . . . .

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Appendix D Example Application MyResume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 Application Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 readme.lasso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 Appendix E Lasso Resources. . . General Lasso Resources . Vendor Related . . . . ISP Related . . . . . . Database Related . . . General Lasso Sites. . Web Server Related. .

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Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469

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Foreword Since its inception in late 1996, the Lasso product line has provided tools that help Web developers build and serve data-driven Web sites with enhanced ease of use, security, performance, and flexibility. The reason tens of thousands of developers have used Lasso is that it allows very complex data-driven Web sites to be constructed with minimum effort. Lasso has allowed non-programmers to become Web database developers, something many Web designers have thought too formidable of a challenge to overcome. Lasso has also allowed advanced programmers to create and distribute solutions in a fraction of the time and with more flexibility than that afforded by other technologies. In short, Lasso products have helped beginning to advanced Web designers and developers in their quest to retain more control and capture enhanced productivity when building and serving data-driven Web sites. While Lasso products are renowned for their ease of use—and while the latest version of Lasso products contains thorough documentation (over 1,800 pages) which has received accolades from many developers—there has been a long-standing need for a dedicated book on the subject of Lasso. This book delivers on that need. In this book, Duncan Cameron excels in conveying the essence of Lasso through well-organized and well-explained concepts and examples. Beginning Web developers to advanced programmers alike should benefit from this book and from the huge advancements made to the Lasso product line in Lasso Professional 5. We thank you for your interest in Lasso products and we look forward to serving you long into the future. Bill Doerrfeld Founder and CEO of Blue World Communications, Inc. Publishers of the Lasso product line

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Introduction About This Book This book was written for two simple reasons. The first was a personal need for a book that I could take with me to use as a reference guide when away from my own computer, and the second was because there were no books available for Lasso on the commercial market. I have hopefully achieved my goal of providing a tool for the Lasso developer’s laptop case with this book. I have not written extensive textual content in this book but have concentrated on examples. The reason for this is that in my own experience I always wanted an example of code to show me how it worked. If you are looking for reams and reams of text and minimal examples, then this book is probably not for you. The book is designed for beginner and intermediate developers and is broken down into the most common areas that I believe are going to be your development needs when using Lasso. It will take you to a level of feeling competent in writing Lasso-based programs.

What is Lasso? To me, Lasso is an application that allows building, constructing, developing, and/or deploying large data-driven solutions for my clients. When I first found this solution, the name “Lasso” initially made me think that it wasn’t what I was looking for, but after downloading an evaluation version of the software, I found that it was exactly what I wanted for my clients’ needs. Since those early days, Lasso has evolved into a true enterprise middleware application, and, in my view, it can handle any development task I put in front of it. If you are looking to build an Internet/intranet or extranet application, I would seriously consider Lasso. Even if you are an experienced programmer in other middleware, Lasso has something for you.

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Introduction

What You Will Need To use this book to its best advantage, I recommend that you obtain each of the following before settling down. However, the book is also designed as a reference library for developers on the road. You will need: n

A text editor like SimpleText or Notepad.

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An Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

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Access to a Lasso Professional 5 web server.

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An FTP client if you are uploading files to your server.

About the Author Duncan Cameron, originally from Falkirk in Scotland, is an enthusiastic, charismatic professional and a fun character who enjoys working as a freelance application developer specializing in Lasso. After spending several years in the Royal Navy and traveling the world, he now enjoys life with his family in their home in the English countryside. Some would say his passion for Lasso and what it can achieve is evangelistic, but Duncan is always one for ensuring that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Duncan is also the founder of the popular Lasso Community web site LassoDevelopment.com and is the founder of the UK Lasso Association.

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Getting Started

1

Chapter 1

Getting Started Basic Syntax All programming languages have some basic rules to follow when writing applications or scripts. We call these rules syntax. Syntax needs to be interpreted by Lasso through the web server so that Lasso knows which code is Lasso’s. Just as you need the correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling to get high marks on an English essay, with Lasso you need to use the correct syntax to have a smooth running web site with no errors flashing on the screen and the web server telling you that something is wrong. Lasso comes with a choice of style in programming. Yes, you have a choice! There is [] Square Bracket syntax that surrounds LDML (Lasso Dynamic Markup Language) with square brackets ([]). [Output: 'your text string']

For the more traditional programmer there is , which uses a script-based syntax.

You will notice that [] Square Bracket syntax starts and ends with square brackets and syntax ends with a semicolon. Once received, these tell Lasso to execute the given tag line. Leaving off a closing ] or ; will result in a syntax error. Another basic rule is what file extension you give your files. For the examples in this book I am using .lasso, as this will ensure that all Lasso code is parsed by your web server running Lasso. If you follow these basic syntax rules, you shouldn’t have many problems. In order to create your first Lasso page, you will start off exactly as you would if you were creating an HTML document.

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Chapter 1

v

Note You will find that as you progress with Lasso, both syntax options will be valuable in their own way.

Testing Your Scripts Unlike HTML, which can be tested on your own computer using a web browser, Lasso pages need to be viewed via a Lasso-enabled web server. If you are working directly on a Lasso-enabled web server, the script will be ready to work with once you’ve saved it. If you are creating your script using your home computer and using a third party’s Lasso-enabled web server, you will need to use FTP to place it onto the server for testing. Your ISP or web host should provide you with FTP access. You will also need an FTP application such as Fetch (for the Macintosh) or WS_FTP (for Windows) or WebDAV. Instructions To upload your script to the server: 1. Open your FTP application. 2. Connect to the server, using the address, username, and password provided to you by your ISP or web host. 3. Find the proper directory for your HTML pages (e.g., www/ or htdocs/ or wwwroot/). 4. Upload your script, for example test.lasso, to the server. To test your script in the browser: 1. Open your favorite web browser. 2. Enter the URL of the site where your script has been saved. 3. Add the filename /test.lasso to the URL. 4. Press Return. The page should load in your browser window. Some text editors, such as BBEdit, have built-in FTP capability, allowing you to save your scripts directly to the server.

Getting Started

3

Sending Text to the Browser In order for the user to read text on your web site, you need to show the user a text string. Text strings in Lasso are identified by surrounding the text with single quotes and using the [Output] LDML tag. [Output: 'Hello World']

[Output] tells Lasso to display the value that is contained within the tag area between the colon (:) and the end of the tag. In this case it is a square bracket. If your text string contains a single quote: I haven't heard from you.

you will need to use what is called an escape character (\ — backwards slash). This would now look like: [Output: 'I haven\'t heard from you']

This ensures that Lasso doesn’t think that the single quote is the end of the string you wish to output. Another issue is working with numbers (integers or decimals). If you want Lasso to know that the value of the output is a number and not text, you would not use any single quotes. [Output: 3]

This is important to remember when you want Lasso to do calculations for you. You will notice [] Square Bracket syntax closes with a square bracket (]) to tell Lasso that this is the end of the tag line. In the syntax is slightly different, as you use a semicolon (;) to indicate the end of the tag line.

Instructions Using what we have covered, I will show you how to create your first Lasso page in both [] Square Bracket and syntax. Please follow these steps to test your first Lasso page. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as syntax.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples.

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3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used [Output] Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08.

<TITLE>Basic Syntax [Output: 'Hello World']

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10.

<TITLE>Basic Syntax

Getting Started

5

Sending Data to the Browser Now that you have created your first Lasso page, it’s time to make it actually do something. Lasso uses LDML to tell the server what data to send to the user’s web browser. All the basic principles that we have covered set the rule for showing data to the user. Lasso has a lot of built-in LDML tags used for specific purposes to assist in the development of solutions. The following examples show you how easy it is to use Lasso to indicate what browser the current visitor is using. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as browser.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used [Output]

[Client_Type]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11.

<TITLE>Browser [Output: 'Hello, your browser is: '] [Output: (Client_Type)]

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08.

<TITLE>Browser
6

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09. ?> 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

v

Note We use the [Output] tag to show that we are outputting this data to the browser.

Sending HTML to the Browser When looking at web sites, nobody thinks twice about all the different colors and fonts used in order for the text to be displayed in an appealing way. Lasso allows developers to integrate HTML with LDML to ensure that they can format the output as they wish, using fonts, colors, tables, and more. To do this we need to tell Lasso how to output the integrated HTML code along with the text to the browser to interpret it to the user. Page

ð Lasso ð Browser ð User

This is called encoding. We tell Lasso what type of encoding policy to use in order for the character to be displayed properly to the user. Encoding is covered in more detail later in the book in Chapter 5, “Using Strings.” To show the user a word that is bold, we would use: [Output: 'Hello', -EncodeNONE]

If we didn’t use -EncodeNONE, it would not display correctly to the user.

Getting Started

7

Notice we used a comma to separate the string information from the type of encoding we want the [Output] tag to use. This tells Lasso that there is another command to follow in addition to outputting the string. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as html.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used [Output]

[Client_Type]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10.

[Output: 'Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE] [Output: (Client_Type)]

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

<TITLE>HTML Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE; Output: (Client_Type); ?>

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Chapter 1

Using White Space in Lasso (and HTML) As those who hand code HTML understand, white space (blank lines, tabs, and other extra spaces) in your code can help maintain an uncluttered programming environment while not affecting what the viewer sees in the browser. By inserting blank lines between sections of code, placing nested elements one tab-stop in from their predecessor, and by spacing out code, a script will look more organized, making it easier to initially program and later debug. Thus, judicious use of white space in your work is highly encouraged and can be utilized in both your LDML and the resulting HTML. Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE; Output: (Client_Type); ?>

When programming your LDML, you should understand that white space is generally (but not universally) ignored. Any blank line (whether it be just one or several in a row) is completely irrelevant to the end result. Likewise, tabs and spaces are normally inconsequential to LDML.

Getting Started

9

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as whitespace.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used -EncodeNONE [Output]

[Client_Type]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13.

<TITLE>White Space [Output: 'Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE] [Output: (Client_Type)]

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

<TITLE>White Space Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE; Output: (Client_Type); ?>

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v

Note There is a school of thought that recommends condensing your HTML code into the tightest possible package by eliminating all superfluous spaces. The thinking behind this is that you will increase the download speed of the page once you are no longer transmitting extra spaces. While the notion is not without merit, doing so is not conducive to practicing and learning.

Adding Comments to Your Scripts Adding comments to your scripts is very important; I can’t stress this enough. This is because when you have been working on a project for a few months, you become familiar with your structure and layouts. However, when you have to come back to the same project after a space of a few months to make changes, you will find it difficult to remember what you did unless you added some form of commenting. This also applies to developers who take over development projects and need to know what the particular script does and where what happens, in order to quickly make the required changes. Lasso offers three types of commenting. offers the far superior format using two forward slashes (//), [] Square Brackets offers the [Output_None] ...[/Output_None] option, and finally HTML comments use [HTML_Comment]... [/HTML_Comment].

Getting Started

11

[Output_None]

will be processed by Lasso but not output to the browser. [/Output_None]

hides a portion of the page from being output, but processes the LDML tags within. The double slash // will not do anything if used within square bracketed syntax. However, you will notice throughout the book that I do this, as it is a good habit to get into and you will be able to identify the comments you have made for later viewing. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as comments.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) -EncodeNONE [Output_None]...[/Output_None]

[Output] [Client_Type]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

<TITLE>Comments [Output_none] // Displays the type of browser the user is using. [/Output_none] [Output: 'Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE] [Output: (Client_Type)]

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LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

v

<TITLE>Comments Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE; Output: (Client_Type); ?>

Note This is one major advantage of using over [] Square Bracket syntax as you can apply // lineage comments without having to use the tag [Output_none].

Getting Started

13

Adding comments is a good habit to get into, and you will receive respect from fellow developers for doing so.

Using JavaScript with Lasso There are times when you wish to hide comments in the browser from the user’s viewing area. This is done by using the HTML comments: . These were originally developed for JavaScript developers who wanted to hide their scripts from the user but allow the browser to read them to run the script. When working with HTML comments and Lasso, you need to follow one rule: Replace the with [HTML_Comment] and [/HTML_Comment]. This allows you to place LDML tags within your JavaScript code. Otherwise, any Lasso code inside will not be processed. A short example is: [HTML_Comment] Your browser is [Client_Browser] [/HTML_Comment]

This outputs to the browser:

Nothing is seen by the users, unless they view the source code. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as javascript.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used [HTML_Comment]...[/HTML_Comment] Square Bracket Example 01. 02.

[Client_Browser]

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03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

v

<TITLE>JavaScript Example <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="javascript"> [HTML_Comment]

// Begin the Javascript

// Ask Lasso for the browser type var Browser = "[Client_Browser]"; // End the JavaScript [/HTML_Comment] <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="javascript"> // Alert the user alert("Hello, your browser is " + Browser);

You just acknowledged that your browser is

[Client_Browser]

Using JavaScript and Lasso.

Note If you are not placing LDML tags within the JavaScript, you do not need to use the tags.

When using JavaScript, I recommend using only the [] Square Bracket syntax as this allows you to see where you have Lasso and where you have JavaScript.

Getting Started

15

Variables

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Chapter 2

Variables What are Variables? Writing scripts, having data passed from one page to another, and bringing in new data for the current page can be like juggling 15 colored balls in the air and trying to remember to catch one before it hits the ground. Variables are here to save you from worrying about the balls in the air. They are like a safety net that holds onto them until you need to use one of them. Variables temporarily contain the values under a unique name given by you, the developer, so you can use the value on the current page however many times you wish.

Variable Syntax To create a variable you need to give it two things: n

Name

n

Value

Here are a few rules on naming variables: n

Variable names are not case sensitive.

n

Variable names should not contain white space (Tabs or Returns).

n

Variables should not contain punctuation marks, except underscores ( _ ).

A few suggestions on naming variables: n

Don’t use spaces within a variable name like “First Name.” Keep the words together or separated with an underscore and the first letter of each word in uppercase, like “FirstName” or “First_Name.” This will make it easier for you to see the variable and automatically know what it contains.

n

Don’t use abbreviations like “FN,” as it will be difficult to remember what the variable was used for after a few months working on another project.

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Chapter 2

n

Keep variable names simple and clear. Some projects I have developed in the past have contained over 500 unique variables, and having a good naming system in place will save you headaches and time.

It is important to understand that the way you set a variable may affect its value. When setting a string value to a variable, you would surround the string with single quotes: [Variable: 'FirstName' = 'Joshua']

When setting an integer or decimal number against a variable, you would not use single quotes: [Variable: 'MyNumber' = 302.3]

To set a variable against a substitute tag like [Field] or [Action_param] or even [Var], the following would apply: [Variable: 'DatabaseField' = (Field: 'AnyField')] [Variable: 'VisitorEmail' = (Action_Param: 'VisitorEmail')] [Variable: 'ValueThree' = (Var: 'ValueOne')]

v

Note When setting numbers as a variable be sure you do not surround the number with quotes, as this will turn the number into a string value.

Types of Variables In programming, you will hear the term “variable” used quite often. You may also hear global variable, local variable, and server application variable. They all offer a similar feature in containing a value, and each has its place in development. Global Variables The most common variable you will use while working with Lasso is the global variable, which is defined for the page you are using and does not progress to any further pages once the user has moved onto the next page of the web site or application. Local Variables As you progress with Lasso and become more advanced, you will be writing your own LDML tags to be used within your application. The local variable is designed for use with writing your own LDML tags and means that the variable name will not be used outside of the LDML tag. So if you have a local variable called Test, you will still be able to have a global variable called Test that won’t be affected by the local variable.

Variables

19

Server Application Variables Larger applications usually use a web server just to handle one Internet, intranet, or extranet application. This means that the developers can create customized variables that are always defined when the server is started. We call these server application variables or server wide variables. Generally, these are variables that are used on every page, like having a mini database of definitions and values loaded at the time the server is loaded, so the developer can just declare a variable and the value will pop out. I will not be covering server application variables in this book.

Assigning Values to Variables A variable is created and set using the [Variable] or [Var] tags. The following [] Square Bracket example sets a variable named FirstName to the string value Joshua. [Variable: 'FirstName' = 'Joshua']

You may also see the above written as: [Var: 'FirstName' = 'Joshua']

Using the abbreviation [Var] instead of [Variable] is okay and is often used. The variable is retrieved using the [Variable] or [Var] tag, although this time the tag is simply given the name of the variable used. This means if you wanted to display Joshua, which was set in the variable FirstName, you would use the following tag to retrieve the value: [Var: 'FirstName']

This outputs: Joshua

Once a [Var] contains data it will remain there for the duration of the page, unless you then assign another value to the same [Var]. For example, you have declared the variable Greeting with the value of Hello: [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Hello'] [Var: 'Hello']

This outputs: Hello

Once a variable has been set and it has been assigned a value, you can use the $ symbol (global variable) to retrieve the value instead of writing out [Variable] or [Var]. In this book, I will use the $ symbol after I have shown the variable has been declared. [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Hello']

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[Output: $Greeting]

Outputs: Hello

When using the syntax, it is correct to do either of the following:

Or: [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Hello']

Both of these output: Hello

If we now assign another value to the variable Greeting (for example, Goodbye) further down the page, the variable output Hello would be superceded by the new value Goodbye. Because the variable has already been defined, you can use the $ global variable symbol: [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Hello'] [$Greeting = 'Goodbye'] [Output: $Greeting]

This outputs: Goodbye

If you use the $ symbol to retrieve a global variable value, you need to ensure the variable has been defined. Otherwise, it will return an error, as the $ symbol is designed for use only with declared variables. Unlike using [Variable] or [Var], which do not show an error if you have not defined the variable, the $ symbol will return an error when used. To always ensure that a variable has been defined, you can use the following LDML tag that has been designed for this: [Var_Defined: 'Greeting']

This outputs FALSE if no variable has been defined against the name Greeting. If we define our variable first, then we would get a response of TRUE. [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Hello'] [Var_Defined: 'Greeting']

This outputs TRUE and ensures that the variable is safe to use with the $ symbol.

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21

Lasso also allows the developer to define multiple variables at one time. For example: [Var: 'FirstName' = 'Ari', 'LastName' = 'Denison']

This saves you from having to type in [Var] each time, although you cannot set a variable against a variable that has been created within the same instruction. Right: [Var: 'One' = 'StringOne', 'Two' = 'StringTwo'] [Var: 'Three' = $One]

Wrong: [Var: 'One' = 'StringOne', 'Two' = 'StringTwo', 'Three' = $One]

This is incorrect because variable $One has not been defined until it has been loaded by Lasso and the last square bracket processed. Once processed, it can then be used. Instructions The following examples will show you how you can use variables on your page layouts. This example will set the title of the page. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as variable.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used \ (Escape character) // (LassoScript comment) -EncodeNONE [Var]

[Client_Type] [Output] [Output_None]...[/Output_None]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_none] 02. 03. // This example shows how you can use variables on your page layout 04.

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05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

// and displays the type of browser the user is using. // Set variables for example (notice escape is used again to hide the single quote.) [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Client\'s Browser'] [/Output_none]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle] [Output:'Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE] [Output:(Client_Type)]

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.


Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Client\'s Browser'; ?> <TITLE> Hello, your browser is:
', -EncodeNONE; Output:(Client_Type); ?>

Variables

23

HTML Forms and Lasso

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Chapter 3

HTML Forms and Lasso Creating a Simple Form An HTML form allows the user to submit information to your application or script for processing. This allows you to take the data passed and manipulate it however you wish. As with LDML, a form has requirements that need to be met before it will work. Each form needs to contain: n

...

tags.

n

A response page for processing. The default is the same page called.

n

An HTTP method used to submit the form. The default is GET.

n

Input controls to contain your data to the response page.

n

A submit button to allow the user to pass the input controls to the response page.

A quick example is:

The form contains input controls, including: n

Text fields

n

Hidden fields

n

Check boxes

n

Radio buttons

n

Drop-down menus

n

Text description areas

n

Submit buttons

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Chapter 3

Each of these controls is given a name that allows your application or script to process the value against the name, known in Lasso as an [Action_Param]. This is because an [Action_Param] contains the values of the last Lasso action carried out. In this case, it was a form passing information from one page to another.

A form will have a submit button that allows the user to submit the data to your application or script.

You will notice I have included a hidden input control with the name “process”:

This allows the developer to have an indicator passed to the response page that says the form has been used to pass the data. Instructions The following examples will allow you to generate a form that asks a user for his or her first name, last name, and address. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as form.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) $ (Global variable symbol) [Var]

[Output] [Output_None]...[/Output_None]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. // This example will show how to write a form. 04. 05. // Set the page title 06. 07. [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Form Example'] 08. 09. 10. [/Output_None]

HTML Forms and Lasso

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

Please type in your information:

First Name:
Last Name:

Address:

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.


// This example will show how to write a form. // Set the page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Form Example';

?> <TITLE>

Please type in your information:

First Name:
Last Name:

Address:




27

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30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

Using GET or POST When using forms, you have a choice of two HTTP methods. The first option is GET, which is the default on forms unless you specify differently.

or

This instructs the browser to declare the input control names and values in pairs and pass the information as a complete URL. This means you will see the names and their values in the URL address bar on your browser. This option is good for debugging purposes and allows you to see what values have been sent with what parameters. The parameters start with a question mark (?) and are then delimited with an ampersand (&). If you had pressed the Send submit command in the previous example (“Creating a Simple Form”), the form would have appeared blank with the following text in your URL address bar. In my case, it was: http://192.168.0.16/lp5book/examples/form.lasso?process= &FirstName=&LastName=&Address=

HTML Forms and Lasso

29

If we wanted to hide this information from the URL address bar so users don’t know what information is being passed from the form to the response page, we would use the second option, POST:

This would contain the information passed within the header of the page and would not be visible in the user’s browser. In my case, the output is now: http://192.168.0.16/lp5book/examples/form.lasso

When choosing which method to use, you may want to keep these three factors in mind: n

You are limited as to how much information can be passed with the GET method because some characters do not have an HTML encoded symbol. Therefore, the URL may stop at a point where one of these characters appears.

n

The GET method publicly sends the input to the handling script. This means that, for example, a password that is entered in a form becomes viewable to anyone within eyesight of the web browser, creating a security risk.

n

A page generated by a form that used the GET method can be bookmarked, while one based upon POST cannot be.

Receiving Data from a Form in Lasso To make the form work, we need to create a response page so we can manipulate the data. This is done with an ACTION command within the tag:

If we don’t specify any response page using:

the form would simply return to itself. If nothing is on the page to tell the Lasso web server to pass that information, then the data would be lost and the form would reappear blank again. To stop this from happening, you can either use the same page the form was sent from or write a response page to collect the data from the form. If you are going to use the same page to process the data, Lasso provides the LDML tag [Response_Filepath] to assist with this:

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This will return the page name that was loaded with the path from the web server root. It allows you to know where the page is going when you are looking at the script source code. All data that is passed from a form is automatically contained with the LDML tag [Action_Param] (similar to [Var], except the data within an [Action_Param] can change when working with databases), so it is advisable to automatically convert the values to variables as soon as the response page is loaded. To do this, we have several options. The most common one is to hard code in the variable against the [Action_Param] using: [Var: 'FirstName' = (Action_Param: 'FirstName')]

This would allow you to call the variable FirstName to output its contents at any given time on the page. However, this can be tedious when you have over 15 [Action_Params] to worry about, so when using large forms, Lasso offers the developer some great shortcuts by combining some LDML tags. For example, if we had a form with 25 fields on it and we only wanted to convert the [Action_Params] to variables without all the typing, we would use: [Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [/Search_Arguments]

The [Search_Arguments] LDML tag will return all [Action_Params] that contain values and allow you to perform any function with that data. To clarify, it would look at every name and value passed, and if the name has a value, it will be defined into a variable with the same name. However, be aware that if no value is given when the form is submitted, then it will not define it as a variable. This means that you cannot use the global variable symbol ($), as this needs the variable to be defined in order to use it and would output an error. In this case, I would recommend using the [Var] tag when outputting values to the browser, unless you have a system in place for error trapping that alerts the script that a variable has not been defined. Before using the in the following example, I need to give some advice for using string concatenation. This is also covered in Chapter 5, “Using Strings.” String concatenation allows you to connect data. A quick example is joining two words together, like a first and last name:
'FirstName' = 'Cathy', 'LastName' = 'Cunningham';

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31

// To join these two words together we use the + concatenation symbol Var: 'FullName' = $Firstname + ' ' + $LastName; // Output the full name including the space between the words Output: $FullName ?>

This outputs: Cathy Cunningham

You will notice that when joining a large amount of data, I will end a line with + instead of ; for easy reading when using LassoScript. This is used to tell Lasso to join the next line to the current line.
'FirstName' = 'LastName' =

'Cathy', 'Cunningham';

// To join these two words together, we use the + concatenation symbol Var:

'FullName' = $Firstname + ''+ $LastName;

// Output the full name including the space between the words Output: $FullName ?>

This outputs: Cathy Cunningham

Instructions These examples will enable the previous example, form.lasso, to work. These examples are the response page to the form and will output the information that is passed once the Send button is pressed. Currently, there is no error checking in these examples, so if no information is passed, the form will not show any information. I give examples of error checking in Chapter 12.

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1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as form_resp.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. 6. Open the URL form.lasso in your browser. 7. Type in the information asked. 8. Click Send. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) // (LassoScript comment) -EncodeNONE [Var] [Output]

[Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_FieldItem] [Search_ValueItem] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

[Output_None] //This example will show how a to write a form. //Set the page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Form Example']

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

Please type in your information:

First Name:
Last Name:



HTML Forms and Lasso

27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.

Address:

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.


//This example will show how a to write a form. //Set the page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Form Example';

?> <TITLE>

Please type in your information:

First Name:
Last Name:

Address:

33

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v

Note We use the LDML tag [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] to tell Lasso to set all the HTML tags within the source to -EncodeNONE. This saves having to type it repeatedly when working with larger scripts. This can also be used within the [] Square Bracket syntax.

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35

Using Hidden Fields You may have noticed that the form example we have been using contains a hidden input control named “process” with a value of [1]. This is to ensure that information passed to the response page actually did come from the form. This is a nice little feature to build into your applications as it gives an indication of whether the submission was intended or not. This can also be used alongside any error controls you place on the form, which we are going to cover now using this hidden input control. Instructions This example will show you how to build a form that submits information to itself using the [Response_Filepath] LDML tag. The response will work as before. However, this example is going to include a selection of error controls to ensure the user has submitted information accordingly. If no information was entered, it will ask the user again. This example contains additional LDML tags such as logical NOT (!) and [If]...[Else]...[/If] conditionals, which are covered in the next chapter. The syntax example also shows a full scripting method in layout. The next chapter covers this in full, but I want to give you a small introduction of what to expect from this wonderful syntax. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as onepageform.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples.

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Chapter 3

Tags Used ! (Logical NOT symbol) || (Logical OR symbol) + (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) // (LassoScript comment symbol) -EncodeNONE

[Action_Param] [Var] [Output] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.

[Output_None] // This example will show how a form works when submitted to itself using text // and hidden input controls. // Set the page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'One Page Form']

// Setting variables for the response of the form when needed. [Var: 'FirstName' = (Action_Param: 'FirstName')] [/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'FirstName')]

Please type in your first name:

[else]

Hello [Output: $FirstName], How are you today?

[/if]

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37

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45.

\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

';

If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'FirstName'); Output: 'Please type in your first name:
\n'; Output: '

\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '

\n'; Else; Output: '

Hello ' + $FirstName + ', How are you today?

\n'; /if; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

Notice I have used a linefeed (\n) in the . This allows the HTML output to look clean and tidy. Otherwise, the HTML code within the script would all output on one line and look messy.

38

Chapter 3

Control Structures

39

Chapter 4

Control Structures About Control Structures Before we proceed more deeply into using strings and numbers, I will take you through control structures to show you some of the functionality of Lasso. Control structures, otherwise known as conditional statements, allow the developer to restrict the information shown to the user or passed to the application. This makes your applications dynamic.

The [If]...[/If] Conditional The [If]...[/If] conditional tag allows the developer to set conditions to the result of a script. If we wanted to find out if the left value was equal to the right value, we would use the [If]...[/If] conditional LDML tag: [If: 'text' == 'text'] Show this text [/If]

This would output: Show this text

A simple example is checking to see if a variable has been declared. If it has, then show some text: [Var: 'IfTest' = (Action_Param: 'IfTest')] [If: (Var: 'IfTest')] Show this text [/if]

This means that if the variable IfTest was empty, then no text would be shown.

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Chapter 4

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as if_condition.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used $ (Global variable symbol) // (LassoScript comment) -EncodeNONE [Var]

[Output] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [If]...[/If]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

[Output_None] // This example will show you how an [If]...[/If] condition works when working // with variables. // Set the page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'The [If:]...[/If] Conditional'] // Setting variables for the example [Var: 'FirstName' = 'Duncan'] [/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: (Var: 'FirstName')]

Hello [Output: $FirstName].

[/If]

Control Structures

41

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

v


// Setting variables for the example Var: 'FirstName' = 'Duncan'; Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

'; If: (Var: 'FirstName'); Output:'

Hello ' + $FirstName + '.

\n'; /If; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

Note The [If] condition must always close with an [/If] tag.

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Chapter 4

More Operators When using conditionals, you may want to vary the comparison made against two values. Below, I have covered the most common options. To show text if a variable has not been given data: [Var: 'FirstName' = ''] [If: !(Var: 'FirstName')] Sorry, I don't know your First Name. [/If]

This outputs: Sorry, I don't know your First Name.

This can also be written using the global variable symbol ($) because we have defined the variable FirstName: [Var: 'FirstName' = ''] [If: !$FirstName] Sorry, I don't know your First Name. [/if]

This outputs: Sorry, I don't know your First Name.

Notice the logical NOT symbol (!) is used before the tag name [Var] or the $ symbol; this is used when you want to output data if the variable is empty. Another way to find out if a variable is empty is to use NULL. If the variable has a value, using NULL returns FALSE. If it is empty, it will return TRUE.

Control Structures

43

[Var: 'FirstName' = ''] [If: $FirstName == Null] Sorry, I don't know your First Name. [/If]

This outputs: Sorry, I don't know your First Name.

Be sure that you do not surround the word NULL with single quotation marks, as it will then be treated as a string. To show text if a variable equals given data, use: [Var: 'IfTest' = 'Hello'] [If: $IfTest == 'Hello'] Show this text [/If]

This outputs: Show this text

Notice the equals symbol (==) is used between the variable and the variable value; in this case, Hello. This is used when you want to output data if the variable is equal to something. Another example using a variable is: [If: (Client_Username) == 'Anonymous'] You are logged in as User Anonymous. [/If]

To show text if a variable contains given data, use: [Var: 'IfTest' = 'Hello'] [If: $IfTest >> 'h'] Show this text [/If]

This outputs: Show this text

Notice the contains symbol (>>) is used between the variable and the variable value; in this case, h. This is used when you want to output data if the variable contains a value. Another example using a variable is: [If: (Client_Type) >> 'IE'] You are using Internet Explorer.

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Chapter 4

[/If]

If you would like to ask if it does not contain a value, you can combine the logical NOT symbol (!) with a contains symbol (>>): [If: !((Client_Type) >> 'MAC')] You are NOT using a Macintosh. [/If]

To show a value if a variable is true to one element and true to another would be: [Var: 'IfTest' = 'Hello'] [If: $IfTest >> 'h' && $IfTest >> 'll'] Show this text [/If]

This outputs: Show this text

Notice the AND symbol (&&) is used between the two requirements. This is used when you want to output data if the variable contains a value and another value. Another example using a variable could be: [If: (Client_Type) >> 'IE' && (Client_Type) >> 'MAC'] You are using a Macintosh with Internet Explorer. [/If]

Using [Else] If you require your [If]...[/If] condition to perform an alternative result, then you would use an [Else] condition. An example is: [Var: 'IfElseTest' = ''] [If: (Var: 'IfElseTest')] The variable IfElseTest contains data! [Else] The variable IfElseTest does NOT contain data! [/If]

This outputs: The variable IfElseTest does NOT contain data!

Another example using a variable is:

Control Structures

45

[Var: 'FirstName' = 'Lee'] [If: !$FirstName] Sorry, I don't know your First Name! [Else] Hello [Output: $FirstName] [/If]

This outputs: Hello Lee

Let’s say that you want to output a phrase depending on the value of the variable Number, and if the variable Number does not meet the criteria set, it will output a default. Here is an example: [Var: 'Letter' = 'R'] [If: $Letter] [If: $Letter == 'D'] The variable Letter is D [Else: $Letter == 'F'] The variable Letter is F [Else: $Letter == 'S'] The variable Letter is S [Else] The variable Letter is Not D, F, or S. It is [Output: $Letter] [/If] [Else] No Letter was given! [/If]

This outputs: The variable Letter is Not D, F, or S. It is R

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as ifelse_condition.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again.

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Chapter 4

5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso, into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used \ (Escape character) ! (Logical NOT symbol) + (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) // (LassoScript comment) -EncodeNONE [Var]

[Output] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [If]...[/If] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Date_GetHour] [Date_GetCurrentDate]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38.

[Output_None] // This example will show you how an [If]...[Else]...[/If] condition works when // working with variables. // Set the page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Greeting Example'] // Setting variables for the example [Var: 'FirstName' = 'Lee', 'LastName' = 'McNeil'] // What hour of the day is it? [If: !(Var: 'AMorPM')] [Var: 'AMorPM' = (Date_GetHour: (Date_GetCurrentDate))] [/If]

// Set Greeting for the hour of the day [If: $AMorPM >= 0 && $AMorPM < 12] [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Good Morning'] [Else: $AMorPM >= 13 && $AMorPM < 19] [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Good Afternoon'] [Else] [Var: 'Greeting' = 'Good Evening'] [/If]

Control Structures

39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64.

47

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: (Var: 'FirstName') && (Var: 'LastName')]

[Output: $Greeting]! [Output: $FirstName] [Output: $LastName].

[Else]

[Output: $Greeting]!
Sorry, but I don't know your name!

[/If]



LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.


// Set Greeting for the hour of the day. If: $AMorPM >= 0 && $AMorPM < 12; var:'Greeting' = 'Good Morning';

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Chapter 4

28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65.

Else: $AMorPM >= 13 && $AMorPM < 19; var:'Greeting' = 'Good Afternoon'; Else; var:'Greeting' = 'Good Evening'; /If; Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

';

If: (Var: 'FirstName') && (Var: 'LastName'); Output: '

' + $Greeting + '! ' + $FirstName + ' ' + $LastName + '.

\n'; Else; Output: '

' + $Greeting + '! ' + 'Sorry, I don\'t know your name!\n'; /If; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

Control Structures

v

49

Note Notice in the LassoScript example that the escape character (\) is used to hide the single quote on the word “don’t.”

An [Else] condition can only be used when using the [If]...[/If] condition.

Using [While]...[/While] You will find as you progress with more complex scripts that looping through data is a better option. The [While]...[/While] loop is a powerful tag, as it allows you to return a value while the condition is TRUE and stop the loop when that condition is no longer met. This example takes the variable Option and continues until it reaches 10. During the calculation, it will add 1 to the variable before displaying it to the browser. Once it reaches 10, it will do its final addition and then stop. Notice we use the increment symbol (++). This allows you to take the current value and increment it by one. This is fully explained in Chapter 6, “Using Numbers.” [Var: 'Option' = 0] [While: $Option < 10] [$Option = ++$Option] [Output: $Option]  [/While]

This outputs: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To achieve a decrement using the While loop, we use the decrement symbol (--) . [Var: 'Option' = 10] [While: $Option > 0] [Output: $Option]  [$Option = --$Option] [/While]

This outputs: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Alternatively, do a calculation while the loop is TRUE and output that calculation when the loop is FALSE. The following example outputs 500 as the [While]...[/While] tag is told to do its final loop when it reaches 499. When it reaches 499, it will do its final calculation, which outputs the result 500. [Var: 'Number' = 1]

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Chapter 4

[While: $Number < 500] [Var: 'NumberNew' = ++$Number] [$Number = $NumberNew] [/While] [Output: $Number]

This outputs: 500

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as while_loop.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) < (Less than symbol) // (LassoScript comment) ++ (Increment symbol) -EncodeNONE

[Var] [Output] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [While]...[/While]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

[Output_None] // This example will show you how a [While]...[/While] loop works using variables. // Set the page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Year List'] // Setting variables for the example [Var: [Var: [Var: [Var:

'YearsToDisplay' = 5] 'CurrentYear' = (Date_GetYear: (Date_GetCurrentDate))] 'EndYear' = $CurrentYear + $YearsToDisplay] 'YearLoop' = $CurrentYear]

[/Output_None]

Control Structures

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.

51

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[While: $YearLoop < $EndYear] [$YearLoop = ++$YearLoop] [Output: $YearLoop]
[/While]



LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.


// Setting variables for the example Var: Var: Var: Var:

'YearsToDisplay' = 5; 'CurrentYear' = (Date_GetYear: (Date_GetCurrentDate)); 'EndYear' = $CurrentYear + $YearsToDisplay; 'YearLoop' = $CurrentYear;

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

';

While: $YearLoop < $EndYear; $YearLoop = ++$YearLoop; Output: $YearLoop + '
'; /While;

output: '\n' + '\n';

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Chapter 4

37. /Encode_Set; 38. 39. ?>

Using [Loop]...[/Loop] The [Loop]...[/Loop] tag is designed to perform specific statements, unlike its fellow [While]...[/While], which runs continuously until the condition is FALSE. [Loop]...[/Loop] repeats the contents of the container tag a specified number of times. A simple example is: [Loop: 3] Hello World!
[/Loop]

This outputs: Hello World! Hello World! Hello World!

With the [Loop]...[/Loop] LDML tag also comes the [Loop_Count] tag, which allows you to show the current count the loop is on. An example of this is: [Loop: 5] [Loop_Count]  [/Loop]

Control Structures

53

This outputs: 12345

Optional parameters allow the loop to loop between any two values and allow the increment of the loop to be changed. An example of this is: [Loop: -LoopFrom = –5, -LoopTo = 5, -LoopIncrement = 1] [Loop_Count]  [/Loop]

This outputs: –5 –4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5

Another tag that works alongside the [Loop]...[/Loop] tag is [Loop_Abort]. This tag aborts the [Loop]...[/Loop] tag, jumping immediately to the closing tag and not executing any further repetitions of the loop. This means that if we add the tag to the example shown above, it will give a different result: [Loop: -LoopFrom = –5, -LoopTo = 5, -LoopIncrement = 1] [If: (Loop_Count) == 0] [Loop_Abort] [/If] [Loop_Count]  [/Loop]

This outputs: –5 –4 –3 –2 –1

The [Loop_Abort] tag can be used to abort any looping container tag including [While]...[/While], [Records]...[/Records], [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments], and [Sort_Arguments]...[/Sort_Arguments].

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Chapter 4

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as loop.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) // (LassoScript comment symbol) ++ (Increment symbol) != (NOT equals symbol) -EncodeNONE [Var] [Action_Param] [Output]

[Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Loop_Count] [While]...[/While] [Math_Round] [Math_Random] [String->Contains]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

[Output_None] // This example will create a random number script to generate 6 random numbers // from 1 to 49. // When the form is submitted, it will loop for 6 random numbers. // Set the page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Lottery Number Generator'] // Setting variables for the example. All is set to string zero for the [While] [Var: 'MaxNum' = 49, 'MinNum' = 1, 'All' = '0']

[/Output_None]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

Control Structures

26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.

[Output: $PageTitle]

To generate 6 lottery numbers, please click Generate

[If: (Action_Param:'Process')]

Ticket Numbers = [Loop: 6] [Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count) = ''] [Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count) = (Math_Round:(Math_Random: -Min=$MinNum, -Max=$MaxNum),1)]

49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79.

[If: (Var: 'All')->Contains: (Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count))]

[While: (Var: 'All')->Contains: (Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count))] [Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count) = (Math_Round:(Math_Random: -Min=$MinNum, -Max=$MaxNum),1)] [/While] [/If] [$All += ' ' + (Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count))]

[Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count)] [If: (Loop_Count) != 6]     [/If] [/Loop]

55

56

Chapter 4

80. [/If] 81. 82. 83. 84.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.


// Setting variables for the example. All is set to string zero for the [While] Var: 'MaxNum' = 49, 'MinNum' = 1, 'All' = '0';

// Set Encoding Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; // Output HTML headers Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

'; Output: '

To generate 6 lottery numbers, please click Generate

\n'; // HTML Form Output: '

\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '

\n'; // Check form was used If: (Action_Param:'Process');

Output: '

Ticket Numbers = ';

Control Structures

49. 50. 51. 52. 53.

Loop: 6; Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count) = ''; Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count) = (Math_Round:(Math_Random: -Min=$MinNum, -Max=$MaxNum),1);

54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93.

57

// Take care of first number Loop If: (Var: 'All')->Contains: (Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count)); // Double check for duplicate numbers in $All While: (Var: 'All')->Contains: (Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count)); Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count) = (Math_Round:(Math_Random: -Min=$MinNum, -Max=$MaxNum),1); /While; /If; $All += ' ' + (Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count));

Output: '' + (Var: 'Num_' + (Loop_Count)) + ''; If: (Loop_Count) != 6; Output: '   '; /If; /Loop;

Output: '

'; /If;

Output: '\n' + ''; /Encode_Set; ?>

The [Loop]...[/Loop] tag will save you development time, especially when working with the [Array]...[/Array] and [Map]...[/Map] LDML tags.

58

Chapter 4

Using Strings

59

Chapter 5

Using Strings Trimming Strings Before we delve into strings, let’s look at a set of member tags Lasso offers the developer. When shown as an example, the member tags look like this: [String->Trim]

This symbolizes that to the left of the -> is the data type, in this case a string, and to the right of the -> is what we want to do with the data type. These member tags are also used with LDML tags including [arrays], [maps], and [integers], and the same principle applies. I have provided tables in Appendix C that will show you all member tags available for the type of data you are working with. A string is any data that is surrounded with single quotes (' ') when processed by Lasso. If there are no single quotes when passed through Lasso, Lasso will treat it as an integer number. There will be many occasions when someone filling out your form will accidentally add additional spaces. These can become both annoying and costly if you are storing that data in a database or looking to match data exactly when carrying out a search against it. One way to easily remove these spaces is to trim the data before it is added to a database or before a script works with that data. To do this, you would use the [String->Trim] member tag. This example shows the basic use: [Var: 'TextString' = ' Hello Duncan '] [($TextString)->(Trim)]
"[Output: $TextString]"

This outputs: Hello Duncan

with the leading and trailing spaces removed.

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Chapter 5

If you have a string and want to limit the length to a particular size, Lasso gives you the [String->SubString] LDML tag. The tag takes two numbers from you and will output the string between the numbers given. [Var: 'TextString' = 'Hello Duncan'] [($TextString)->(SubString: 1, 5)]

This outputs: Hello

v

Note The [String->Trim] does not remove spaces between string text, only from the beginning and the end.

Connecting Strings (Concatenation) When working with different LDML tags and strings, at some point you will need to join values and strings together. We call this string concatenation, and you will use this frequently throughout application development, especially if you wish to take full advantage of the syntax. Lasso uses the + symbol to join variables, strings, and numbers together. These short examples will take you through the basic rules of concatenation. To join two words together, you would use: [Output: 'Hello' + ' ' + 'Duncan']

This outputs: Hello Duncan

To join a variable with a text string: [Var: 'FirstName' = 'Duncan'] [Output: 'Hello' + ' ' + (Var: 'FirstName')]

This outputs: Hello Duncan

Using the global variable symbol ($) is the same as above: [Var: 'FirstName' = 'Duncan'] [Output: 'Hello' + $FirstName]

This rule applies to string numbers too, as I will explain in Chapter 6. If you surround a number with single quotes (e.g., '5'), it becomes a string.

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[Output: '5' + '5']

This outputs: 55

When using the string concatenation symbol within a script, it is okay to end a line with the symbol, providing that you are not looking for the script to be executed: [Output:'This ' + 'is a test ' + 'of the concatenation symbol.']

As you can see, I have closed the script with the ], so Lasso can now process the information and know that the + symbol means to connect the information together. This outputs: This is a test of the concatenation symbol.

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as string_concat.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used ! (Logical NOT symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) + (String concatenation symbol) // (LassoScript comment symbol) [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments]

[Search_ValueItem] [Var] [Output] [Action_Param] [String->Trim] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Search_FieldItem]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. //This example will show how string concatenation can work when using forms. 04. 05. //Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim to remove additional spaces. 06. 07.

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08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63.

[Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments] //Page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'String Concatenation']

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process')]

Please select a combination of phrases:

<SELECT NAME="FirstString"> The dog The child <SELECT NAME="SecondString"> ran around hid the bone <SELECT NAME="ThirdString"> in the garden behind the tree

[Else]

[Output: $FirstString + ' ' + $SecondString + ' ' + $ThirdString + '.']

Create another string.

[/if]

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64. 65. 66.

LassoScript Example 01. (Trim); 13. 14. /Search_Arguments; 15. 16. //Page title 17. 18. Var: 'PageTitle' = 'String Concatenation'; 19. 20. 21. Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; 22. 23. Output: '\n' + 24. '\n' + 25. '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + 26. '\n' + 27. '\n'; 28. 29. Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; 30. 31. If: !(Action_Param: 'process'); 32. 33. Output: '

Please select a combination of phrases:
\n' + 34. 35. '

\n' + 36. '\n' + 37. 38. '<SELECT NAME="FirstString">\n' + 39. 'The dog\n' + 40. 'The child\n' + 41. '\n' + 42. 43. '<SELECT NAME="SecondString">\n' + 44. 'ran around\n' + 45. 'hid the bone\n' + 46. '\n' + 47. 48. '<SELECT NAME="ThirdString">\n' + 49. 'in the garden\n' +

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'behind the tree\n' + '\n' +

'\n' +

'

\n'; Else; Output: '

' + $FirstString + ' ' + $SecondString + ' ' + $ThirdString + '.

\n' + '

Create another string.

\n'; /if; Output: '\n' + ''; /Encode_Set; ?>

Using Strings

v

65

Note It is a good habit to surround the concatenation symbol (+) by a space, one on each side, as this will make your code easier to read.

Don’t forget to put in the spaces + ' ' + when joining words or strings together.

Encoding and Decoding Strings Lasso offers the developer many different formats to publish the data output. Encoding ensures that only legitimate characters are used for the desired output. It is important to understand how encoding works with strings to ensure you achieve the output you are looking for, both to the browser and user. I have listed some small examples that show you the output to the browser and user. These are dependent on what encoding is set. When only using tags within Square Brackets, a default of -EncodeHTML is automatically set by Lasso. [Output: 'ABCde - ñ']

Browser: ABCde - ñ

User: ABCde - ñ [Output: ' " | \ ^ $ [ ] % & @ / ) ']

Browser: " | \ ^ $ [ ] % & @ / )

User: "|\^$[]%&@/) [Output: 'ABCde - ñ',-EncodeNONE]

Browser: ABCde - ñ

User: ABCde - ñ (in bold) [Output: ' " | \ ^ $ [ ] % & @ / ) ',-EncodeNONE]

Browser: "|\^$[]%&@/)

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User: "|\^$[]%&@/) [Output: 'ABCde - ñ',-EncodeSmart]

Browser: ABCde - ñ

User: ABCde - ñ (in bold) [Output: ' " | \ ^ $ [ ] % & @ / ) ',-EncodeSmart]

Browser: "|\^$[]%&@/)

User: "|\^$[]%&@/) [Output: 'ABCde - ñ',-EncodeURL]

Browser: %3CB%3EABCde%20-%20%F1%3C/b%3E

User: %3CB%3EABCde%20-%20%F1%3C/b%3E [Output: ' " | \ ^ $ [ ] % & @ / ) ',-EncodeURL]

Browser: %20%22%20%7C%20%5C%20%5E%20%24%20%5B%20%5D%20%25%20&%20@ %20/%20)%20

User: %20%22%20%7C%20%5C%20%5E%20%24%20%5B%20%5D%20%25%20&%20@ %20/%20)%20 [Output: 'ABCde - ñ',-EncodeStrictURL]

Browser: ABCde%20-%20%f1<%2fb>

User: ABCde%20-%20%f1<%2fb> (in bold)

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[Output: ' " | \ ^ $ [ ] % & @ / ) ',-EncodeStrictURL]

Browser: %20%22%20|%20%5c%20^%20%24%20[%20]%20%25%20%26%20@%20%2f% 20)%20

User: %20%22%20|%20%5c%20^%20%24%20[%20]%20%25%20%26%20@%20%2f% 20)%20 (in bold)

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as encoding.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used ! (Logical NOT symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) [Var] [Output] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem]

+ (String concatenation symbol) // (LassoScript comment symbol) [Action_Param] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Search_FieldItem] [String->Trim]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. //This example will show how string encoding can be used in examples displaying code. 04. 05. //Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim to remove additional spaces. 06. 07. 08. [Search_Arguments] 09. 10. [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] 11. 12. [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] 13.

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14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69.

[/Search_Arguments]

//Page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Meta Tag Generator']

//Setting default variables for example [Var: 'Keywords' = ''] [Var: 'Description' = 'No Description'] //Number of keywords to allow [Var: 'KeywordCount' = 10]

//Create one string from all the keywords then remove any spaces that are not required

[Loop: $KeywordCount] [$Keywords += ' ' + (Var: 'Word_' + (Loop_Count))] [/Loop] [(Var: 'Keywords')->(Trim)] [/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process')]

Please input 10 keywords that describes your website:
[Loop: $KeywordCount] [/Loop]



Using Strings

69

70. 71. Please give a description of your website in less than 100 characters:
72. 73. 74.

75. 76. 77. 78. 79.

80. 81. [Else] 82. 83.

Please copy the META TAGS below and paste them between the ... tags of the webpage you are submitting to the search engines.

84. 85.

---

86. 87. [Output: '<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="' + $KeyWords + '">']

88. 89. 90. [Output: '<META NAME="description" CONTENT="' + (Var: 'Description')-> (SubString: 1, 100) + '">']

91. 92.

---

93. 94.

Create another.

95. 96. [/If] 97. 98. 99.

LassoScript Example 01. (Trim); 14. 15. /Search_Arguments; 16. 17. 18. //Page title 19. 20. Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Meta Tag Generator';

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21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76.

//Setting default variables for example Var: 'Keywords' = ''; Var: 'Description' = 'No Description'; //Number of keywords to allow Var: 'KeywordCount' = 10;

//Create one string from all of keywords then remove any spaces that are not required Loop: $KeywordCount; $Keywords += ' ' + (Var: 'Word_' + (Loop_Count)); /Loop; (Var: 'Keywords')->Trim; Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; If: !(Action_Param: 'process');

Output: '

\n' + '\n' + 'Please input 10 keywords that describes your website:
\n'; Loop: $KeywordCount; Output: '\n'; /Loop; Output: '

\n' + 'Please give a description of your website in less than 100 characters:
\n' + '\n' + '

\n' +

'\n' +

Using Strings

71

77. '

\n'; 78. 79. Else; 80. 81. Output: '

Please copy the META TAGS below and paste them between the \n' + 82. '... tags of the webpage you are submitting to the search engines.

\n' + 83. '

---

\n

'; 84. 85. Output: '<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="' + $KeyWords + '">\n', -EncodeHTML; 86. 87. Output: '

'; 88. 89. Output: '<META NAME="description" CONTENT="' + (Var: 'Description')->(SubString: 1, 100) + '">\n', -EncodeHTML; 90. 91. 92. Output: '

---

\n' + 93. '

Create another.

\n'; 94. 95. /if; 96. 97. Output: '\n' + 98. '\n'; 99. 100. /Encode_Set; 101. 102. ?>

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Encrypting and Decrypting Strings Lasso provides a number of LDML tags that allow developers to encrypt data. This is a very powerful tool, as it allows you to encrypt sensitive data stored in a database, such as credit card numbers, usernames, and passwords. The options are Blowfish and MD5. Blowfish is a popular encryption algorithm that is given a -Seed parameter unique to that individual encryption and set by you, the developer. When the string must be decrypted, the same -Seed is used against the encrypted string. A quick example is: [Encrypt_Blowfish: 'Hello, there!',-Seed='test']

This outputs the encrypted string as: 1589ddeebd2f08e2a3226376264db1bc

Now, if we want to decrypt the string, we would do the following: [Decrypt_Blowfish: '1589ddeebd2f08e2a3226376264db1bc', -Seed='test']

This returns the original string: Hello, there!

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73

If you change the seed, you will notice that you cannot decrypt the string. MD5 is an encryption tool that is very useful for storing passwords, as it takes the given string and encrypts it using its algorithm. This means that it cannot be decrypted and is ideal for ensuring that the password passed against an account is the original password. Not even you, as the developer, would know the user’s password. An example of this is: [Encrypt_MD5: 'test']

This outputs the string: 098f6bcd4621d373cade4e832627b4f6

This is not used for storing text that needs to be retrieved for later display. Another use of the [Encrypt_MD5] tag is storing a duplicate of the uploaded image as an ecrypted MD5 hash. When you check that the image is not already contained within the uploading location, you can see if there is an identical match found. This will allow you to indicate whether or not an image has already been uploaded, regardless of the filename or type. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as encryption.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso, into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) $ (Global variable symbol) -Seed [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [Action_Param] [Encrypt_Blowfish] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

+ (String concatenation symbol) -EncodeNONE [Var] [Output] [Search_FieldItem] [String->Trim] [String_Uppercase] [Decrypt_Blowfish] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set]

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Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. //This example will show how string concatenation can work when using forms. 04. 05. //Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim to remove additional spaces. 06. 07. 08. [Search_Arguments] 09. 10. [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] 11. 12. [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] 13. 14. [/Search_Arguments] 15. 16. 17. //Page title 18. 19. [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'String Encryption'] 20. 21. 22. 23. [/Output_None] 24. 25. 26. 27. <TITLE>[Var: 'PageTitle'] 28. 29. 30. 31.

[Var:'PageTitle']

32. 33. [If: (Action_Param: 'process') && (Action_Param: 'todo') && (Action_Param: 'Seed')] 34. 35.

The [String_Uppercase:(Var:'type')] result is:
36.

---

37. [If: (Var:'type') == 'encrypted'] 38. [Encrypt_Blowfish:(Var:'todo'), -Seed=(Var:'seed')] 39. [Else] 40. [Decrypt_Blowfish:(Var:'todo'), -Seed=(Var:'seed')] 41. [/If] 42.

---

43.

44. 45. 46.

Your DATA was:
47.

---

48. [Var:'todo'] 49.

---

50.

51. 52.

Back to the form.

53. 54. [Else]

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75

55. 56. 57.

58. 59. 60. 61.

Please select whether you would like to Encrypt or Decrypt this data:
62. <SELECT NAME="type"> 63. Encrypt 64. Decrypt 65. 66.

67. 68.

Please enter your data below:
69. 70. [Var:'todo']

71. 72. 73.

Please enter the password to be used.
74. 75.

76. 77.

78.

79. 80. [/IF] 81. 82. 83.

LassoScript Example 01. (Trim); 13. 14. /Search_Arguments; 15. 16. 17. //Page title 18. 19. Var: 'PageTitle' = 'String Encryption'; 20. 21. 22. 23. Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; 24.

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Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n';

Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; If: (Action_Param: 'process') && (Action_Param: 'todo') && (Action_Param: 'Seed'); Output: '

The ' + (String_Uppercase: $type) + ' result is:
\n' + '

---

\n'; If: (Var:'type') == 'encrypted'; Encrypt_Blowfish:(Var:'todo'), -Seed=(Var:'seed'); Else; Decrypt_Blowfish:(Var:'todo'), -Seed=(Var:'seed'); /If; Output: '

---

\n' + '

\n';

Output: '

Your DATA was:
\n' + '

---

\n'; Output: (Var:'todo') + '

---

\n' + '

\n'; Output: '

Back to the form.

\n'; Else; Output: '

\n' + '\n' +

'

Please select whether you would like to Encrypt or Decrypt this data:
\n' + '<SELECT NAME="type">\n' + 'Encrypt\n' + 'Decrypt\n' + '

\n' + '

Please enter your data below:
\n' + '' + (Var:'todo') + '

\n' +

'

Please enter the password to be used.
\n' +

Using Strings

80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94.

'

\n' + '

\n' +

'

\n'; /IF; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

77

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v

Note Although Lasso is not case sensitive, the -Seed that you set for your Blowfish encryption is sensitive. If you change the example to “Test” with a capital T, you will notice that you cannot decrypt the encrypted string.

When using the [Encrypt_Blowfish] and [Decrypt_Blowfish] tags, be sure you have provided a -Seed value, as this is required for the tags to work correctly. The -Seed will not accept a NULL value. Also, when using the Blowfish tag, do not search against the encrypted string, as the string will vary and is not the same encrypted output. This is to ensure that anybody who looks at it will not recognize that the string is the same as what is encrypted within it. Before searching against the information within the encryption, first decrypt it and then search the original string against the decrypted string. Be careful not to confuse encryption and encoding, as encryption is used for security purposes and encoding only replaces certain characters with their HTML equivalents.

Exploiting Strings Lasso offers the developer many prebuilt LDML tags and symbols to manipulate strings. They will save you time when developing your applications and scripts. Lasso allows you to add, subtract, and multiply with strings. We have already covered adding (concatenation) with the + symbol, and we can do the same with both multiplying and subtracting. The subtraction (or minus) symbol (–) will remove the first occurrence of the string you declare. [Var:'MultipleWords' = 'Hello, how are you doing? What are you doing?'] [Output: $MultipleWords - ' doing']

This outputs: Hello, how are you? What are you ?

Using the multiplication symbol (*) will repeat the string you declare on the left and multiply it by the number on the right. You must use a number with no surrounding single quotes. [Var:'SingleWord' = 'Hello.'] [Output: $SingleWord * 2]

This outputs:

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79

Hello.Hello.

Lasso gives the developer many options with strings. Here are a few more: n

If you want to know if a string is included in another string, you have two options that will both result in TRUE. If it does not contain the string, then the result would be FALSE. [Var:'MultipleWords' = 'Hello, how are you doing? What are you doing?'] [$MultipleWords->(Contains:'Hello')]

This outputs: TRUE

or [Var:'MultipleWords' = 'Hello, how are you doing? What are you doing?'] [$MultipleWords >> 'Hello']

This outputs: TRUE n

If you want to know if a string is equal to another string, you would use the equals symbol (==), which will result in TRUE. If it does not contain the string, then the result would be FALSE. [Var:'SingleWord' = 'Hello.'] [$SingleWord == 'Hello']

This outputs: FALSE

because of the . (period) in the variable SingleWord. n

Similarly, if you want to know if a string is not equal to another string, you could use the == symbol and look for FALSE or use the not equal symbol (!=) to receive an output of TRUE. [Var:'SingleWord' = 'Hello.'] [$SingleWord != 'Hello']

This outputs: TRUE

because of the . (period) in the variable SingleWord. To find the length of a string, look for the LDML tag [String->Length]:

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Chapter 5

[Var:'SingleWord' = 'Hello.'] [$SingleWord->Length]

This outputs: 6

To make a string appear in all uppercase, you would use the [String_Uppercase] LDML tag: [Var:'SingleWord' = 'Hello.'] [String_Uppercase: $SingleWord]

This outputs: HELLO.

For a string to appear in lowercase, you would use the [String_Lowercase] LDML tag: [Var:'SingleWord' = 'HELLO.'] [String_Lowercase: $SingleWord]

This outputs: hello.

To replace text within a string, you first need to know what you want to replace. Then use the [String_Replace] LDML tag: [Var:'MultipleWords' = 'Hello, how are you doing? What are you doing?'] [String_Replace: -Find='Hello, h', -Replace='H', (Var:'MultipleWords')]

This outputs: How are you doing? What are you doing?

Using Numbers

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Chapter 6

Using Numbers Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Dividing The majority of Internet applications today require the developer to carry out calculations, such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers, to show a figure. This is useful in e-commerce or inventory type applications. Lasso offers the developer a good range of options when working with numbers, but there is one key rule: Never surround a number with quotation marks if you would like the number to remain seen as a number. There is a way to get around this, but if you use this rule you should never go wrong. I will take you through using the common binary operators. Let’s show some examples: n

Adding example [Output: 1 + 1]

This outputs: 2 n

Subtracting example [Output: 3 – 1]

This outputs: 2 n

Multiplying example [Output: 4 * 2]

This outputs: 8 n

Dividing example [Output: 6 / 2]

This outputs:

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3

As you can see, these examples give you the basics of the calculation requirements needed to complete any formula. Take this one step further now using variables instead of numbers: n

Adding example [Var:

'NumberOne' = 1, 'NumberTwo' = 1]

[Output: $NumberOne + $NumberTwo]

This outputs: 2

When working with numbers that are passed initially as a string, and we want to convert them to an integer, Lasso uses the LDML tag [Integer] to convert the string value, as follows: [Var:

'NumberOne' = '1', 'NumberTwo' = '1']

[Output: (Integer: $NumberOne) + (Integer: $NumberTwo)]

This outputs: 2

If we had not added the [Integer] LDML tag, the result would have been: [Var:

'NumberOne' = '1', 'NumberTwo' = '1']

[Output: $NumberOne + $NumberTwo]

This outputs: 11

It treats the values as strings because we have not told Lasso otherwise. Instructions Both the [] Square Bracket and syntax examples show you how to build a basic calculator that enables a user to input two numbers with a choice of a calculation symbol. This calculator can then be submitted to itself with the result shown to the user. 1. Open a new document in your text editor.

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83

2. Then save the blank file as calculation.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso, into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (Addition binary symbol) * (Multiplication binary symbol) + (String concatenation) [Action_Param] [If]...[/If] [Output] [Integer]

/ (Division binary symbol) – (Subtraction binary symbol) // (LassoScript comment) [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

[Output_None] // This example will show you how adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing // works when using variables. // Setting page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Calculator'] // Setting variables for the example [Var: 'NumOne' 'Calc' 'NumTwo'

= (Action_Param: 'NumOne'), = (Action_Param: 'Calc'), = (Action_Param: 'NumTwo')]

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

Please insert calculation


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<SELECT NAME="Calc"> + * /

[If: (Action_Param:'Process')] [If: (Var:'NumOne') && (Var:'NumTwo')]

[Var:'NumOne'] [Var:'Calc'] [Var:'NumTwo'] = [If: (Var:'Calc') == '+'] [Output: (Integer: $NumOne) [Else: (Var:'Calc') == '*'] [Output: (Integer: $NumOne) [Else: (Var:'Calc') == '-'] [Output: (Integer: $NumOne) [Else: (Var:'Calc') == '/'] [Output: (Integer: $NumOne) [/If]

[Else]

+ (Integer: $NumTwo)] * (Integer: $NumTwo)] - (Integer: $NumTwo)] / (Integer: $NumTwo)]

Both boxes should contain a number to perform the calculation.

[/If] [/If]



LassoScript Example 01.
Using Numbers

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42.

Var:

85

'NumOne' = (Action_Param: 'NumOne'), 'Calc' = (Action_Param: 'Calc'), 'NumTwo' = (Action_Param: 'NumTwo');

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; //set encoding to None for the HTML page Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; Output: '

\n' + 'Please insert Caculation
\n' + '\n' + '<SELECT NAME="Calc">\n' + '+\n' + '-\n' + '*\n' + '/\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '

\n'; If: (Action_Param:'Process'); //Check if form was used.

If: (Var:'NumOne') && (Var:'NumTwo'); //check that numbers have been passed for the cacluation.

43. 44. Output: $NumOne + ' ' + $Calc + ' ' + $NumTwo + ' = '; 45. 46. If: $Calc == '+'; //Check which Caculation to use. 47. Output: (Integer: $NumOne) + (Integer: $NumTwo); 48. Else: $Calc == '*'; 49. Output: (Integer: $NumOne) * (Integer: $NumTwo); 50. Else: $Calc == '-'; 51. Output: (Integer: $NumOne) - (Integer: $NumTwo); 52. Else: $Calc == '/'; 53. Output: (Integer: $NumOne) / (Integer: $NumTwo); 54. /If; 55. 56. Else; //Show Error If a number is missing. 57. 58. Output: '

Both boxes should contain a number to perform the calculation.

'; 59. 60. /If; 61. /If; 62. 63. Output: '\n' + 64. '\n'; 65.

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66. /Encode_Set; //Close the Encoding 67. ?> 68.

Incrementing and Decrementing a Number Lasso offers the developer many development shortcuts that avoid the need for long scripts. Two of these are the increment (++) and decrement (--) symbols. You would use these when you have a need to increment or decrement a number by 1. These examples, using the [Loop]...[/Loop] LDML tag, show you how to achieve this. ++

increments the value of the right parameter by one.

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[Var: 'Result' = 0] [Loop: 10] [Output: ++$Result] [/Loop]

This outputs: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 --

decrements the value of the right parameter by one. [Var: 'Result' = 11] [Loop: 10] [Output: --$Result] [/Loop]

This outputs: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Using Multiple Operators When working with multiple operators, you need to know what precedence is given to which operator. For example, what is the correct answer to the following problem? [Output: 2 + 6 / 2]

If you came up with 5, and not 4, you would be correct. This is because Lasso gives precedence to certain operators when not working with parentheses. The operator precedence is: / * – +

Divide Multiply Subtract Add

If you want 4, and not 5, as the result, you should surround the calculation you want to do first with parentheses. Your calculation will now look like this: [Output: (2 + 6) / 2]

This outputs: 4

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Lasso will start from the innermost calculation surrounded by parentheses. [Output: (36 / ((4 + 2) * 3))]

This outputs: 2

This output is due to where the parentheses are located. Here is what Lasso does: (4 + 2) = 6 (6 * 3) = 18 (36 / 18) = 2

If Lasso receives two parentheses calculations at the same level, it will fall back to the operator precedence. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as multiplemath.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used * (Multiplication binary symbol) // (LassoScript comment) $ (Global variable symbol) -EncodeNONE [Var] [Output] [Search_FieldItem] [String->Trim] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

[Integer] + (String concatenation symbol) ! (Logical NOT symbol) -Seed [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [Action_Param] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. //This example using the math tags, convert one number to another. 04. 05. //Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim to remove additional spaces. 06. 07. [Search_Arguments]

Using Numbers

08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63.

89

[Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments]

//Page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Number Converter']

[If: !(Var:'Value')] [Var: 'Value' = 1] [Else] [$Value = (Integer: $Value)] [/If]

//Create one string all of keywords then remove any spaces that are not required [If: (Var: 'Convert') == 'celfar'] [Var:'Result' = (($value * 1.8) + 32), 'DescOne' = 'degree', 'DescTwo' = 'degrees fahrenheit (F)'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'farcel'] [Var:'Result' = (($value - 32) * 0.5556), 'DescOne' = 'degree', 'DescTwo' = 'degrees celsius (C)'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'cmin'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 0.393701), 'DescOne' = 'centimeter', 'DescTwo' = 'inches'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'incm'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 2.54), 'DescOne' = 'inch', 'DescTwo' = 'centimeters'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'mefe'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 3.28084), 'DescOne' = 'meter', 'DescTwo' = 'feet'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'feme'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 0.3048), 'DescOne' = 'feet', 'DescTwo' = 'meters'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'kmmi'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 0.621371), 'DescOne' = 'kilometer',

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64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119.

'DescTwo' = 'miles (mi)'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'mikm'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 1.60934), 'DescOne' = 'mile', 'DescTwo' = 'kilometers (km)'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'kglb'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 2.20462), 'DescOne' = 'kilogram', 'DescTwo' = 'pounds (lb)'] [Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'lbkg'] [Var:'Result' = ($value * 0.453592), 'DescOne' = 'pound', 'DescTwo' = 'kilograms (kg)'] [/If]

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process')]

Enter your number:

Convert from...
<SELECT NAME="convert"> degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius centimeters to inches inches to centimeters meters to feet feet to meters kilometers to miles miles to kilometers kilograms to pounds pounds to kilograms

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120. [Else] 121. 122.

Your Conversion is: [Var: 'value'] [Var:'DescOne'] = [Var: 'result'] [Var:'DescTwo']

123.

Do another conversion

124. 125. [/if] 126. 127. 128.

LassoScript Example 01. (Trim); 14. 15. /Search_Arguments; 16. 17. 18. //Page title 19. 20. Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Number Converter'; 21. 22. 23. 24. If: !(Var:'Value'); 25. Var: 'Value' = 1; 26. Else; 27. $Value = (Integer: $Value); 28. /If; 29. 30. //Create one string of the keywords then remove any spaces that are not required 31. 32. If: (Var: 'Convert') == 'celfar'; 33. Var: 'Result' = (($value * 1.8) + 32), 34. 'DescOne' = 'degrees', 35. 'DescTwo' = 'degrees fahrenheit (F)'; 36. 37. Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'farcel'; 38. Var: 'Result' = (($value - 32) * 0.5556), 39. 'DescOne' = 'degrees', 40. 'DescTwo' = 'degrees celsius (C)'; 41. 42. Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'cmin';

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43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98.

Var: 'Result' = ($value * 0.393701), 'DescOne' = 'centimeters', 'DescTwo' = 'inches'; Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'incm'; Var: 'Result' = ($value * 2.54), 'DescOne' = 'inches', 'DescTwo' = 'centimeters'; Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'mefe'; Var: 'Result' = ($value * 3.28084), 'DescOne' = 'meters', 'DescTwo' = 'feet'; Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'feme'; Var: 'Result' = ($value * 0.3048), 'DescOne' = 'feet', 'DescTwo' = 'meters'; Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'kmmi'; Var: 'Result' = ($value * 0.621371), 'DescOne' = 'kilometers', 'DescTwo' = 'miles (mi)'; Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'mikm'; Var: 'Result' = ($value * 1.60934), 'DescOne' = 'miles', 'DescTwo' = 'kilometers (km)'; Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'kglb'; Var: 'Result' = ($value * 2.20462), 'DescOne' = 'kilograms', 'DescTwo' = 'pounds (lb)'; Else: (Var: 'Convert') == 'lbkg'; Var: 'Result' = ($value * 0.453592), 'DescOne' = 'pounds', 'DescTwo' = 'kilograms (kg)'; /If;

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; If: !(Action_Param: 'process');

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93

99. 100. 101. 102. Output: '

\n' + 103. '\n' + 104. 105. 106. '

Enter your number:

\n' + 107. '

Convert from...
\n' + 108. '<SELECT NAME="Convert">\n' + 109. 'degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit\n' + 110. 'degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius\n' + 111. 'centimeters to inches\n' + 112. 'inches to centimeters\n' + 113. 'meters to feet\n' + 114. 'feet to meters\n' + 115. 'kilometers to miles\n' + 116. 'miles to kilometers\n' + 117. 'kilograms to pounds\n' + 118. 'pounds to kilograms\n' + 119. '

\n' + 120. 121. 122. '\n' + 123. 124. 125. '

\n'; 126. 127. Else; 128. 129. Output: '

Your Conversion is: ' + (Var: 'Value') + ' ' + (Var:'DescOne') + ' = ' + (Var: 'Result') + ' ' + (Var:'DescTwo') + '

\n' + 130. '

Do another conversion

\n'; 131. 132. /If; 133. 134. Output: '\n' + 135. '\n'; 136. 137. /Encode_Set; 138. 139. ?>

v

Note It is important to remember when using the symbols + and – with numbers to keep a space on each side of the symbol. Otherwise, a syntax error will occur.

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Using Built-in Mathematical Functions Lasso offers the developer many built-in mathematical functions as LDML tags. The following examples are useful LDML tags that allow you to formulate the calculation you need when developing high-level mathematics. [Math_Round] instructs Lasso to round the decimal number up to the unit you define in the tag. If we want the decimal number 4.7 to be rounded up to the next whole number, we would use: [Math_Round: 4.74654, 1]

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95

This outputs: 5

If we wanted Lasso to output a number to the nearest number with decimal places similar to a currency value, we would use: [Math_Round: 4.74654, .01]

This outputs: 4.75

Within this family, Lasso also has two further tags, [Math_Ceil] and [Math_Floor]. These take the decimal number and output the highest whole number (ceiling) or the lowest whole number (floor), respectively. [Math_Ceil: 4.74654]

This outputs: 5 [Math_Floor: 4.74654]

This outputs: 4

Another useful LDML tag is [Math_Abs], as it returns the absolute value of any given number (integer or decimal), positive or negative. In layman’s terms, absolute is always positive. [Math_ABS: –4.74654]

This outputs: 4.74654

If you need a random number generator, Lasso offers the LDML tag [Math_Random]. This is very easy to use: [Math_Random: -Min=45, -Max=8965]

In this case, the output is: 2365.648193

To turn this small script into a highest whole number generator, we would use a combination of [Math_Ceil] and [Math_Random]. [Math_Ceil:(Math_Random: -Min=45, -Max=8956)]

In this case, the output is: 263

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v

Note A good example of the [Math_Random] LDML tag is used in the [Loop] example in Chapter 4.

Formatting Numbers It is necessary when using numbers to format the result to the user. You will find that one LDML tag will meet many of your needs. The [Decimal->SetFormat] tag allows you to specify the format in which the decimal value will be output when cast to a string or displayed to a visitor. Options include specifying the character that will be used for the decimal point and thousands group separator, forcing the decimal to display in scientific notation, and padding the output. This tag works when you have a decimal number that is set as a variable. These examples will take you through the most common needs you may have. Thousands separator: [Var:'Number' = 2000] [$Number->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=',')] [Output: $Number]

This outputs: 2,000

Thousands separator using [Decimal]: [Var:'Number' = (Decimal:2000)] [$Number->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=',')] [Output: $Number]

This outputs: 2,000.00

Using Arrays and Maps

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Chapter 7

Using Arrays and Maps Creating an Array Think of arrays as storage variables for multiple values. You can store a variety of data in an array such as country lists, month lists, and product lists. Think of them as a temporary database that will store multiple single values and allow you to call upon them at any given time using the [Array] member tags, like [Array->Get]. Creating an array depends on where the data is coming from. If you wanted to define a variable as an array and have the array contain the months of the year, it would look like this: [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [Output: $MonthNamesShort]

This would output: array: (Jan), (Feb), (Mar), (Apr), (May), (Jun), (Jul), (Aug), (Sep), (Oct), (Nov), (Dec)

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When working with arrays, a useful way of typing them is: [Var: 'ArrayName' = (Array: 'value1', 'value2', 'value3')]

This will allow you to clearly view the values you have in the array when looking at the source code at a later date. When users are sending information via a form, you can also ask Lasso to convert the information passed from the form into an array. To do this we use the [Array->Split] member tag. This requires the developer to supply an identifier like a comma, space, tab, or line feed/carriage return. Lasso will split the data up into single values once it sees the identifier given. An example is: [Var:'FormString' = 'Duncan Cameron'] [Output: $FormString->(Split: ' ')]

The output would be: array: (Duncan), (Cameron)

As you can see, I provided a space ' ' as the identifier and asked Lasso to split up the data into an array of values based on my criteria. As long as you have an identifier to split the data with, you can create an array. If you wanted to set an array as a variable but not give it any values, you would use: [Var: 'Name' = (Array)]

This will then allow you to add values using: [$Name->(Insert: 'value')] [Output: $Name]

This outputs: array: (value)

v

Note Notice how I have used white space (Tabs or Returns) to make the arrays easier to read.

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99

Adding and Removing Items in an Array If you need to remove a value from an array, Lasso offers you the [Array->Remove] member tag: [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [$MonthNamesShort->(Remove: 10)] [Output: $MonthNamesShort]

This outputs: array: (Jan), (Feb), (Mar), (Apr), (May), (Jun), (Jul), (Aug), (Sep), (Nov), (Dec)

If we wanted to insert a value into the array, we would use [Array->Insert]: [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [$MonthNamesShort->(Insert: 'Oct', 10)] [Output: $MonthNamesShort]

This outputs: array: (Jan), (Feb), (Mar), (Apr), (May), (Jun), (Jul), (Aug), (Sep), (Oct), (Nov), (Dec)

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Accessing Array Elements To access the values within an array, you use the [Array->Get] LDML tag. This allows you to get the value you wish by stating what position the value is within the array. [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [Output: $MonthNamesShort->(Get: 3)]

This outputs: Mar

As you can see, we gave the position 3 to get Lasso to show the third value of the array. If we wanted to show all of the values that are contained within an array, we need to find out how big it is. To do this, we use [Array->Size] in the following manner: [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [Output: $MonthNamesShort->(Size)]

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101

This outputs: 12

Now we have the size of the array, and we can combine this with the [Loop]...[/Loop] LDML tag: [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [Loop: $MonthNamesShort->(Size)] - [Output: $MonthNamesShort->(Get: (Loop_Count))] [/Loop]

This outputs: - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

If you wanted to convert this to a single string to be converted into a variable, you would use: [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [Loop: $MonthNamesShort->(Size)] [Var: 'MonthNamesShortString' += ' - ' + ($MonthNamesShort-> (Get:(Loop_Count)))] [/Loop]

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[Output: $MonthNamesShortString]

This outputs: - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as arrays.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) && (Logical AND symbol) -EncodeNONE [Loop]...[/Loop] [Array->Get] [Output] [Search_FieldItem] [String->Trim] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

+ (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) [Var] [Loop_Count] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [Action_Param] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. //This example will show how you can extract values from an array. 04. 05. //Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim to remove additional spaces. 06. 07. 08. [Search_Arguments] 09. 10. [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] 11. 12. [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] 13. 14. [/Search_Arguments] 15. 16. 17. //Page title

Using Arrays and Maps

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64.

103

[Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Number Selector']

//Create the array for the example [Var: 'Words' = (Array: 'One', 'Two', 'Three', 'Four', 'Five', 'Six', 'Seven', 'Eight', 'Nine', 'Ten')]

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Var: 'PageTitle']

[Var: 'PageTitle']

[If: (Action_Param: 'process') && (Action_Param: 'number')]

You chose the number [$Words->(Get: $number)].

Choose another below

[Else] Please select a number:

[/If]

[Loop: 10] [Loop_Count]
[/Loop]

65. 66. 67.

68. 69. 70.

71. 72.

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73. 74. 75.

LassoScript Example 01. (Trim); 13. 14. /Search_Arguments; 15. 16. 17. //Page title 18. 19. Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Number Selector'; 20. 21. 22. 23. //Create the array for the example 24. 25. Var: 'Words' = (Array: 26. 'One', 27. 'Two', 28. 'Three', 29. 'Four', 30. 'Five', 31. 'Six', 32. 'Seven', 33. 'Eight', 34. 'Nine', 35. 'Ten'); 36. 37. 38. Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; 39. 40. Output: '\n' + 41. '\n' + 42. '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + 43. '\n' + 44. '\n'; 45. 46. Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; 47. 48. If: (Action_Param: 'process') && (Action_Param: 'number'); 49.

Using Arrays and Maps

50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84.

105

Output: '

You chose the number ' + $Words->(Get: $number) + '.

\n' + '

Choose another below

\n'; Else; Output: 'Please select a number:

\n'; /If; Output: '

\n' + '\n'; Loop: 10; Output: '' + (Loop_Count) + '
\n'; /Loop; Output: '

\n' +

'\n' + '

\n' +

'\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

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Sorting Arrays If you need to sort an array, you have two options: You can sort them in ascending order (0-Z) or descending order (Z-0) according to the string’s first character. Ascending = True [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')]

Using Arrays and Maps

107

[$MonthNamesShort->(Sort: True)] [Output: $MonthNamesShort]

This outputs: array: (Apr), (Aug), (Dec), (Feb), (Jan), (Jul), (Jun), (Mar), (May), (Nov), (Oct), (Sep) Descending = False [Var:'MonthNamesShort' = (Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec')] [$MonthNamesShort->(Sort: False)] [Output: $MonthNamesShort]

This outputs: array: (Sep), (Oct), (Nov), (May), (Mar), (Jun), (Jul), (Jan), (Feb), (Dec), (Aug), (Apr)

Creating an Array from a Form Using forms with arrays is pretty straightforward, provided that you know what you are going to split up the data with. In most cases, it will be a carriage return, tab, or line feed: \n = Metacharacter for linefeed \r = Metacharacter for carriage return \t = Metacharacter for a tab All of the examples I have used within this book when I split up data through a form use the \r carriage return metacharacter: [Var: 'Words' =

'One\r Two\r Three\r

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Four\r Five'] [Var: 'WordsArray' = $Words->(Split: '\r')] [Output: $WordsArray]

This outputs: array: (One), (Two), (Three), (Four), (Five)

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as arrayform.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) $ (Global variable symbol) -EncodeNONE [Var] [Output] [Search_FieldItem] [String->Trim] [Response_FilePath] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Array->RemoveAll] [Array->Size] [Loop_Count]

+ (String concatenation symbol) ! (Logical NOT symbol) -Seed [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [Action_Param] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Array->Get] [Array->Split] [Loop]...[/Loop]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. // This example will show how you create an array with some words, then extract 04. // values from an array. 05. // Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a 06. // trim to remove additional spaces. 07. 08. [Search_Arguments] 09. 10. [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)]

Using Arrays and Maps

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54.

109

[(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/search_Arguments]

// Page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Word Selector']

// Create the array for the example [If: (Var: 'Words')] [Var: 'WordsArray' = $Words->(Split: '\r')] [$WordsArray->(RemoveAll: '')] [/IF] [/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: (Action_Param: 'StageOne')]

Your original list of words were:

[Loop: $WordsArray->Size] [$WordsArray->(Get: (Loop_Count))] [If: (Loop_Count) != ($WordsArray->Size)] , [/If] [/Loop]

You selected word number [Output: $Word] in the list above, which is [$WordsArray->(Get: $Word)]. 55.

Start again..

56. [Else] 57. 58. 59. 60.

61. 62. 63. 64. [If: (Action_Param: 'process') && (Action_Param: 'Words') && !(Action_Param: 'StageOne')]

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65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97.

Please choose a word below:

<SELECT NAME="Word"> [Loop: $WordsArray->Size] [Loop_Count]) - [$WordsArray->(Get: (Loop_Count))] [/Loop] [Else: !(Action_Param: 'StageOne')]

Please enter some words, and press the return key after each one in the text box below:

[/If]





[/IF]

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments;

// Page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Word Selector';

Using Arrays and Maps

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58.

111

// Create the array for the example If: (Var: 'Words'); Var: 'WordsArray' = $Words->(Split: '\r'); $WordsArray->(RemoveAll: ''); /IF; Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n';

If: (Action_Param: 'StageOne'); Output: '

Your original list of words were:

\n' + '

\n'; Loop: $WordsArray->(Size); Output: '' + $WordsArray->(Get: (Loop_Count)) + '\n'; If: (Loop_Count) != $WordsArray->(Size); Output: ', '; /If; /Loop; Output: '

\n';

Output: '

You selected word number ' + $Word + ' in the list above, which is ' + ($WordsArray->(Get: $Word)) + '.\n' + 59. '

Start again..

\n'; 60. Else; 61. 62. 63. 64. Output: '

\n' + 65. '\n'; 66. 67. 68. If: (Action_Param: 'process') && (Action_Param: 'Words') && !(Action_Param: 'StageOne'); 69. 70. Output: '\n' + 71. '\n'; 72.

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73. '

Please choose a word below:

\n'; 74. 75. Output: '<SELECT NAME="Word">\n'; 76. 77. Loop: $WordsArray->(Size); 78. 79. Output: '' + (Loop_Count) + '-' + $WordsArray->(Get: (Loop_Count)); 80. 81. /Loop; 82. 83. Output: '\n'; 84. 85. Else: !(Action_Param: 'StageOne'); 86. 87. Output: '

Please enter some words, and press the return key after each one in the text box below:

\n' + 88. 89. '

\n'; 90. 91. /If; 92. 93. 94. Output: '

\n' + 95. 96. 97. '\n'; 98. 99. /IF; 100. 101. Output: '

\n' + 102. 103. 104. 105. '\n' + 106. '\n'; 107. 108. /Encode_Set; 109. 110. ?> 111. 112. 113. 114.

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Using Maps In addition to the [Array] LDML tag, the Lasso developer has [Map] as a possible data storage LDML tag. Instead of storing individual sets of data as the [Array]: [Var: 'States' = (Array: 'California', 'Texas')]

[Map] stores pairs of data: [Var: 'States' = (Map: 'CA' = 'California', 'TX' = 'Texas')]

Each item in a [Map] is broken down into [Pairs]: 'Name' = 'Value'

This means that you can create a variable called States and find the name of the pair you are looking for to output the value. For example: [Var: 'States' = (Map: 'CA' = 'California', 'TX' = 'Texas')] [Output: $States->(Find: 'TX')]

This outputs: Texas

The difference is that with [Map] you are using [Map->Find] and not [Array->Get], since arrays are single values and can be stored against a position as well as sorted. Maps do not do this; they hold pairs of information for you to return a value against the name called. Take the list of states with their two-letter abbreviations and their full names: CA = California

To temporary store this information, we use a map and define it as a variable: [Var: 'States' = (Map: 'CA' = 'California')] [Output: $States]

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This outputs: map: (CA)=(California)

If we wanted to add another name and value to the map, we use the [Map->Insert] tag. [Var: 'States' = (Map: 'CA' = 'California')] [$States->(Insert: 'TX'='Texas')] [Output: $States]

This outputs: map: (CA)=(California), (TX)=(Texas)

If we wanted to find the full name for the abbreviation TX in the map, we would use the [Map->Find] method: [Var: 'States' = (Map: 'CA' = 'California', 'TX' = 'Texas')] [Output: $States->(Find: 'TX')]

This outputs: Texas

If we only wanted to output the name/key of the pairs within a map, we would use the [Pair->First] LDML tag. [Var: 'States' = (Map: 'CA' = 'California', 'TX' = 'Texas')] [Loop: $States->Size]  [Output: ($States->(Get: (Loop_Count)))->(First)] [/Loop]

This outputs: CA TX

If we only wanted to show the value of the name/key of the pairs within a map, we would use the [Pair->Second] LDML tag. [Var: 'States' = (Map: 'CA' = 'California', 'TX' = 'Texas')] [Loop: $States->Size]

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 [Output: ($States->(Get: Loop_Count))->Second] [/Loop]

This outputs: California Texas

Pairs do not have to be used just with maps. You can create your own pairs by setting them as a variable. Obviously, you are restricted to a name and a value. Again, these can be any data type (numbers or strings). [Var: 'ThePair' = (Pair: 'FirstName'='Joshua')] [Output: $ThePair->Name]

This outputs: FirstName

To show the value of the second element in the pair: [Var: 'ThePair' = (Pair: 'FirstName'='Joshua')] [Output: $ThePair->Value]

This outputs: Joshua

Using Arrays and Maps Together As you can see, it is easy to obtain one element of information from a map using the [Map->Find] LDML tag. However, if you wanted to list just the full names without the name or key of the value, you would combine your map with the [Pair->Value] LDML tag. A pair is what a map does with the data; it splits them into pairs. Another example of using a pair is combining a map with an array, like creating a solution for a temporary container of products: [Var: 'Products' = (Map: 'B1' = (Array: 'Balloon','Blue','2.50','Large'), 'B2' = (Array: 'Balloon','Red','2.50','Large'), 'B3' = (Array: 'Balloon','Green','2.50','Large'), 'B4' = (Array: 'Balloon','White','1.50','Medium'), 'B5' = (Array: 'Balloon','Yellow','2.50','Large'), 'B6' = (Array: 'Balloon','Orange','2.50','Large'))]

Notice how we have used a map to pair up a product code with an array that contains the information about the product. To output the list of products to the user in a table, we would use a [Loop]...[/Loop] and find out how many products are in the Products map:

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[Loop: $Products->(Size)]
  [Output: 'B' + (Loop_Count)]   [Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 1)]   [Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 2)]   [Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3)]   [Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 4)] [/Loop]

We tell Lasso to find the product we want by using [Loop_Count] to give us a number. We then concatenate this with the letter B to create B1, B2, etc., so we can use the [Map->Find] member tag. Then we surround this with the [Array->Get] member tag to output the information contained within the array. This outputs: B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6

Balloon Blue Balloon Red Balloon Green Balloon White Balloon Yellow Balloon Orange

2.50 2.50 2.50 1.50 2.50 2.50

Large Large Large Medium Large Large

As you can see, when combining the [Array] and [Map] LDML tags, they become a powerful development tool. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as maps.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples.

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Tags Used

// (LassoScript comment) ! (Logical NOT symbol) -Precision -EncodeNONE [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Array] [Search_FieldItem] [String->Trim] [Response_Filepath] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Map->Find] [Loop_Count] [Decimal->SetFormat]

+ (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) -GroupChar [Output] [Map] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Map->Size] [Decimal] [Array->Get] [Integer] [/If]...[Else]...[/If]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

[Output_None]

// Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a // trim to remove additional spaces. [Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments]

// Combine a map and array to create a product catalog. [Var: 'Products' = (Map: 'B1' = (Array: 'B2' = (Array: 'B3' = (Array: 'B4' = (Array: 'B5' = (Array: 'B6' = (Array:

'Balloon','Blue','2.50','Large'), 'Balloon','Red','2.50','Large'), 'Balloon','Green','2.50','Large'), 'Balloon','White','1.50','Medium'), 'Balloon','Yellow','2.50','Large'), 'Balloon','Orange','2.50','Large'))]

// Set page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Using Pairs']

Using Arrays and Maps

34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73.

119

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Var: 'process')] ALIGN="left">Item ALIGN="center">Color ALIGN="center">Price (Each) ALIGN="center">Size ALIGN="center">Order

[Loop: $Products->(Size)] [/Loop]

74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

ALIGN="center">Code
[Output: 'B' + (Loop_Count)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 1)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 2)]	$[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 4)]

81. 82. [Else] 83. 84.

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85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105.

ALIGN="left">Item ALIGN="center">Color ALIGN="center">Price (Each) ALIGN="center">Size ALIGN="center">Ordered ALIGN="center">Price

COLSPAN="7"> 

[Loop: $Products->(Size)] [If: (Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count)) > 0]

106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136.

[Var: 'ItemTotal' = (Decimal:($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3)) * (Integer:(Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count)))] [$ItemTotal->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=',')] [Var: 'TotalPrice' = (Var: 'TotalPrice') + $ItemTotal] [/If] [/Loop] 147. 148.

ALIGN="center">Code
[Output: 'B' + (Loop_Count)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 1)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 2)]	$[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 4)]	[Output: (Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count))]	$[Output: $ItemTotal]
Total Due:						$ [If: (Var: TotalPrice)] [$TotalPrice->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=',')] Using Arrays and Maps 121 137. [Output: $TotalPrice] 138. 139. [Else] 140. 141. 0.00 142. 143. [/If] 144. 145. 146.

149. 150. 151. 152. [/If] 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments;

// Using string data types for the price, as we will convert to integers later in // the script for caculation. Var: 'Products' = (Map: 'B1' = (Array: 'Balloon','Blue','2.50','Large'), 'B2' = (Array: 'Balloon','Red','2.50','Large'), 'B3' = (Array: 'Balloon','Green','2.50','Large'), 'B4' = (Array: 'Balloon','White','1.50','Medium'), 'B5' = (Array: 'Balloon','Yellow','2.50','Large'), 'B6' = (Array: 'Balloon','Orange','2.50','Large'));

// Set page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Using Pairs';

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32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82.

// Set Encoding Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE;

Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n';

If: !(Var: 'process'); Output: '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '\n' + '\n'; Loop: $Products->(Size); Output: '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; /Loop; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '\n' +

Using Arrays and Maps

83. '

Code	Item	Color	Price (Each)	Size	Order
B' + (Loop_Count) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 1) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 2) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 4) + '

\n'; 84. 85. Else; 86. 87. Output: '\n' + 88. 89. '\n' + 90. '\n' + 91. '\n' + 92. '\n' + 93. '\n' + 94. '\n' + 95. '\n' + 96. '\n' + 97. '\n' + 98. '\n' + 99. '\n' + 100. '\n'; 101. 102. Loop: $Products->(Size); 103. 104. If: (Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count)) > 0; 105. 106. Output: '\n' + 107. '\n' + 108. '\n' + 109. '\n' + 110. '\n' + 111. '\n' + 112. '\n'; 113. 114. Var: 'ItemTotal' = (Decimal: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + 115. (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3)) * 116. (Integer: (Var: 'Order_B' + 117. (Loop_Count))); 118. 119. // convert to currency output 120. 121. $ItemTotal->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=','); 122. 123. Output: '\n' + 124. 125. '\n'; 126. 127. Var: 'TotalPrice' = (Var: 'TotalPrice') + $ItemTotal; 128. 129. /If; 130. 131. /Loop; 132. 133. Output: '\n' +

123

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134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170.

'\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '

Code	Item	Color	Price (Each)	Size	Ordered	Price
B' + (Loop_Count) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 1) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 2) + '	$' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 4) + '	' + (Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count)) + '	$' + $ItemTotal + '
Total Due:						$\n'; If: (Var: TotalPrice); // Convert to currency output $TotalPrice->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=','); Output: $TotalPrice; Else; Output: '0.00'; /If; Output: '

\n';

/If;

Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

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Files and Directories

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Chapter 8

Files and Directories File Permissions File and directory permissions identify who can do what to the file or directory. Understanding what file permissions are for and how they work is important, both for getting your file scripts to work and also to protect the data on the server. Lasso offers the developer a large number of file LDML tags to allow the manipulation of files in all possible ways. These include: [File_Create] [File_Copy] [File_Read] [File_Write] [File_Move] [File_Delete] [File_Exists] [File_Rename] [File_Uploads] In order to use the file LDML tags, you need to use the [File_Control]...[/File_Control] tag, as this will allow you to perform file tasks. A quick example is: [File_Control] ...perform file task [/File_Control]

This example takes into account that no permission is needed for the Anonymous user to access files. These include: n

Permission to use the tag itself.

n

Permission to perform the file read operations.

n

Permission to work in the directory that contains the file.

n

The filename extensions of the files that are being worked with must be allowed in Lasso Administration.

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However, if you require a user-level username and password, you need to surround [File_Control]...[/File_Control] with [Inline]...[/Inline] to pass your username and password. This is a good habit to get into. An example is: [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] ...perform file task [/File_Control] [/Inline]

To set permissions to use the file LDML tags, you will require the server administrator to access Lasso Administration. Lasso Administration is set up to allow the administrator to grant or deny users certain access rights to what functions can be performed. Within the Control Panel, the administrator selects the user concerned via the heading Groups and then selects the subheading Files to give authorization to file functions. Before working with file tags, please ensure that these permissions have been set accordingly with the username that is being utilized while the script is being performed. For more information on using the Lasso Administration panel, please see Chapter 14, “Lasso Administration.” Instructions This example will find the current location of the file using [Response_Filepath], and then strip the filename to give the current directory. Once this has been done, it will inform the user what permissions he or she has to browse the current directory in which the file is located. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as file_permissions.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples.

Files and Directories

Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) += (Addition assignment) -Username -ErrorCode [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Array->Split] [Array->Remove] [Loop_Count] [File_Control]...[/File_Control] [Client_Username]

129

$ (Global variable symbol) NULL -Password [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[/If] [response_filepath] [Array->Size] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Inline]...[/Inline] [File_CurrentError]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

[Output_None] // This example outputs whether permissions are granted to list a directory and read // a file. // Setting page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Directory Permissions']

// Set username and password for file access

[Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = '']

// Current file location

[var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath)]

// Extract the current directory breakdown [Var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory')] [Var:'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/')] [Var:'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size)] [$CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray)] [Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null] [Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size] [If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null] [$CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))))]

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37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81.

[/If] [/Loop] [$CurrentFolderPath += '/'] [/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [Var: 'Directory' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath)]

Directory Browse [Output:$CurrentFolderPath]:

[If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0] [($Directory)->(Size)] Files Found [Else] [File_CurrentError] given to user [Client_Username] [/If]

[/File_Control] [/Inline]

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131

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54.


// Current file location Var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath);

// Extract the current directory breakdown Var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory'); Var:'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/'); Var:'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size); $CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray); Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null; Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size; If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null; $CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count)))); /If; /Loop; $CurrentFolderPath += '/'; // Set Encoding Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword; File_Control;

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55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82.

Var: 'Directory' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath); Output: '

Directory Browse ' + $CurrentFolderPath + ':

\n'; If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0; Output: '' + ($Directory)->(Size) + ' Files Found\n'; Else; File_CurrentError; given to user Client_Username; /If; Output: '

\n'; /File_Control; /Inline; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

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133

Creating and Writing to Files When writing to files, you have some considerations to take into account. Do you want to write a new file if it does not exist or edit a current file? If you want to write a new file, you would use the [File_Create] LDML tag and need to confirm the following: 1. Correct file permissions to write a file. 2. File path to write the file to. 3. Whether the file already exists. As with all file LDML tags, you will need to surround the [File_Create] LDML tag with the [File_Control]...[/File_Control] LDML tag. To authenticate the task, surround this with the [Inline]...[/Inline] LDML tag: [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [File_Create: '/pathtofile/filename.txt'] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

Notice that I also use the [File_CurrentError] LDML tag to output the result of the task. This allows you to see the outcome of [File_Create]. If you are looking to write to a current file that is listed in a directory, you would use the [File_Write] LDML tag. This tag also allows you to overwrite the file if it already exists using the -FileOverWrite command. When using the [File_Write] LDML tag, it is always a good idea to check that it exists first. If we don’t check and we then try to write to the nonexistent file, we would be given a “-9984: File not found” error. This allows you to combine a script that can create the file if the file is not found. Otherwise, you can write to the file. A quick example of this is: [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = '']

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[Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/filename.txt') == false] [File_Create: '/pathtofile/filename.txt'] [/If] [File_Write: '/pathtofile/filename.txt', 'Hello World', -FileOverWrite] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

If we don’t use the -FileOverWrite command, the data that we wish to write to the file will be added onto the end of the current data. You will notice that we can have multiple file LDML tags with the same [File_Control]...[/File_Control] LDML tag. This is okay to do. To create a directory, we would use the same code, except we don’t specify a filename and we make sure that the directory name ends with a / (forward slash). [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [File_Create: '/pathtofile/newdirectory/'] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

Instructions This example will take the user-entered input and add that data to the specified file and directory.

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135

1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as file_create.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) += (Addition assignment) -Username -ErrorCode [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Array->Split] [Array->Remove] [Loop_Count] [File_Control]...[/File_Control] [Client_Username]

$ (Global variable symbol) NULL -Password [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[/If] [Response_Filepath] [Array->Size] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Inline]...[/Inline] [File_CurrentError]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

[Output_None]

// Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim // to remove additional spaces. [Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments] // Setting page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Writing Files']

// Set username and password for file access [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = '']

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25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77.

// If no directory is given, use the current user directory [If: !(Action_Param: 'Directory')] [var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath)] [/If]

// Extract the current directory breakdown [Var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory')] [Var: 'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/')] [Var: 'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size)] [$CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray)] [Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null] [Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size] [If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null] [$CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))))] [/If] [/Loop] [$CurrentFolderPath += '/']

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'FileName')] Please type in a text string using both Upper and Lower case:

FileName to use:
Directory to use:
 Please tick to overwrite the file if it already exists.

Data to add to file:





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78. 79. 80. [Else] 81. 82. [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] 83. 84. [File_Control] 85. 86. [Var: 'Directory' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath)] 87. 88. [If: (File_Exists: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName) == false] 89. 90. [File_Create: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName] 91. 92. [/If] 93. 94. [If: (Var: 'OverWrite') == 'yes'] 95. 96. [File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, $FileText, -FileOverWrite, -EncodeNONE] 97. 98. [Else] 99. 100. [File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, ('\n' + $FileText), -EncodeNONE] 101. 102. [/If] 103. 104. [If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0] 105. 106.

The file [Output: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName] was created with No errors.

107.

Click Here to view the output.

108. 109. [Else] 110. 111.

The following error occurred: [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] 112. 113. [/If] 114. 115. [/File_Control] 116. 117. [/Inline] 118. 119. [/If] 120. 121. 122. 123. 124.

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LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments; // Setting page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Writing Files';

// Set username and password for file access Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = '';

// If no directory is given, use the current user directory If: !(Action_Param: 'Directory'); Var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath); /If;

// Extract the current directory breakdown Var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory'); Var:'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/'); Var:'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size); $CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray); Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null; Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size; If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null; $CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count)))); /If; /Loop; $CurrentFolderPath += '/';

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' +

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55. '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + 56. '\n' + 57. '\n'; 58. 59. Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; 60. 61. If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'FileName'); 62. 63. Output: 'Please type in a text string using both Upper and Lower case:
\n'; 64. 65. Output: '

\n' + 66. '\n' + 67. '
FileName to use: \n' + 68. '
Directory to use: \n' + 69. '
 Please tick to overwrite the file if it already exists.\n' + 70. '

Data to add to file:

\n' + 71. '
\n' + 72. '

\n'; 73. 74. Else; 75. 76. Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword; 77. 78. File_Control; 79. 80. Var: 'Directory' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath); 81. 82. 83. If: (File_Exists: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName) == false; 84. 85. File_Create: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName; 86. 87. /If; 88. 89. If: (Var: 'OverWrite') == 'yes'; 90. 91. File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, $FileText, -FileOverWrite; 92. 93. Else; 94. 95. File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, ('\n' + $FileText); 96. 97. /If; 98. 99. If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0; 100. 101. Output: '

The file ' + $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName + ' was created with No errors.

\n' + '

Click Here to view the output.

\n'; 102. 103. Else; 104.

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Output: '

The following error occurred: ' + (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) + ': ' + (File_CurrentError) + '\n'; /If; /File_Control; /Inline; /if; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

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141

Reading from Files When reading files, we have the option of using the [File_Read] LDML tag that will display the whole file, or we can use the [File_ReadLine] LDML tag that will display just a line from the chosen file. Again, as with all file tags, we need to ensure that we have the following: n

Permission to use the tag itself.

n

Permission to perform the file read operations.

n

Permission to work in the directory that contains the file.

Also, as with all file LDML tags, you will need to surround the [File_Read] or [File_ReadLine] LDML tags with the [File_Control]...[/File_Control] LDML tag. To authenticate the task, surround this with the [Inline]...[/Inline] LDML tag. [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/filename.txt') == true] [File_Read: '/pathtofile/filename.txt'] [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

To use the [File_ReadLine] LDML tag, we need to tell Lasso what line to read by passing the parameter -FileLineNumber: [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control]

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[If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/filename.txt') == true] [File_ReadLine: '/pathtofile/filename.txt', -FileLineNumber=1] [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

Optionally, we can tell Lasso that we only want to output the first ten characters of the requested line by using: [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/filename.txt') == true] [File_ReadLine: '/pathtofile/filename.txt', -FileLineNumber=1, -FileEndOfLine=10] [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as file_read.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples.

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3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) += (Addition assignment) -Username -ErrorCode [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Array->Split] [Array->Remove] [Loop_Count] [File_Control]...[/File_Control] [Client_Username]

$ (Global variable symbol) NULL -Password [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[/If] [response_filepath] [Array->Size] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Inline]...[/Inline] [File_CurrentError]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.

[Output_None] // Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim // to remove additional spaces. [Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments]

// Setting page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Create and Read Files']

// Set username and password for file access [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = '']

// If no directory is given, use the current user directory [If: !(Action_Param: 'Directory')] [Var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath)]

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30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81.

[/If]

// If no data is given, provide a space [If: !(Action_Param: 'FileText')] [Var: 'FileText' = ' '] [/If]

// Extract the current directory breakdown [Var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory')] [Var: 'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/')] [Var: 'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size)] [$CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray)] [Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null] [Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size] [If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null] [$CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))))] [/If] [/Loop] [$CurrentFolderPath += '/']

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'FileName')] Please type in a text string using both Upper and Lower case:

FileName to use:
Directory to use:
 Please check to overwrite the file if it already exists.
 Please check to view the file source once created.

Data to add to file:





Files and Directories

145

82. 83. 84.

85. 86. [Else] 87. 88. [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] 89. 90. [File_Control] 91. 92. [Var: 'Directory' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath)] 93. 94. [If: (File_Exists: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName) == false] 95. 96. [File_Create: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName] 97. 98. [/If] 99. 100. [If: (Var: 'OverWrite') == 'yes'] 101. 102. [File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, $FileText, -FileOverWrite, -EncodeNONE] 103. 104. [Else] 105. 106. [File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, ('\n' + $FileText), -EncodeNONE] 107. 108. [/If] 109. 110. [If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0] 111. 112.

The file [Output: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName] was created with No errors. The file is output below:

113. 114. [If: (Var: 'ViewSource') == 'yes'] 115. 116.

---

117. 118. File Source

119. 120. [File_Read: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, -EncodeBREAK] 121. 122.

---

123. 124. [/If] 125. 126.

Click Here to view the output of the file.

127. 128. [Else] 129. 130.

The following error occurred: [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] 131. 132. [/If] 133.

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134. [/File_Control] 135. 136. [/Inline] 137. 138. [/if] 139. 140. 141. 142. 143.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments;

// Setting page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Create and Read Files';

// Set username and password for file access

Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = '';

// If no directory is given, use the current user directory If: !(Action_Param: 'Directory'); Var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath); /If;

// If no data is given, provide a space If: !(Action_Param: 'FileText'); Var: 'FileText' = ' '; /If;

Files and Directories

44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88.

147

// Extract the current directory breakdown Var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory'); Var: 'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/'); Var: 'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size); $CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray); Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null; Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size; If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null; $CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count)))); /If; /Loop; $CurrentFolderPath += '/';

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n';

If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'FileName'); Output: 'Please type in a text string using both Upper and Lower case:
\n'; Output: '

\n' + '\n'; Output: '
FileName to use: \n' + '
Directory to use: \n' + '
 Please check to overwrite the file if it already exists.\n' + '
 Please check to view the file source once created.\n' + '

Data to add to file:

\n' + '
\n' + '

\n';

89. 90. 91. 92. Else; 93. 94. Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword;

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95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136.

File_Control; Var: 'Directory' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath); If: (File_Exists: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName) == false; File_Create: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName; /If; If: (Var: 'OverWrite') == 'yes'; File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, $FileText, -FileOverWrite, -EncodeNONE; Else; File_Write: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, ('\n' + $FileText), -EncodeNONE; /If; If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0; Output: '

The file ' + $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName + ' was created with No errors. The file is output below:

\n'; If: (Var: 'ViewSource') == 'yes'; Output: '

---

\n'; Output: 'File Source

\n'; File_Read: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, -EncodeBREAK; Output: '

---

\n'; /If; Output: '

Click here to view the output of the file.

\n'; Else; Output: '

The follow error occurred: ' + (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) + ': ' + (File_CurrentError)+ '\n';

137. 138. /If; 139. 140. /File_Control; 141. 142. /Inline; 143. 144. /if; 145. 146. Output: '\n' +

Files and Directories

147. '\n'; 148. 149. /Encode_Set; 150. 151. ?> 152. 153.

149

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Browsing Directories As you work with files on a remote server, it is useful to have a facility that allows you to browse through directories. Lasso offers the developer the [File_ListDirectory] LDML tag. Again, as with all file tags, we need to ensure that we have the following: n

Permission to use the tag itself.

n

Permission to perform the file read operations.

n

Permission to work in the directory that contains the file.

n

The filename extensions of the files that are being worked with must be allowed in Lasso Administration.

When the [File_ListDirectory] LDML tag is used, it outputs the list of files into an array: [File_ListDirectory: '/'] (Array: (index.lasso), (readme.txt))

Therefore, it is important to put this array into a variable to allow us to manipulate the data output to the user. [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [Var: 'Folder' = (File_ListDirectory: '/pathtodirectory/')] [Loop: ($Folder->size)] [Output:($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count)))]
[/Loop] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

This outputs: index.lasso readme.txt

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151

Instructions This example shows how to create a directory browser once file permissions have been determined. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as browse_directory.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) += (Addition assignment) -Username -ErrorCode [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Array->Split] [Array->Remove] [Loop_Count] [File_Control]...[/File_Control] [Client_Username]

$ (Global variable symbol) NULL -Password [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[/If] [response_filepath] [Array->Size] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Inline]...[/Inline] [File_CurrentError]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

[Output_None] // This example shows how to create a 'directory browser' to view and edit remote // files. // Setting variables for the response of the form when needed. [Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var: (Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments] // Setting page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Directory Browsing']

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18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73.

// If no directory is given, use the current user directory [If: !(Action_Param: 'Directory')] [Var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath)] [/If] // Extract the current directory breakdown [Var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory')] [Var: 'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/')] [Var: 'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size)] [$CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray)] [Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null] [Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size] [If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null] [$CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))))] [/If] [/Loop] [$CurrentFolderPath += '/'] // Extract the parent directory folder

[Var: 'ParentFolderPath' = Null] [Var: 'CurrentFolderLoopCount' = $CurrentFolderGrabArray->(size)] [Loop: ($CurrentFolderLoopCount - 1)] [If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null] [$ParentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))))] [/If] [/Loop] [$ParentFolderPath += '/']

[/Output_None]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

Files and Directories

74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90.

153

Please provide the Username and Password for File Permissions, with the Directory you would like to access, the current directory is shown.

Username		Password
Directory

91. 92. 93. 94. 95.

96. 97.

---

98. 99. [If: (Action_Param: 'process')] 100. 101. 102. 103. [inline:-Username=$ClientUser,-Password=$ClientPass] 104. 105. [File_Control] 106. 107. 108. [Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE] 109. [Var: 'Folder' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath)] 110. 111. 112. 113.

Viewing: [Output:( '' + 121. $CurrentFolderPath + 122. '')] 123. 124. [If: (Var: 'File') == '1'] 125. [Var: 'FileName'] 126. [/If] 127.

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128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182.

[If: ($CurrentFolderLoopCount > 1) && (Var: 'FileRead') != '1']

[Output:( 'Parent Path: ' + $ParentFolderPath + '')]

[/If]

---

[If: (Var: 'File') != '1']

[$Folder->size] Files Found

[Loop: ($Folder->size)] [If: (File_IsDirectory: ($CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder-> (Get:(Loop_Count))))) == true]

Files and Directories

183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. 214. 215. 216. 217. 218. 219. 220. 221. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227. 228. 229. 230. 231. 232. 233. 234. 235.

155

[Else] [/If] [/Loop]

Name	Type	Size	Created	Modified
[Output:( '(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '&ClientUser=' + $ClientUser + '&ClientPass=' + $ClientPass + '">' + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '')]	Folder	[Output:( '(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '&ClientUser=' + $ClientUser + '&ClientPass=' + $ClientPass + '&FileName=' + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '">' + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '')]	File	[File_GetSize: $CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count)))]	[File_CreationDate: $CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder-> (Get:(Loop_Count)))]	[File_ModDate: $CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count)))]

[If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0]

Sorry, the following error occurred: Directory Browsing: [File_CurrentError]

[/If]

[Else] [If: (Var: 'FileRead') == '1']

[File_Read: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, -EncodeBREAK] [If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0]

Sorry, the following error occurred: File Read: [File_CurrentError]

[/If] [/If]

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[/If]

---

[/Encode_Set] [/File_Control] [/Inline] [/If]



LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments; // Setting page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Directory Browsing';

// If no directory is given, use the current user directory If: !(Action_Param: 'Directory'); Var: 'Directory' = (response_filepath); /If; // Extract the current directory breakdown var: 'CurrentFolderStart' = (var:'Directory'); var:'CurrentFolderGrabArray' = $CurrentFolderStart->(Split: '/'); var:'CurrentFolderArray' = ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->size); $CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Remove: $CurrentFolderArray); Var: 'CurrentFolderPath' = Null;

Files and Directories

33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86.

157

Loop: $CurrentFolderGrabArray->size; If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null; $CurrentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count)))); /If; /Loop; $CurrentFolderPath += '/'; // Extract the parent directory folder Var: 'ParentFolderPath' = Null; Var: 'CurrentFolderLoopCount' = $CurrentFolderGrabArray->(size); Loop: ($CurrentFolderLoopCount - 1); If: ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count))) != Null; $ParentFolderPath += ('/' + ($CurrentFolderGrabArray->(Get:(Loop_Count)))); /If; /Loop; $ParentFolderPath += '/';

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n';

Output: '

Please provide the Username and Password for File ' + 'Permissions, with the Directory you would like to access, the ' + 'current directory is shown.

\n'; Output: '

\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' +

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87. 88. 89. 90.

'\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '

Username		Password
Directory

\n' +

91. 92. 93. 94. 95. '

\n'; 96. 97. Output: '

---

\n'; 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. If: (Action_Param: 'process'); 103. 104. Inline:-Username=$ClientUser, -Password=$ClientPass; 105. 106. File_Control; 107. 108. Var: 'Folder' = (File_ListDirectory: $CurrentFolderPath); 109. 110. 111. 112. Output: '

Viewing: ' + 120. $CurrentFolderPath + 121. '

\n'; 122. 123. 124. If: (Var: 'File') == '1'; 125. 126. (Var: 'FileName'); 127. 128. /If; 129. 130. Output: '

'; 131. 132. 133. 134. If: ($CurrentFolderLoopCount > 1) && (Var: 'FileRead') != '1'; 135. 136. Output: '

Parent Path:
Files and Directories

142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196.

159

'&ClientPass=' + $ClientPass + '">' + $ParentFolderPath + '

\n';

/If; Output: '

---

\n'; If: (Var: 'File') != '1'; Output: '

' + ($Folder->size) + ' Files Found

\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n';

Loop: ($Folder)->(Size); Output: '\n'; If: (File_IsDirectory: ($CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count))))) == true; Output: '\n';

Output: '\n'; Else; Output: '\n'; Output: '\n'; /If; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '\n';

211. 212. 213. 214. 215. 216. 217. 218. 219. 220. 221. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227. 228. 229. 230. 231. 232. 233. 234. 235. 236. 237. 238. 239. 240. 241. 242. 243. 244. 245. 246. 247.

Output: '\n'; /Loop;

Output: '

Name	Type	Size	Created	Modified
(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '&ClientUser=' + $ClientUser + '&ClientPass=' + $ClientPass + '">' + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '	Folder	(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '&ClientUser=' + 160 Chapter 8 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. $ClientUser + '&ClientPass=' + $ClientPass + '&FileName=' + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '">' + ($Folder->(Get:(Loop_Count))) + '	File	' + (File_GetSize: $CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder-> (Get:(Loop_Count)))) + '	' + (File_CreationDate: $CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder-> (Get:(Loop_Count)))) + '	' + (File_ModDate: $CurrentFolderPath + ($Folder-> (Get:(Loop_Count)))) + '

\n'; If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0; Output: '

Sorry, the following error occurred: Directory Browsing: ' + (File_CurrentError) + '

\n'; /If;

Else;

If: (Var: 'FileRead') == '1';

(File_Read: $CurrentFolderPath + $FileName, -EncodeBREAK); If: (File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0; Output: '

Sorry, the following error occurred: File Read: ' + (File_CurrentError) + '

\n'; /If; /If;

/If;

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248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258. 259. 260. 261. 262. 263. 264. 265. 266. 267.

Output: '

---

\n';

/File_Control; /Inline; /If;

Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

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Uploading Files One feature that is new to Lasso is the [File_Uploads] LDML tag, which allows a developer to build applications that can receive uploaded files in a given directory. In order to allow users to upload a file to the server, we need to use an HTML form similar to this:

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When a file is uploaded to the server using

, it gets placed in a temporary folder, and [File_Uploads] on the response page supplies Lasso with some data in an array of maps. In the sequence of uploading files it is necessary to check that a file has been uploaded. To do this, we check the size of the array: [If: (File_Uploads)->(Size) > 0]

If it is greater than 0, we know that there is file information ready for us to collect from the array. To access that data we can use the following member tags: Upload.Name = The path to the temporary location of the file. Upload.Size = The size of the file in bytes. Upload.Type = The MIME type of the file. Upload.RealName = The name of the file that was uploaded. For example, to allow us to set a variable against the name of the temporary file path we would use: [Var:'TempFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count->Find:'upload.name')]

Once the file is uploaded, the file needs to be moved to the directory of choice. To allow for OS X file permission restrictions we use the a combination of the [File_Create], [File_Read], and [File_Copy] LDML tags. Like all previous file tags, this needs permissions and to be surrounded by the [File_Control]...[/File_Control] LDML tag. [Inline: -Username='FileUsername', -Password='FilePassword'] [File_Control [File_Create: 'NewFilePath', -FileOverWrite] [File_Write: 'NewFilePath', (File_read: 'TempFilePath')] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

Before it can work, Lasso needs to know the full file path to move the script to, including the filename. With some browsers, the Upload.RealName member tag sends the full path, but because we only want the name of the file, we need to set a script to extract this information just in case the full path is given: [Var:'OriginalFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count-> Find:'upload.realname')] [Var:'SetNameGrabArray' = $OriginalFilePath->(Split: '\\')]

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[Var:'ActualFileNameArray' = $SetNameGrabArray->(Size)] [Var:'ActualFileName' = $SetNameGrabArray->(Get: $ActualFileNameArray)]

Now the variable ActualFileName will contain the actual filename that was uploaded. This allows us to add it to the directory path we want the file to be moved to: [Var:'NewFilePath' = $UploadDirectoryPath + $ActualFileName]

The full script would look like this:

[If: (File_Uploads)->(Size) > 0] [Var:

'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = '', 'UploadDirectoryPath' = '/Uploads/']

[Loop: (File_Uploads->Size)] [Var:'TempFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count-> Find:'upload.name')] [Var:'OriginalFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count-> Find:'upload.realname')] [Var:'SetNameGrabArray' = $OriginalFilePath->(Split: '\\')] [Var:'ActualFileNameArray' = $SetNameGrabArray->(Size)] [Var:'ActualFileName' = $SetNameGrabArray-> (Get: $ActualFileNameArray)] [Var:'NewFilePath' = $UploadDirectoryPath + $ActualFileName] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [File_Create: $NewFilePath, -FileOverWrite]

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[File_Write: $NewFilePath, (File_read: $TempFilePath)] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/File_Control] [/Inline] [/Loop] [/If]

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as file_upload.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) += (Addition assignment) -Username -ErrorCode [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Array->Split] [Array->Remove] [Loop_Count] [File_Control]...[/File_Control] [File_Uploads]

$ (Global variable symbol) NULL -Password [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[/If] [Response_Filepath] [Array->Size] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Inline]...[/Inline] [File_CurrentError] [File_Move]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. //Setting page title 04. 05. [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'File Upload'] 06. 07. //Setting Variables for the example 08.

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09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63.

[var: 'Path' = '/LP5Book/examples/']

//Upload folder path from your web root

[var: 'FileUsername' = '']

//Username for file permissions

[var: 'FilePassword' = '']

//Password for file permissions

[/Output_None]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: (File_Uploads)->(Size) == 0]

[Else] [Inline:-Username=$FileUsername,-Password=$FilePassword] [Loop: (File_Uploads)->(Size)] [Var:'OriginalFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count-> Find:'upload.realname')] [Var:'TempFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count->Find:'upload.name')] [Var:'SetNameGrabArray' = $OriginalFilePath->(Split: '\\')] [Var:'ActualFileNameArray' = ($SetNameGrabArray)->(Size)] [Var:'ActualFileName' = $SetNameGrabArray->(Get: $ActualFileNameArray)] [Var:'NewFilePath' = $path + $ActualFileName] [File_Control]

[File_Create: $NewFilePath, -FileOverWrite] [File_Write: $NewFilePath, (File_read: $TempFilePath)] [/File_Control]

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64. [/Loop] 66. 67. [/Inline] 68. 69. 70.

Please click here to view or download the uploaded file called: 71. [Output: $ActualFileName]

72. 73. [/If] 74. 75. 76. 77.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.


//Upload folder path from your web root

var: 'FileUsername' = '';

//Username for file permissions

var: 'FilePassword' = '';

//Password for file permissions

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE;

Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n';

If: (File_Uploads)->(Size) == 0; Output: '

\n' + '\n' + '
\n' + '\n' + '

\n';

32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. Else; 38. 39. Inline:-Username=$FileUsername,-Password=$FilePassword;

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40. 41. 42. 43.

Loop: (File_Uploads)->(Size); Var:'OriginalFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count-> Find:'upload.realname');

44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81.

v

Var:'TempFilePath' = (File_Uploads->Get:Loop_Count->Find:'upload.name'); Var:'SetNameGrabArray' = $OriginalFilePath->(Split: '\\'); Var:'ActualFileNameArray' = ($SetNameGrabArray)->(Size); Var:'ActualFileName' = $SetNameGrabArray->(Get: $ActualFileNameArray); Var:'NewFilePath' = $path + $ActualFileName; File_Control;

File_Create: $NewFilePath, -FileOverWrite; File_Write: $NewFilePath, (File_read: $TempFilePath); /File_Control;

/Loop; /inline;

Output: '

Please click here to view or download the uploaded file called: ' + $ActualFileName + '

'; /if;

Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; //Close the encoding

?>

Note I have used both and [] Square Bracket syntax within the example to show you how easy it is to work with both of them and keep the HTML templates separate from the .

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Renaming and Deleting Files and Directories When deleting files and directories, we use the [File_Delete] LDML tag. Again, as with all file tags, we need to ensure that we have the following: n

Permission to use the tag itself.

n

Permission to perform the file read operations.

n

Permission to work in the directory that contains the file.

n

The filename extensions of the files that are being worked with must be allowed in Lasso Administration.

Also, as with all file LDML tags, you will need to surround the [File_Read] or [File_ReadLine] LDML tags with the [File_Control]...[/File_Control] LDML tag. To authenticate the task, surround this with the [Inline]...[/Inline] LDML tag. [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control]

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[If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/filename.txt') == true] [File_Delete: '/pathtofile/filename.txt'] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/filename.txt') == false]
The file was deleted successfully. [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

To delete a directory, we use the same code, except we don’t specify a filename and we make sure that the directory name ends with a / (forward slash). [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/directory/') == true] [File_Delete: '/pathtofile/directory/'] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/directory/') == false]
The directory was deleted successfully [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError]

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[/If] [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

To rename files and directories the same rules apply as with all other file tags, except we use the [File_Rename] LDML tag and specify the new name of the file: [Var: 'FileUsername' = '', 'FilePassword' = ''] [Inline: -Username=$FileUsername, -Password=$FilePassword] [File_Control] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/filename.txt') == true] [File_Rename: '/pathtofile/filename.txt', 'newname.txt'] [If: (File_Exists:'/pathtofile/newname.txt') == true]
The file was renamed successfully [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [Else] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]: [File_CurrentError] [/If] [/File_Control] [/Inline]

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Chapter 9

Databases Databases and Lasso As a developer building Internet, intranet, and extranet web sites, you are going to need somewhere to store the data that you will be using in the applications. Although using static pages to output data on the web site is okay, it is not extendable, so if you wanted to create another page with the same layout but different content, you would have to write another file to output it. Using databases allows you to store information that relates to the same structure, and then Lasso can extract that data when required and display it to the user. We call these types of applications content driven or dynamic. The majority of web sites that you use every day, like search engines, shopping carts, and business directories, all use a database and middleware like Lasso to allow the user to interact with it through a browser. Lasso Professional 5 already has a built-in database application ready for you to use called Lasso MySQL. This is the same as MySQL, except that you are automatically covered by any licensing issues when deploying MySQL with your commercial applications. Lasso also has built-in connectors that allow you to use third-party datasources directly through the Lasso Administration Control Panel. This makes a default setup of Lasso ready to connect to the following datasources: n Lasso MySQL n

FileMaker Pro version 4+

n

MySQL

To allow other databases to use Lasso, you will need to have a third-party connector installed to enable the connection to be allowed. For information on web sites that can offer assistance on where to find these connectors, please visit Appendix E.

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While this book covers the majority of elements required to get started with Lasso and build applications and scripts, it is not designed as an administration guide for installation and setup. Chapter 14, “Lasso Administration,” will assist you in getting your databases connected to Lasso and take you through setting up group and user access to both databases and tables, but I also recommend reading the documentation that comes with Lasso. Whether you have administration privileges on the server or not, the basic principles will apply. Each database you connect to Lasso needs to be enabled. If the database is not enabled, then no access will be given to interact with the database. The default user in Lasso is “Anonymous” under the Lasso Administration panel. This user can be found in the group “Anyuser” and has the same level as any person from the Internet viewing a web page on your web site when you don’t assign any username or password to your database query commands. Lasso allows you to set permissions to allow the default user to carry out certain tasks including searching, adding, updating, and deleting records, and creating other users and groups. This username and password is not the username and password someone uses when accessing a web page, but it is used in the Lasso command that talks to the database to carry out the task. This is covered in detail in Chapter 14. It is a good security procedure to require usernames and passwords for users on the Lasso server, as this will ensure that if anyone wanted to carry out a query on a database they would need to know the username and password given by the server administrator. The following sections in this chapter will give examples using the administrator username and password. Then it will show you how to implement the examples on a remote server where you may not have administration rights. This is covered more in depth in Chapter 14.

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Connecting to a Database Before we start creating records in our database, we should start planning what we intend to do with our database, what we will offer users, and what we will output to users if our database is down for a short period of time. The first step is to find out if our database exists. Use your administration username and password with the following examples. As with files, we will be using the LDML tag [Inline]...[/Inline] to instruct Lasso to communicate with our database. The following example shows how to find out if a database is available using the administrator username and password: [Var:

'ClientDBUsername' = 'administrator', 'ClientDBPassword' = 'xxxxx']

[Inline: -Username=$ClientDBUsername, -Password=$ClientDBPassword] [Database_Names] [Database_NameItem] [/Database_Names] [/Inline]

This outputs using the administrator username and password: lasso_internal site Contacts lasso_admin LDML5_Reference MyResume

If we wanted to check that one particular database existed, we would use the following: [Var:

'ClientDBUsername' = 'administrator', 'ClientDBPassword' = 'xxxxx']

[Inline: -Username=$ClientDBUsername, -Password=$ClientDBPassword] [Database_Names] [If: (Database_NameItem) == 'MyResume'] [Var: 'DBexists' = 'True']

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[/If] [/Database_Names] [If: (Var:'DBexists') == 'True'] Database Exists [Else] No Database [/If] [/Inline]

This outputs using the administrator username and password: Database Exists

Now that we can find our database, we know that we can work with it. You may wish to use these examples on your applications so that if the database is not available when a user visits a web site, you can output that the database is currently being updated. If the database is available, then you can include the page the user expected to see.

Lasso MySQL — Creating a Database To take you through creating a database with Lasso Professional 5, I will presume that you are working on a development machine and have access to the Lasso Administration Control Panel. The database we will develop will be a resumé builder called MyResumé, which will allow you to insert a user (yourself) with past work experience examples. This example should allow you to cover all of the basic database commands such as -Add, -Update, -Search, and -Delete. Once we have constructed our database and have a working copy, I will then cover the alternative scripting method using SQL (Structured Query Language). To start, follow the instructions below and use the images to ensure that you are at the correct point to move forward. 1. Type in the URL to launch your Lasso Administration Control Panel. If you are not currently logged in, you will be presented with an authentication dialog box.

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2. Type in the administrator username and password. Once you have entered in the correct username and password, you will be shown the following screen.

Each element of the control panel is broken down by heading tabs from row one to row three. If I need you to click a tab, I will write it like “Level One > Level Two > Level Three,” with the last level shown indicating the tab I would like you to click on. 3. Click on the Build tab. Your screen should now display the following:

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4. Type MyResume in the Name text box. We will leave the status as Enabled, as this will ensure that the database is available to us automatically. 5. Click Create Database.

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Now you will see the database MyResume appear within the database list on the response page, provided you do not have more than the default number of databases set up. We have just created a folder called MyResume on the database server, Lasso MySQL, which will allow us to group any tables together and keep them within the same folder.

Lasso MySQL — Creating a Table In order to store data, we now need to create what is called a table. A table allows us to appoint fields within a table in order to store data values. Think of a table as a form that will contain our fields and data. To create a table within our example database MyResume, please proceed to the following location in your administration panel: Build > Databases

and click on the database MyResume. (You may already be there if you followed the directions in the previous section.) Your screen should look like this:

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1. Click on Create Table on the right side of the screen. 2. Type the table name Users. 3. Click Create Table. Now your screen will display the following:

We have now created three files within our MyResume database folder: n

users.frm

n

users.MYD

n

users.MYI

Each of these files have a purpose: n

The users.frm file will contain the structure of our table, or the form layout.

n

The users.MYD file is the data storage file that will contain all the data that is stored within our users table.

n

The users.MYI file is the index file of our users table. Indexing is covered in more depth in the next section.

Before we start creating our fields, we will create the remaining tables, History and Examples. 4. Click on Create Table. 5. Type the table name History. 6. Click on Create Table.

Databases

7. Click on Create Table. 8. Type the table name Examples. 9. Click on Create Table. Your screen should now look like this:

Our database structure will now look like this, with each table containing the three files: .frm, .MYD, and .MYI.

v

Note While you may feel that covering the effect of creating a table on a system is fairly advanced, it is important that you understand the basic principles of what happens when creating your application.

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Lasso MySQL — Creating a Field Each table that is created in Lasso MySQL automatically creates a field called ID. This field is an auto_increment integer field that will increment by one number every time a record is added to a table. This field is also the key field that is used every time we want to update or delete a record within a table. When we create fields in Lasso MySQL, we have the option of telling Lasso what data is contained within the field. This ensures that a minimum amount of space is wasted and offers an increase in performance. The field type options given are: Data Type INT BIGINT FLOAT DOUBLE CHAR(length) VARCHAR(length) TEXT BLOB DATE TIME DATETIME TIMESTAMP

Description For storing integers less than 2 billion. 32-bit. Recommended. For storing very large integers. 64-bit. For storing short decimal values. 32-bit. For storing long decimal values. 64-bit. Recommended. For storing fixed length strings of the specified length. Length can be from 0 to 255. Variable length string of the specified length. Length can be from 1 to 255. Text or binary data. Up to 64 KB in length. Text or binary data. Up to 64 KB in length. Stores a MySQL date string. YYYY-MM-DD format. Stores a MySQL time string. HH:MM:SS format. Stores a MySQL date and time string. YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format. MySQL time stamp for modification date.

The first table created in our example was Users. Within this table we are going to create the following fields (beside each field name I have given a description and data type I will use when we create the fields within the Users table): Field Name users_date_created users_date_modified users_firstname users_lastname users_emailaddress users_profile users_password

Description Date record created Date record modified First name of the record owner Last name of the record owner Email address of the record owner* Profile of the record owner* Password of the record owner*

I have indicated which fields we will be indexing with an *.

Data Type DateTime DateTime Varchar(100) Varchar(100) Varchar(100) Text Varchar(255)

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Now that we have our field structure for the Users table, we can start adding them. Within the Lasso Administration Control Panel, please go to: Build > Database Builder > Databases > MyResume > List Tables > users

(You may already be there if you followed the instructions in the previous section.) Your screen should look like this:

1. Click on Create Field to the right of the screen. Now you will be introduced to the field creator that allows you to create fields within the selected table. In this case it is Users. Each element of this form has a purpose. Before we start creating our fields, I will quickly go through what each element of the form is for. Table Name Status Data Type Data Size Auto Enter

Allows you to choose which table the field will be added to. The name of the field you wish to create. Allows you to enable or disable the field. The data type the field is going to store. Data types CHAR and VARCHAR can restrict the maximum length of data inserted into the field (optional). Any value entered here will be automatically entered into the field when a record is created (optional; TEXT and BLOB data types cannot use Auto Enter values).

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Unsigned Integer If the field is an INT data type, then selecting Yes will not allow negative values to be stored. Case Sensitive If the field is a CHAR or VARCHAR data type, then selecting Yes will cause all searches on the field to require the correct case before returning data. Nulls OK If you select Yes, then the field will be blank if no data is passed to it. Otherwise, a value of 0 will be entered. Index If Yes is selected, this will index the field and enable faster searching and processing. This field will be added to the .MYI file, as covered briefly earlier.

2. Click on Create Field to the right of the screen. 3. Type users_date_created into the Name text box. 4. Select DateTime from the Data Type drop-down list. 5. Click on Create Field. After the response page has appeared, the following message will appear before the field creation table: The field "users_date_created" was created successfully.

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This indicates that the field was successfully created. Also, the Data Type drop-down menu has now defaulted with DateTime as this was the last data type created. Now let’s start creating the rest of the fields: 6. Type users_date_modified into the Name text box. 7. Select DateTime from the Data Type drop-down list. 8. Click on Create Field. 9. Type in users_firstname into the Name text box. 10. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 11. Type 50 into the Data Size text box. 12. Click on Create Field. 13. Type in users_lastname into the Name text box. 14. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 15. Type 50 into the Data Size text box. 16. Click on Create Field. 17. Type in users_emailaddress into the Name text box. 18. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 19. Type 100 into the Data Size text box. 20. Select Yes next to Index. We have selected Yes next to this field since we are going to be searching for it. Index any field you are going to search against. 21. Click on Create Field. 22. Type users_profile into the Name text box. 23. Select Text from the Data Type drop-down list. 24. Select Yes next to Index. 25. Click on Create Field. 26. Type users_password into the Name text box. 27. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 28. Type 255 into the Data Size text box. We have selected 255 because we are going to encrypt the password using MD5. 29. Select Yes next to Case Sensitive. 30. Select Yes next to Index. 31. Click on Create Field. 32. Click on List Fields.

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The screen that appers, similar to the following, displays a full overview of the Users table and the fields that we just created.

Now that we have completed the first table of the three, let’s continue with the remaining two: History and Examples. These tables will be relating the Users table, so you will notice a field called users_id. We use this field to connect the tables History and Examples to Users. Since we are using the ID of the Users table, we do not need to duplicate any data between the tables. This saves confusion, wasted space, and development time.

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Here is the breakdown for the History table: Field Name history_date_created history_date_modified users_id history_title history_date_start history_date_end history_description history_status

Description Date record created Date record modified The related user record id* Title of the history record* Date of history start period* Date of history end period* Description of history* Status of history record*

Data Type DateTime DateTime Int Varchar(150) Date Date Text Int

I have indicated which fields we will be indexing with an *. Within the Lasso Administration Control Panel, please go to: Build > Database Builder > Databases > MyResume > List Tables > history

1. Click on Create Field to the right of the screen. 2. Type history_date_created into the Name text box. 3. Select DateTime from the Data Type drop-down list. 4. Click on Create Field. 5. Click on Create Field. 6. Type history_date_modified into the Name text box. 7. Select DateTime from the Data Type drop-down list. 8. Click on Create Field. 9. Click on Create Field. 10. Type users_id into the Name text box. 11. Select Int from the Data Type drop-down list. 12. Select Yes next to Index. 13. Click on Create Field. 14. Type history_title into the Name text box. 15. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 16. Type 150 into the Data Size text box. 17. Select Yes next to Index. 18. Click on Create Field. 19. Click on Create Field. 20. Type history_date_start into the Name text box. 21. Select Date from the Data Type drop-down list.

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22. Select Yes next to Index. 23. Click on Create Field. 24. Click on Create Field. 25. Type history_date_end into the Name text box. 26. Select Date from the Data Type drop-down list. 27. Select Yes next to Index. 28. Click on Create Field. 29. Click on Create Field. 30. Type history_description into the Name text box. 31. Select Text from the Data Type drop-down list. 32. Select Yes next to Index. 33. Click on Create Field. 34. Click on Create Field. 35. Type history_status into the Name text box. 36. Select Int from the Data Type drop-down list. 37. Type 0 (zero) in the box next to Auto Enter. We will be using 0 for not enabled and 1 for enabled within the example application, so every time a new record is created it will need to be enabled via the interface we build. 38. Select No next to Nulls OK. 39. Select Yes next to Index. 40. Click on Create Field. 41. Click on List Fields. You should now see the screen shown at the top of the following page, which displays a full overview of the History table and the fields that we just created. Now for the Examples table: Field Name examples_date_created examples_date_modified history_id examples_title examples_type examples_link examples_status

Description Date record created Date record modified The related history record id* Title of examples record Type of examples record Example link Status of examples record*

I have indicated which fields we will be indexing with an *.

Data Type DateTime DateTime Int Varchar(150) Varchar(150) Varchar(150) Int

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Within the Lasso Administration Control Panel, please go to: Build > Database Builder > Databases > MyResume > List Tables > examples

1. Click on Create Field to the right of the screen. 2. Type examples_date_created into the Name text box. 3. Select DateTime from the Data Type drop-down list. 4. Click on Create Field. 5. Click on Create Field. 6. Type examples_date_modified into the Name text box. 7. Select DateTime from the Data Type drop-down list. 8. Click on Create Field. 9. Click on Create Field. 10. Type history_id into the Name text box. 11. Select Int from the Data Type drop-down list. 12. Select Yes next to Index. 13. Click on Create Field. 14. Type examples_title into the Name text box.

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15. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 16. Type 150 into the Data Size text box. 17. Click on Create Field. 18. Type examples_type into the Name text box. 19. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 20. Type 150 into the Data Size text box. 21. Click on Create Field. 22. Type examples_link into the Name text box. 23. Select Varchar from the Data Type drop-down list. 24. Type 150 into the Data Size text box. 25. Click on Create Field. 26. Click on Create Field. 27. Type examples_status into the Name text box. 28. Select Int from the Data Type drop-down list. 29. Type 0 (zero) in the box next to Auto Enter. 30. Select No next to Nulls OK. 31. Select Yes next to Index. 32. Click on Create Field. 33. Click on List Fields. Let’s call this Lasso MYSQL 101. You should now see the following screen displaying a full overview of the Examples table and the fields that we just created. The database is completed, and now we are ready to start working with it using Lasso.

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Note I have not gone overboard with the fields, as these examples are to take you through the procedure of creating a database, table, and field. If you want to add more fields to the examples, please do so.

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Using -Add Lasso provides a selection of database action command LDML tags to allow records to be added, updated, deleted, and searched. -Add -Search -Update -Delete

When using these tags, we need to ensure that the correct syntax is given and the correct username and password are used so that we have permissions to access the database. An example of using the -Add command with an [Inline]...[/Inline] will look like this: [Inline: -Add, -Username='username', -Password='password', -Database='DBname',

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-Table='TableName', -KeyField='ID', 'fieldname'='Value'] [/Inline]

The -Username and -Password tags are only required if you are setting permissions, but it is good practice to get into the habit of using them within all of your inlines. Also, you will notice that I have added another tag called -KeyField. This is a good habit to get into. As when working with tables in databases like Lasso MySQL and MySQL, you need to tell Lasso what the primary key field is in case you want to update or delete the record. When working with the action command tags, it is very useful to combine the result with the [Error_CurrentError] LDML tag, as this will let you know what the status of the -Add action was and if there were any errors. If the error matches No Error, then we know that there was no error in the previous action given to Lasso. The following is an example of an -Add [Inline]: [Inline: -Add, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', 'users_firstname'='Duncan', 'users_lastname'='Cameron'] Error: [Error_CurrentError] [/Inline]

As you can see, we are telling Lasso to add the data contained within the variables called firstname and lastname and then output the error status of the add command. Notice that I have used the -KeyField command again. This tells Lasso what the primary key field is. For example, if we want to display the record directly from the database after it has just been added, we would use the -KeyField and [KeyField_Value] tags. In FileMaker, this would be known as the [Recordid_Value]. The -KeyField tells Lasso the value of the primary field when we want to find that exact record again. Then we tell Lasso to search the database for the [KeyField_Value] given by the -KeyField tag in the previous inline. This will work because the first [Inline] surrounds all the code:

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[Inline: -Add, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='id', 'users_firstname'='Duncan', 'users_lastname'='Cameron'] [If:(Error_CurrentError) == (Error_NoError)] [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -keyfield='id', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value), -Maxrecords=1] [If: (Found_Count) == 1]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Else]
No Records Found. [/If] [/Inline] [Else] Error: [Error_currenterror] [/If] [/Inline]

When a record is added to a FileMaker Pro database, there is no need to do a search on the [KeyField_Value] because FileMaker Pro automatically performs a search for the record that was just added.

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Note Full examples of the -Add command can be found in Appendix D.

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A common error when using inlines is forgetting to include the - hyphen on the tags like: -Database -Table -Username -Password -Add -KeyField

Another error is putting a hyphen next to a field name: -fieldname='value'

This should be: 'fieldname'='value'

Using -Findall and -Search Database searching is the most used element of any database application. You will find working with Lasso to be very easy and straightforward for getting the results you want. Lasso again uses the [Inline]...[/Inline] tag to allow you to give your requirements against the database and table in question, and then it allows you to list the results using the [Records]...[/Records] LDML tag. As with the [Loop]...[/Loop] tag, [Records]...[/Records] will continue to output each element of information it is told to output between the tag. For example, if we wanted to find all of the records in a database but only output the first ten records, we would use the following example: [Inline: -Findall, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -Maxrecords=10] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records]

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[/Inline]

As you can see, we have told Lasso to -Findall of the records and output the first ten records using the -Maxrecords LDML tag. If no -Maxrecords is used within an [Inline]...[/Inline], then Lasso defaults the output to 50 records. If we wanted Lasso to output all of the records between the [Records]...[/Records] tag, we would use -Maxrecords='all'. [Inline: -Findall, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -Maxrecords='all'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

Since some tables will contain a lot of data, it is advisable to use the -ReturnField tag that will allow you to ask Lasso to only output data contained within those fields. For example, because we have asked Lasso to output the fields users_firstname and users_lastname, we can set the [Inline]...[/Inline] and only output the data from those files: [Inline: -Findall, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Maxrecords='all'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

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This will ensure that no time is wasted by Lasso looking at any other fields contained within the database. The -ReturnField feature will not work with FileMaker Pro. If we wanted to output only how many records where found by the -Findall command, we would use the [Found_Count] LDML tag, as this outputs the records found against the action contained within the [Inline]...[/Inline]. For example: [Inline: -Findall, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID']
Total records found was [Found_Count]. [/Inline]

Now that we know how to output all of the records contained within a database table, we can move on to the -Search action command tag. When searching databases, there are a few differences in what type of search you can perform as Lasso provides field operators, such as: bw = Begins with. Default if no operator is set cn = Contains ew = Ends with eq = Equals gt = Greater than gte = Greater than or equals lt = Less than lte = Less than or equals neq = Not equals By default, if you don’t specify an operator, Lasso will use bw. This means that any fields you search against will match any fields that begin with your search query. [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Operator='bw', 'users_firstname'='D',

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-Operator='ew', 'users_lastname'='ron'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

You will see that I have used the -Operator tag before the field that I want it to search against. This can also be written as -Op='bw' and -Op='ew'. We have asked Lasso to find all records where the users_firstname field begins with “D” and the users_lastname field ends with “ron.” It will do this because of what we call logical operators. Logical operators are commands that tell Lasso to find records that match the request. The previous -Search example asked the following: -Operator='bw', 'users_firstname'='D', -Operator='ew', 'users_lastname'='ron'

By default, Lasso will give the logical operator “and” so Lasso would read it like this: -Operator='bw', 'users_firstname'='D', -OpLogical='and', -Operator='ew', 'users_lastname'='ron'

If we wanted to find records that matched one request or the other request, we would need to state this within the -Search like this: [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Operator='bw', 'users_firstname'='D', -OpLogical='OR', -Operator='ew', 'users_lastname'='ron'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records]

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[/Inline]

This would now find records that matched one or the other field matches. The available logical operators that can be used are: AND OR Lasso also offers a more definitive alternative to search at field level that uses the following command tags: -OperatorBegin -OperatorEnd These tags allow you to carry out a search within a search. Let’s say we wanted to find records that: ( (users_firstname begins with D) AND (users_lastname begins with D) ) OR ( (users_firstname begins with C) AND (users_lastname begins with C) ) They would be written like this: [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -OpBegin='OR', -OpBegin='AND', 'users_firstname'='D', 'users_lastname'='D', -OpEnd='AND', -OpBegin='AND', 'users_firstname'='C', 'users_lastname'='C', -OpEnd='AND', -OpEnd='OR'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

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If we want to omit records from our search, we can use the command NOT. This must only be used within the -OpBegin and -OpEnd command tags and will not work when used with -OpLogical. An example is: [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -OpBegin='NOT', 'users_firstname'='Duncan', -OpEnd='NOT'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

The -OpBegin and -OpEnd tags do not work with Lasso Connector for FileMaker Pro. When we search our records, we may want to sort the results. We can do this by using the -SortField and -SortOrder tags. What these tags do is allow you to select a field that you want to sort the results by. You can sort them in either ascending or descending order. One important note to remember is that if you are sorting by numbers, you must ensure that the field is an integer type. Otherwise, it will sort as a string field. An example of using the sorting option is: [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Operator='cn', 'users_firstname'='D', -Sortfield='users_firstname', -Sortorder='Ascending']

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[Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

If you wanted to have the results sorted by one field, and then sorted by another and so on, just add more sort options: [Inline: -FindAll, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Sortfield='users_lastname', -Sortorder='Ascending', -Sortfield='users_firstname', -Sortorder='Descending'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_lastname'] [Field: 'users_firstname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

Using -Update When updating a record, it is very important that you provide the [KeyField_Value] of the record that you are looking to update. Without this you will receive an update error. Also, you must have the correct permissions set to update a record, as with the other action commands. An example of using the -Update command action tag looks like this: [Inline: -Update, -Username='username', -Password='password',

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-Database='DBname', -Table='TableName', -KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value), 'fieldname'='NewValue'] [/Inline]

Again, when working with the action command tags, it is very useful to combine the result with the [Error_CurrentError] LDML tag, as this will let you know the status of the -Add action and if there were any errors. If the error matches ‘No Error’, then we know that there was no error in the previous action given to Lasso. The following is an example of an -Update [Inline]: [Inline: -Update, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value), 'users_firstname'='D'] Error: [Error_CurrentError] [/Inline]

If we wanted to display the record directly from the database after it has just been added, we would need to use the -KeyField and [KeyField_Value] tags. In Filemaker this would be known as the [Recordid_Value]. The -KeyField tells Lasso the value of the primary field when we want to find that exact record again. Then we tell Lasso to search the database for the [KeyField_Value] given by the -KeyField tag in the previous inline. This will work because the first [Inline] surrounds all the code: [Inline: -Update, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value), 'users_firstname'='D'] [If:(Error_CurrentError) == (Error_NoError)]

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[Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -keyfield='id', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value), -Maxrecords=1] [If: (Found_Count) == 1]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Else]
No Records Found. [/If] [/Inline] [Else] Error: [Error_currenterror] [/If] [/Inline]

Using -Delete When deleting a record, it is very important that you provide the [KeyField_Value] of the record that you are planning to delete. Without this, you will receive a delete error. Also, you must have the correct permissions set to delete a record, as with the other action commands. An example of using the -Delete command action tag looks like this: [Inline: -Delete, -Username='username', -Password='password', -Database='DBname', -Table='TableName', -KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value)]

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[/Inline]

Again, when working with the action command tags, it is very useful to combine the result with the [Error_CurrentError] LDML tag, as this will let you know the status of the -Add action and if there were any errors. If the error matches ‘No Error’, then we know that there was no error in the previous action given to Lasso. The following is an example of a -Delete [Inline]: [Inline

-Delete, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value)] Error: [Error_CurrentError]

[/Inline]

If we wanted to confirm that the record was deleted after performing the [Inline]...[/Inline], then we tell Lasso to search the database for the [KeyField_Value] given by the -KeyField tag in the previous inline. This will work because the first [Inline] surrounds all the code: [Inline: -Delete, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value)] [If:(Error_CurrentError) == (Error_NoError)] [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='id', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value), -Maxrecords=1] [If: (Found_Count) == 1]

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Record Not Deleted. [Else]
Record Was Deleted. [/If] [/Inline] [Else] Error: [Error_currenterror] [/If] [/Inline]

Using -SQL In addition to using Lasso LDML tags to perform [Inline] searches on a Lasso MySQL database or any SQL (Structured Query Language) oriented database, Lasso offers you the ability to construct your own raw SQL queries. In order to use SQL commands the user permissions must allow the use of SQL commands for that database, unless you are using the Administrator username and password. An example of carrying out a basic search using SQL would look like this: [Inline: -Username='username', -Password='password', -Database='database', -SQL='SQL Query Here;'] [/Inline]

The wonderful thing about using the -SQL query is that you can set your whole query as a variable first, and then pass it to the [Inline]...[/Inline]. [Var: 'SQL_Query' = 'Select * from this_table;'] [Inline: -Username='username', -Password='password', -Database='database', -SQL=$SQL_Query]

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[/Inline]

I do recommend setting a variable first, as it allows you to check what information is being sent to the database, similar to using -SQL. I usually output the query first before I actually run the query against the database for testing purposes. An example of this is: [Var: 'SQL_Query' = 'Select * FROM this_table;'] [Output: $SQL_Query]

This outputs: Select * FROM this_table;

This means that when you set your -SQL query you can use Lasso to concatenate the query first and then simply add the variable to the [Inline]...[/Inline]. Let’s cover some commands using the -SQL tag. I will provide the LDML version and then convert it to show the -SQL example so you can see the comparison. Using -Add as the first example: LDML: [Var:

'firstname' = 'Duncan', 'lastname' = 'Cameron']

[Inline: -Add, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', 'users_firstname'=$firstname, 'users_lastname'=$lastname] Error: [Error_CurrentError] [/Inline]

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-SQL: [Var: 'SQL_ADD' = 'INSERT INTO users(users_firstname, users_lastname) VALUES ("' + $firstname + '","' + $lastname + '");' [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -SQL=$SQL_ADD] [/Inline]

Using -Findall as an example: LDML: [Inline: -Findall, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -Maxrecords=10] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

-SQL: [Var: 'SQL_Findall' = 'SELECT * FROM users;'] [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -Maxrecords=10, -SQL=$SQL_Findall] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records]

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[/Inline]

Also, do not use the SELECT * wildcard method, as this will return all fields from the tables you are sending the query to. This is very inefficient and puts an unnecessary load on the database and app server. If you break up an -SQL query into the following sections, you should be able to ensure that your SELECT query is correct so it is easy to manage your SQL commands: SELECT [Fieldnames] FROM [Tables] WHERE [Search Values];

When writing [Fieldnames], separate the fields with a comma. This is an example using -Findall with selected fields: LDML: [Inline: -Findall, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Maxrecords='all'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

-SQL: [Var: 'SQL_Findall' = 'SELECT users_firstname, users_lastname FROM users;'] [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -Maxrecords='all', -SQL=$SQL_Findall] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname']

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[/Records] [/Inline]

This is an example using -Search with selected fields: LDML: [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Operator='bw', 'users_firstname'='D', -Operator='ew', 'users_lastname'='ron'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

-SQL: [Var: 'SQL_Search' = 'SELECT users_firstname, users_lastname FROM users WHERE users_firstname LIKE "D%" AND users_lastname LIKE "%ron";'] [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -SQL=$SQL_Search] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

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This is an example using -Search with selected fields and sorting the results: LDML: [Inline: -Search, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Operator='cn', 'users_firstname'='D', -Sortfield='users_firstname', -Sortorder='Ascending'] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

-SQL: [Var: 'SQL_SortSearch' = 'SELECT users_firstname, users_lastname FROM users WHERE users_firstname LIKE "%D%" ORDER BY users_firstname ASC;'] [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -SQL=$SQL_SortSearch] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

As with the LDML field operator commands like “bw” and “cn,” you can do the same when using the -SQL command. The following will show how to achieve this.

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We use the % symbol as a wildcard in the search: [Var: 'SQL_SortSearch' = 'SELECT users_firstname, users_lastname FROM users WHERE users_firstname LIKE "%D%" ORDER BY users_firstname ASC;']

equates to: -Table='users', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Op='cn', 'users_firstname'='D', -SortField='users_firstname', -SortOrder='Ascending' [Var: 'SQL_SortSearch' = 'SELECT users_firstname, users_lastname FROM users WHERE users_firstname LIKE "D%" ORDER BY users_firstname ASC;']

equates to: -Table='users', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Op='bw', 'users_firstname'='D', -SortField='users_firstname', -SortOrder='Ascending' [Var: 'SQL_SortSearch' = 'SELECT users_firstname, users_lastname FROM users WHERE users_firstname LIKE "%D" ORDER BY users_firstname ASC;']

equates to: -Table='users', -ReturnField='users_firstname', -ReturnField='users_lastname', -Op='ew', 'users_firstname'='D', -SortField='users_firstname', -SortOrder='Ascending'

Examples using the -Update action tag: LDML: [Inline: -Update, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users',

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-KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value), 'users_firstname'='D'] Error: [Error_CurrentError] [/Inline]

-SQL: [Var: 'SQL_Update' = 'UPDATE users SET users_firstname="D" WHERE id = ' + (KeyField_Value) + ';'] [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -SQL=$SQL_Update] Error: [Error_CurrentError] [/Inline]

Examples using the -Delete action tag: LDML: [Inline: -Delete, -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -KeyField='ID', -KeyValue=(KeyField_Value)] Error: [Error_CurrentError] [/Inline]

-SQL: [Var: 'SQL_Delete' = 'DELETE FROM users WHERE id = ' + (KeyField_Value) + ';'] [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -SQL=$SQL_Delete]

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Error: [Error_CurrentError] [/Inline]

A very important thing to know about using Delete when working with -SQL is that all records will be deleted from your table if you have permission and accidentally use the following command: [Var: 'SQL_Delete' = 'DELETE FROM users;']

Also, if there is more than one record that matches the Where clause, each one that qualifies will be deleted. This is the reason why we use the [KeyField_Value] when deleting records. As you can see from the examples given, -SQL is very easy to work with and can give you flexibility when working with database queries. -SQL is very favorable if, for example, you want to offer two different search commands, depending on a user’s input. You can set two variables and use the [If]...[Else]...[/If] conditional to select the correct query to send to the database: [If: 'this' = 'this'] [Var: 'SQL_Query' = 'SELECT * from users;'] [Else] [Var: 'SQL_Query' = 'SELECT * from users WHERE users_firstname = "' + $search_string + '";'] [/If] [Inline: -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxx', -Database='MyResume', -KeyField='ID', -SQL=$SQL_Query] [Records]
[Field: 'users_firstname'] [Field: 'users_lastname'] [/Records] [/Inline]

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Using Joins The SQL feature that grabs most developers is the facility of joining queries together to give one output. This means you can have two or more tables within the same database and have one [Inline]...[/Inline] using the -SQL command to complete a query. This is the same as doing multiple Inlines. One of the fundamental benefits of using a relational database is the ability to relate fields from different tables. SQL was built with a function to join multiple tables within a query to return one result with data from multiple tables/sources. This means you can have two or more tables within the same database and have one [Inline]...[/Inline] using the -SQL command to have a query completed. This is the same as doing multiple inlines but far more efficient. Explaining all the different methods and types of joins is beyond the scope of this book, and you should refer to a SQL reference for more in-depth details on joins (e.g., inner, left/right outer, unions, etc. joins). Joins can be fairly complex, so I will show you the most common type of join. It is used when you want related records to be output against an owner’s record. The one key mistake when writing joins is to forget that fields may have the same name in multiple tables (often reported as ambiguous columns). For example, when using Lasso MySQL, it uses the ID fieldname as the [KeyField]. Therefore, you should account for this within a join. What we do is “alias” the fields for the query using the AS command: SELECT [Fieldnames] FROM [Tables] WHERE [Search Values];

Now give each field an alias that we want to output with a unique name: 'SELECT users.id AS usersID, history.id AS historyID, users.users_firstname AS firstname, users.users_lastname AS lastname, history.history_title AS title FROM users, history WHERE users.id=history.users_id AND history.history_status=1 AND users.user_firstname="Duncan";'

This will allow us to use the field names after the AS on our page. So if we wanted to search the users table to find the User record, then we ask the query to find all relating history records: [Var:

'ClientDBUsername' = 'administrator', 'ClientDBPassword' = 'xxxxx']

[Var: 'SQL_JoinQuery' = 'SELECT users.id AS usersID, history.id AS historyID, users.users_firstname AS firstname, users.users_lastname AS lastname, history.history_title AS title FROM users, history WHERE users.id=history.users_id AND history.history_status=1 AND users.user_firstname="Duncan";'] [Inline: -Username=$ClientDBUsername, -Password=$ClientDBPassword,

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-Database='MyResume', -SQL=$SQL_JoinQuery] [Var: 'ShowUserName' = ''] [Records] [If: $ShowUserName != (Field: 'userID')]
[Field: 'firstname'] [Field: 'lastname'] [$ShowUserName = (Field: 'userID')] [/If] [Field: 'title'] [/Records] [/Inline]

What we have done is alias all the fields to output as if we where doing a single table search. However, we do not repeat the user’s first name and last name, as this has already been displayed with the first record.

v

Note When using the -SQL tag, Lasso MySQL and MySQL will accept the use of single or double quotes to indicate a string. Other databases may have different requirements.

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Sessions and Cookies Creating Sessions Every time a user opens a page on a Lasso based web site, Lasso gives the option of tracking that user through the website using sessions. However, you need to let Lasso know that you want this to happen. Why are sessions useful? Sessions allow you to track a user through your website, but they also show which user visited that page every time the user views a page, giving you the ability to build a history report. Sessions are also very useful if you are looking to build a shopping cart and maintain data from page to page, like relating a user to a username and password while accessing a private area of a website, without having to pass the values through each page via the browser. To tell Lasso that we want to initiate a session, we need to give it a unique name so we can identify it from other sessions you might be using on your website. This will look like: [Session_Start: -Name='MySession']

Once this has been declared, you can view the session identification string by using the LDML tag: [Session_ID: -Name='MySession']

A session string will look similar to: 88288E7FCB44D34097B6613A15C95B43

As you can see, this does not make sense, but it is a unique value that enables Lasso to store information in memory. Once recalled via the unique string, the information can be used again and again. This string now needs to be able to move from page to page with the user. To do this we can use another Lasso feature called -UseLink. This will take the session ID and automatically input it into a Lasso page where there is an ... anchor tag used.

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To do this, we would add -UseLink to the [Session_Start] LDML tag: [Session_Start: -Name='MySession', -UseLink]

Each [Session_ID] that is started will automatically end after 15 minutes. This ensures that if someone is logged into a private area and leaves his computer while visiting your website, the session would require him to log in again when he returns. If you want to change the default time activation limit for a session, you would add the parameter -Expires to the [Session_Start] LDML tag. The -Expires parameter needs the time limit in minutes. A one-hour limit would be: [Session_Start: -Name='MySession', -Expires='60', -UseLink]

This means if the user has not proceeded to another page on the website within 60 minutes, he will need to log in again if you are using sessions for the authentication system, or he will lose the information you are relating the session to. Instructions The following example will create a session called User. Once the page is loaded, it will contain the session string. To see the created session string, please view the source code of the page after it is loaded. To see the link being taken through to a response page, please click on “Reload Page” and the session will appear connected to the URL. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as session_links.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used $ (Global variable symbol) -EncodeNONE [Var] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Session_Start] Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_none] 02. 03. // Start a session called User

-UseLink // (LassoScript comment symbol) [Output] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Response_Filepath]

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04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

[Session_Start: -Name='User', -Expires='60', -UseLink]

// Set page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Sessions'] [/Output_none]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

Reload Page

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.


// Set page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Sessions';

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; Output: 'Reload Page\n'; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

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Note The [Session_Start] LDML tag must be declared before the page is loaded or before the first anchor tag or form appears.

Sessions with Forms As I briefly explained, the [Session_ID] tag allows you to output the current session, provided that you supply the correct -Name for the session you are wishing to output: Session_Start: -Name='MySession'] [Session_ID: -Name='MySession']

This outputs a string similar to: 88288E7FCB44D34097B6613A15C95B43

As discussed earlier, we do not need to use the [Session_ID] LDML tag on an anchor tag since we can include the parameter -UseLink within our [Session_Start] tag. This does not happen when you use the HTML

...

tags, as Lasso looks for the tag to implement it automatically. This must be done manually, as when Lasso outputs an anchor tag with the session ID and it uses the parameter -Session to prefix it. This we have to do in any form similar to this:

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This will now output to the browser as:

When the form is submitted, it will now produce the same information as the anchor tag contains to allow the session to be maintained and passed to the next page. Instructions The following example will create a session called User when the form is submitted. Once the form is used within the script, it will insert the session into the form. To see the created session string, please view the source code of the page once it is loaded. To see the session being taken through to a response page, I have used METHOD="GET" to show this. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as session_forms.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso, into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used $ (Global variable symbol) NULL -Expires -EncodeNONE [Output] [Action_Param] [Session_Start] [Response_Filepath]

// (LassoScript comment symbol) -Session -UseLink [Var] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Session_ID] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. // Start a session called User 04. 05. [Session_Start: -Name='User', -Expires='5', -UseLink] 06. 07. 08. // Set page title

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09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47.

[Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Sessions using Forms'] [/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: (Action_Param: 'process') == '1']

[Else: (Action_Param: 'process') == '2']

Session ID was: [Session_ID: -Name='User']

[Else]

Load Form

[/If]



LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.


// Set page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Sessions using Forms';

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE;

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15. Output: '\n' + 16. '\n' + 17. '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + 18. '\n' + 19. '\n'; 20. 21. Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. If: (Action_Param: 'process') == '1'; 27. 28. 29. Output: '

\n' + 30. '\n' + 31. '\n' + 32. '\n' + 33. '

\n'; 34. 35. 36. Else: (Action_Param: 'process') == '2'; 37. 38. 39. Output: '

Session ID was: ' + (Session_ID: -Name='User') + '

\n'; 40. 41. Else; 42. 43. 44. Output: '

Load Form

\n'; 45. 46. 47. /If; 48. 49. 50. 51. Output: '\n' + 52. '\n'; 53. 54. 55. /Encode_Set; 56. 57. 58. 59. ?>

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Adding Variables to a Session Now that we can pass the [Session_ID] from one page to another throughout an application, we can start adding data. For this we can use sessions. Sessions will store the products in memory against the [Session_ID] using the [Session_AddVar] LDML tag. As before, we must always call the session before we can use it. This will check to see if the session has started and confirm if the session is new or current (the current state of the session). [Session_Start: -Name='UserPrefs', -Expires='60', -UseLink]

This will keep the session called UserPrefs open for 60 minutes. It will also tell Lasso that we are using links and forms to pass the [Session_ID] from page to page. To add some data to the session, we would do the following: Set the variable name and the value we are going to put into it. This can be done by using [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] or setting the variable individually: [Var: 'Sess_UserTextColor' = '#FF0000']

Then we tell Lasso to add the variable to the session called UserPrefs: [Session_AddVar: -Name='UserPrefs', 'Sess_UserTextColor']

As you can see, we have told Lasso what session to add the variable to and what variable to add to the session. When adding values to a session, they must be variables since [Session_AddVar] does not automatically set a variable for you.

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The example will now store under the session called UserPrefs and the text color under the variable name Sess_UserTextColor. You will notice that I have prefixed the variable name with Sess_. This allows the developer to identify what variables are being used via sessions. I recommend this habit. Every time we move from page to page, the session UserPrefs will be automatically defined when we call the [Session_ID] from each page.

Deleting a Session You may want to delete a session, such as if you are going to use sessions for Lasso to keep a shopping basket for a user, then allow the user to empty it at any time. To delete the session, we would use the [Session_End] LDML tag and specify what session we want to end: [Session_End: -Name='UserBasket']

This will end the current session, but any variables called by the session will still be active until the next page. It is important to declare the [Session_End] tag before the [Sesson_Start] tag, as shown in the following shopping cart examples. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as sessionbasket.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) ! (Logical NOT symbol) -UseLink [Session_Start] [Session_End] [Output] [Map] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments]

+ (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) -Expires [Session_ID] [(....)->(Type)] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Array] [Search_FieldItem]

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[Search_ValueItem] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Map->Size] [Loop_Count] [Map->Find] [Integer] [If]...[/If]

[String->Trim] [Response_Filepath] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Decimal] [Array->Get] [Decimal->SetFormat] [/If]...[Else]...[/If]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.

[Output_None] // Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a trim // to remove additional spaces. [Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments]

// Set page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Using Sessions']

// Combine a map and array to create a product catalog.

[Var: 'Products' = (Map: 'B1' = (Array: 'Balloon','Blue','2.50','Large'), 'B2' = (Array: 'Balloon','Red','2.50','Large'), 'B3' = (Array: 'Balloon','Green','2.50','Large'), 'B4' = (Array: 'Balloon','White','1.50','Medium'), 'B5' = (Array: 'Balloon','Yellow','2.50','Large'), 'B6' = (Array: 'Balloon','Orange','2.50','Large'))]

// If the cart was told to empty, then close the current session. [If: (Var: 'Del')] [Session_End: -Name='UserBasket'] [/If] // Create or recall the session UserBasket. [Session_Start: -Name='UserBasket', -Expires='30', -UseLink]

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44. 45. // Search response pages for products the user wants to order and add them to the map. 46. 47. [If: (Var: 'Sess_Basket')->(Type) == map] 48. 49. [Loop: $Products->(Size)] 50. 51. [If: (Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count)) > 0] 52. 53. [If: $Sess_Basket->(Find: ('B' + (Loop_Count))) > 0] 54. 55. // Add the current basket amount to the new requested amount. 56. 57. [Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count) = 58. (Integer: $Sess_Basket->(Find: ('B' + (Loop_Count)))) + 59. (Integer: (Var: 'Order_B' + 60. (Loop_Count)))] 61. 62. [/If] 63. 64. [$Sess_Basket->(Insert: ('B' + (Loop_Count)) = (Integer:(Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count))))] 65. 66. [/If] 67. [/Loop] 68. 69. [Else] // Create an empty map ready to insert products the user may want to purchase. 70. 71. [Var: 'Sess_Basket' = (Map)] 72. 73. [/If] 74. 75. 76. 77. // Add the variable Sess_Basket to the current session for UserBasket. 78. 79. [Session_AddVar: -Name='UserBasket', 'Sess_Basket'] 80. 81. 82. [/Output_None] 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle] 89. 90. 91. 92.

[Output: $PageTitle]

93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98.

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99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. [Loop: $Products->(Size)] 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. [Var: 'ItemTotal' = (Decimal:($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))-> (Get: 3)) * 130. (Integer:($Sess_Basket->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count))))] 131. 132. 133. [$ItemTotal->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=',')] 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. [Var: 'TotalPrice' = (Var: 'TotalPrice') + $ItemTotal] 140. 141. [/Loop] 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149.

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150. 167. 168. 169. 170. 175. 176.

Code	Item	Color	Price (Each)	Size	Add	Basket	Price
[Output: 'B' + (Loop_Count)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 1)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 2)]	$[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))-> (Get: 3)]	[Output: ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))-> (Get: 4)]		[Output: ($Sess_basket->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))]	$[Output: $ItemTotal]
Total Due:							151. 152. $ 153. 154. [If: (Var: TotalPrice)] 155. 156. [$TotalPrice->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=',')] 157. [Output: $TotalPrice] 158. 159. [Else] 160. 161. 0.00 162. 163. [/If] 164. 165. 166.
171. 172.   173. 174.

177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments;

// Set page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Using Sessions';

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21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66.

// Combine a map and an array to create a product catalog.

Var: 'Products' = (Map: 'B1' = (Array: 'Balloon','Blue','2.50','Large'), 'B2' = (Array: 'Balloon','Red','2.50','Large'), 'B3' = (Array: 'Balloon','Green','2.50','Large'), 'B4' = (Array: 'Balloon','White','1.50','Medium'), 'B5' = (Array: 'Balloon','Yellow','2.50','Large'), 'B6' = (Array: 'Balloon','Orange','2.50','Large'));

// If the cart was told to empty, then close the current session. If: (Var: 'Del'); Session_End: -Name='UserBasket'; /If; // Create or recall the session UserBasket. Session_Start: -Name='UserBasket', -Expires='30', -UseLink;

// Search response pages for products the user wants to order and add them to the map. If: (Var: 'Sess_Basket')->(Type) == map; Loop: $Products->(Size); If: (Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count)) > 0; If: $Sess_Basket->(Find: ('B' + (Loop_Count))) > 0; // Add the current basket amount to the new requested amount. Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count) = (Integer: $Sess_Basket->(Find: ('B' + (Loop_Count)))) + (Integer: (Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count))); /If; $Sess_Basket->(Insert: ('B' + (Loop_Count)) = (Integer:(Var: 'Order_B' + (Loop_Count))));

67. 68. /If; 69. /loop; 70. 71. Else; // Create an empty map ready to insert products the user may want to purchase. 72. 73. Var: 'Sess_Basket' = (Map); 74. 75. /If;

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76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113.

// Add the variable Sess_Basket to the current session for UserBasket. Session_AddVar: -Name='UserBasket', 'Sess_Basket';

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n';

Output: '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n';

114. 115. 116. Loop: $Products->(Size); 117. 118. 119. 120. Output: '\n' + 121. '\n' + 122. '\n' + 123. '\n' + 124. '\n' + 125. '\n' +

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126. 127.

'\n' + '\n';

128. 129. Var: 'ItemTotal' = (Decimal:($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))->(Get: 3)) * 130. (Integer:($Sess_Basket->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))); 131. 132. 133. $ItemTotal->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=','); 134. 135. Output: '\n' + 136. '\n'; 137. 138. Var: 'TotalPrice' = (Var: 'TotalPrice') + $ItemTotal; 139. 140. /Loop; 141. 142. 143. Output: '\n' + 144. '\n' + 145. '\n' + 146. 147. '\n' + 148. '\n' + 149. '\n' + 163. '\n' + 164. 165. '\n' + 166. '\n' + 168. '\n' + 169. '

Code	Item	Color	Price (Each)	Size	Add	Basket	Price
B' + (Loop_Count) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))-> (Get: 1) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))-> (Get: 2) + '	$' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))-> (Get: 3) + '	' + ($Products->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count)))-> (Get: 4) + '		' + ($Sess_basket->(Find: 'B' + (Loop_Count))) + '	$' + $ItemTotal + '
Total Due:							$\n'; 150. 151. If: (Var: TotalPrice); 152. $TotalPrice->(SetFormat: -Precision=2, -GroupChar=','); 153. 154. Output: $TotalPrice; 155. 156. Else; 157. 158. Output: '0.00'; 159. 160. /If; 161. 162. Output: '
\n' + 167. '

\n'; 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. Output: '\n' + 176. '\n'; 177. 178. /Encode_Set;

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179. 180. ?>

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Using Sessions with Cookies If you don’t specify -UseLink when using sessions in Lasso, Lasso will automatically attempt to use cookies. Because we used -UseLink, we kept all the information required for the sessions on the server side and didn’t rely on the user’s browser. We have currently been covering sessions using the -UseLink command, which tells Lasso to pass the session ID via links and forms. However, if you wanted to use cookies instead of links, we would use: [Session_Start: -Name='MySession', -UseCookie] [Var: 'UserBasket' = ''] [If: (Cookie_Value: 'SessionTracker_' + $Session_Name) == ''] [Session_Start: -Name=$Session_Name, -UseLink, -UseCookie] [Else] [Session_Start: -Name=$Session_Name, -UseCookie] [/If]

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as session_cookies.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) ! (Logical NOT symbol) -UseCookie -Expires [Session_ID] [Cookie_Value] [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Search_FieldItem] [String->Trim] [Response_Filepath] [/If]...[Else]...[/If]

+ (String concatenation symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) -UseLink [Session_Start] [Session_End] [Output] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[/If]

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Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.


// Params to variables first so nobody can overwrite them below Search_Arguments; Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem); (Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim); /Search_Arguments; // Set page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Using Cookies with Sessions';

// Set variables for script Var: 'Session_Name' = 'lgsess', 'Session_Expires' = 2, 'ClientUsername' = 'testing', 'ClientPassword' = 'testpass';

// Recall current session with cookie called SessionTracker_lgsess, or start a new session.

29. 30. // If no cookies are allowed, then use -UseLink as backup. 31. 32. If: !(Var: 'Del'); 33. 34. 35. If: (Cookie_Value: 'SessionTracker_' + $Session_Name) == ''; 36. 37. Session_Start: -Name=$Session_Name, -Expires=$Session_Expires, -UseLink, -UseCookie; 38. 39. Else; 40. 41. Session_Start: -Name=$Session_Name, -UseCookie; 42. 43. /If; 44. 45. Else; 46. 47. Session_End: -Name=$Session_Name; 48. 49. /If; 50. 51. // Match username and password to create session variables. 52.

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53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86.

If: (Var: 'ClientUsername') == (Var: 'un') && (Var: 'ClientPassword') == (Var: 'pw');

Variable: 'sess_approved'= '1'; Session_AddVar: -Name=$Session_Name, 'un'; Session_AddVar: -Name=$Session_Name, 'pw'; Session_AddVar: -Name=$Session_Name, 'sess_approved'; /If;

?>

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: (Var: 'sess_approved') != '1']

Please enter a Username and Password to access this page.

87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101.

Email Address:
Password:

102. 103. 104. [Else] 105. 106.

Congratulations. This data was accessible only by those with a username and password.

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107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112.

[/If]

113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120.

v

235

Note This example combined both [] Square Bracket and syntax to show you that they can be used together without problems.

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Chapter 11

Creating Web Applications Using Include and Library When working with several conditions on a web page, or even an application, it is a good idea to split the data up into sections and actual pages that we call includes. When a page is loaded by the web server, the code within it is read from top to bottom. Including files work in this fashion: The output to the user will only begin once the tag has been called to tell the server that the content below this tag, where applicable, should be output to the user. Lasso tells the page what not to show and what to show, depending on which LDML tags are used. There are two types of include LDML tags. There is [Include], which includes a file on your web server that outputs data to the user, and there is [Library], which includes a file on your web server that does not output the data to the user but is processed by Lasso. This means that we can contain information within a [Library] include that will never be output directly to the user unless we tell Lasso to output the data later in the page. We have a folder called /settings/ within our application that contains a file called style_config.lasso that holds variables of what background to set, what fonts to use, what text color, etc., when the page is loaded: [Var: 'BGcolor' 'TextColor' 'FontFace'

= '#FFFFFF', = '#000000', = 'Arial']

We can now include this file within a page and use the variable names to output the information we set in our style_config.lasso page. Because the information contained within style.lasso does not directly output to the user, we use the [Library] LDML tag. An example: [Library: 'settings/style_config.lasso']

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<TITLE>Page Title Hello World

We could use the [Include] LDML tag to see if a user had already logged into the system to view a private page. If they had, then we would show them the private page. If they had not, then we would ask them to log in again. This keeps the page very clean and allows a developer to see why a page is called and why it is not. Notice that I am including another [Library] file called sessions.lasso because I know that no information contained in the file will be output to the user. It is used for application purposes only, and none of my [Include] files contain the HTML tags ... ...... since I am already using these within the current page. [Library: 'settings/style_config.lasso'] [Library: 'settings/sessions.lasso'] <TITLE>Website [If: (Var:'sess_user') == '1'] [include: 'private/welcome_body.lasso'] [Else] [Include: 'public/login_body.lasso'] [/If]

As you can see, the [Library] LDML tag is best used for pages that set variables or hold information on arrays, maps, configuration settings, and custom tags. The [Include] LDML tag is best used for template files that will output forms, data, variable outputs, and records to the user that may have HTML formatting within tables.

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Using includes will enable you to keep only necessary source code on a web page. Only include files that need to be passed to the web server when they are required. This will allow you to reuse files that carry out the same function throughout an application. It also allows you to structure your web site file directory in a manner that will make it easier for you to find the correct script for the situation.

Determining Date and Time Many of today’s applications need some sort of date interaction. Lasso offers many LDML tags to create the date output with a consideration for the global community. One thing to be aware of when using dates and times through LDML tags is that the information is taken from the server where Lasso Professional 5 is hosted. Lasso offers the developer many options on producing the date and time. I will give examples of the most common and explanations of how they work. I recommend that you use the [Date_GetCurrentDate] LDML tag for all of your queries when working with applications. This will allow you to subtract the information that you don’t need rather than trying to add information, as with the [Server_Date] and [Server_Time] LDML tags. For example: [Server_Date]

This outputs: mm/dd/yy [Server_Time]

This outputs: HH:MM:SS AM or PM [Date_GetCurrentDate]

This outputs: mm/dd/YYYY HH:MM:SS

As you can see, using the LDML tag [Date_GetCurrentDate] outputs all four digits of the year (yyyy) instead of only the last two digits of the year (yy), as with [Server_Date], which some databases may have a problem with. This is why I recommend using the [Date_GetCurrentDate] LDML tag when using dates and times. Since the date output as mm/dd/yyyy HH:MM:SS may not be what you are looking for, Lasso provides the [Date_Format] LDML tag to allow the developer to give the date a format.

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The [Date_Format] LDML tag has a great number of parameter commands that allow the developer to manipulate the output. Please note that these parameters are case sensitive. They are: %D %r %T %Y %y %m %B %b %d %w %A %a %H %h %M %S %p %z %%

U.S. date format: (mm/dd/yy) 12-hour time format (hh:mm:ss [AM/PM]) 24-hour time format (hh:mm:ss) Four-digit year Two-digit year Month number (1=January, 12=December) Full English month name (e.g., “January”) Abbreviated English month name (e.g., “Jan”) Day of month (1-31) Day of week (1=Sunday, 7=Saturday) Full English weekday name (e.g., “Wednesday”) Abbreviated English weekday name (e.g., “Wed”) 24-hour time hour (0-23) 12-hour time hour (1-12) Minute (0-59) Second (0-59) AM/PM for 12-hour time Time zone offset in relation to GMT (e.g., –0800) A percent sign

By using any of the above within the [Date_Format] LDML tag, we can output the date or time in any format we wish. An example: [Date_Format: (Date_GetCurrentDate), -DateFormat='%A, %d %B %Y']

This outputs: Friday, 22 March 2002

Notice how the comma appears in the output. We have placed it within the -DateFormat parameter because dates are strings, and you can enter in strings to assist with your output to the user if you wish to do so: [Var: 'DisplayDate' = (Date_Format: (Date_GetCurrentDate), -DateFormat= '"Today is %A, and the date is %d %B %Y"')] [Output: $DisplayDate, -EncodeNONE]

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This outputs: "Today is Friday, and the date is 22 March 2002"

to the browser. And outputs: "Today is Friday, and the date is 22 March 2002"

with Friday and the date in bold to the user. If you were working with a LassoMySQL database and needed to convert a date into the date format that the database needs, for example: YYYY-mm-dd HH:MM:SS

You would use the following: [Date_Format: (Date_GetCurrentDate), -DateFormat='%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S']

This outputs: 2002-03-22 22:00:59

You can use any date string to the left of the -DateFormat parameter, provided that it contains a Lasso formatted date mm/dd/YYYY. Otherwise, no output will be given. To obtain a date using an alternative date format, Lasso provides the [Date] LDML tag. This takes two parameters, one being the date or time you wish to convert to a Lasso readable date or time and the other being the format that the date or time is currently using in the -DateFormat parameters. The easiest example is converting a MySQL date field containing 2002-03-22 22:00:59 and converting it into a Lasso formatted date of 03/22/2002 22:00:59. This is achieved with the following example: [Date: '2002-03-22 22:00:59', -DateFormat='%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S']

This outputs: 03/22/2002 22:00:59

As you can see, we have told Lasso via -DateFormat the current format of the date on the left so that Lasso can convert the result. There will be times when you would like two dates together to produce a resulting date or time. Within the date LDML tags, Lasso has [Date_Add], which requires a Lasso formatted date and any one or more of the following parameters: n

Second: Number of seconds to add to the date.

n

Minute: Number of minutes to add to the date.

n

Hour: Number of hours to add to the date.

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n

Day: Number of days to add to the date.

n

Week: Number of weeks to add to the date.

If we wanted to find today’s date, but tell the user what date it would be five weeks from now, we would use the following example: [Date_Add: (Date_GetCurrentDate), -Week=5]

This outputs: 04/26/2002

As with the [Date_GetCurrentDate], Lasso offers several other useful tags to extract date information from the current server date and time. These include: [Date_GetDayOfWeek: (Date_GetCurrentDate)]

Outputs: 6 [Date_GetDay: (Date_GetCurrentDate)]

Outputs: 22 [Date_GetHour: (Date_GetCurrentDate)]

Outputs: 22 [Date_GetLocalTimeZone: (Date_GetCurrentDate)]

Outputs: -0800 [Date_GetMonth: (Date_GetCurrentDate)]

Outputs: 3 [Date_GetYear: (Date_GetCurrentDate)]

Outputs: 2002

Instructions Both the [] Square Bracket and syntax examples show how to build a basic calendar that enables a user to select a month and a year and then output that month’s calendar.

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1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as calendar.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used ! > >= --ShortY2K [Date_GetMonth] [Var] [Server_Date: ] [Array] [Date_Format] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Output] [Loop_Count]

$ <= ++ || [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Integer] [Date_LocaltoGMT] [Action_Param] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Response_Filepath] [Decimal] [Array->Get] [While]...[/While]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

Output_None]

// Example of setting a timezone for the script [Var: 'ServerTimeZone' = (Date_LocaltoGMT: (Server_Date: -ShortY2K))]

// Set page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Calendar']

// Month Array List [Var: 'MonthsArray' = (Array: 'January', 'February', 'March', 'April',

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'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September', 'October', 'November', 'December')]

// Hard coding days in a month to override any servers where daylight settings may override the scripts calculation.

[var: 'DaysInMonth' = (Array: 31, 28, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31)]

// Year Settings for the calendar [If: !(Action_Param: 'Year')] [Var: 'YearShown' = (Date_GetYear: $ServerTimeZone)] [Else] [Var: 'YearShown' = (Integer:(Action_Param: 'Year'))] [/If] [Var: 'YearsToShow' = 5] // Check that the year is not between 1970 - 2037. [If: (Integer:$YearShown) <= 1970] [Var: 'ErrorDate' = 1] [/If] [If: (Integer:$YearShown) >= 2037] [Var: 'ErrorDate' = 1] [/If]

// Set Date Variables if none exist [If: !(Action_Param: 'Month')] [Var: 'GetMonth' = (Date_GetMonth: $ServerTimeZone)]

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[Else] [Var: 'GetMonth' = (Integer: (Action_Param: 'Month'))] [/If]

// Settings for Lasso to find the correct date [Var: 'Year' = (Integer: $YearShown)] [Var: 'NextYear' = $Year] [Var: 'PrevYear' = $Year]

// Set month start [Var: 'DateStamp' = $GetMonth + '/' + 1 + '/' + $Year]

// Next month information [Var: 'AddMonth' = ($GetMonth + 1)] [If: $AddMonth == 13] [$AddMonth = 1] [$NextYear = ++$Year] [/If]

[Var: 'NextMonth' = $AddMonth + '/' + 1 + '/' + $NextYear]

// Previous month information [Var: 'SubMonth' = ($GetMonth - 1)] [If: $SubMonth == 0] [$SubMonth = 12] [$PrevYear = --$Year] [/If]

[Var: 'PrevMonth' = $SubMonth + '/' + 1 + '/' + $PrevYear]

// Final settings for links

// Months [Var: 'PrevMonthLink' = (Date_GetMonth: $PrevMonth)] [Var: 'NextMonthLink' = (Date_GetMonth: $NextMonth)]

[If: $GetMonth == 1] [Var: 'PrevYearLink' = $PrevYear] [Else] [Var: 'PrevYearLink' = $YearShown] [/If]

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[If: $GetMonth == 12] [Var: 'NextYearLink' = $NextYear] [Else] [Var: 'NextYearLink' = $YearShown] [/If]

[Var: 'DayOfWeekMonthStart' = (Date_Format: $DateStamp, DateFormat='%w')]

[Var: 'LastDay' = ($DaysInMonth->(Get:(Integer:$GetMonth)))] [If:$GetMonth == 2] [Var: 'FebCheck' = (Decimal: $YearShown) / 4] [If: ((String:$FebCheck)->(EndsWith: '.000000'))] [++$LastDay] [/If] [/if] [Var: 'StartDate' = ((Integer: '-' + (Integer: ($DayOfWeekMonthStart))) + 2)]

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle] [If: (Var: 'ErrorDate') != 1]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[Date_Format: $DateStamp, DateFormat='%B %Y']

[Var: 'Day' = 0] [var: 'TableRow' = 1] [While: $TableRow <= 6] [Var: 'TableColumn' = 1]

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[While: $TableColumn <= 7] [If: ($StartDate <= 0) || ($StartDate > $LastDay)] [Else: $Day >= 0 && $Day <= $LastDay] [/If] [$StartDate = ++$StartDate] [$TableColumn = ++$TableColumn] [/While] [$TableRow = ++$TableRow] [/While]

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	[++$Day]

<SELECT NAME="Month"> [Loop: $MonthsArray->(Size)] [$MonthsArray->(Get: (Loop_Count))] [/Loop] <SELECT NAME="Year"> [Loop: -LoopFrom=($YearShown - $YearsToShow), -LoopTo=($YearShown + $YearsToShow)] [Loop_Count] [/Loop]

Previous Month | Current Month | Next Month

[Else]

Sorry, the year [Output: $Year] is not available in this calander!

Back to Calander

[/If]

LassoScript Example 01.
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Var: 'ServerTimeZone' = (Date_LocaltoGMT: (Server_Date: -ShortY2K));

// Set page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Calendar';

// Month Array List Var: 'MonthsArray' = (Array: 'January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September', 'October', 'November', 'December');

// Hard coding days in a month to override any servers where daylight settings may override the scripts calculation.

var: 'DaysInMonth' = (Array: 31, 28, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31);

// Year Settings for the calendar If: !(Action_Param: 'Year'); Var: 'YearShown' = (Date_GetYear: $ServerTimeZone); Else; Var: 'YearShown' = (Integer:(Action_Param: 'Year')); /If; Var: 'YearsToShow' = 5;

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// Check that the year is not between 1970 - 2037. If: (Integer:$YearShown) <= 1970; Var: 'ErrorDate' = 1; /If; If: (Integer:$YearShown) >= 2037; Var: 'ErrorDate' = 1; /If;

// Set Date Variables if none exist If: !(Action_Param: 'Month'); Var: 'GetMonth' = (Date_GetMonth: $ServerTimeZone); Else; Var: 'GetMonth' = (Integer: (Action_Param: 'Month')); /If;

// Settings for Lasso to find the correct date Var: 'Year' = (Integer: $YearShown); Var: 'NextYear' = $Year; Var: 'PrevYear' = $Year;

// Set Month start Var: 'DateStamp' = $GetMonth + '/' + 1 + '/' + $Year;

// Next Month Information Var: 'AddMonth' = ($GetMonth + 1); If: $AddMonth == 13; $AddMonth = 1; $NextYear = ++$Year; /If;

Var: 'NextMonth' = $AddMonth + '/' + 1 + '/' + $NextYear;

// Previous Month Information Var: 'SubMonth' = ($GetMonth - 1); If: $SubMonth == 0; $SubMonth = 12; $PrevYear = --$Year; /If;

Var: 'PrevMonth' = $SubMonth + '/' + 1 + '/' + $PrevYear;

// Final Settings for links

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// Months Var: 'PrevMonthLink' = (Date_GetMonth: $PrevMonth); Var: 'NextMonthLink' = (Date_GetMonth: $NextMonth);

If: $GetMonth == 1; Var: 'PrevYearLink' = $PrevYear; Else; Var: 'PrevYearLink' = $YearShown; /If;

If: $GetMonth == 12; Var: 'NextYearLink' = $NextYear; Else; Var: 'NextYearLink' = $YearShown; /If;

Var: 'DayOfWeekMonthStart' = (Date_Format: $DateStamp, DateFormat='%w');

Var: 'LastDay' = ($DaysInMonth->(Get:(Integer:$GetMonth))); If:$GetMonth == 2; Var: 'FebCheck' = (Decimal: $YearShown) / 4; If: ((String:$FebCheck)->(EndsWith: '.000000')); ++$LastDay; /If; /If; Var: 'StartDate' = ((Integer: '-' + (Integer: ($DayOfWeekMonthStart))) + 2);

Encode_set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; If: (Var: 'ErrorDate') != 1; Output: '\n' + '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n' + '

' + (Date_Format: $DateStamp, DateFormat='%B %Y') + '

\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '\n' +

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'\n' '\n' '\n' '\n' '\n';

251

+ + + +

Var: 'Day' = 0; Var: 'TableRow' = 1; While: $TableRow <= 6; Output: ''; Var: 'TableColumn' = 1; While: $TableColumn <= 7; If: ($StartDate <= 0) || ($StartDate > $LastDay); Output: '\n'; Else: $Day >= 0 && $Day <= $LastDay; Output: '\n'; /If; $StartDate = ++$StartDate; $TableColumn = ++$TableColumn; /While; Output: ''; $TableRow = ++$TableRow; /While; Output: '

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	\n'; ++$Day; Output: '

\n' + '

\n' + '<SELECT NAME="Month">\n'; Loop: $MonthsArray->(Size); Output: ''; $MonthsArray->(Get: (Loop_Count)); /Loop; Output: '\n' + '<SELECT NAME="Year">\n'; Loop: -LoopFrom=($YearShown - $YearsToShow), -LoopTo=($YearShown + $YearsToShow); Output: ''; (loop_count); /Loop; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '

\n'; Output: '

Previous Month' + ' | ' +

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230.

231. 232.

'Current Month' + ' | ' + 'Next Month

';

233. 234. Output: ''; 235. Else; 236. Output: '

Sorry, the year ' + $Year + ' is not available in this calander!

\n' + 237. '

Back to Calander

\n'; 238. 239. /If; 240. Output: '\n' + 241. ''; 242. 243. /encode_set; 244. 245. ?>

v

Note When working with dates, be aware that the operating system, depending on what daylight settings it uses, may miscalculate dates and times when using the -DaysBetween tag in, for example, Norway or Germany. The given example uses an array to inform Lasso how many days are in a month. This error occurs with no fault to Lasso but to the location and time zone settings of the server.

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Using HTTP Headers The HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) header is used to send information back and forth between the web server and the user’s client browser. Normally this information is in the form of HTML, which is why a web address begins with http://. There are many uses for HTTP headers, and Lasso allows the developer to take advantage of these through a selection of LDML tags. The main LDML tags when working with headers are the [Header] and [Client_Headers] LDML tags. The [Header]...[/Header] LDML tag allows you to pass LDML tag information via the header of a web page without the user knowing it is there. However, the web server is still aware of its presence. The [Client_Headers] LDML tag allows you to output the HTTP header from the client’s browser. If you typed in [Client_Headers] on a web page before the HTML begins, you will see the output given by this tag. In my case, the output was: HTTP_ACCEPT:image/gif, image/x-xbitmap, image/jpeg, image/pjpeg, application/vnd.ms-excel, application/msword, */* HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE:en-gb HTTP_CONNECTION:Keep-Alive HTTP_HOST:127.0.0.1 HTTP_USER_AGENT:Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.01; Windows NT 5.0) HTTP_ACCEPT_ENCODING:gzip, deflate

As you can see, the browser passes numerous pieces of information to the web server. This allows you to manipulate what is sent. The [Header]...[/Header] LDML tag allows us to pass the web server information that we can control with Lasso. For example, if we wanted to redirect a user to another web page when a user comes to our web page, we would use the following example of code. To instruct the browser that we are going to include LDML tags, we use the [Header] tag: [Header] HTTP/1.0 302 Moved Temporarily Location: http://www.lassodevelopment.com URI: http://www.lassodevelopment.com [/Header]

When using the [Header] tag, use only the [] Square Bracket syntax. I have shown this in the examples given.

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Instructions The following example asks a user to enter a username and password in order to access a web page. If the user gives the correct information, the page is shown. Otherwise, an error page is given. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as headers.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used + (String concatenation symbol) += (Addition assignment) -EncodeNONE [Output] [If]...[/If] [Header]...[/Header] [Client_Password]

$ (Global variable symbol) // [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Client_Username]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

[Output_None] // Set the username and password to access the web page: [Var: 'ClientName' = 'test', 'ClientPassword' = 'test'] // Set Page Title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'HTTP Header Example']

[If: (Client_Username) == $ClientName && (Client_Password) == $ClientPassword] [Var: 'ClientApproved' = '1'] [Else] [Var: 'ClientApproved' = '0'] [/If]

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[/Output_None]

[If: $ClientApproved == '0'] [Header] HTTP/1.0 401 WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="Example" Server: Lasso Professional 5 [/Header]

[/if] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[if: $ClientApproved == '1']

Congratulations, you have access to this web page.

[Else]

Sorry, you do NOT have permission to access this web page

[/If]

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.


// Set Page Title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'HTTP Header Example';

If: (Client_Username) == $ClientName && (Client_Password) == $ClientPassword; Var: 'ClientApproved' = '1';

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Else; Var: 'ClientApproved' = '0'; /If;

if: $ClientApproved == '0'; ?> [Header] HTTP/1.0 401 WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="Example: Username = test Password = test" Server: Lasso Professional 5 [/Header]
/if; Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; If: $ClientApproved == '1'; Output: '

Congratulations, you have access to this web page.

\n'; Else; Output: '

Sorry, you do NOT have permission to access this web page

\n'; /If; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; ?>

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257

Note There should only be one set of [Header]...[/Header] tags in any format file.

For a complete explanation on HTTP header protocols, please visit http://www.w3.org/Protocols/HTTP/HTTP2.html.

Sending Email On most websites, you will find a “Contact Us” web page that allows users to type in any comments they wish to make to the company or webmaster who owns the web site. There are two options for the developer. The developer can provide a link that allows users to click on it and have their email client (like Outlook Express or Eudora) open up a new email with the to address already filled in. Alternatively, the developer can give users a contact form to complete that allows them to give their comments and have this form automatically emailed to a given email address. It is then received the next time the company or webmaster collects email.

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This alternative is more favorable, because the users do not have to be at their own machine to send the website a question, since they do not need to have their email client on the machine. Required Parameters To set this up, Lasso requires several pieces of information from the developer before [Email_Send] can be used: n

Host: The name of the SMTP server which should be used for outgoing email.

n

To: The address of the recipient of the message. Multiple recipients can be specified by separating the addresses with a comma. Either -To, -CC, or -BCC must be specified.

n

From: The address of the sender of the message. The sender must have permission to send messages through the specified SMTP server.

n

Subject: The subject of the email message.

n

Body: The body of the email message.

The tag is written like this: [Email_Send: -Host='Host Name', -To='Recipient Email Address', -From='Sender Email Address', -Subject='Email Subject', -Body='Email Body Text']

Optional Parameters There are optional parameters that can be placed into the [Email_Send] LDML tag. These are: n

CC: The address of the carbon copied recipient of the message. Multiple recipients can be specified by separating the addresses with a comma. Either -To, -CC, or -BCC must be specified.

n

BCC: The address of the blind carbon copied recipient of the message. Multiple recipients can be specified by separating the addresses with a comma. Either -To, -CC, or -BCC must be specified.

n

ExtraMIMEHeaders: An array of pairs which define additional MIME headers that should be included in an outgoing email message.

n

Attachments: An array of file paths to files which should be included as attachments to the email message.

If you wanted to send a formatted email that was based on a template, you can include your template by giving Lasso a reference to a text file that contains the formatted layout.

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To pass values to a template, you need to do so as if you were working with databases and give them [Action_Params]. An example is: [Email_Send: -Host='Host Name', -To='Recipient Email Address', -From='Sender Email Address', -Subject='Email Subject', -Body=(Include: email.txt), FirstName=(Action_Param: 'FirstName'), LastName=(Action_Param: 'FirstName'), EmailAddress=(Action_Param: 'EmailAddress'), Comments=(Action_Param: 'Comments', -EncodeBREAK)]

This would then call your template and place the values of the Action_Params where you have placed them on your template file. It might look like this: -------- start email.txt ------------Hello, You have received the following email from your web site contact form. FirstName: [Action_Param: 'FirstName'] LastName: [Action_Param: 'LastName'] Comments: [Action_Param: -EncodeBREAK]

-----------end email.txt---------------

Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as emailform.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples.

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Tags Used ! (Logical NOT symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) // -EncodeBREAK [Output] [If]...[/If] [String->Trim] [Search_FieldItem] [Valid_Email] [Email_Send]

+ (String concatenation symbol) += -EncodeNONE [Encode_Set]...[/Encode_Set] [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [Search_Arguments]...[/Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [Response_FilePath]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37.

[Output_None] // This example shows how to create a contact form that emails the form information // to an address. // Setting variables for the response of the form when needed. [Search_Arguments] [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] [(Var: (Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] [/Search_Arguments]

// Setting page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Sending Email']

// Double-check that the email address is valid. [If: (Valid_Email: (Action_Param: 'EmailAddress'), -Domain='.co.uk,.com,.net') == true] [Var: 'EmailCheck' = '1'] [/If]

// Check that all required fields are correct: [/Output_None] [If: (Action_Param: 'process')] [Var: 'Errors' = '']

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[If: !(Var: 'FirstName')] [$Errors += 'First Name
\n'] [/If] [If: !(Var: 'LastName')] [$Errors += 'Last Name
\n'] [/If] [If: !(Var: 'Comments')] [$Errors += 'Comments
\n'] [/If] [If: !(Var: 'EmailCheck')] [$Errors += 'Email Address
\n'] [/If] [/If]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || (Var:'Errors')] [If: (Var:'Errors')]

Sorry, the following were not entered correctly.

[Output: $Errors, -EncodeNONE]

[Else]

Please complete the form below to submit comments on our web site:
[/If]

First Name:
Last Name:

Email Address:


Comments:
[Var:'Comments']



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94.

95. 96. [Else] 97. 98. [Email_Send: -Host='your.mail.server', 99. -To='[email protected]', 100. -From=(var:EmailAddress), 101. -Subject='Comments Form', 102. -Body=($Comments:-EncodeBREAK)] 103. 104.

Thank you [Output: $FirstName], we have received your comments below and will be back to you shortly.

105. 106.

[Output: $Comments, -EncodeBreak]

107. 108. [/If] 109. 110. 111.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments;

// Setting page title Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Sending Email';

// Double-check that the email address is valid. If: (Valid_Email: (Action_Param: 'EmailAddress'), -Domain='.co.uk,.com,.net') == true; Var: 'EmailCheck' = '1'; /if;

// Check that all required fields are correct: If: (Action_Param: 'process');

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Var: 'Errors' = ''; If: !(Var: 'FirstName'); $Errors += 'First Name
\n'; /If; If: !(Var: 'LastName'); $Errors += 'Last Name
\n'; /If; If: !(Var: 'Comments'); $Errors += 'Comments
\n'; /If; If: !(Var: 'EmailCheck'); $Errors += 'Email Address
\n'; /If; /If; // Encode the output to EncodeNONE, unless otherwise stated. Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE;

Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

'; If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || (Var:'Errors'); If: (Var:'Errors'); Output: '

Sorry, the following were not entered correctly:

\n' + '' + $Errors + '\n'; Else; Output: 'Please complete the form below to submit comments on our web site:
\n'; /If; Output: '

\n' + '\n' + '
First Name: \n' + '
Last Name: \n' + '

Email Address:\n' + '
\n' +

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88. 89.

'

Comments:\n' + '
' + (Var: 'Comments') + '\n' +

90. 91. '

\n' + 92. '

\n'; 93. 94. Else; 95. 96. (Email_Send: -Host='your.email.server', 97. -To='[email protected]', 98. -From=(var:EmailAddress), 99. -Subject='Comments Form', 100. -Body=($Comments:-EncodeBREAK)); 101. 102. 103. Output: '

Thank you ' + $FirstName + ', we have received your comments below and will be back to you shortly.

\n'; 104. 105. Output: '

' + ($Comments: -EncodeBreak) + '

\n'; 106. 107. /If; 108. 109. Output: '\n' + 110. '\n'; 111. 112. /Encode_Set; 113. 114. ?>

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Debugging Common Errors When you develop scripts for Internet/intranet and extranet applications, you will get errors. They will become frustrating, but developers at all levels get errors. Hopefully, this chapter will help you overcome the annoyance by showing how the most common errors occur. This chapter will also provide you with some useful tips. Lasso offers powerful tools to assist in reporting errors, allowing the developer to create a customized error page. Before we get to the customized error page, let’s cover the most common errors. Primarily, these will result from syntax. In other words, errors are often caused by forgetting to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. The most common error is Error Code -9951 (looping tag was aborted). This happens when Lasso has received an error in between a set of tags, so the script is stopped and the following page is shown to the user:

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Most error page reports will give an indication of where the error is and what it is, but this is not always the case. Please be sure to look at least five lines above the error that is reported on the Lasso Error page. If you do not get any information about where the syntax error is, you may need to: 1. Open or close with a square bracket. [Output: 'string'

Should be: [Output: 'string']

2. Open or close with a single quote. [Var: 'string]

Should be: [Var: 'string']

3. Escape a single quote. [Var: 'string' = 'that's funny']

Should be: [Var: 'string' = 'that\'s funny']

4. Delete [ ] square brackets in .

Should be:

5. Close an executable line with a semicolon. This is not an error but should be treated as one, as it will allow you to see where your tag finishes when using .

Should be:

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6. Use the - dash when using parameters or commands. [Output: '' + $string + '', EncodeNONE]

Should be: [Output: 'string', -EncodeNONE]

7. Use the variable defining symbol when looking for an equals condition. [If: 'String' = 'String'] [Output: 'String'] [/If]

Should be: [If: 'String' == 'String'] [Output: 'String'] [/If]

8. Set a variable using the conditional equals instead of the variable defining symbol. [Var: 'string' == 'Hello']

Should be: [Var: 'string' = 'Hello']

9. Use the colon when using LDML. [Output $variable]

Should be: [Output: $variable]

10. Use a semicolon instead of a colon when using [Else] conditionals. [If: $variable == 'String'] [Output: 'String'] [Else; $variable == 'This String'] [Output: 'This String'] [/If]

Should be: [If: $variable == 'String'] [Output: 'String'] [Else: $variable == 'This String'] [Output: 'This String'] [/If]

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Instructions The following exercise will show you the output from the syntax errors given and will allow you to find and fix them. Every time one is found and you correct it, upload the page to display the next error. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as syntaxerrors.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. 6. Type in a URL path for the example. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) $ (Global variable symbol) [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

+ (String concatenation symbol) [Var] [Output]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

[Output_None] // This example will show how an error is output to the user’s browser. // Page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Syntax Checking'] // Set example variables: [Var: 'string' = 'Correct Syntax Used'] [/Output_None]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

Example One:

[Output: $string

Debugging

27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82.

Example Two:

[Var: 'string]

Example Three:

[Var: 'text' = 'that's funny'] [If: (var: 'text')] [Output: $String] [/If]

Example Four:

Example Five:

Example Six:

[Output: '' + $string + '', EncodeNONE]

Example Seven:

[If: $String = 'Correct Syntax Used'] [Output: $String] [/If]

Example Eight:

[Var: 'TextString' == $String] [Output: $TextString]

Example Nine:

[Output $string]

Example Ten:

[If: $string->(Contains: 'Test')] [Output: $string]

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83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96.

[Else; $string->(Contains: 'Correct')] [Output: $string] [/If]



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Error Reporting Since Lasso offers a powerful error reporting resource, it is possible to determine if an error has taken place, and it is fairly easy to report what error occurred. Lasso provides the LDML tag [Error_CurrentError], which outputs the error as a description. This tag works by outputting the error status of the last action performed by Lasso. These are used alongside database tags, conditional tags, file tags, and many more. The following information will allow you to trap an error and stop any unnecessary error outputs to the user. As a default, if no error has occurred, the [Error_CurrentError] would output “No Error”: [If: (Error_CurrentError) == 'No Error'] Do this [Else] Do this [/If]

The error code for “No Error” is 0 (zero), and error codes can be output by adding the -ErrorCode parameter: [If: (Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0] Do this [Else] Do this [/If]

This means that after you have performed a particular action, you can use [Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode] to check if no error has occurred; if the number is not 0, then something is wrong. To find out what was wrong with the action in question, we could use the following: [If: (Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0] Do this [Else] There was an error
[Error_CurrentError]
Error Code: [Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode] [/If]

Since Lasso allows us to set conditionals against errors, we can utilize the [Include] LDML tag. If there was no error, it will include the correct page, and if there was an error, it will include another page:

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[If: (Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) == 0] [Include: 'correctpage.lasso'] [Else] [Include: 'errorpage.lasso'] [/If]

Lasso offers the developer other error LDML tags such as matching errors to produce a customized error description for an application. For example, the output “No Error” can be simulated with the [Error_NoError] LDML tag: [If: (Error_CurrentError) == (Error_NoError)] Do this [Else] Do this [/If]

Other error tags that offer the same functionality are: n

[Error_AddError] for use with the -Add action when working with databases.

n

[Error_UpdateError] for use with the -Update action when working with databases.

n

[Error_NoPermission] for use when you are looking to see if permissions have been granted with databases, tables, and files.

Lasso also allows you to override the current error message or error code. For example, if you had the error code 0 (zero) and wanted to set your own message to the output, you can use the following example: [Error_SetErrorCode: 0] [If: (Error_CurrentError) == (Error_NoError)] [Error_SetErrorMessage: 'There was no error with the last Action'] [Else] [Error_SetErrorMessage: 'There was an Error'] [/If] [Error_CurrentError]

This outputs: There was no error with the last Action

Lasso provides four additional container LDML tags to use with errors. They are: n

[Handle]...[/Handle]

n

[Fail]

n

[Fail_If]

n

[Protect]...[/Protect]

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To assist with debugging, these can be combined or used individually. I will give you a basic example of what each one can do for you. The [Handle]...[/Handle] LDML tag allows you to output a message depending on what the condition was, but it will only output the message after the page is completed: [Error_SetErrorCode: -1] [Handle: (Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0]

---

[Error_CurrentError] [/Handle] [Output: 'One Two Three']


This outputs: One Two Three -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Unknown Error

This means that it will process the page first and protect the error message until the page has completed. Once it has completed, it will then output the error description. If we wanted the page to stop processing, we would use the [Fail] tag. This works by setting a conditional and providing an error code and description to output: [Error_SetErrorCode: -1] [If: (Error_CurrentError) != (Error_NoError)] [Fail: -1, 'Unknown Error'] [/If] [Output: 'One Two Three']


Another way to write the condition is to use the [Fail_If] tag: [Error_SetErrorCode: 404] [Fail_If: (Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0, -1, 'Unknown Error'] [Output: 'One Two Three']


This will stop the script and output a Lasso error page with the following error information: Error Message: Unknown Error Error Code: -1

If we wanted Lasso to process the rest of the page and then output the error message, we would wrap the [Fail_If] tag with the [Handle]...[/Handle] tag: [Error_SetErrorCode: 404] [Handle] [Fail_If: (Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0, -1, 'Unknown Error']

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[/Handle] [Output: 'One Two Three']


This would output: One Two Three Error Message: Unknown Error Error Code: -1

As you can see, it processes the remainder of the page and then outputs the Lasso error page containing the error information you gave in the [Fail_If] tag. If we wanted Lasso to hide any errors reported but continue to process the rest of the page, we would surround the [Fail_If] tag with the [Protect]...[/Protect] LDML tag: [Error_SetErrorCode: 404] [Protect] [Fail_If: (Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode) != 0, -1, 'Unknown Error'] [/Protect] [Output: 'One Two Three']


This outputs: One Two Three

The [Protect]...[/Protect] tag is very useful if you want to hide any source being output from a page to the user, like a syntax error. If you are developing with [Include] and want to hide any errors from the browser, surround your [Include] with [Protect]...[/Protect] and no errors will be output. To produce a full list of the error codes with their descriptions, use the following script: [Loop:

-LoopFrom='-10000', -LoopTo='500', -LoopIncrement='1'] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Loop_Count)] [If: (Error_CurrentError) != NULL] [Error_Currenterror: -ErrorCode] = [Error_CurrentError]
[/If]

[/Loop]

This script will search from -10000 to 500 and set the error code to that [Loop_Count]. Then, if there is an error description for the ErrorCode, it will output the description.

Debugging

-10000 = Internal program assertion -9999 = Error reading from stream -9998 = Error writing to stream -9997 = Memory error -9996 = Invalid memory object -9995 = Out of memory -9994 = Out of stack space -9993 = Could not lock memory -9992 = Could not unlock memory -9991 = Could not dispose memory -9990 = File error -9989 = The file object is invalid -9988 = Invalid access mode -9987 = Could not create or open file -9986 = Could not close file -9985 = Could not delete file -9984 = File not found -9983 = File already exists -9982 = The file is corrupt -9981 = Volume does not exist -9980 = Disk full -9979 = Directory full -9978 = I/O error -9977 = Invalid pathname -9976 = Invalid filename -9975 = File locked -9974 = File unlocked -9973 = File is already open with write permission -9972 = File is closed -9971 = Beginning of file reached -9970 = End of file reached -9969 = Could not write to file

-9968 -9967 -9966 -9965 -9964 -9963 -9962 -9961 -9960 -9959 -9958 -9957 -9956 -9955 -9954 -9953 -9952 -9951 -3000 -2000 -1728 -1712 -802 -801 -800 -609 0 404

277

= Could not read from file = Resource not found = Resource error = Network error = Invalid user name = Invalid password = Invalid database = No permission = Field restriction = Add error = Update error = Delete error = An invalid parameter was passed to a function = Overflow: some memory passed to a function was too small to hold the results = A pointer was nil when it should not have been = Unknown error = A looping tag was aborted = Bad syntax used in a format file; parsing of the file was aborted = A datasource error has occurred = The module was not found = No records found = Timeout = Action not supported = Repeating related fields are not supported = Value missing for required field = The specified database was not found = No error = The file was not found

Instructions The following example will allow you to replace the default Lasso Error page and enable you to create a File Not Found page. This example is oriented to Internet websites. However, you could create a custom error page to contain any information you wished. 1. Create a new document in your text editor.

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2. Save the document as error.lasso in your chosen testing folder on your hard drive. 3. Type in your preferred syntax example below. 4. Save document. 5. Upload document to your web server root folder (if applicable). 6. Type in an incorrect URL path ending with the .lasso extension. Tags Used // (LassoScript comment) $ (Global variable symbol) [Referer_URL] [Output]

+ (String concatenation symbol) [Var] [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

[Output_None] // This example will show how to create a File Not Found page. // Page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = '404 File Not Found'] // Redirect to homepage [Var: 'PageRedirect' = 'http://www.lassodevelopment.com']

[/Output_None]

<TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

[Output: $PageTitle]

Sorry, the page or file you have requested has either been deleted or moved to another location.

27. 28.

29. 30. [If: (Referer_URL)] 31. 32. Please either CLICK HERE to return to the referring page, or
33. 34. [/If]

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35. 36. visit our HOME PAGE. 37. 38. 39. 40.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.


Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE;

Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n';

Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n'; Output: '

Sorry, the page or file you have requested has either been deleted or moved to another location.

\n';

27. 28. Output: '

\n'; 29. 30. If: (Referer_URL); 31. 32. Output: 'Please either CLICK HERE to return to the referring page, or
\n'; 33. 34. /If; 35. 36. Output: 'visit our HOME PAGE.\n'; 37. 38. 39. Output: '\n' + 40. '\n'; 41. 42. /Encode_Set; 43. 44. ?>

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Debugging Detective Work If you have good debugging skills, you should be able to find any problems within a matter of seconds, rather than minutes or hours. When working with Lasso, you have two syntax options: [] Square Bracket and . Each syntax brings its own debugging problems. When there is an error on a large script, like a missing = symbol or finding out which [Include] page comes in at what point of the script, it is always best to highlight where you are on the page by outputting some data to the browser that indicates “YOU ARE HERE.” For example, I usually use my own tag called DEEJ. I would set this up as a custom tag and have it loaded up before each page: [Define_Tag: 'Deej'] [Local: 'DeejDebug' = ' 
** DEEJ ** '] [Return: #DeejDebug] [/Define_Tag]

Then I could call on it any time I wanted to know where I was in the current script, as far as the browser was concerned. I would then type in the tag: [Deej: -EncodeNONE]

It would output: ** DEEJ **

You don’t have to go this far, but you can use the [Output] tag to output some data to identify where you are on a page: [Output: '** HERE **']

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This outputs: ** HERE **

Then you can easily locate where you are on the page. Since Lasso offers such a vast error reporting system, you will be able to perform good checks on debugging applications by using the [Error_CurrentError], [Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode], [Fail], [Fail_If], [Handle]...[/Handle], and [Protect]...[/Protect] tags.

Using Logs Lasso provides us with the [Log]...[/Log] LDML tag to log any error that happens on a page for application development research. As you go through this section, take a deep breath, as these are very powerful and can allow you to watch what is happening when users utilize your application. Apart from debugging, the [Log]...[/Log] tag can be used for other purposes that include monitoring page statistics and monitoring database actions performed in an application. For debugging purposes, here are a few ideas on how to utilize the functions offered. Every time a page is loaded, Lasso gives us the opportunity to collect much useful data: [Response_FilePath] The URL the user came from. [Link_CurrentActionURL] The action the user requested. [Error_CurrentError] Whether there were errors with the last request. [Server_Time: -Extended] The time. [Date_GetLocalTimeZone: The time zone the user is working in. (Date_GetCurrentDate)] [Client_Address] Returns the host name of the current client. [Client_Browser] Returns the type of browser used by the current client. [Client_IP] Returns the IP address of the current client. [Client_Type] Returns the type of browser used by the current client. This means that you can create a log file for any information you want. A log file script would look like this: [Log: '/Testing/TestLog.txt'][Server_Date: -Extended] [Server_Time: -Extended] [Client_IP] [/Log]

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This example would look for a file called LassoLog.txt. If it didn’t exist, it would create a file and then add the data accordingly. Also, notice the extra carriage return I have inserted, as this will output a carriage return in the log file. This outputs: 2002-01-03 | 08:58:27 PM | 192.168.0.10

If I refreshed the page, then a new line would be added: 2002-01-03 | 08:58:27 PM | 192.168.0.10 2002-01-03 | 09:02:30 PM | 192.168.0.10

To list any errors that have just taken place, I could have a [Log]..[/Log] script sitting just after an [Inline], for example: [Inline: -Findall, -Database='site', -Table='sessions'] [Error_CurrentError] - [Found_Count] [Log: '/Testing/TestLog.txt'][Server_Date: -Extended] | [Server_Time: -Extended] | [Client_IP] | [Response_FilePath] | [Error_CurrentError] | [Found_Count] [/Log] [/Inline]

This outputs to the user: No error - 9

This outputs to file: 2002-01-03 | 09:07:29 PM | 192.168.0.10 | /testing/index.lasso | No error | 9

Another example: [Inline: -Findall, -Database='site', -Table='sessions'] [Error_CurrentError] - [Found_Count] [Log: '/Testing/TestLog.txt'][Server_Date: -Extended] | [Server_Time: -Extended] | [Client_IP] | [Link_CurrentActionURL] | [Error_CurrentError] | [Found_Count] [/Log] [/Inline]

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283

This outputs: 2002-01-03 | 09:15:42 PM | 192.168.0.10 | /testing/index.lasso? -database=site&-response=&-table=sessions&-findall | No error | 9

As you can see, using a delimiter makes it easy to read and also allows you to put the information into an array for searching.

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Advanced Topics Regular Expressions One chapter just isn’t enough to give regular expressions the explanation they need, but I will include the basic principles using both examples and explanations. Think of “regular expression” as an elaborate term for “matching pattern.” An example is text editors. The text editor you are using will have a search facility for you to find text or files that contain strings with matching patterns, such as “Match Case”, “Upper Case”, etc. This uses a similar feature and then outputs the results accordingly. There are two types of LDML tags included in Lasso that assist you with regular expressions. The first is [String_ReplaceRegExp]. This allows you to give a pattern to search against, and then you can manipulate that instance however you wish. A quick example is: [Var:'MyTextString' = '"Hello, if you would like to contact me for further information about the web site, please use the following email address: [email protected], or alternatively...."'] [String_ReplaceRegExp: $MyTextString, -Search='(\w+@\w+\.\w+)', -Replace=' \1 ']

This would look at the data you are searching and find the pattern you gave in the -Search command. It would then tell Lasso to replace the matching pattern with your requirement. In this case, it would output to the browser as: "Hello, if you would like to contact me for further information about the web site, please use the following email address: [email protected], or alternatively...."

It would then convert the email address to a link so the user can click on it to send an email.

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The second LDML tag that is given is [String_FindRegExp]. This converts the found regular expression to an array, allowing you to manipulate that data. This means you could search data and then only output the relevant information required. If, for example, you have a data field with a large amount of text contained within it and want to extract only data that matches a particular pattern, then [String_FindRegExp] is the LDML tag to use. An example is: [Var:'MyTextString' = 'Hello, if you would like to contact me for further information about the web site, please use the following email address: [email protected] or, alternatively, you can contact the web master of the web site: [email protected] ....'] [Var: 'EmailAddressList' = (String_FindRegExp: $MyTextString, -Search='(\w+)@(\w+\.\w+)')] [Output: $EmailAddressList]

This outputs: array: ([email protected]), (info), (lassodevelopment.com), ([email protected]), (webmaster), (lassodevelopment.com)

As we have covered in Chapter 7 with arrays, we can now manipulate this data to meet any of our requirements. As you can see, regular expressions are very powerful, and once you look at the possibilities of what Lasso can offer with this function, your applications will become even more dynamic. Regular expressions use special characters to indicate what regular expression you are using. For example, the majority of us have an email address, which has a pattern: [email protected]

We can break up the email address into three elements: 1. Name, which can contain any number between 0 to 9, an underscore ( _ ), and the characters A to Z. 2. The @ symbol. 3. The domain name; in this case, lassodevelopment.com. We have identified a pattern, which all email addresses should adhere to. This is a regular expression. How do we tell Lasso what we are looking for as a regular expression? We do this by using special symbols that we are allowed to use in Lasso, otherwise known as metacharacters.

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You will already recognize some of these metacharacters, as we have used them in the examples, such as \n. I have used the letter “x” as an example of a character being used. . ^x x$ x+ x? x* (xb) x|b x{2} x{1,} x{1,3} [a-z] [A-Z] [0-9] \ \t \r \n \" \' \w \W \s \S \d \D

Any character Begins with x Ends with x At least one x Zero or one x Zero or more x’s xb grouped x or b xx x, xx, xxx, etc. x, xx, xxx Any lowercase letter Any uppercase letter Any number/digit Escape A tab character A return character A new-line character A double quote A single quote Matches any alphanumeric character or an underscore Matches any non-alphanumeric character Matches a whitespace character (space, tab, return, etc.) Matches a non-whitespace character Matches a numeric digit Matches any non-numeric character

This table allows us to define the pattern of an email address. If our example is: [Var:'MyTextString' = 'Hello, if you would like to contact me for further information about the web site, please use the following email address: [email protected] or, alternatively, you can contact the web master of the web site: [email protected] ....'] [Var: 'EmailAddressList' = (String_FindRegExp: $MyTextString, -Search='(\w+)@(\w+\.\w+)')]

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We can break this down to: (\w+) Look for multiple alphanumeric characters or underscores. This means that the first part of an email address similar to: “support_information” would be a match. @ Look for the @ symbol after the (\w+) match. This means that “support_information@” would be a match. (\w+\.\w+) Look for multiple alphanumeric characters or underscores and then a period because it has been escaped by the backslash. This means that we want that character. Then look for multiple alphanumeric characters or underscores. This means that any email address that matches the formula above will be converted into an array as we have seen with the [String_FindRegExp] LDML tag. Instructions 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as regexp.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used ! (Logical NOT symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) || (Logical OR symbol) += (Addition assignment) [Action_Param] [If]...[/If] [response_filepath] [String_SearchRegExp] [Loop]...[/Loop] [Encrypt_MD5]

+ (String concatenation symbol) // (LassoScript comment symbol) < (Less than symbol) [Output_None]...[/Output_None] [Var] [If]...[Else]...[/If] [String_FindRegExp] [Array->Size] [Loop_Count]

Advanced Topics

Square Bracket Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54.

[Output_None] // This example will show how to convert a string with line feeds to show line // numbers. // Set the page title [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Line Numbers']

// Setting variables for the response of the form when needed. [If: (Action_Param: 'Process')] [Var: [Var: [Var: [var: [Var: [Var: [Var:

'LineCounter' = 0] 'LineArrayCount' = 0] 'LineNumber' = ''] 'DisplayNewText' = ''] 'MD5String' = (Encrypt_MD5: 'InsertHere')] 'TextDisplay' = '\r' + (Action_Param:'TextDisplay')] 'LineArrayCount' = (String_FindRegExp: $TextDisplay, -Search='\r')]

[$DisplayNewText = (String_ReplaceRegExp: $TextDisplay, -Search='\r', -Replace='\r' + $MD5String)] [Loop: $LineArrayCount->size] [$LineCounter += 1] [If: $LineCounter < 10] [$LineNumber = '0' + $LineCounter] [Else] [$LineNumber = $LineCounter] [/If] [$LineNumber += '. '] [$DisplayNewText = (String_ReplaceRegExp: $DisplayNewText, -Search='\r' + $MD5String, -Replace='\r' + $LineNumber, -ReplaceOnlyOne)] [/Loop] [/If]

[/Output_None] <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle]

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55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76.

[Output: $PageTitle]

[If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'TextDisplay')]

Please enter in the text you would like to show line numbers against:

[Else] [Output: $DisplayNewText, -EncodeBreak]

Back to form. [/If]

LassoScript Example 01. size; 30. $LineCounter += 1; 31. If: $LineCounter < 10;

Advanced Topics

32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82.

$LineNumber = '0' + $LineCounter; Else; $LineNumber = $LineCounter; /If; $LineNumber += '. '; $DisplayNewText = (String_ReplaceRegExp: $DisplayNewText, -Search='\r' + $MD5String, -Replace='\r' + $LineNumber, -ReplaceOnlyOne); /Loop; /If;

Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; Output: '\n' + '\n' + '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + '\n' + '\n'; Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n';

If: !(Action_Param: 'process') || !(Action_Param: 'TextDisplay'); Output: '

Please enter in the text you would like to show line numbers against:

\n'; Output: '

\n' + '\n' + '

\n' + '\n' + '

\n'; Else; Output: $DisplayNewText, -EncodeBreak; Output: '

Back to form.\n'; /If; Output: '\n' + '\n'; /Encode_Set; // Close the Encoding

?>

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Creating and Using Custom Tags There will be times when you find yourself writing a script several times to do the same task within an application. To save time, Lasso provides the ability to create your own LDML tags, or custom tags. These tags can be written and called by the page you are using at any time. They allow you to give parameters, as you have been doing with the current LDML tags, which will provide the output you are looking for.

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Custom tags also allow you to use the current tags in Lasso, which means that the programming required will always be minimal. You may refer to them as macros or functions, but these words scare some developers. They are often interpreted as having lots of coding and calculations. However, let me remove this fear by showing you a simple custom tag that allows you to repeat a word five times with a carriage return after it: [Define_Tag: 'RepeatWord'] [If: (Named_Param: '-Word')] [Local: 'RepeatWordShow' = (Named_Param:'-Word')] [Else] [Local: 'RepeatWordShow' = 'EMPTY TAG'] [/If] [(#RepeatWordShow)->(Trim)] [Local: 'RepeatWordShowBreak' = (#RepeatWordShow) + '
\n'] [Local: 'RepeatWordResult' = ((#RepeatWordShowBreak) * 5)] [Return: #RepeatWordResult] [/Define_Tag] [RepeatWord: -Word='Hello', -EncodeNONE]

This outputs to the browser: Hello
Hello
Hello
Hello
Hello


This outputs to the user: Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello

You will notice some new LDML tags have been used and a # hash symbol. [Define_Tag]...[/Define_Tag] instructs Lasso to use the name entered as an actual LDML tag from that point onward. The tag will remain active only for the current page, unless you have declared it on all pages. [Named_Param], similar to [Action_Param], allows the developer to pass a value to the custom tag, assigning the parameter to be used in the script. In the example, we offered the following [Named_Param: '-Word'] to be used within the tag, so when the developer uses the tag, it is a required parameter. However, if no word was entered into

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the tag, we displayed EMPTY TAG to alert the developer that he forgot to put in the word required. [Local] is a local variable. You may remember we mentioned local variables in Chapter 2, “Variables.” These allow the developer to create temporary variables that will only be used within a custom tag. This means that in the above custom tag, the local variable 'RepeatWordShow' no longer remains available after the closing [/Define_Tag] has been declared. Therefore, you will not have to worry about duplication of variable names when writing custom tags. The # hash symbol indicates to the script “Local,” as with global variables. With global variables we would use $VariableName, and with local variables we use #VariableName. Instructions Both the [] Square Bracket and syntax examples show you how to write a custom tag that converts a text string to start with an uppercase character and the remainder in lowercase. 1. Open a new document in your text editor. 2. Then save the blank file as custom_tag.lasso in a folder on your hard drive that you wish to use for storing these examples. 3. Type the [] Square Bracket or example onto your document. 4. Save the document again. 5. Upload the document onto the server that is running Lasso into a folder you are using for testing the examples. Tags Used ! (Logical NOT symbol) $ (Global variable symbol) // (LassoScript comment symbol) [Named_Param] [Var] [Output_None] [If]...[Else]...[/If]

+ (String concatenation symbol) # (Local variable symbol) [Action_Param] [Define_Tag]...[/Define_Tag] [Output] [Encode_Set]

Square Bracket Example 01. [Output_None] 02. 03. // Setting variables for the response of the form when needed and giving them a 04. // trim to remove additional spaces. 05. 06. [Search_Arguments] 07.

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08. [Var: (Search_FieldItem) = (Search_ValueItem)] 09. 10. [(Var:(Search_FieldItem))->(Trim)] 11. 12. [/Search_Arguments] 13. 14. 15. // The FirstUpper custom tag allows a string to be passed and have the string converted into sentence case 16. // with the first word in uppercase and the remainder of the string in lowercase. 17. 18. 19. [Define_Tag: 'FirstUpper'] 20. [If: (Named_Param:'-String')] 21. [Local: 'FirstUpperString' = (Named_Param:'-String')] 22. [Else] 23. [Local: 'FirstUpperString' = ' '] 24. [/If] 25. [(#FirstUpperString)->(Trim)] 26. [Local:'FirstUpperLetter' = (#FirstUpperString)->(Get:1)] 27. [Local:'FirstUpperTempName' = (String_Remove: (#FirstUpperString), -StartPosition=1, -EndPosition=1)] 28. [Local:'FirstUpperStringResult' = (String_uppercase: #FirstUpperLetter) + (string_lowercase: #FirstUpperTempName)] 29. 30. [Return: (#FirstUpperStringResult)] 31. [/Define_Tag] 32. 33. //Setting page title 34. 35. [Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Custom Tag'] 36. 37. 38. [/Output_None] 39. 40. 41. 42. <TITLE>[Output: $PageTitle] 43. 44. 45. 46.

[Output: $PageTitle]

47. 48. [If: (!Action_Param: 'process') || (!Action_Param: 'UserText')] 49. 50. Please type in a text string using both upper- and lowercase:
51. 52.

53. 54.

55. 56.

57. 58. [Else] 59. 60.

Your original text string was:


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61. [Output: $UserText, -EncodeBREAK]

62.

Your new text string is:
63. [FirstUpper: -String=$UserText, -EncodeBREAK]

64. 65. [/If] 66. 67. 68.

LassoScript Example 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13.

(Trim); /Search_Arguments;

// The FirstUpper custom tag allows a string to be passed and have the string converted into sentence case 14. // with the first word in uppercase and the remainder of the string in lowercase. 15. 16. Define_Tag: 'FirstUpper'; 17. If: (Named_Param:'-String'); 18. Local: 'FirstUpperString' = (Named_Param:'-String'); 19. Else; 20. Local: 'FirstUpperString' = ' '; 21. /If; 22. (#FirstUpperString)->(Trim); 23. Local:'FirstUpperLetter' = (#FirstUpperString)->(Get:1); 24. Local:'FirstUpperTempName' = (String_Remove: (#FirstUpperString), -StartPosition=1, -EndPosition=1); 25. Local:'FirstUpperStringResult' = (String_uppercase: #FirstUpperLetter) + (string_lowercase: #FirstUpperTempName); 26. 27. Return: (#FirstUpperStringResult); 28. /Define_Tag; 29. 30. // Setting page title 31. 32. Var: 'PageTitle' = 'Custom Tag'; 33. 34. 35. Encode_Set: -EncodeNONE; 36. 37. Output: '\n' + 38. '\n' + 39. '<TITLE>' + $PageTitle + '\n' + 40. '\n' + 41. '\n'; 42.

Advanced Topics

43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71.

297

Output: '

' + $PageTitle + '

\n';

If: (!Action_Param: 'process') || (!Action_Param: 'UserText'); Output: 'Please type in a text string using both upper- and lowercase:
\n' + '

\n' + '\n' + '\n' + '

\n' + '

\n'; Else; Output: '

Your original text string was:
\n' + (Output: $UserText, -EncodeBREAK) + '

\n' + '

Your new text string is:
\n' + (FirstUpper: -String=$UserText, -EncodeBREAK) + '

\n'; /If; Output: '\n' + ''; /Encode_Set; ?>

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Creating and Using LassoApps When building applications or large scripts, you may want to protect your source code from third-parties who may have access to the server you are uploading the files to. But you still may want to allow the application to be fully functional via a web site. Lasso offers a very powerful tool called LassoApps. LassoApps offer the developer the ability to create a single compressed binary file containing both text-based Lasso formatted files and image files. To build a LassoApp you need to construct your files, images, and subfolders into a folder. All images, pages, and links that are called in the LassoApp must be relative to their position within the folder. This is because the LassoApp works as one single file and is named according to the folder where the files, subfolders, and images are contained. You need to make sure that all the files are text files, and if they contain LDML, then I suggest using the .lasso extension. This will ensure that the LassoApp will work on any Lasso Professional 5 setup. LassoApps will not work any previous version of Lasso Data Engine. The LassoApp is developed exactly as if you where constructing a normal web site with links to files, file response pages, images, and inlines with a few additions. All links, inlines, and images must be surrounded with the LDML tag [LassoApp_Link]. An example is:

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299

Homepage

...

When Lasso reads this while building a LassoApp, it will ignore the LDML tag until it is built into a single file. If you are looking to link to one of the files within the folder and want to include a parameter with a value, this is how it will look: Homepage

As you can see, it is only the filename you surround with the tag. If you are using [Response_Filepath] as your link or a form action, you do not need to surround this with [LassoApp_Link], as the page is known and will call itself. When working with the [Include] and [Library] tags, these will need to look like this: [Include: (LassoApp_Link:'header.lasso')]

or [Library: (LassoApp_Link:'site_config.lasso')]

Images work in exactly the same way by surrounding the image path with the [LassoApp_Link] LDML tag:

If one of these areas is not surrounded with the tag, then it will not work. LassoApps are not restricted to linking only to files that are contained within the .LassoApp file. They can link to remote files simply by using the normal link: Working Link

When building LassoApps, you need to plan your application carefully. Make sure that if you want to pass the file out to third parties, it doesn’t need additional files to make it work, like databases, unless you plan to give these away with the .LassoApp file as well. To recognize a LassoApp file on a web site, the URL path will contain a filename with the .LassoApp extension. The name of the .LassoApp file is the folder name used when the file was built. If you go to the Lasso Administration Panel, you will notice that once loaded, the URL will contain the following: http://yourIPaddress/Lasso/Admin.LassoApp

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This means that the source code the server is using to access the database information is contained within a LassoApp and protected within one binary file. The LassoApp was originally built in a folder called Admin. When naming LassoApps, it’s important to ensure that you don’t give them the same name as the ones that Lasso uses for administration purposes, like Admin.LassoApp and Startup.LassoApp. These will conflict with the Lasso setup on the machine where the LassoApp is running. By now you will have realized what this means for your applications and the benefits it brings to the developer. It allows it to pass out full source code or develop the source code and protect it by only providing the single binary file with any databases that are related. Since Lasso Professional 5 also allows encryption, you can construct your databases to only contain encrypted data and hide the -Seed to decrypt the data within your LassoApp. Very powerful! To get you started on LassoApps, we will use a previous example titled Meta Tag Generator that we used in Chapter 5, “Encoding and Decoding Strings.” This example only includes two links, the form action and the link back to the original form. Because we used [Response_FilePath], we do not need to add any [LassoApp_Link] LDML tags. This is useful to know when you just want to deploy a script solution. There are two ways to build a LassoApp, either through the Lasso Administration Panel under the Build menu and LassoApp Builder submenu or by using the [LassoApp_Create] LDML tag. I will use the LDML tag option since you can work from any folder, provided you have the proper file permissions. The [LassoApp_Create] LDML tag requires three parameters: n

-Root: The folder that contains the files, subfolders, and images to be included in the LassoApp. This needs to be a full path from the root of the machine and not the web server.

n

-Entry: The file that is the first page to load when the LassoApp is opened. This path is the relative filename from the folder set in -Root.

n

-Result: Where you want the file to be placed once built. This needs to be the full path from the root of the machine and not the web server.

On a Windows setup, the tag will look like this: [LassoApp_Create:

-Root='C:\\InetPub\\wwwroot\\AppFolder\\', -Entry='index.lasso', -Result='C:\\InetPub\\wwwroot\\AppFolder.LassoApp']

Notice we need to use the escape character (\) to allow Lasso to read the full path correctly, as we have used the backslash (\) for the Windows directory setup.

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301

Once this tag is loaded within a page in Lasso, it will take the folder “AppFolder,” create the file AppFolder.LassoApp, and deposit it within the wwwroot folder. When the LassoApp is called via the browser, it will call the page that is compiled within the LassoApp index.lasso. On an OS X setup, the LDML tag [LassoApp_Create] may look like this: [LassoApp_Create:

v

-Root='/Library/WebServer/Documents/AppFolder/', -Entry='index.lasso', -Result='/Library/WebServer/Documents/ AppFolder.LassoApp']

Note Both options require the same criteria to build the LassoApp. However, when using the Lasso Administration Panel, you need to have access to the Admin folder within the Blue World Communications folder.

Please note that the LDML tag [LassoApp_Link] cannot contain variables. If you are looking to give the application a different response page depending on a condition, use a map similar to this: [Var: 'PageJump' = (Map: 'Page1'=(LassoApp_Link: 'page1.lasso'), 'Page2'=(LassoApp_Link: 'page2.lasso') )] [Include: $PageJump->(Find: 'Page' + (Var: 'Number'))]

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Lasso Administration Setting up the Administration Panel If you are working with your own licensed copy of Lasso Professional 5, you will need to understand your way around the Lasso Administration Panel. If you are using a third party’s hosting option, you will need to be aware of certain restrictions that need to be highlighted to ensure you know what to ask your hosting provider. The Administration Panel has been designed to allow the administrator to easily restrict, enable, create, edit, or delete datasources, records, and user permissions. This is to ensure that security and access remains paramount to the application in question. A suitable phrase would be “on a need to know basis.” When you install Lasso Professional 5 for the first time, you will be presented with the following screen that asks you to provide your Lasso Professional 5 serial number that you received when you purchased your copy.

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The following steps will allow you to continue to set up Lasso Professional 5: 1. Enter your serial number. 2. Enter an administrator username, e.g., Administrator. 3. Enter a password for the administrator username. 4. Repeat the password for the administrator username. 5. Click Submit Information. If everything was correct you will be shown the following screen:

To open up the Administrator Control Panel: 6. Click Open Lasso Administration. You will now be presented with an authentication dialog box:

7. Enter the administrator username you chose on setup. 8. Enter the administrator password you chose on setup. 9. Click OK.

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If everything was okay with no misspellings on your username and password, you will now be shown the Lasso Administration Control Panel:

Datasources The default screen you are taken to once logged into Lasso Administration is the Setup > Global Settings > Admin screen:

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This screen displays the information about the administrator of the system and what version you are currently using. To view what datasources (databases) are connected to Lasso: 1. Click the Data Sources heading next to Global Settings.

This screen will show you what connectors you have installed for Lasso. For the example, we will be using Lasso Connector for Lasso MySQL. 2. Click List Hosts for the Lasso MySQL connector.

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You will be shown the port settings and IP address that the connector is searching to find databases to connect to Lasso. In this case, we are using localhost:14551. The localhost indicates that Lasso MySQL is connected to the same machine running Lasso Professional 5. If you wanted to connect another machine, you would indicate the IP address for the host and the port Lasso should look on. As Lasso MySQL doesn’t use the same port address as the standard MySQL package, this allows you to install both LassoMySQL and MySQL on the same machine. 3. Click List Databases under the Links heading.

As you can see, Lasso displays all the databases that are currently connected to the connector on LocalHost:14551 Lasso MySQL. Each database has a name, alias, status, and links. These allow you to quickly glance to see what databases are loaded and their status. If at any stage you add a new database to the connector, you would click Refresh to ensure that Lasso can see it. Also, if it says New after you add a new database, this means it has not been enabled. It needs to be activated either by using the Enable All New button or by clicking on the database and enabling it independently.

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If a database is enabled, then it means you can start working with it. This only applies to the administrator and not public users. So, if you enabled a web site and did not set each inline to use the administrator username and password, there would be error permissions. It is always a good idea to give web site-accessed pages a different username and password than those given to the administrator. I will be covering permissions later in this chapter. The following examples use the example database MyResume that was created in Chapter 9. If you don’t have this listed, then please use the example database called Contacts. 4. Click the database MyResume under the heading Name.

To the right of the screen, you can see the database default settings. This gives the administrator the ability to see who has access, setting a username and password against the database if required, like with MySQL, enabling or disabling the database from Lasso settings. If the setting for Always Connect with Defaults is changed to Yes, then any other settings will be ignored for that database given within this area. 5. Click the List Tables button on the right-hand side of the screen.

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This screen displays the tables that are contained within the database, in this case “MyResume.” 6. Click Users under the heading Name.

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Again, we can see who has permissions to access the Users table besides administrator.

Group Permissions Because only the administrator has permission to access a database once it is enabled, we would want to set up another user for the public to access this data too. 1. Click the subheading Groups between Tags and Users.

This screen displays information about the groups that are set up for access to perform commands through Lasso. Currently, you can see only the default user group called Any User. This group is the same level as Anonymous and would require no username and password to perform a command when interacting with applications on the given system. As a default, the group Any User cannot access any database or table on the system or work with the file tags. By this I mean that if you were to use an inline to search on the database site and the table sessions using the following [Inline]...[/Inline], you would receive the output of “No Permission.” [Inline: -Findall, -Database='MyResume, -Table='users']  [Error_CurrentError] - [Found_Count] [/Inline]

With the default settings, this outputs:

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No Permission - 0

If we use the administrator username and password given to Lasso: [Inline: -Findall, -Database='MyResume', -Table='users', -Username='administrator', -Password='xxxxxxxx']  [Error_CurrentError] - [Found_Count] [/Inline]

With a record added, this outputs: No Error - 1

So when I discuss permissions, I am talking about the permission you give the [Inline]...[/Inline] to perform the command in question and not the permission we give a user to access a web site. If we wanted to give the group user permissions to search the database site and the Users table, we need to tell Lasso that this is okay. 2. Click on the link AnyUser.

To the right we can now see information about the group AnyUser, such as when it was created and last modified.

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3. Click on the Databases button.

This screen is what controls and shows you the permissions the group AnyUser has for the databases that are available for the Lasso MySQL connector and the host LocalHost. Next to each database listed on the left, you can see the alias and the assigned status of the database for the group AnyUser. If this is indicated as No, then no access will be given at all to any command. 4. Click on MyResume under the Name heading on the left. To allow the group AnyUser to search, add, delete, and update records with the MyResume database, we would select Allow from the drop-down of each heading on the right-hand side of the screen. 5. Select Allow from the Search Records drop-down list. 6. Select Allow from the Update Records drop-down list. 7. Select Allow from the Add Records drop-down list. 8. Select Allow from the Delete Records drop-down list.

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9. Click the Assign button.

You will now notice that under the Assigned heading for the MyResume database it now says Yes. This indicates that Lasso will allow the group AnyUser to search/update/add/delete records to the MyResume database. If we run our test [Inline] given earlier, the results would be: [Inline: -Findall, -Database='MyResume', -Table='users']  [Error_CurrentError] - [Found_Count] [/Inline]

This outputs: No Permission - 0

This is because we still need to tell Lasso to allow the group AnyUser to have access to the Users table within the MyResume database.

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10. Click on the List Tables button on the right of the screen below the database detail.

As with the database setup, the table setup is exactly the same for setting permissions for a group. 11. Click on Users under the Name heading on the left. 12. Select Allow from the Search Records drop-down list. 13. Select Allow from the Update Records drop-down list. 14. Select Allow from the Add Records drop-down list. 15. Select Allow from the Delete Records drop-down list.

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16. Click Assign.

Now you will see Yes below the Assigned heading for the Users table. If we run our [Inline] again, the results will change: [Inline: -Findall, -Database='MyResume', -Table='users']  [Error_CurrentError] - [Found_Count] [/Inline]

This outputs: No Error - 1

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File Permissions As with databases, to allow a group to use the file tags provided by Lasso, we need to give the group/user the permission to use them. 1. Click the Groups subheading between Tags and Users. 2. Click on the link AnyUser. 3. Click Files on the right of the screen.

As you can see, we are given a selection of check boxes that allow us to give file permissions to the group AnyUser. This is broken down into two areas: n

What path to allow for the group AnyUser.

n

What access to allow for the group AnyUser.

For this example, I have set up a folder in my web root called /lp5book/examples/. 4. Enter /lp5book/examples/ into the Allow Path field. 5. Check Create Files. 6. Check Read Files. 7. Check Write Files. 8. Check Move Files.

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9. Check Copy Files. 10. Check Delete Files. 11. Check Inspect Files. 12. Click Update.

You will notice I have not checked Access Files Outside of Root. This is required if you are looking to allow users to upload files and perform file related tasks outside of the web root. However, to ensure security, I would assign a new group/user called Upload and give Upload the permissions for that purpose. Then in each upload script I give the Upload username and password within the [Inline] for the [File_Control] tags.

General Permissions Throughout the Lasso Administration Control Panel, Lasso allows you to dictate what permissions a group or user has for: n

Databases

n

Tables

n

Files

n

Tags

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It also allows you to restrict what other tasks can be performed through Lasso. For example, you can restrict or stop the usage of: n

LassoApps

n

Classic syntax

n

File extensions

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

319

Appendix A

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference Overview This appendix provides a quick reference guide to what each Lasso Professional 5 LDML tag will allow regarding parameters and syntax. Please be aware that some tags are not compatible with certain datasources. The categories included in this appendix are: Action Administration Array Client Conditional Custom Data Type Database Date Delimiter Encoding Encryption Error File Include Link Math Operator Output Response Results Session String Symbol Technical Utility Variable For additional tags that have been custom developed, be sure to check out the web site at http://www.lassoscripts.com.

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Action Tags Tag Name

-Add

Syntax [Inline: -Add, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', ...] Link

...

Tag Name

-Delete

Syntax [Inline: -Delete, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', -KeyField='KeyField_Name', -KeyValue='KeyField_Value', ...] Link

...

Tag Name

-Duplicate

Syntax [Inline: -Duplicate,

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

-Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', -KeyField='KeyField_Name', -KeyValue='KeyField_Value', ...] Link

...

Tag Name

-FindAll

Syntax [Inline: -FindAll, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', ...] Link

...

Tag Name

-Image (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax

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Tag Name

-Nothing

Syntax [Inline: -Nothing, ...] Link

...

Tag Name

-Random (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Inline: -Random, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', ...] Link

...

Tag Name

-Search

Syntax [Inline: -Search, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', ...] Link

...

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

-Show

Syntax [Inline: -Show, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', ...] Link

...

Tag Name

-SQL (Not FileMaker Pro)

Syntax [Inline: -SQL='SQL Statement', -Database='Database_Name', ...]

Required Parameters

SQL Statement: the SQL statement that should be issued to the database. Tag Name

-Update

Syntax [Inline: -Update, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', -KeyField='KeyField_Name', -KeyValue='KeyField_Value', ...]

Administration Tags Tag Name

[Admin_ChangeUser]

Syntax [Admin_ChangeUser: 'Username', 'New Password']

Required Parameters

New Password: the new password for the username.

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Username: the username whose password should be changed. Tag Name

[Admin_CreateUser]

Syntax [Admin_CreateUser: 'Username', 'Password']

Required Parameters

Password: the password to be created for the user. Username: the username to be created for the user. Tag Name

[Admin_GroupAssignUser]

Syntax [Admin_GroupAssignUser: 'Groupname', 'Username']

Required Parameters

Groupname: the name of the group to which the user should be assigned. Username: the name of the user that should be assigned to the group. Tag Name

[Admin_GroupListUsers]

Syntax [Admin_GroupListUsers: 'Groupname']

Required Parameters

Groupname: the group that should have its users listed. Tag Name

[Admin_GroupRemoveUser]

Syntax [Admin_GroupRemoveUser: 'Groupname', 'Username']

Required Parameters

Groupname: the group from which the user should be removed. Username: the username of the user that should be removed from the group. Tag Name Syntax [Admin_ListGroups]

[Admin_ListGroups]

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

[Auth]

Syntax [Auth]

Tag Name

[Auth_Admin]

Syntax [Auth_Admin]

Tag Name

[Lasso_DatasourceIsFileMaker]

Syntax [Lasso_DatasourceIsFileMaker: 'Database Name']

Required Parameters

Database Name: the name of the database that should be checked. Tag Name

[Lasso_DatasourceIsLassoMySQL]

Syntax [Lasso_DatasourceIsLassoMySQL: 'Database Name']

Required Parameters

Database Name: the name of the database that should be checked. Tag Name

[Lasso_DatasourceIsMySQL]

Syntax [Lasso_DatasourceIsMySQL: 'Database Name']

Required Parameters

Database Name: the name of the database that should be checked. Tag Name

[Lasso_DatasourceModuleName]

Syntax [Lasso_DatasourceModuleName: 'Database Name']

Required Parameters

Database Name: the name of the database where the module name should be returned.

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Tag Name

[Lasso_TagExists]

Syntax [Lasso_TagExists: 'Tag Name']

Required Parameters

Tag Name: the name of the tag to be checked. Tag Name

[Lasso_TagModuleName]

Syntax [Lasso_TagModuleName: 'Tag Name']

Required Parameters

Tag Name: the name of the tag where the module name should be returned. Tag Name

[Lasso_Version]

Syntax [Lasso_Version]

Optional Parameters

-LassoEdition: returns the edition of Lasso Service. -LassoPlatform: returns the platform of Lasso Service. -LassoVersion: returns the version of Lasso Service. Tag Name

[Tags]

Syntax [Tags]

Array Tags Tag Name

[Array->Find]

Syntax [Array->(Find: 'Find Value')]

Required Parameters

Array: the array that should be searched. Find Value: the value that should be searched for in the array.

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Tag Name

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[Array->Get]

Syntax [Array->(Get: Array Index)] [Array->(Get: Array Index)=New Value]

Required Parameters

Array: the array whose element should be returned. Array Index: the index of the array’s element that should be returned. Tag Name

[Array->Insert]

Syntax [Array->(Insert: 'Insert Value')] [Array->(Insert: 'Insert Value', Array Index)]

Required Parameters

Array: the array where the value should be inserted. Optional Parameters

Array Index: the index of the element where the new item should be inserted. The default is to insert at the end of the array. Insert Value: the value that should be inserted as the last element of the array. Tag Name

[Array->Last]

Syntax [Array->(Last)]

Required Parameters

Array: the array where the value of the last element should be returned. Tag Name

[Array->Merge]

Syntax [Array->(Merge: [Array->(Merge: [Array->(Merge: [Array->(Merge:

Merge Merge Merge Merge

Array)] Array, Array Index)] Array, Array Index, Merge Index)] Array, Array Index, Merge Index, Merge Length)]

Required Parameters

Array: the base array.

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Optional Parameters

Array Index: the index where the merge array in the base array should be inserted. By default, the merge array is inserted at the end of the base array. Merge Array: the array that should be merged onto the end of the base array. Merge Index: the index of the merge array where elements are copied. By default, the entire merge array is copied. Merge Length: the number of elements to copy from the merge array. By default, the entire merge array, after the merge index, is copied. Tag Name

[Array->Remove]

Syntax [Array->(Remove: Array Index)]

Required Parameters

Array: the array to be operated upon. Array Index: the index of the element that should be removed from the array. Tag Name

[Array->RemoveAll]

Syntax [Array->(RemoveAll: 'Find Value')]

Required Parameters

Array: the array where all elements should be removed. Find Value: the value of elements that should be removed from the array. Tag Name

[Array->Size]

Syntax [Array->(Size)]

Required Parameters

Array: the array for which the size should be returned. Tag Name

[Array->Sort]

Syntax [Array->(Sort: Sort Order)]

Required Parameters

Array: the array that is to be sorted.

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Optional Parameters

Sort Order: if True, it specifies that the array should be sorted in ascending, numeric, or alphabetic order. If False, it specifies the array should be sorted in descending order. Tag Name

[Map->Find]

Syntax [Map->(Find: 'Key Value')]

Required Parameters

Key Value: the key where a value stored in the map should be returned. Map: the map that is to be operated upon. Tag Name

[Map->Get]

Syntax [Map->(Get: Map Index)]

Required Parameters

Map: the map that is to be operated upon. Map Index: the index of the map’s element that should be returned. Tag Name

[Map->Insert]

Syntax [Map->(Insert: 'Map Key'='Map Value')]

Required Parameters

Key/Value Pair: the key and value for a new element that is to be inserted into the map. Map: the map that is to be operated upon. Tag Name

[Map->Remove]

Syntax [Map->(Remove: Map Index)]

Required Parameters

Map: the map that is to be operated upon. Map Index: the index of an element that should be removed from the map. Tag Name Syntax [Map->(Size)]

[Map->Size]

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Required Parameters

Map: the map whose size should be returned. Tag Name

[Pair->First]

Syntax [Pair->(First)]

Required Parameters

Pair: the pair whose element should be returned. Tag Name

[Pair->Name]

Syntax [Pair->(Name)]

Required Parameters

Pair: the pair whose element should be returned. Tag Name

[Pair->Second]

Syntax [Pair->(Second)]

Required Parameters

Pair: the pair whose element should be returned. Tag Name

[Pair->Value]

Syntax [Pair->(Value)]

Required Parameters

Pair: the pair whose element should be returned.

Client Tags Tag Name Syntax [Client_Address]

[Client_Address]

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

[Client_Browser]

Syntax [Client_Browser]

Tag Name

[Client_ContentLength]

Syntax [Client_ContentLength]

Tag Name

[Client_ContentType]

Syntax [Client_ContentType]

Tag Name

[Client_CookieList]

Syntax [Client_CookieList]

Tag Name

[Client_Cookies]

Syntax [Client_Cookies]

Tag Name

[Client_FormMethod]

Syntax [Client_FormMethod]

Tag Name

[Client_GetArgs]

Syntax [Client_GetArgs]

Tag Name

[Client_GetParams]

Syntax [Client_GetParams]

Tag Name Syntax [Client_Headers]

[Client_Headers]

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Tag Name

[Client_IP]

Syntax [Client_IP]

Tag Name

[Client_Password]

Syntax [Client_Password]

Tag Name

[Client_PostArgs]

Syntax [Client_PostArgs]

Tag Name

[Client_PostParams]

Syntax [Client_PostParams]

Tag Name

[Client_Type]

Syntax [Client_Type]

Tag Name

[Client_Username]

Syntax [Client_Username]

Tag Name

[WAP_IsEnabled]

Syntax [WAP_IsEnabled]

Tag Name

[WAP_MaxButtons]

Syntax [WAP_MaxButtons]

Tag Name Syntax [WAP_MaxColumns]

[WAP_MaxColumns]

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

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[WAP_MaxHorzPixels]

Syntax [WAP_MaxHorzPixels]

Tag Name

[WAP_MaxRows]

Syntax [WAP_MaxRows]

Tag Name

[WAP_MaxVertPixels]

Syntax [WAP_MaxVertPixels]

Conditional Tags Tag Name

[Abort]

Syntax [Abort]

Tag Name

[Else]

Syntax [If: Conditional Expression] ... [Else: Conditional Expression] ... [Else] ... Default ... [/If]

Optional Parameters

Conditional Expression: the conditional expression to be evaluated. If True, this portion of the conditional will be executed. It defaults to True if no conditional expression is specified. Tag Name

[If] ... [/If]

Syntax [If: Conditional Expression] ... [/If]

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Optional Parameters

Conditional Expression: the conditional expression that is executed to determine if the contents of the container tag should be executed. Tag Name

[Loop] ... [/Loop]

Syntax [Loop: Loop Count] ... [/Loop] [Loop: -LoopFrom=Start Value, -LoopTo=End Value, -LoopIncrement=Increment] ... [/Loop]

Optional Parameters

-LoopFrom: the starting value for loop iterations. -LoopIncrement: the number that should be used to modify the loop count on each loop iteration. It defaults to 1. -LoopTo: the ending value for loop iterations. Loop Count: the number of iterations the loop should perform. Either an integer value or -LoopFrom and -LoopTo parameters are required. Tag Name

[Loop_Abort]

Syntax [Loop: Loop Count] [Loop_Abort] [/Loop] [While: Conditional Expression] [Loop_Abort] [/While]

Tag Name

[Loop_Count]

Syntax [Loop_Count]

Tag Name

[Repetition]

Syntax [If: (Repetition) == Desired Repetition] ... [/If]

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Tag Name

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[While] ... [/While]

Syntax [While: Conditional Expression] ... [/While]

Required Parameters

Conditional Expression: the conditional expression that is executed on each repetition of the contents in the container tag.

Custom Tags Tag Name

[Define_Tag] ... [/Define_Tag]

Syntax [Define_Tag: 'Tag Name'] ... Tag Body... [/Define_Tag] [Define_Tag: 'Tag Name', -Async] ... Tag Body... [/Define_Tag]

Optional Parameters

-Async: If specified, the tag will spawn a new thread and execute asynchronously. Required Parameters

Tag Name: the name of the tag to be defined. Tag Name

[Define_Type] ... [/Define_Type]

Syntax [Define_Type: 'Type Name', 'Inherited Type'] [Local: 'Member Variable'='Variable Value'] [Define_Tag: 'Member Tag'] ... [/Define_Tag] [/Define_Type]

Optional Parameters

Inherited Type: the optional name of a custom type from which this type inherits attributes.

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Required Parameters

Type Name: the name of the type to be defined. Tag Name

[Local]

Syntax [Define_Tag] [Local: 'Local Variable Name', Encoding Keyword] [/Define_Tag] [Define_Tag] [Local: 'Local Variable Name'='Local Variable Value'] [/Define_Tag]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: only affects the value of a variable that is returned, not the value of a variable which is set. Variable Name: the name of the variable for which the current value should be returned. Variable Name and Value: a variable with the specified name is created and set to the specified value. Tag Name

[Local_Defined]

Syntax [Local_Defined: 'Local Variable Name']

Required Parameters

Local Variable Name: the name of the local variable to be checked. Tag Name

[Locals]

Syntax [Locals]

Tag Name

[Named_Param]

Syntax [Named_Param: 'Parameter Name']

Required Parameters

Parameter Name: the name of the parameter that is to be returned. Tag Name Syntax [Params]

[Params]

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Tag Name

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[Params_Up]

Syntax [Params_Up]

Tag Name

[PostCondition]

Syntax [PostCondition]

Required Parameters

Conditional Expression: the conditional expression must be true, or an error will be generated. Tag Name

[PreCondition]

Syntax [PreCondition]

Required Parameters

Conditional Expression: the conditional expression must be true, or an error will be generated. Tag Name

[Return]

Syntax [Return: 'Return Value']

Optional Parameters

Return Value: the value to be returned. If omitted, a null value is returned. Tag Name

[Return_Value]

Syntax [Return_Value]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an explicit encoding keyword is specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name Syntax [Self]

[Self]

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[Self->(MemberTag)] [Self->'InstanceVariable']

Data Type Tags Tag Name

[Array]

Syntax [Array: 'Array Elements'] [Variable: 'VariableName'=(Array: 'Array Elements')]

Required Parameters

Array Elements: the parameters of the [Array] tag, including values and name/value parameters, are copied as the starting elements of the array. Tag Name

[Boolean]

Syntax [Boolean: 'Value'] [Variable: 'VariableName'=(Boolean: 'Value')]

Required Parameters

Value: the value which is to be cast to Boolean. Tag Name

[Decimal]

Syntax [Decimal: 'Value'] [Variable: 'VariableName'=(Decimal: 'Value')]

Required Parameters

Value: the value will be converted to a decimal and returned. Tag Name

[Integer]

Syntax [Integer: 'Value'] [Variable: 'VariableName'=(Integer: 'Value')]

Required Parameters

Value: the value which will be converted to an integer.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

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[Map]

Syntax [Map: 'Map Names'='Map_Values'] [Variable: 'VariableName'=(Map: 'Map Names'='Map_Values')]

Required Parameters

Map Names and Values: the name/value parameters of the [Map] tag are copied as the starting elements of the map. Tag Name

[Null]

Syntax [Null] [If: (Variable: 'VariableName') == (Null)] ... [/If]

Tag Name

[Pair]

Syntax [Pair: 'Name'='Value']

Required Parameters

Name/Value pair: the name and value of the parameter become the first and second elements of the pair. Tag Name

[String]

Syntax [String: 'Value']

Required Parameters

Value: the value that will be converted into a string.

Database Tags Tag Name

-Database

Syntax [Inline: -Database='Database_Name', ...] Link

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...

Required Parameters

Database_Name: the name of the database that should be used for a database action. Tag Name

-FMScript

Syntax [Inline: -FindAll, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', -FMScript='Script_Name', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Script_Name: the FileMaker Pro script that is to be called. Tag Name

-FMScriptPost

Syntax [Inline: -FindAll, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', -FMScriptPost='Script_Name', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Script_Name: the FileMaker Pro script that is to be called.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

-FMScriptPre (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Inline: -FindAll, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', -FMScriptPre='Script_Name', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Script_Name: the FileMaker Pro script that is to be called. Tag Name

-FMScriptPreSort (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Inline: -FindAll, -Database='Database_Name', -Table='Table_Name', -FMScriptPreSort='Script_Name', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Script_Name: the FileMaker Pro script that is to be called. Tag Name

-KeyColumn

Syntax [Inline: -KeyColumn='KeyField_Name', ...] Link

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...

Required Parameters

KeyField_Name: the name of the column that is to be used as the key column. Tag Name

-KeyField

Syntax [Inline: -KeyField='KeyField_Name', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

KeyField_Name: the name of the field that is to be used as the key field. Tag Name

-KeyValue

Syntax [Inline: -KeyValue='KeyField_Value', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

KeyField_Value: the value that should be used to identify a particular record in a database action. Tag Name

-Layout (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Inline: -Layout='Layout_Name', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Layout_Name: the name of the table/layout that should be used for a database action.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

-MaxRecords

Syntax [Inline: -MaxRecords=MaxRecords_Value, ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

MaxRecords_Value: specifies the number of records that should be returned. Tag Name

-MaxRows

Syntax [Inline: -MaxRows=MaxRows_Value, ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

MaxRows_Value: specifies the number of records that should be returned. Tag Name

-Req

Syntax

...

Tag Name

-Required

Syntax

...

Tag Name

-ReturnColumn

Syntax [Inline: -ReturnColumn='Field_Name', ...]

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Link

...

Required Parameters

Field_Name: specifies the name of a field that should be returned. Tag Name

-ReturnField

Syntax [Inline: -ReturnField='Field_Name', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Field_Name: specifies the name of a field that should be returned. Tag Name

-SkipRecords

Syntax [Inline: -SkipRecords=SkipRecords_Value, ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

SkipRecords_Value: specifies the offset into the records to be returned. Tag Name

-SkipRows

Syntax [Inline: -SkipRows=SkipRows_Value, ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

SkipRows_Value: specifies the offset into the records to be returned.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

-SortColumn

Syntax [Inline: -SortColumn='Field_Name', -SortOrder='Ascending'...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the column where the results should be sorted. Tag Name

-SortField

Syntax [Inline: -SortField='Field_Name', -SortOrder='Ascending'...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the field by which the results should be sorted. Tag Name

-SortOrder

Syntax [Inline: -SortField='Field_Name', -SortOrder='Ascending'...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Ascending, Descending, Custom Tag Name

-Table

Syntax [Inline: -Table='Table_Name', ...] Link

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...

Required Parameters

Table_Name: the name of the table that should be used. Tag Name

[Checked]

Syntax [Value_List: 'Field Name'] [Value_ListItem] [/Value_List] [Value_List: 'Field Name'] [Value_ListItem] [/Value_List]

Tag Name

[Column]

Syntax [Column: 'Field_Name'] [Records] [Column: 'Field_Name'] [/Records] [Records: -InlineName='Inline_Name'] [Column: 'Field_Name'] [/Records] [Column: 'Field_Name', -RecordIndex=Record_Index] [Column: 'Relation_Name::Field_Name']

(FileMaker Pro only) [Portal: 'Relation Name'] [Column: 'Relation_Name::Field_Name'] [/Portal] [Column: 'Relation_Name::Field_Name', -PortalIndex=Portal_Index]

Optional Parameters

-PortalIndex: can be used for fields included in a portal of the current layout in a FileMaker Pro database. The value for the specified field from this row of the portal is returned. -RecordIndex: if specified, the value for the field of the specified record from the current found set is returned. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. No encoding is applied to nested tags unless an explicity encoding keyword is specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

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Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the field whose value should be returned. Tag Name

[Column_Name]

Syntax [Column_Name: -Count] [Column_Name: Field Index]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. No encoding is applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Field Index: specifies which field name should be returned. Ranges from 1 to the value of [Field_Name: -Count]. It cannot be used with the -Count keyword. Result Type: returns the number of fields in the current result set. It cannot be used with a field index. Tag Name

[Database_ChangeColumn]

Syntax [Database_ChangeColumn: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Original='Original Field Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -Default='Default Value'] [Database_ChangeColumn: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Original='Original Field Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -BeforeFirst, -Null] [Database_ChangeColumn: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Original='Original Field Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -AfterField='Field Name', -Key, -AutoIncrement, -NotNull]

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Optional Parameters

-AfterField: this field should be created after the name of the field. It defaults to adding the field to the end of the table. Cannot be used in conjunction with -BeforeFirst. -AutoIncrement: if specified, the field will auto-increment each time a new record is created. Only one auto-increment field can exist per table. It is usually used on primary key fields only. -BeforeFirst: specifies that the field should be inserted before the first field in the table. Cannot be used in conjunction with -AfterField. Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database where the field should be modified. -Default: the default value the field should be set to on new records if no specific value for the field is defined. -Field: the new name of the field being modified. -Key: if specified, the field will be set as the primary key for the table. Only one primary key can exist per table. -NotNull: specifies that null values should not be allowed in the field. It cannot be used in conjunction with -Null. -Null: specifies that null values are allowed in the field. (The default.) -Original: the name of the field that should be modified. -Table: the name of the table where the field should be modified. -Type: the MySQL type of the field that should be added. Tag Name

[Database_ChangeField]

Syntax [Database_ChangeField: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Original='Original Field Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -Default='Default Value'] [Database_ChangeField: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Original='Original Field Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -BeforeFirst, -Null] [Database_ChangeField: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Original='Original Field Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -AfterField='Field Name', -Key, -AutoIncrement,

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-NotNull]

Optional Parameters

-AfterField: the name of the field that should be created after this field. It defaults to adding the field to the end of the table. Cannot be used in conjunction with -BeforeFirst. -AutoIncrement: if specified, the field will auto-increment each time a new record is created. Only one auto-increment field can exist per table. It is usually used on primary key fields only. -BeforeFirst: specifies that the field should be inserted before the first field in the table. It cannot be used in conjunction with -AfterField. Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database where the field should be modified. -Default: the default value the field should be set to on new records if no specific value for the field is defined. -Field: the new name of the field being modified. -Key: if specified, the field will be set as the primary key for the table. Only one primary key can exist per table. -NotNull: specifies that null values should not be allowed in the field. Cannot be used in conjunction with -Null. -Null: specifies that null values are allowed in the field. (The default.) -Original: the name of the field that should be modified. -Table: the name of the table where the field should be modified. -Type: the MySQL type of the field that should be added. Tag Name

[Database_CreateColumn]

Syntax [Database_CreateColumn: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -Default='Default Value'] [Database_CreateColumn: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -BeforeFirst, -Null] [Database_CreateColumn: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -AfterField='Field Name', -Key, -AutoIncrement, -NotNull]

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Appendix A

Optional Parameters

-AfterField: the name of the field that should be created after this field. It defaults to adding the field to the end of the table. Cannot be used in conjunction with -BeforeFirst. -AutoIncrement: if specified, the field will auto-increment each time a new record is created. Only one auto-increment field can exist per table. It is usually used only on primary key fields. -BeforeFirst: specifies that the field should be inserted before the first field in the table. Cannot be used in conjunction with -AfterField. Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database where the field should be added. -Default: the default value the field should be set to on new records if no specific value for the field is defined. -Field: the name of the field that should be added. -Key: if specified, the field will be set as the primary key for the table. Only one primary key can exist per table. -NotNull: specifies that null values should not be allowed in the field. It cannot be used in conjunction with -Null. -Null: specifies that null values are allowed in the field. (The default.) -Table: the name of the table where the field should be added. -Type: the MySQL type of field that should be added. Tag Name

[Database_CreateField]

Syntax [Database_CreateField: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -Default='Default Value'] [Database_CreateField: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -BeforeFirst, -Null] [Database_CreateField: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name', -Type='MySQL Type', -AfterField='Field Name', -Key, -AutoIncrement, -NotNull]

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Optional Parameters

-AfterField: the name of the field that should be created after this field. It defaults to adding the field to the end of the table. Cannot be used in conjunction with -BeforeFirst. -AutoIncrement: if specified, the field will auto-increment each time a new record is created. Only one auto-increment field can exist per table. It is usually used on primary key fields only. -BeforeFirst: specifies that the field should be inserted before the first field in the table. It cannot be used in conjunction with -AfterField. Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database where the field should be added. -Default: the default value the field should be set to on new records if no specific value for the field is defined. -Field: the name of the field that should be added. -Key: if specified, the field will be set as the primary key for the table. Only one primary key can exist per table. -NotNull: specifies that null values should not be allowed in the field. It cannot be used in conjunction with -Null. -Null: specifies that null values are allowed in the field. (The default.) -Table: the name of the table where the field should be added. -Type: the MySQL type of field that should be added. Tag Name

[Database_CreateTable]

Syntax [Database_CreateTable: -Database='Database Name' -Table='Table Name'] [Database_CreateTable: -Database='Database Name' -Table='Table Name', -Temporary]

Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database where the table should be added. -Table: the name of the table that should be added to the specified database. Optional Parameters

-Temporary: if specified, the created table will be temporary. Tag Name

[Database_NameItem]

Syntax [Database_Names] [Database_NameItem] [/Database_Names]

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Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Database_Names] ... [/Database_Names]

Syntax [Database_Names] [Database_NameItem] [/Database_Names]

Tag Name

[Database_Name]

Syntax [Database_Name]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Database_RemoveColumn]

Syntax [Database_RemoveColumn: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name']

Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database from which the field should be removed. -Field: the name of the field to be removed. -Table: the name of the table from which the field should be removed. Tag Name

[Database_RemoveField]

Syntax [Database_RemoveField: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name', -Field='Field Name']

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Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database from which the field should be removed. -Field: the name of the field to be removed. -Table: the name of the table from which the field should be removed. Tag Name

[Database_RemoveTable]

Syntax [Database_RemoveTable: -Database='Database Name', -Table='Table Name']

Required Parameters

-Database: the name of the database from which the table should be removed. -Table: the name of the table to be removed. Tag Name

[Database_TableNameItem]

Syntax [Database_TableNames: 'Database Name'] [Database_TableNameItem] [/Database_TableNames]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Database_TableNames] ... [/Database_TableNames]

Syntax [Database_TableNames: 'Database Name'] [Database_TableNameItem] [/Database_TableNames]

Required Parameters

Database Name: the name of the database where the tables should be returned. Tag Name

[Field]

Syntax [Field: 'Field_Name'] [Records] [Field: 'Field_Name']

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[/Records] [Records: -InlineName='Inline_Name'] [Field: 'Field_Name'] [/Records] [Field: 'Field_Name', -RecordIndex=Record_Index]

(FileMaker Pro Only) [Field: 'Relation_Name::Field_Name']

(FileMaker Pro Only) [Portal: 'Relation_Name'] [Field: 'Relation_Name::Field_Name'] [/Portal]

(FileMaker Pro Only) [Field: 'Relation_Name::Field_Name', -PortalIndex=Portal_Index]

Optional Parameters

-PortalIndex: can be used for fields that are included in a portal in the current layout of a FileMaker Pro database. The value for the specified field from this row of the portal is returned. -RecordIndex: if specified, the value for the field of the specified record from the current found set is returned. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the field whose value should be returned. Tag Name

[Field_Name]

Syntax [Field_Name: -Count] [Field_Name: Field Index]

Optional Parameters

-Count: returns the number of fields in the current result set. It cannot be used with a field index. Field Index: specifies which field name should be returned. Ranges from 1 to the value of [Field_Name: -Count]. It cannot be used with the -Count keyword. Tag Name

[Image_URL] (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Image_URL: 'Field_Name']

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Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the FileMaker Pro container field that contains the image to be returned. Tag Name

[IMG] (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [IMG: 'Field_Name']

Optional Parameters

-IMGAlign: the align parameter for the tag. -IMGAlt: the alt parameter for the tag. -IMGBorder: the border parameter for the tag. -IMGHeight: the height parameter for the tag. -IMGHSpace: the hspace parameter for the tag. -IMGIsMap: includes the ismap parameter in the tag. -IMGName: the name parameter for the tag. -IMGOptions: optional additional parameters to be specified in the tag. -IMGUseMap: the usemap parameter for the tag. -IMGVSpace: the vspace parameter for the tag. -IMGWidth: the width parameter for the tag. Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the FileMaker Pro container field that contains the image to be returned. Tag Name

[KeyColumn_Name]

Syntax [KeyColumn_Name]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name Syntax [KeyColumn_Value]

[KeyColumn_Value]

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Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[KeyField_Name]

Syntax [KeyField_Name]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[KeyField_Value]

Syntax [KeyField_Value]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Layout_Name] (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Layout_Name]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

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Tag Name

357

[Option] (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax <select name="Field_Name"> [Option: 'Field_Name']

Required Parameters

Field_Name: the FileMaker Pro field name that is formatted with the value list that should be used to generate the items for the HTML <select> menu. Tag Name

[Portal] ... [/Portal] (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Portal: 'Relationship_Name'] ... [Field: 'Relationship_Name::Field_Name'] ... [/Portal]

Required Parameters

Relationship_Name: the name of the FileMaker Pro relationship for the portal that should be displayed. Tag Name

[RecordID_Value]

Syntax [RecordID_Value]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Records] ... [/Records]

Syntax [Records] ... [Field: 'Field_Name'] ... [/Records] [Inline: ...] [Records] ... [Field: 'Field_Name'] ... [/Records] [/Inline] [Records: -InlineName='Inline_Name'] ... [Field: 'Field_Name'] ...

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[/Records]

Optional Parameters

-InlineName: the name of an inline whose results should be returned by the [Records] tag. If omitted, it defaults to returning results from the nearest enclosing inline or Lasso action. Tag Name

[Repeating] ... [/Repeating]

Syntax [Repeating: 'Field_Name'] [Repeating_ValueItem] [/Repeating]

Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the FileMaker Pro repeating field whose repetitions should be returned. Tag Name

[Repeating_ValueItem]

Syntax [Repeating: 'Field_Name'] [Repeating_ValueItem] [/Repeating]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Rows] ... [/Rows]

Syntax [Rows] [Field: 'Field_Name'] [/Rows] [Rows: -InlineName='Inline_Name'] [Field: 'Field_Name'] [/Rows]

Optional Parameters

InlineName: the name of an inline whose results should be returned by the [Records] tag. If omitted, it defaults to returning results from the nearest enclosing inline or Lasso action.

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359

[Selected]

Syntax <select name="Field_Name"> [Value_List: 'Field Name'] [Value_ListItem] [/Value_List]

Tag Name

[Table_Name]

Syntax [Table_Name]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Value_ListItem] (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Value_List: 'Field_Name'] [Value_ListItem] [/Value_List] [Value_List: 'Field_Name'] [Value_ListItem: -Checked] [/Value_List] [Value_List: 'Field_Name'] [Value_ListItem: -Selected] [/Value_List]

Optional Parameters

-Checked: if specified, then only selected values from the value list will be output. It is equivalent to -Selected. -Selected: if specified, then only selected values from the value list will be output. It is equivalent to -Checked. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

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Tag Name

[Value_List] ... [/Value_List] (FileMaker Pro only)

Syntax [Value_List: 'Field_Name'] [Value_ListItem] [/Value_List]

Required Parameters

Field_Name: the name of the FileMaker Pro field from which the value list should be retrieved.

Date Tags Tag Name

[Date]

Syntax [Date: Base Date, -Year=Year, -Month=Month, -Day=Day, -Hour=Hour, -Minute=Minute, -Second=Second, -DateGMT] [Date:Base Date, -DateFormat=Date Format]

Optional Parameters

Base Date: any unnamed parameters are assumed to be a date that will be the basis of the returned date after it has been modified by the named parameters. These parameters are read in according to the format specified in the DateFormat parameter. DateFormat: specifies the format in which all unnamed date parameters will be passed. DateGMT: specifies that the input date is to be treated as GMT. Day: specifies the day of the month. Hour: specifies the hour of the day. Minute: specifies the minutes of the day. Month: specifies the month of the year. Second: specifies the seconds of the day. Year: specifies the year. Tag Name

[Date_Add]

Syntax [Date_Add: Base Date, -Week=Weeks, -Day=Days,

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-Hour=Hours, -Minute=Minute, -Second=Seconds]

Optional Parameters

-Day: specifies the number of days to add to the date. -Hour: specifies the number of hours to add to the specified date. -Minute: specifies the number of minutes to add to the specified date. -Second: specifies the number of seconds to add to the specified date. -Week: specifies the number of weeks to add to the date. Required Parameters

Base Date: must be in Lasso date format. Tag Name

[Date_Difference]

Syntax [Date_Difference: [Date_Difference: [Date_Difference: [Date_Difference: [Date_Difference:

Base Base Base Base Base

Date, Date, Date, Date, Date,

Second Second Second Second Second

Date, Date, Date, Date, Date,

-SecondsBetween] -MinutesBetween] -HoursBetween] -DaysBetween] -WeeksBetween]

Required Parameters

Base Date: the starting date from which the difference is calculated. Optional Parameters

Result Type: the units of the result. Second Date: the ending date from which the difference is calculated. Tag Name

[Date_Format]

Syntax [Date_Format: Base Date -DateFormat=Date Format]

Required Parameters

-DateFormat: a string specifying how the date should be formatted. Base Date: the date to be formatted in Lasso date format. Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

362

Appendix A

Tag Name

[Date_GetCurrentDate]

Syntax [Date_GetCurrentDate] [Date_GetCurrentDate: -DateGMT]

Optional Parameters

-DateGMT: if specified, this tag returns the current date and time in GMT. Tag Name

[Date_GetDay]

Syntax [Date_GetDay: Base Date]

Required Parameters

Base Date: the date from which the day is extracted. Tag Name

[Date_GetDayOfWeek]

Syntax [Date_GetDayOfWeek: Base Date] [Date_GetDayOfWeek: Base Date, -DateShortName] [Date_GetDayOfWeek: Base Date, -DateLongName]

Optional Parameters

-DateLongName: if specified, it returns the full name of the day of week. -DateShortName: if specified, it returns the abbreviated name of the day of week. Required Parameters

Base Date: the date that the day of week is extracted from. Tag Name

[Date_GetHour]

Syntax [Date_GetHour: Base Date]

Required Parameters

Base Date: the date from which the hour is extracted. Tag Name

[Date_GetLocalTimeZone]

Syntax [Date_GetLocalTimeZone: (Date_GetCurrentDate)]

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

[Date_GetMinute]

Syntax [Date_GetMinute: Base Date]

Required Parameters

Base Date: the date from which the minute is extracted. Tag Name

[Date_GetMonth]

Syntax [Date_GetMonth: Base Date] [Date_GetMonth: Base Date, -DateShortName] [Date_GetMonth: Base Date, -DateLongName]

Optional Parameters

-DateLongName: this keyword returns the full name of the month. -DateShortName: this keyword returns the abbreviated name of the month. Required Parameters

Base Date: the date from which the month is extracted. Tag Name

[Date_GetSecond]

Syntax [Date_GetSecond: Base Date]

Required Parameters

Base Date: the date from which the seconds are extracted. Tag Name

[Date_GetYear]

Syntax [Date_GetYear: Base Date]

Required Parameters

Base Date: the date from which the year is extracted. Tag Name

[Date_GMTtoLocal]

Syntax [Date_GMTtoLocal] [Date_GMTtoLocal: Base Date]

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Appendix A

Required Parameters

Base Date: the date that is to be converted to local date from GMT. Tag Name

[Date_LocaltoGMT]

Syntax [Date_LocaltoGMT] [Date_LocaltoGMT: Base Date]

Required Parameters

Base Date: the date that is to be converted from local date to GMT. Tag Name

[Date_Subtract]

Syntax [Date_Subtract: Base Date, -Week=Weeks, -Day=Days, -Hour=Hours, -Minute=Minute, -Second=Seconds]

Optional Parameters

-Day: the number of days to subtract from the date. -Hour: the number of hours to subtract from the date. -Minute: the number of minutes to subtract from the date. -Second: the number of seconds to subtract from the date. -Week: the number of weeks to subtract from the date. Required Parameters

Base Date: the date to be operated upon. Tag Name

[Server_Date]

Syntax [Server_Date] [Server_Date: [Server_Date: [Server_Date: [Server_Date: [Server_Date:

-Short] -ShortY2K] -Long] -Abbrev] -Extended]

Optional Parameters

-Abbrev: outputs the date in short form with abbreviated English day, month name, and four-digit year.

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-Extended: outputs the date in extended format with four-digit year, month, and day separated by hyphens. -Long: outputs the date in long form with full English day, month name, and four-digit year. -Short: outputs the date in short form. -ShortY2K: outputs the date in short form with a four-digit year. Tag Name

[Server_Day]

Syntax [Server_Day] [Server_Day: -Short] [Server_Day: -Long]

Optional Parameters

-Long: returns the day name as a full English name. (The default.) -Short: returns the day name as an English abbreviation. Tag Name

[Server_Time]

Syntax [Server_Time] [Server_Time: -Short] [Server_Time: -Long]

Optional Parameters

-Long: returns the time with hours, minutes, and seconds in 24-hour format. -Short: returns the time with hours and minutes in 24-hour format.

Delimiter Tags Tag Name

' ' (Single quotes)

Syntax 'String Literal' [TagName: 'String Literal']

Tag Name

( ) (Parentheses)

Syntax [TagName: (SubTagName: Tag Parameters)]

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Appendix A

Tag Name

, (Comma)

Syntax [TagName: Tag Parameter, Tag Parameter]

Tag Name

- (Hyphen)

Syntax Link

[Inline: -CommandTag='Value'] ... [/Inline] [TagName: -Keyword] [TagName: -Keyword=Value]

Tag Name

/ (Forward slash)

Syntax [TagName] ... [/TagName]

Tag Name

// (LassoScript comment)

Syntax

Tag Name

: (Colon)

Syntax [TagName: Tag Parameters]

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

; (Semicolon)

Syntax

Tag Name



Syntax

Tag Name

= (Equal sign)

Syntax [TagName: Name=Value] [TagName: -Keyword=Value]

Tag Name

[ ] (Square brackets)

Syntax [TagName] [TagName: Tag Parameters] [TagName] ... [/TagName]

367

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Appendix A

Encoding Tags Tag Name

[Decode_Base64]

Syntax [Decode_Base64: 'Decoding Value']

Required Parameters

Decoding Value: the value to be decoded from Base64. Tag Name

[Decode_URL]

Syntax [Decode_URL: 'Decoding Value']

Required Parameters

Decoding Value: the value to be decoded. Tag Name

[Encode_Base64]

Syntax [Encode_Base64: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the value to be encoded using Base64. Tag Name

[Encode_Break]

Syntax [Encode_Break: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will apply -EncodeBreak encoding. Tag Name

[Encode_HTML]

Syntax [Encode_HTML: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will apply -EncodeHTML encoding.

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369

[Encode_ISOtoMac]

Syntax [Encode_ISOtoMac: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will be converted from the ISO Latin-1 character set to the Mac-Roman character set. Tag Name

[Encode_MacToISO]

Syntax [Encode_MacToISO: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will be converted from the Mac Roman character set to the ISO Latin-1 character set. Tag Name

[Encode_Set] ... [/Encode_Set]

Syntax [Encode_Set: Encoding Keyword] ... [/Encode_Set]

Required Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the default encoding for all substitution tags within the container, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Encode_Smart]

Syntax [Encode_Smart: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will apply -EncodeSmart encoding. Tag Name

[Encode_StrictURL]

Syntax [Encode_StrictURL: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will apply -EncodeStrictURL encoding.

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Appendix A

Tag Name

[Encode_URL]

Syntax [Encode_URL: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will apply -EncodeURL encoding. Tag Name

[Encode_XML]

Syntax [Encode_XML: 'Encoding Value']

Required Parameters

Encoding Value: the specified value will apply -EncodeXML encoding.

Encryption Tags Tag Name

[Decrypt_BlowFish]

Syntax

[Decrypt_BlowFish: -Seed='Password', 'Decrypt Value'] Required Parameters

-Seed: the password that will be used to decrypt the string. The same password must be specified when the data is encrypted. Decrypt Value: the value to be decrypted. Tag Name

[Encrypt_BlowFish]

Syntax [Encrypt_BlowFish: -Seed='Password', 'Encrypt Value']

Required Parameters

-Seed: the password that will be used to encrypt the string. The same password must be specified when the data is decrypted. Encrypt Value: the string that should be encrypted. Tag Name

[Encrypt_MD5]

Syntax [Encrypt_MD5: 'Hash Value']

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Required Parameters

Hash Value: the string for which an MD5 hash should be generated.

Error Tags Tag Name

[Error_AddError]

Syntax [Error_AddError] [Error_AddError: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_AddError) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_AddError)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_AddError: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_ColumnRestriction]

Syntax [Error_ColumnRestriction] [Error_ColumnRestriction: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_ColumnRestriction) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_ColumnRestriction)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_ColumnRestriction: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_CurrentError]

Syntax [Error_CurrentError] [Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_DatabaseConnectionUnavailable]

Syntax [Error_DatabaseConnectionUnavailable] [Error_DatabaseConnectionUnavailable: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_DatabaseConnectionUnavailable) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_DatabaseConnectionUnavailable)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_DatabaseConnectionUnavailable: -ErrorCode)]

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Appendix A

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_DatabaseTimeout]

Syntax [Error_DatabaseTimeout] [Error_DatabaseTimeout: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_DatabaseTimeout) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_DatabaseTimeout)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_DatabaseTimeout: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_DeleteError]

Syntax [Error_DeleteError] [Error_DeleteError: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_DeleteError) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_DeleteError)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_DeleteError: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_FieldRestriction]

Syntax [Error_FieldRestriction] [Error_FieldRestriction: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_FieldRestriction) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_FieldRestriction)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_FieldRestriction: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_FileNotFound]

Syntax [Error_FileNotFound] [Error_FileNotFound: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_FileNotFound) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_FileNotFound)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_FileNotFound: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

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373

[Error_InvalidDatabase]

Syntax [Error_InvalidDatabase] [Error_InvalidDatabase: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_InvalidDatabase) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_InvalidDatabase)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_InvalidDatabase: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_InvalidPassword]

Syntax [Error_InvalidPassword] [Error_InvalidPassword: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_InvalidPassword) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_InvalidPassword)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_InvalidPassword: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_InvalidUsername]

Syntax [Error_InvalidUserName] [Error_InvalidUserName: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_InvalidUserName) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_InvalidUserName)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_InvalidUserName: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_ModuleNotFound]

Syntax [Error_ModuleNotFound] [Error_ModuleNotFound: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_ModuleNotFound) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_ModuleNotFound)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_ModuleNotFound: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned.

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Appendix A

Tag Name

[Error_NoError]

Syntax [Error_NoError] [Error_NoError: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_NoError) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_NoError)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_NoError: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_NoPermission]

Syntax [Error_NoPermission] [Error_NoPermission: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_NoPermission) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_NoPermission)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_NoPermission: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_NoRecordsFound]

Syntax [Error_NoRecordsFound] [Error_NoRecordsFound: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_NoRecordsFound) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_NoRecordsFound)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_NoRecordsFound: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_OutOfMemory]

Syntax [Error_OutOfMemory] [Error_OutOfMemory: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_OutOfMemory) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_OutOfMemory)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_OutOfMemory: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

375

[Error_ReqColumnMissing]

Syntax [Error_ReqColumnMissing] [Error_ReqColumnMissing: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_ReqColumnMissing) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_ReqColumnMissing)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_ReqColumnMissing: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_ReqFieldMissing]

Syntax [Error_ReqFieldMissing] [Error_ReqFieldMissing: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_ReqFieldMissing) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_ReqFieldMissing)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_ReqFieldMissing: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_RequiredColumnMissing]

Syntax [Error_RequiredColumnMissing] [Error_RequiredColumnMissing: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_RequiredColumnMissing) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_RequiredColumnMissing)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_RequiredColumnMissing: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Error_RequiredFieldMissing]

Syntax [Error_RequiredFieldMissing] [Error_RequiredFieldMissing: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_RequiredFieldMissing) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_RequiredFieldMissing)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_RequiredFieldMissing: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned.

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Appendix A

Tag Name

[Error_SetErrorCode]

Syntax [Error_SetErrorCode: Error Code]

Required Parameters

Error Code: the error code that will be reported by subsequent calls to [Error_CurrentError: -ErrorCode]. Tag Name

[Error_SetErrorMessage]

Syntax [Error_SetErrorMessage: 'Error Message']

Required Parameters

Error Message: the error message that will be reported by subsequent calls to [Error_CurrentError]. Tag Name

[Error_UpdateError]

Syntax [Error_UpdateError] [Error_UpdateError: -ErrorCode] [If: (Error_UpdateError) == (Error_CurrentError)] ... [/If] [Error_SetErrorMessage: (Error_UpdateError)] [Error_SetErrorCode: (Error_UpdateError: -ErrorCode)]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the error code is returned. Otherwise, the error message is returned. Tag Name

[Fail]

Syntax [Fail: Error Code, 'Error Message']

Required Parameters

Error Code: the error code to return. Error Message: the error message to return. Tag Name

[Fail_If]

Syntax [Fail_If: Conditional Expression, Error Code, 'Error Message']

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Required Parameters

Conditional Expression: if true, then the error code and message will be set. Otherwise, this tag does nothing. Error Code: the error code to return. Error Message: the error message to return. Tag Name

[Handle] ... [/Handle]

Syntax [Handle: Conditional Expression] ... [/Handle]

Optional Parameters

Conditional Expression: the conditional expression that is executed to determine if the contents of the container tag should be executed. Tag Name

[Protect] ... [/Protect]

Syntax [Protect] ... [/Protect]

File Tags Tag Name

[File_Control] ... [/File_Control]

Syntax [File_Control] ... File Tags ... [/File_Control]

Tag Name

[File_Copy]

Syntax [File_Copy: File Name, Destination File Name] [File_Copy: File Name, Destination File Name, -FileOverwrite]

Required Parameters

Destination File Name: the name of the destination for the copy. File Name: the name of the file to be copied.

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Appendix A

Optional Parameters

Overwrite Keyword: if specified, instructs Lasso to overwrite an existing file at the destination. Tag Name

[File_Create]

Syntax [File_Create: File Name] [File_Create: File Name, -FileOverwrite]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file or directory to be created. If the file name ends with a /, then a directory is created. Tag Name

[File_CreationDate]

Syntax [File_CreationDate: File Name]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file from which the creation date should be returned. Tag Name

[File_CurrentError]

Syntax [File_Control] ... File Tags ... [File_CurrentError] [File_CurrentError: -ErrorCode] [/File_Control]

Optional Parameters

-ErrorCode: if specified, the current error code is returned rather than the current error message. Tag Name

[File_Delete]

Syntax [File_Delete: File Name]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file or directory to be deleted.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

[File_Exists]

Syntax [File_Exists: File Name]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file or directory to be checked. Tag Name

[File_GetLineCount]

Syntax [File_GetLineCount: File Name] [File_GetLineCount: File Name, -FileEndOfLine=End of Line Character]

Optional Parameters

-FileEndOfLine: the end of line character. Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file to be checked. Tag Name

[File_GetSize]

Syntax [File_GetSize: File Name]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file to be checked. Tag Name

[File_IsDirectory]

Syntax [File_IsDirectory: File Name]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file or directory to be checked. Tag Name

[File_ListDirectory]

Syntax [File_ListDirectory: File Name]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the directory to be listed.

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Appendix A

Tag Name

[File_ModDate]

Syntax [File_ModDate: File Name]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file to be checked. Tag Name

[File_Move]

Syntax [File_Move: File Name, Destination File Name] [File_Move: File Name, Destination File Name, -FileOverWrite]

Optional Parameters

-FileOverwrite: if specified, the destination file is overwritten, if it exists. Required Parameters

Destination File Name: the name of the destination for the file. File Name: the name of the file to be moved. Tag Name

[File_Read]

Syntax [File_Read: File Name] [File_Read: File Name, -FileStartPos=Start Position, -FileEndPos=End Position]

Required Parameters

-FileEndPos: where to stop reading at the offset in the file. -FileStartPos: where to start reading at the offset in the file. File Name: the name of the file to be read. Tag Name

[File_ReadLine]

Syntax [File_ReadLine: File Name, -FileLineNumber=Line Number] [File_ReadLine: File Name, -FileLineNumber=Line Number, -FileEndOfLine=End of Line Character]

Optional Parameters

-FileEndOfLine: the delimiter to be used to determine the end of each line. It defaults to carriage return.

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Required Parameters

-FileLineNumber: the line that should be read from the file. File Name: the name of the file to be read. Tag Name

[File_Rename]

Syntax [File_Rename: File Name, Destination File Name] [File_Rename: File Name, Destination File Name, -FileOverWrite]

Optional Parameters

-FileOverwrite: if set, the destination file will be overwritten, if it exists. Required Parameters

Destination File Name: the new name for the file. File Name: the name of the file to be renamed. Tag Name

[File_SetSize]

Syntax [File_SetSize: File Name, File Size]

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file to be resized. File Size: the new size for the file. Tag Name

[File_Uploads]

Syntax [File_Uploads]

Tag Name

[File_Write]

Syntax [File_Write: File Name, File Data] [File_Write: File Name, File Data, -FileOverWrite]

Optional Parameters

-FileOverwrite: if specified, then the file data is written to the start of the file, overwriting any existing data, rather than appended to the end of the file. Required Parameters

File Data: the data that should be appended to the file. File Name: the name of the file to be written.

382

Appendix A

Tag Name

[Log] ... [/Log]

Syntax [Log] ... [/Log] [Log: File Name] ... [/Log] [Log: -Window] ... [/Log]

Optional Parameters

-Window: specifies that the contents of the container tag should be logged to the Lasso Service console rather than to a file. File Name: the name of the file where the contents of the container tag should be logged. Either a filename or -Window is required.

Include Tags Tag Name

[Include]

Syntax [Include: 'File Path']

Required Parameters

File Path: the path to be included to the file. Tag Name

[Include_Raw]

Syntax [Include_Raw: 'File Path']

Required Parameters

File Path: the path to be included to the file. Tag Name

[Include_URL]

Syntax [Include_URL: 'http://www.example.com'] [Include_URL: 'http://www.example.com', -NoData] [Include_URL: 'http://www.example.com', -POSTParams=(Array: 'Name'='Value')] [Include_URL: 'http://www.example.com',

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-GETParams=(Array: 'Name'='Value')] [Include_URL: 'http://www.example.com', -Username='Username', -Password='Password'] [Include_URL: 'http://www.example.com', -SendMIMEHeaders=(Array: 'Name'='Value')] [Include_URL: 'http://www.example.com', -RetrieveMIMEHeaders='Variable Name']

Optional Parameters

-GETParams: an optional array of pairs that will be passed as the GET parameters with the URL request. -NoData: if specified, then the URL request is sent, but no results are returned. -Password: an optional password used to authenticate the URL request. -Port: specifies the port on the remote server that should be accessed. It defaults to 80, the standard port for web traffic. -POSTParams: an optional array of pairs that will be passed as the POST parameters with the URL request. -RetrieveMIMEHeaders: the optional name of a variable used to store retrieved MIME headers. -SendMIMEHeaders: an optional array of pairs that will be sent as additional MIME headers along with the URL request. -Username: an optional username used to authenticate the URL request. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output in a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Required Parameters

URL: the URL that is to be included. Tag Name

[Library]

Syntax [Library: 'File Name']

Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file to be included.

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Appendix A

Link Tags Tag Name

[Link_CurrentActionURL]

Syntax Current Action [Link_CurrentActionURL] [Link_CurrentActionURL: -NoAction, -NoDatabase, -NoTable, -NoKeyField, -NoKeyValue, -NoLogicalOperator, -NoResponse, -NoSkipRecords, -NoMaxRecords, -NoSort, -NoTokens]

Optional Parameters

-NoAction: specifies that the action should not be included in the URL. -NoDatabase: specifies that the database should not be included in the URL. -NoKeyField: specifies that the key field name should not be included in the URL. -NoKeyValue: specifies that the key field value should not be included in the URL. -NoLayout: specifies that the table/layout should not be included in the URL. -NoLogicalOperator: specifies that the logical operator should not be included in the URL (also -NoLogicalOp). -NoMaxRecords: specifies that the max records should not be included in the URL. -NoResponse: specifies that the response should not be included in the URL. -NoSearch: specifies that the name/value parameters should not be included in the URL. -NoSkipRecords: specifies that the skip records should not be included in the URL. -NoSort: specifies that the sort parameters should not be included in the URL. -NoTable: specifies that the table/layout should not be included in the URL. -NoTokens: specifies that the token parameters should not be included in the URL. Tag Name

[Link_CurrentAction] ... [/Link_CurrentAction]

Syntax [Link_CurrentAction] ... [/Link_CurrentAction]

Optional Parameters

-NoAction: specifies that the action should not be included in the URL. -NoDatabase: specifies that the database should not be included in the URL.

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-NoKeyField: specifies that the key field name should not be included in the URL. -NoKeyValue: specifies that the key field value should not be included in the URL. -NoLayout: specifies that the table/layout should not be included in the URL. -NoLogicalOperator: specifies that the logical operator should not be included in the URL (also -NoLogicalOp). -NoMaxRecords: specifies that the max records should not be included in the URL. -NoResponse: specifies that the response should not be included in the URL. -NoSearch: specifies that the name/value parameters should not be included in the URL. -NoSkipRecords: specifies that the skip records should not be included in the URL. -NoSort: specifies that the sort parameters should not be included in the URL. -NoTable: specifies that the table/layout should not be included in the URL. -NoTokens: specifies that the token parameters should not be included in the URL. Tag Name

[Link_DetailURL]

Syntax Detail Link [Link_DetailURL: -Response=Response File, -Table=Table Name] [Link_DetailURL: -Response=Response File, -Table=Table Name, -LinkSearchAgain]

Optional Parameters

-LinkSearchAgain: includes all command tags and name/value parameters from the current search in the URL. -Response: the name of the response file. It is required unless -LinkSearchAgain is specified. -Table: the name of the table used for display on the response page. It is required unless -LinkSearchAgain is specified. Tag Name

[Link_NextGroupURL]

Syntax Next Group [Link_NextGroupURL]

Tag Name

[Link_NextGroup] ... [/Link_NextGroup]

Syntax [Link_NextGroup] ... [/Link_NextGroup]

386

Appendix A

Tag Name

[Link_NextRecordURL]

Syntax Next Record [Link_NextRecordURL]

Tag Name

[Link_NextRecord] ... [/Link_NextRecord]

Syntax [Link_NextRecord] ... [/Link_NextRecord]

Tag Name

[Link_PrevGroupURL]

Syntax Previous Group [Link_PrevGroupURL]

Tag Name

[Link_PrevGroup] ... [/Link_PrevGroup]

Syntax [Link_PrevGroup] ... [/Link_PrevGroup]

Tag Name

[Link_PrevRecordURL]

Syntax Previous Record [Link_PrevRecordURL]

Tag Name

[Link_PrevRecord] ... [/Link_PrevRecord]

Syntax [Link_PrevRecord] ... [/Link_PrevRecord]

Tag Name

[Referer] ... [/Referer]

Syntax [Referer] ... [/Referer]

Tag Name

[Referer_URL]

Syntax Current Action [Referer_URL]

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Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Referrer] ... [/Referrer]

Syntax [Referrer] ... [/Referrer]

Tag Name

[Referrer_URL]

Syntax Current Action [Referrer_URL]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

Math Tags Tag Name

[Decimal->SetFormat]

Syntax [Decimal Value->(SetFormat: -DecimalChar=Decimal Point Character, -GroupChar=Thousands Separator Character, -Precision=Number of Characters Precision, -Scientific=Boolean, -Padding=Number of Characters to Pad Output, -PadChar=Padding Character, -PadRight=Boolean]

Optional Parameters

-DecimalChar: specifies the desired character to use as a decimal point. It defaults to a period. -GroupChar: specifies the desired character to use for thousands grouping. It defaults to the empty string, so thousands grouping is not performed. -PadChar: specifies the character to use to pad the output. It defaults to a space.

388

Appendix A

-Padding: specifies the desired width in characters of the output. -PadRight: if specified, the output will be padded on the right. By default, the output will be padded on the left. -Precision: specifies the desired number of characters of precision. By default, values are output with six characters of precision. -Scientific: if specified, the output will be in scientific notation. By default, scientific notation will only be used if required. Required Parameters

Decimal Variable: the base decimal variable that will be formatted. Tag Name

[Integer->BitAnd]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitAnd: Integer Value)]

Required Parameters

Integer Value: the value of the integer that should be combined to the base integer using a bitwise AND operation. Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitClear]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitClear: Bit Index)]

Required Parameters

Bit Index: the index of the bit to be cleared (set to 0). Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitFlip]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitFlip: Bit Index)]

Required Parameters

Bit Index: the index of the bit to be flipped. Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitNot]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitNot)]

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Required Parameters

Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitOr]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitOr: Integer Value)]

Required Parameters

Integer Value: the value of the integer that should be combined to the base integer using a bitwise OR operation. Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitSet]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitSet: Bit Index)]

Required Parameters

Bit Index: the index of the bit to be set (set to 1). Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitShiftLeft]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitShiftLeft: Bit Offset)]

Required Parameters

Bit Offset: the number of places the base integer should be shifted. Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitShiftRight]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitShiftRight: Bit Offset)]

Required Parameters

Bit Offset: the number of places the base integer should be shifted. Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitTest]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitTest: Bit Index)]

390

Appendix A

Required Parameters

Bit Index: the index of the bit that is to be inspected. Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->BitXOr]

Syntax [Integer Variable->(BitXOr: Integer Value)]

Required Parameters

Integer Value: the value of the integer that should be combined to the base integer using a bitwise XOR operation. Integer Variable: the integer value that should be operated upon. Tag Name

[Integer->SetFormat]

Syntax [Integer Value->(SetFormat: -Hexadecimal, -Padding=Number of Characters to Pad Output, -PadChar=Padding Character, -PadRight=Boolean]

Optional Parameters

-Hexadecimal: if specified, the integer will be output in hexadecimal format. -PadChar: specifies the character that should be used to pad the output. Defaults to a space. -Padding: specifies the desired width in characters of the output. -PadRight: if specified, the output will be padded on the right. Otherwise, it will be padded on the left. Tag Name

[Math_Abs]

Syntax [Math_Abs: Integer or Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Value: the value for which the absolute value should be returned. Tag Name

[Math_ACos]

Syntax [Math_ACos: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value on which to operate.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

391

[Math_Add]

Syntax [Math_Add: Integer or Decimal Values]

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Values: starting from the left, each successive value will be added to generate the final result. Tag Name

[Math_ASin]

Syntax [Math_ASin: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_ATan]

Syntax [Math_ATan: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_ATan2]

Syntax [Math_ATan2: Decimal Dividend, Decimal Divisor]

Required Parameters

Decimal Dividend: the dividend of the ratio on which to operate. Decimal Divisor: the divisor of the ratio on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_Ceil]

Syntax [Math_Ceil: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value for which the next higher integer should be returned.

392

Appendix A

Tag Name

[Math_ConvertEuro]

Syntax [Math_ConvertEuro: Currency Amount, -EuroTo='Code'] [Math_ConvertEuro: Currency Amount, -EuroFrom='Code']

Optional Parameters

-EuroFrom: the country currency to convert the currency from. -EuroTo: the country currency to convert the currency amount to. Required Parameters

Currency Amount: the amount of currency to be converted. Tag Name

[Math_Cos]

Syntax [Math_Cos: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Radians: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_Div]

Syntax [Math_Div: Integer or Decimal Values]

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Values: starting from the left, each successive value will be divided to generate the final result. Tag Name

[Math_Exp]

Syntax [Math_Exp: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_Floor]

Syntax [Math_Floor: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value for which the next lower integer should be returned.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

[Math_Ln]

Syntax [Math_Ln: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_Log]

Syntax [Math_Log: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_Log10]

Syntax [Math_Log10: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_Max]

Syntax [Math_Max: Integer or Decimal Value, Integer or Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Value: the value to be compared. Integer or Decimal Value: the value to be compared. Tag Name

[Math_Min]

Syntax [Math_Min: Integer or Decimal Value, Integer or Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Value: the value to be compared. Integer or Decimal Value: the value to be compared.

393

394

Appendix A

Tag Name

[Math_Mod]

Syntax [Math_Mod: Base Value, Modulus Value]

Required Parameters

Base Value: the base value to use. Modulus Value: the modulus to use to calculate the modulo of the base value. Tag Name

[Math_Mult]

Syntax [Math_Mult: Integer or Decimal Values]

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Values: starting from the left, each successive value will be multiplied to generate the final result. Tag Name

[Math_Pow]

Syntax

[Math_Pow: Decimal Value, Decimal Value] Required Parameters

Base Value: the value that is to be raised to the exponent. Exponent Value: the exponent that is to be raised to the base value. Tag Name

[Math_Random]

Syntax [Math_Random: -Min=Minimum, -Max=Maximum] [Math_Random: -Min=Minimum, -Max=Maximum, -Hex]

Optional Parameters

-Hex: if specified, the random number will be returned in hexadecimal format. -Max: the maximum random number to return. -Min: the minimum random number to return. Tag Name

[Math_RInt]

Syntax [Math_RInt: Decimal Value]

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the value that is to be rounded to the nearest integer. Tag Name

[Math_Roman]

Syntax [Math_Roman: Integer Value]

Required Parameters

Integer Value: the value that is to be converted to a roman numeral. Tag Name

[Math_Round]

Syntax [Math_Round [Math_Round [Math_Round [Math_Round

Decimal Decimal Decimal Decimal

Value, Value, Value, Value,

Round Value] 0.1] 0.01] 0.001]

Required Parameters

Decimal Value: the first value is the value that is rounded. Round Value: the second value specifies the precision to which the first value should be rounded. Tag Name

[Math_Sin]

Syntax [Math_Sin: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Radians: the value on which to operate. Tag Name

[Math_Sqrt]

Syntax [Math_Sqrt: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Value: the value for which the square root should be returned. Tag Name

[Math_Sub]

Syntax [Math_Sub: Integer or Decimal Values]

395

396

Appendix A

Required Parameters

Integer or Decimal Values: starting from the left, each successive value will be subtracted to generate the final result. Tag Name

[Math_Tan]

Syntax [Math_Tan: Decimal Value]

Required Parameters

Decimal Radians: the value on which to operate.

Operator Tags Tag Name

-Op

Syntax [Inline: -Op=Operator, 'Field_Name'='Value', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Operator: the field matching operator, such as BW, EW, CN, LT, LTE, GT, GTE, EQ, NEQ. Tag Name

-OpBegin

Syntax [Inline: -OpBegin=Operator, ... , -OpEnd=Operator] Link

...

Required Parameters

Operator: the logical operator, such as AND, OR, or NOT.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

397

-OpEnd

Syntax [Inline: -OpBegin=Operator, ... , -OpEnd=Operator] Link

...

Optional Parameters

Operator: the logical operator. It should match the operator specified in -OpBegin, such as AND, OR, or NOT. Tag Name

-Operator

Syntax [Inline: -Operator='Operator', 'Field_Name'='Value', ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Operator: the field matching operator, such as BW, EW, CN, LT, LTE, GT, GTE, EQ, NEQ. Tag Name

-OperatorBegin

Syntax [Inline: -OperatorBegin=Operator, ... , -OperatorEnd=Operator] Link

...

Required Parameters

Operator: the logical operator, such as AND, OR, or NOT. Tag Name

-OperatorEnd

Syntax [Inline: -OperatorBegin=Operator, ... , -OperatorEnd=Operator] Link

398

Appendix A

...

Optional Parameters

Operator: the logical operator. It should match the operator specified in -OperatorBegin, such as AND, OR, or NOT. Tag Name

-OperatorLogical

Syntax [Inline: -OperatorLogical=Operator, ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Operator: the logical operator, such as AND or OR. Tag Name

[Operator_LogicalValue]

Syntax [Operator_LogicalValue]

Tag Name

-OpLogical

Syntax [Inline: -OpLogical=Operator, ...] Link

...

Required Parameters

Operator: the logical operator, such as AND or OR. Tag Name Syntax [Op_LogicalValue]

[Op_LogicalValue]

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Output Tags Tag Name

[Content_Type]

Syntax [Content_Type: 'MIME Type']

Required Parameters

MIME Type: MIME type to be sent to browser. Tag Name

[Header] ... [/Header]

Syntax [Header] HTTP/1.0 302 Moved Temporarily Location: http://www.example.com/ URI: http://www.example.com [/Header]

Tag Name

[HTML_Comment] ... [/HTML_Comment]

Syntax [HTML_Comment] ... [/HTML_Comment]

Tag Name

[Output]

Syntax [Output: 'String Value'] [Output: 'String Value', -EncodeNone]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Required Parameters

String Value: the value that should be output. Tag Name

[Output_None] ... [/Output_None]

Syntax [Output_None] ... [/Output_None]

400

Appendix A

Tag Name

[Redirect_URL]

Syntax [Redirect_URL: 'Destination URL']

Required Parameters

Destination URL: the URL to which the visitor should be redirected. Tag Name

[Server_Push]

Syntax [Server_Push]

Response Tags Tag Name

-Response

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseAdd

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseAddError

Syntax

...

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseAny

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseAnyError

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseDelete

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseDuplicate

Syntax

...

401

402

Appendix A

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseNoResultsError

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseReqColumnMissingError

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseReqFieldMissingError

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseRequiredColumnMissingError

Syntax

...

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseRequiredFieldMissingError

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseSecurityError

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseUpdate

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return. Tag Name

-ResponseUpdateError

Syntax

...

403

404

Appendix A

Required Parameters

File Path: the path of the file to return.

Results Tags Tag Name

[Found_Count]

Syntax [Found_Count]

Tag Name

[Lasso_CurrentAction]

Syntax [Lasso_CurrentAction: Encoding Keyword]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output in a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[MaxRecords_Value]

Syntax [MaxRecords_Value]

Tag Name

[Req_Column]

Syntax [Req_Column: -Count] [Req_Column: Field Number]

Optional Parameters

-Count: optional parameter that outputs the number of required fields. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

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Field Number: optional numeric parameter that outputs the name of one of the required fields. Tag Name

[Req_Field]

Syntax [Req_Field: -Count] [Req_Field: Field Number]

Optional Parameters

-Count: optional parameter that outputs the number of required fields. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Field Number: optional numeric parameter that outputs the name of one of the required fields. Tag Name

[Required_Column]

Syntax [Required_Column: -Count] [Required_Column: Field Number]

Optional Parameters

-Count: optional parameter that outputs the number of required fields. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Field Number: optional numeric parameter that outputs the name of one of the required fields. Tag Name

[Required_Field]

Syntax [Required_Field: -Count] [Required_Field: Field Number]

Optional Parameters

-Count: optional parameter that outputs the number of required fields. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

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Field Number: optional numeric parameter that outputs the name of one of the required fields. Tag Name

[Response_FilePath]

Syntax [Response_FilePath]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Response_LocalPath]

Syntax [Response_LocalPath]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Response_Path]

Syntax [Response_Path]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name Syntax [Response_Realm]

[Response_Realm]

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Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Search_Args] ... [/Search_Args]

Syntax [Search_Args] [Search_FieldItem] [Search_OperatorItem] [Search_ValueItem] [/Search_Args]

Optional Parameters

-NoOperators: if this parameter is specified, then field-level operators -OpBegin or -OpEnd will not be included. Tag Name

[Search_Arguments] ... [/Search_Arguments]

Syntax [Search_Arguments] [Search_FieldItem] [Search_OperatorItem] [Search_ValueItem] [/Search_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

-NoOperators: if this parameter is specified, then field-level operators -OpBegin or -OpEnd will not be included. Tag Name

[Search_ColumnItem]

Syntax [Search_Arguments] [Search_ColumnItem] [/Search_Arguments]

Tag Name

[Search_FieldItem]

Syntax [Search_Arguments] [Search_FieldItem] [/Search_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied

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to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Search_OperatorItem]

Syntax [Search_Arguments] [Search_OperatorItem] [/Search_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Search_OpItem]

Syntax [Search_Arguments] [Search_OpItem] [/Search_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Search_ValueItem]

Syntax [Search_Arguments] [Search_ValueItem] [/Search_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML.

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Tag Name

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[Shown_Count]

Syntax [Shown_Count]

Tag Name

[Shown_First]

Syntax [Shown_First]

Tag Name

[Shown_Last]

Syntax [Shown_Last]

Tag Name

[SkipRecords_Value]

Syntax [SkipRecords_Value]

Tag Name

[Sort_Args] ... [/Sort_Args]

Syntax [Sort_Args] [Sort_FieldItem] [Sort_OrderItem] [/Sort_Args]

Tag Name

[Sort_Arguments] ... [/Sort_Arguments]

Syntax [Sort_Arguments] [Sort_FieldItem] [Sort_OrderItem] [/Sort_Arguments]

Tag Name

[Sort_ColumnItem]

Syntax [Sort_Arguments] [Sort_ColumnItem] [/Sort_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak,

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-EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Sort_FieldItem]

Syntax [Sort_Arguments] [Sort_FieldItem] [/Sort_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Sort_OrderItem]

Syntax [Sort_Arguments] [Sort_OrderItem] [/Sort_Arguments]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Total_Records]

Syntax [Total_Records]

Session Tags Tag Name

[Session_AddVar]

Syntax [Session_AddVar: -Name='Session Name', 'Variable Name']

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the session where the variable should be added. Variable Name: the name of the variable to add to the session. Tag Name

[Session_AddVariable]

Syntax [Session_AddVariable: -Name='Session Name', 'Variable Name']

Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the session where the variable should be added. Variable Name: the name of the variable to add to the session. Tag Name

[Session_End]

Syntax [Session_End: -Name='Session Name']

Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the session to be ended. Tag Name

[Session_ID]

Syntax [Session_ID: -Name='Session Name']

Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the session where the ID should be returned. Tag Name

[Session_RemoveVar]

Syntax [Session_RemoveVar: -Name='Session Name', 'Variable Name']

Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the session where the variable should be removed. Variable Name: the name of the variable to remove from the session. Tag Name

[Session_RemoveVariable]

Syntax [Session_RemoveVariable: -Name='Session Name', 'Variable Name']

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Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the session where the variable should be removed. Variable Name: the name of the variable to remove from the session. Tag Name

[Session_Start]

Syntax [Session_Start: -Name='Session Name', -Expires=Expires Minutes] [Session_Start: -Name='Session Name', -Expires=Expires Minutes, -UseLink] [Session_Start: -Name='Session Name', -Expires=Expires Minutes, -UseCookie, -UseLink]

Optional Parameters

-Expires: the number of minutes until the session will expire. It defaults to 15. Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the session to be started. -UseCookie: if specified, the session will be tracked by cookie. The default is to track the session by cookie, unless -UseLink is specified. -UseLink: if specified, the session will be tracked by link.

String Tags Tag Name

[String->Append]

Syntax [String Variable->(Append: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be appended to the base string. String Variable: the base string that will be modified. Tag Name

[String->BeginsWith]

Syntax [String Variable->(BeginsWith: 'Pattern String')]

Required Parameters

Pattern String: the pattern that should be checked.

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String Value: the string that will be examined. Tag Name

[String->Contains]

Syntax [String Variable->(Contains: 'String Value')]

Required Parameters

Pattern: the pattern that should be checked. String Value: the string that is to be examined. Tag Name

[String->EndsWith]

Syntax [String Variable->(EndsWith: 'String Value')]

Required Parameters

Pattern String: the pattern that should be checked. String Value: the string that is to be examined. Tag Name

[String->Find]

Syntax [String Variable->(Find: 'String Value')] [String Variable->(Find: 'String Value', Offset, Length)] [String Variable->(Find: 'String Value', Offset, Length, Pattern Offset, Pattern Length)]

Required Parameters

Fifth: the length to search from the offset in the pattern. If omitted, it defaults to searching for the entire pattern from the offset until the end. First: the pattern that should be searched for in the string. Fourth: the offset into the pattern for which to search. It defaults to the start of the pattern. Optional Parameters

Second: the offset into the search string where the search for the pattern is started. It defaults to the start of the search string. String Value: the string that is to be examined. Third: the length from the offset where the string for the pattern is searched. If omitted, it defaults to searching to the end of the string. Tag Name

[String->Get]

Syntax [String Variable->(Get: Character Index)]

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Required Parameters

Character Index: the index of the character that should be returned. String Value: the string that is to be examined. Tag Name

[String->Length]

Syntax [String Variable->(Length)]

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that is to be examined. Tag Name

[String->RemoveLeading]

Syntax [String Variable->(RemoveLeading: 'String Pattern')]

Required Parameters

String Pattern: the characters that should be removed from the beginning of the string. String Variable: the base string that is to be modified. Tag Name

[String->RemoveTrailing]

Syntax [String Variable->(RemoveTrailing: 'String Pattern')]

Required Parameters

String Pattern: the character that should be removed from the end of the string. String Variable: the base string that is to be modified. Tag Name

[String->Split]

Syntax [String Variable->(Split: 'Delimiter')]

Required Parameters

Delimiter: the delimiter where the string should be split. String Variable: the string that is to be split. Tag Name

[String->Substring]

Syntax [String Variable->(Substring: Offset, Length)]

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Required Parameters

First: the starting index of the substring to be returned. Optional Parameters

Second: the length of the substring that is to be returned. If omitted, it defaults to returning the remainder of the string. String Value: the string that is to be examined. Tag Name

[String->Trim]

Syntax [String Variable->(Trim)]

Required Parameters

String Variable: the base string that is to be modified. Tag Name

[String_Concatenate]

Syntax [String_Concatenate: 'String Value', 'String Value']

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Required Parameters

String Value: the strings that should be concatenated. Tag Name

[String_EndsWith]

Syntax [String_EndsWith: 'String Value', -Find='String Value']

Required Parameters

-Find: the pattern that is to be checked at the end of the string. String Value: the string that is to be checked. Tag Name

[String_Extract]

Syntax [String_Extract: 'String Value',

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Appendix A

-StartPosition=Position, -EndPosition=Position]

Required Parameters

-EndPosition: the character index at the end of the extracted string. -StartPosition: the character index at the start of the extracted string. Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. String Value: the string that is to be modified. Tag Name

[String_FindPosition]

Syntax [String_FindPosition: 'String Value', -Find='Pattern']

Required Parameters

-Find: the pattern that is to be checked for in the string. String Value: the string that is to be checked. Tag Name

[String_FindRegExp]

Syntax [String_FindRegExp: String Value, -Find=Regular Expression] [String_FindRegExp: String Value, -Find=Regular Expression, -IgnoreCase]

Required Parameters

-Find: the regular expression that is to be searched for. Optional Parameters

-IgnoreCase: if specified, case is ignored when finding the search expression within the target string. String Value: the string that is to be checked. Tag Name

[String_Insert]

Syntax [String_Insert: 'String Value', -Position=Position,

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

-Text='String Value']

Required Parameters

-Position: the offset where the text is inserted into the string. -Text: the value to be inserted into the string. String Value: the string value that is to be modified. Tag Name

[String_IsAlpha]

Syntax [String_IsAlpha: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsAlphaNumeric]

Syntax [String_IsAlphaNumeric: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsDigit]

Syntax [String_IsDigit: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsHexdigit]

Syntax [String_IsHexdigit: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsLower]

Syntax [String_IsLower: 'String Value']

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Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsNumeric]

Syntax [String_IsNumeric: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsPunctuation]

Syntax [String_IsPunctuation: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsSpace]

Syntax [String_IsSpace: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_IsUpper]

Syntax [String_IsUpper: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be checked. Tag Name

[String_Length]

Syntax [String_Length: 'String Value']

Required Parameters

String Value: the string whose length should be returned.

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Tag Name

419

[String_LowerCase]

Syntax [String_LowerCase]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. String Value: the string that should be converted to lowercase characters. Tag Name

[String_Remove]

Syntax [String_Remove: 'String Value', -StartPosition=Position, -EndPosition=Position]

Required Parameters

-EndPosition: the ending index of the portion of the string to be removed. -StartPosition: the starting index of the portion of the string to be removed. Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. String Value: the string value that is to be modified. Tag Name

[String_RemoveLeading]

Syntax [String_RemoveLeading: 'String Value', -Pattern='Pattern']

Required Parameters

-Pattern: the pattern that should be removed from the end of the string. Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak,

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-EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. String Value: the string that should be modified. Tag Name

[String_RemoveTrailing]

Syntax [String_RemoveTrailing: 'String Value', -Pattern='Pattern']

Required Parameters

-Pattern: the pattern to remove from the end of the string. String Value: the string that should be modified. Tag Name

[String_Replace]

Syntax [String_Replace: 'String Value', -Find='Pattern', -Replace='Pattern']

Required Parameters

-Find: the value that is to be found. -Replace: the value that is to replace each instance of the found parameter. Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. String Value: the string that should be modified. Tag Name

[String_ReplaceRegExp]

Syntax [String_ReplaceRegExp: String Value, -Find=Regular Expression, -Replace=Regular Expression] [String_ReplaceRegExp: String Value, -Find=Regular Expression, -Replace=Regular Expression, -IgnoreCase] [String_ReplaceRegExp: String Value, -Find=Regular Expression, -Replace=Regular Expression, -ReplaceOnlyOne]

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Required Parameters

-Find: the regular expression that should be found. Optional Parameters

-IgnoreCase: if specified, case is ignored when replacing the search expression within the target string. -Replace: the replacement value for each instance of the search regular expression that is found. -ReplaceOnlyOne: if specified, only the first instance of the search expression is replaced. Otherwise, all instances of the search expression are replaced. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. String Value: the string that should be modified. Tag Name

[String_UpperCase]

Syntax [String_UpperCase: 'String Value']

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Required Parameters

String Value: the string that should be converted to uppercase characters.

Symbol Tags Tag Name

! (Not logical)

Syntax [If: !(Right_Parameter)] ... [/If]
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?>

Required Parameters

Right_Parameter: the Boolean value that should be negated. Tag Name

!= (Not equals)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter != Right_Parameter] ... [/If]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be compared. Right_Parameter: the value to be compared. Tag Name

# (Local variable)

Syntax [Output: #Right_Parameter] [#Right_Parameter = New Value]

Required Parameters

Right_Parameter: the name of the local variable whose value should be returned or set. Tag Name

$ (Variable)

Syntax [Output: $Right_Parameter] [$Right_Parameter = New Value]

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Required Parameters

Right_Parameter: the name of the variable whose value should be returned or set. Tag Name

% (Modulo)

Syntax [Output: Left_Parameter % Right_Parameter] [Variable: 'Result'=Left_Parameter % Right_Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value that is to be operated upon. Right_Parameter: the modulus of the calculation. Tag Name

%= (Modulo assignment)

Syntax [(Variable: 'Left_Parameter') %= Right_Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the variable where the value should be stored. Right_Parameter: the modulus of the calculation. Tag Name

&& (Logical And)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter && Right_Parameter] ... [/If]

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Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: Boolean value to be compared. Right_Parameter: Boolean value to be compared. Tag Name

* (Multiplication or repetition)

Syntax [Output: Left_Parameter * Right_Parameter] [Variable: 'Result'=Left_Parameter * Right_Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be multiplied. Right_Parameter: the value to be multiplied. Tag Name

*= (Multiplication assignment)

Syntax [(Variable: 'Left_Parameter') *= Right Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the variable where the value should be stored. Right_Parameter: the value to be multiplied. Tag Name

+ (Addition or concatenation)

Syntax [Output: Left_Parameter + Right_Parameter] [Variable: 'Result'=Left_Parameter + Right_Parameter]
Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

?>

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be added. Right_Parameter: the value to be added. Tag Name

++ (Increment)

Syntax [Output: ++Right_Parameter] [++Right_Parameter]

Required Parameters

Right_Parameter: the variable or value that should be incremented by one. Tag Name

+= (Addition assignment)

Syntax [(Variable: 'Left_Parameter') += Right_Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the variable where the value should be added. Optional Parameters

Right_Parameter: the value to be added. Tag Name

– (Subtraction or deletion)

Syntax [Output: Left_Parameter - Right_Parameter] [Variable: 'Result'=Left_Parameter - Right_Parameter]

425

426

Appendix A



Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value from which the other value should be subtracted. Right_Parameter: the value to be subtracted. Tag Name

-- (Decrement)

Syntax [Output: --Right_Parameter] [--Right_Parameter]

Required Parameters

Right_Parameter: the variable or value that should be decremented by one. Tag Name

–= (Subtraction assignment)

Syntax [(Variable: 'Left_Parameter') -= Right Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the variable from which the value should be subtracted. Right_Parameter: the value to be subtracted. Tag Name

-> (Member)

Syntax [Left_Parameter->Right_Parameter] [(Left_Parameter)->(Right_Parameter)] Right_Parameter; ?>

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(Right_Parameter); ?>

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the name of a variable that contains a literal value or the value whose member tag should be called. Right_Parameter: the member tag that is to be called. Tag Name

/ (Division)

Syntax [Output: Left_Parameter / Right_Parameter] [Variable: 'Result'=Left_Parameter / Right_Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the dividend of the calculation. The value that is to be divided. Right_Parameter: the divisor of the calculation. The dividend is to be divided by this value. Tag Name

/= (Division assignment)

Syntax [(Variable: 'Left_Parameter') /= Right Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the variable where the value should be stored. Right_Parameter: the variable should be divided by this value. Tag Name

< (Less than)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter < Right_Parameter] ...

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Appendix A

[/If]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be compared. Right_Parameter: the value to be compared. Tag Name

<= (Less than or equals)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter <= Right_Parameter] ... [/If]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be compared. Right_Parameter: the value to be compared. Tag Name

= (Assignment)

Syntax [(Variable: 'Left_Parameter') = Right Parameter]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the variable where the value should be stored. Right_Parameter: the value to be stored. Tag Name

== (Equals)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter == Right_Parameter] ... [/If]
Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

If: Left_Parameter == Right_Parameter; ... /If; ?>

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be compared. Right_Parameter: the value to be compared. Tag Name

> (Greater than)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter > Right_Parameter] ... [/If] Right_Parameter; ... /If; ?>

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be compared. Right_Parameter: the value to be compared. Tag Name

>= (Greater than or equals)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter >= Right_Parameter] ... [/If] = Right_Parameter; ... /If; ?>

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the value to be compared. Right_Parameter: the value to be compared. Tag Name

>> (Contains)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter >> Right_Parameter] ... [/If] > Right_Parameter;

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Appendix A

... /If; ?>

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: the string to be checked for inclusion of the substring. Right_Parameter: the substring to be checked. Tag Name

|| (Logical Or)

Syntax [If: Left_Parameter || Right_Parameter] ... [/If]

Required Parameters

Left_Parameter: Boolean value to be compared. Right_Parameter: Boolean value to be compared.

Technical Tags Tag Name

-ResponseLassoApp

Syntax

...

Required Parameters

File Path: the path to the file within the LassoApp that should be returned. Tag Name

[Compress]

Syntax [Compress: 'Compression Value']

Required Parameters

Compression Value: the value that is to be compressed.

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Tag Name

431

[Decompress]

Syntax [Decompress: 'Decompression Value']

Required Parameters

Decompression Value: the specified string value will be decompressed. Tag Name

[LassoApp_Create]

Syntax [LassoApp_Create: -Root='Path to Folder', -Entry='Relative Path to Entry File', -Result='Path to Result File']

Required Parameters

-Entry: the path to the default file for the LassoApp, relative to the -Root folder. -Result: the platform-specific path to the desired result file. The filename should end with the file suffix .LassoApp. -Root: the platform-specific path to the folder that contains the files that should be compiled into the LassoApp. Tag Name

[LassoApp_Dump]

Syntax [LassoApp_Dump] [LassoApp_Dump: 'LassoApp Name']

Optional Parameters

LassoApp Name: the name of the LassoApp that should be removed from the cache. Tag Name

[LassoApp_Link]

Syntax [LassoApp_Link: 'File Path'] ...

...

...

... [Include: (LassoApp_Link: 'File Path')] [Library: (LassoApp_Link: 'File Path')] [Link_DetailURL: -Response=(LassoApp_Link: 'File Path')]

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Appendix A

Required Parameters

File Path: the path to a local format file. Tag Name

[Null->Dump]

Syntax [Value->Dump]

Required Parameters

Value: the value of any data type that should be output for debugging purposes. Tag Name

[Null->FreezeType]

Syntax [Value->FreezeType]

Required Parameters

Value: the value of any data type that is to be frozen. Tag Name

[Null->FreezeValue]

Syntax [Value->FreezeValue]

Required Parameters

Value: the value of any data type that is to be frozen. Tag Name

[Null->Serialize]

Syntax [Value->Serialize]

Required Parameters

Value: the value of any data type that is to be serialized into a data stream. Tag Name

[Null->Type]

Syntax [Value->Type]

Required Parameters

Value: the value of any data type for which the type should be returned.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

Tag Name

433

[Null->Unserialize]

Syntax [Value->Unserialize: 'Data Stream']

Required Parameters

Data Stream: the value that should be converted into a Lasso data type. Value: the value of any data type that will be replaced by the unserialized value. Tag Name

[Null->Up]

Syntax [Value->Up]

Required Parameters

Value: the value of any data type for which the parent type should be returned. Tag Name

[Process]

Syntax [Process: 'LDML Code']

Required Parameters

LDML Code: LDML code that is to be executed. The results of processing the LDML code are returned. Tag Name

[Sleep]

Syntax [Sleep: Number of Milliseconds]

Required Parameters

Number of Milliseconds: the number of milliseconds that Lasso should sleep. Tag Name

[TCP_Close]

Syntax [TCP_Close: -Name='Connection Name']

Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the TCP connection to close.

434

Appendix A

Tag Name

[TCP_Open]

Syntax [TCP_Open: -Name='Connection Name', -Host='Host Name'] [TCP_Open: -Name='Connection Name', -Host='Host Name', -Port=Port Number, -TimeOut=TimeOut Seconds]

Required Parameters

-Host: the IP address or host name of the server to be contacted. -Name: the name of the TCP connection. Optional Parameters

-Port: the port to connect to. -Timeout: the number of seconds to time out the TCP connection. Tag Name

[TCP_Send]

Syntax [TCP_Send: -Name='Connection Name', String Value] [TCP_Send: -Name='Connection Name', -DontWait=True, String Value] [TCP_Send: -Name='Connection Name', -StopAfter='Stop Characters', String Value] [TCP_Send: -Name='Connection Name', -StopAfter='Stop Characters'] TCP_Send: -Name='Connection Name', -TimeOut=TimeOut Seconds, String Value]

Optional Parameters

-DontWait: if set to True, then no results will be returned from the tag. It defaults to False. Required Parameters

-Name: the name of the TCP connection to send through. -StopAfter: an optional delimiter. If specified, the results of the TCP connection will be read until this string is encountered. -TimeOut: the number of seconds to wait before timing out the TCP connection. String Value: the value to send through the TCP connection.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

435

Utility Tags Tag Name

-Password

Syntax [Inline: -Username=User Name, -Password=User Password, ...]

Required Parameters

User Password: the password for a user from Lasso Security that should be authenticated. Tag Name

-Token

Syntax [Inline: -Token.Name=Value, ...] Link

...

Optional Parameters

Name: the name of the token that is to be set. Required Parameters

Value: the value of the token that is to be set. Tag Name

-Username

Syntax [Inline: -Username=User Name, -Password=User Password, ...]

Required Parameters

User Name: the user name from Lasso Security that should be authenticated. Tag Name

[Action_Param]

Syntax [Action_Param: 'Parameter Name'] [Action_Param: 'Parameter Name', -Count] [Action_Param: 'Parameter Name', Parameter Index]

436

Appendix A

Optional Parameters

-Count: if specified, returns the number of repetitions of a given parameter. Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Parameter Index: the index of the parameter repetition to be returned. It defaults to 1 to return the first repetition. Required Parameters

Parameter Name: the name of the parameter to be returned. Tag Name

[Action_Params]

Syntax [Action_Params]

Tag Name

[Cookie]

Syntax [Cookie: 'Cookie Name']

Required Parameters

Cookie Name: name of the cookie to be returned. Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Tag Name

[Cookie_Set]

Syntax [Cookie_Set: 'Cookie Name'='Cookie Value' -Domain='Domain Name', -Expires='Expiration in Minutes', -Path='Cookie Path', -Secure]

Required Parameters

-Domain: the name of the host where this cookie should be sent.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

437

Optional Parameters

-Expires: the time, in minutes, when this cookie should expire. Omit this parameter to have a cookie expire when the visitor quits their web browser. Set to –1 to have a cookie expire immediately (to delete a cookie). -Path: the path of files where this cookie should be set. Usually set to /. -Secure: if set, this cookie will only be sent back to the web server on requests for HTTPS secure web pages. Cookie Name: the name and value for the cookie that is to be set. Tag Name

[Email_Send]

Syntax [Email_Send: -Host='Host Name', -To='Recipient Email Address', -From='Sender Email Address', -Subject='Email Subject', -Body='Email Body Text'] [Email_Send: -Host='Host Name', -To='Recipient Email Address', -CC='Recipient Email Address', -BCC='Recipient Email Address', -From=<'i>Sender Email Address', -Subject='Email Subject', -Body='Email Body Text'] [Email_Send: -Host='Host Name', -To='Recipient Email Address', -From='Sender Email Address', -Subject='Email Subject', -Body='Email Body Text', -Attachments='Attachment Path', -ExtraMIMEHeaders='Headers Pair Array']

Optional Parameters

-Attachments: the path to a file that should be included as an attachment to the email message. -BCC: the address of the blind carbon copied recipient of the message. Multiple recipients can be specified by separating the addresses with a comma. Either -To, -CC, or -BCC must be specified. Required Parameters

-Body: the body of the email message. -CC: the address of the carbon copied recipient of the message. Multiple recipients can be specified by separating the addresses with a comma. Either -To, -CC, or -BCC must be specified. -ExtraMIMEHeaders: an array of pairs that define additional MIME headers that should be included in an outgoing email message. -From: the address of the sender of the message. The sender must have permission to send messages through the specified SMTP server. -Host: the name of the SMTP server that should be used for outgoing email.

438

Appendix A

-Subject: the subject of the email message. -To: the address of the recipient of the message. Multiple recipients can be specified by separating the addresses with a comma. Either -To, -CC, or -BCC must be specified. Tag Name

[Event_Schedule]

Syntax [Event_Schedule: [Event_Schedule: [Event_Schedule: [Event_Schedule: [Event_Schedule: [Event_Schedule: [Event_Schedule:

-URL=URL] -URL=URL, -URL=URL, -URL=URL, -URL=URL, -URL=URL, -URL=URL,

-Start=Start Time] -Delay=Minutes] -Delay=Minutes, -Restart=False] -Start=Start Time, -Delay=Minutes] -Start=Start Time, -End=End Time, -Delay=Minutes] -Start=Start Time, -Delay=Minutes, -Restart=False]

Optional Parameters

-Delay: the number of minutes to delay between repetitions of a repeating event. -End: the date and time to stop executing a repeating event. -Password: an optional password that will be used to authenticate execution of the scheduled event. -Restart: if set to True, then the event will be rescheduled after the server restarts. If not set, the event will not be rescheduled. It defaults to False. -Start: the date and time to execute the event. By default, set to the current date and time. Required Parameters

-URL: the URL of the page that should be executed at the time set by the other keyword/value parameters. -Username: an optional username that will be used to authenticate the execution of the scheduled event. Tag Name

[Inline] ... [/Inline]

Syntax [Inline: Command Tags and Name/Value Pairs] ... [/Inline] [Inline: -InlineName='Inline Name', Command Tags and Name/Value Pairs] ... [/Inline] [Inline: -Database='Database Name', -SQL='SQL Statement'] ... [/Inline] [Inline: (Action_Params), Command Tags and Name/Value Pairs ... [/Inline] [Inline: -Username='User Name', -Password='User Password']

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

439

... [/Inline]

Optional Parameters

-InlineName: the name for the results set in the inline. The results can be retrieved by passing the same name to the opening [Records]...[/Records] tag. Required Parameters

Command Tags and Name/Value Pairs: the inline tag accepts command tags and name/value parameters to define any Lasso action. Tag Name

[Lasso_UniqueID]

Syntax [Lasso_UniqueID]

Tag Name

[NSLookup]

Syntax [NSLookup: IP Address] [NSLookup: Host Name]

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: specifies the encoding for the tag’s return value. Tags are encoded using -EncodeHTML by default if their value is output on a format file. Encoding is not applied to nested tags unless an encoding keyword is explicitly specified, such as -EncodeBreak, -EncodeHTML, -EncodeNone, -EncodeRaw, -EncodeSmart, -EncodeStrictURL, -EncodeURL, or -EncodeXML. Required Parameters

IP Address or Host Name: the IP address or host name that should be looked up in the domain query name server. Tag Name

[Server_Name]

Syntax [Server_Name]

Tag Name Syntax [Server_Port]

[Server_Port]

440

Appendix A

Tag Name

[Token_Value]

Syntax [Token_Value: 'Token Name']

Optional Parameters

Token Name: the name of the token that should be retrieved. Tag Name

[Valid_CreditCard]

Syntax [Valid_CreditCard: 'Credit Card Number']

Required Parameters

Credit Card Number: the credit card number that should be checked. Tag Name

[Valid_Email]

Syntax [Valid_Email: 'Email Address'] [Valid_Email: 'Email Address', -Domain='Domain'] [Valid_Email: 'Email Address', -StandardDomains] Valid_Email: 'Email Address', -HostName='Host Name']

Optional Parameters

-Domain: optional comma-separated list of top-level domains. If specified, the email address must be defined on one of the top-level domains. -HostName: optional host name. If specified, the email address must be at this host name. Required Parameters

-StandardDomains: This optional keyword automatically checks all standard top-level domains (com, edu, gov, mil, net, org, int). Email Address: the email address to check. Tag Name

[Valid_URL]

Syntax [Valid_URL: 'URL'] [Valid_URL: 'URL', -Protocol='Protocol']

Optional Parameters

-Protocol: optional protocol to check for. If specified, only URLs with this protocol will be returned as valid.

Lasso Tag Syntax Reference

441

Required Parameters

URL: the URL to be checked.

Variable Tags Tag Name

[Variable]

Syntax [Variable: 'Variable Name'] [Variable: 'Variable Name' = 'Variable Value']

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: only affects the value of a variable that is returned, not the value of a variable that is set. Variable Name: the name of the variable for which the current value should be returned. Variable Name and Value: a variable with a specified name is created and set to the specified value. Tag Name

[Variable_Defined]

Syntax [Variable_Defined: 'Variable Name']

Required Parameters

Variable Name: the name of the variable. Tag Name

[Variables]

Syntax [Variables]

Tag Name

[Var]

Syntax [Var: 'Variable Name'] [Var: 'Variable Name' = 'Variable Value']

Optional Parameters

Encoding Keyword: only affects the value of a variable that is returned, not the value of a variable that is set. Required Parameters

File Name: the name of the file to be included.

442

Appendix A

Variable Name: a variable with a specified name is created and set to the specified value. Tag Name

[Var_Defined]

Syntax [Var_Defined: 'Variable Name']

Required Parameters

Variable Name: the name of the variable that should be checked. Tag Name Syntax [Vars]

[Vars]

Error Code Reference

Appendix B

Error Code Reference Lasso Error Codes Code -10000 -9999 -9998 -9997 -9996 -9995 -9994 -9993 -9992 -9991 -9990 -9989 -9988 -9987 -9986 -9985 -9984 -9983 -9982 -9981 -9980 -9979 -9978 -9977 -9976 -9975 -9974 -9973

Error Internal program assertion Error reading from stream Error writing to stream Memory error Invalid memory object Out of memory Out of stack space Could not lock memory Could not unlock memory Could not dispose memory File error The file object is invalid Invalid access mode Could not create or open file Could not close file Could not delete file File not found File already exists The file is corrupt Volume does not exist Disk full Directory full I/O error Invalid pathname Invalid filename File locked File unlocked File is already open with write permission

443

444

Appendix B

Code -9972 -9971 -9970 -9969 -9968 -9967 -9966 -9965 -9964 -9963 -9962 -9961 -9960 -9959 -9958 -9957 -9956 -9955 -9954 -9953 -9952 -9951 -3000 -2000 -1728 -1712 -802 -801 -800 -609 0 404

Error File is closed Beginning of file reached End of file reached Could not write to file Could not read from file Resource not found Resource error Network error Invalid user name Invalid password Invalid database No permission Field restriction Add error Update error Delete error An invalid parameter was passed to a function Overflow: some memory passed to a function was too small to hold the results A pointer was nil when it should not have been Unknown error A looping tag was aborted Bad syntax used in a format file; parsing of the file was aborted A data source error has occurred The module was not found No records found Timeout Action not supported Repeating related fields are not supported Value missing for required field The specified database was not found No error The file was not found

Error Code Reference

445

Lasso MySQL Error Codes The following table lists all known error codes in Lasso MySQL. Additional error codes may be reported if Lasso MySQL encounters an operating system error. Code 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Description Operation not permitted No such file or directory No such process Interrupted system call Input/output error Device not configured Argument list too long Exec format error Bad file descriptor No child processes Resource deadlock avoided Cannot allocate memory Permission denied Bad address Block device required Device busy File exists Cross-device link Operation not supported by device Not a directory Is a directory Invalid argument Too many open files in system Too many open files Inappropriate ioctl for device Text file busy File too large No space left on device Illegal seek Read-only file system Too many links Broken pipe Numerical argument out of domain Result too large Resource temporarily unavailable

446

Appendix B

Code 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75

Description Operation now in progress Operation already in progress Socket operation on non-socket Destination address required Message too long Protocol wrong type for socket Protocol not available Protocol not supported Socket type not supported Operation not supported Protocol family not supported Address family not supported by protocol family Address already in use Can’t assign requested address Network is down Network is unreachable Network dropped connection on reset Software caused connection abort Connection reset by peer No buffer space available Socket is already connected Socket is not connected Can’t send after socket shutdown Too many references: can’t splice Operation timed out Connection refused Too many levels of symbolic links File name too long Host is down No route to host Directory not empty Too many processes Too many users Disk quota exceeded Stale NFS file handle Too many levels of remote in path RPC struct is bad RPC version wrong RPC program not avail Program version wrong

Error Code Reference

Code 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 120 121 123 124 126 127 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145

Description Bad procedure for program No locks available Function not implemented Inappropriate file type or format Authentication error Need authenticator Device power is off Device error Value too large to be stored in data type Bad executable (or shared library) Bad CPU type in executable Shared library version mismatch Malformed Mach-O library file Didn’t find key on read or update Duplicate key on write or update Someone has changed the row since it was read Wrong index given to function Index file is crashed/wrong file format Record file is crashed Command not supported by database Old database file No record read before update Record was already deleted (or record file crashed) No more room in record file No more room in index file No more records (read after end of file) Unsupported extension used for table Row is too big (>= 16 M) Wrong create options Duplicate unique key or constraint on write or update Unknown character set used Conflicting table definition between MERGE and mapped table Table is crashed and last repair failed Table was marked as crashed and should be repaired

447

448

Appendix B

FileMaker Pro Error Codes Code -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 100 101 102 103 104 105 200 201 202 203 204 205 300 301 302 303 304 305 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410

Description Unknown error No error User cancelled action Memory error Command is unavailable Command is unknown Command is invalid File is missing Record is missing Field is missing Relation is missing Script is missing Layout is missing Record access is denied Field cannot be modified Field access is denied No records in file to print or password doesn’t allow print access No access to field(s) in sort order Cannot create new records; import will overwrite existing data The file is locked or in use Record is in use by another user Script definitions are in use by another user Paper size is in use by another user Password definitions are in use by another user Relationship or value list definitions are locked by another user Find criteria is empty No records match the request Not a match field for a lookup Exceeding maximum record limit for demo Sort order is invalid Number of records specified exceeds number of records that can be omitted Replace/Reserialize criteria is invalid One or both key fields are missing (invalid relation) Specified field has inappropriate data type for this operation Import order is invalid Export order is invalid

Error Code Reference

Code 411 412 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 600 601 602 603 700 701 702 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807

Description Cannot perform delete because related records cannot be deleted Wrong version of FileMaker Pro used to recover file Date value does not meet validation entry options Time value does not meet validation entry options Number value does not meet validation entry options Value in field does not meet range validation entry options Value in field does not meet unique value validation entry options Value in field failed existing value validation test Value in field is not a member value of the validation entry option value list Value in field failed calculation test of validation entry option Value in field failed query value test of validation entry option Field requires a valid value Related value is empty or unavailable Print error has occurred Combined header and footer exceed one page Body doesn’t fit on a page for current column setup Print connection lost File is of the wrong file type for import Data Access Manager can’t find database extension file Data Access Manager was unable to open the session Data Access Manager failed when sending a query Data Access Manager failed when executing a query EPSF file has no preview image Graphic translator can not be found Can’t import the file or need color computer QuickTime movie import failed Unable to update Quicktime file reference; read only Import Translator cannot be found XTND version is incompatible Couldn’t initialize the XTND system Insufficient password privileges to allow the operation Unable to create file on disk Unable to create temporary file on system disk Unable to open file File is single user or host cannot be found File cannot be opened as read only in its current state File is damaged; use Recover command File cannot be opened with this version of FileMaker Pro File is not a FileMaker Pro file or is severely damaged

449

450

Appendix B

Code 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 900 901 902 903 904 950 951 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978

Description Cannot open file because of damaged access privileges Disk/volume is full Disk/volume is locked Temporary file cannot be opened as FileMaker Pro file Cannot open the file because it exceeds host capacity Record synchronization error on network File(s) cannot be opened because maximum number is open Couldn’t open lookup file Unable to convert file General spelling engine error Main spelling dictionary not installed Could not launch the Help system Command cannot be used in a shared file Command can only be used in a file hosted under FileMaker Server Adding repeated related fields is not supported An unexpected error occurred The user name is invalid The password is invalid The database is invalid Permission denied The field has restricted access Security is disabled Invalid client IP address (FileMaker Pro 5.x only) The number of allowed guests has been exceeded

Quick Table Reference

451

Appendix C

Quick Table Reference Data Types Every value in Lasso is defined as belonging to a specific data type. The data type determines which member tags are available and how symbols affect the value. Data types generally correspond to everyday descriptions of a value with the addition of some data types for structured data. The following table lists the primary data types available in Lasso: String 'This is a string surrounded by single quotes' Integer 10 Decimal 3.14159 Array [Array: 'Jan', 'Feb', 'March', 'April'] Map [Map: 'FirstName'='Aeon', 'LastName'='McNulty']

String Expression Symbols The following table shows which symbols can be used with strings and the corresponding result. Symbol Name Example Result + Concatenation [Output: 'abc' + 'def'] abcdef * Repetition [Output: 'abc' * 2] abcabc – Deletion [Output: 'abcdef' – 'cde'] abf >> Contains [Output: 'abcdef' >> 'bcd'] True == Equality [Output: 'abc' == 'def'] False != Inequality [Output: 'abc' != 'def'] True < Less than [Output: 'abc' < 'def'] True > Greater than [Output: 'abc' > 'def'] False

452

Appendix C

Math Expression Symbols The following table shows what symbols can be used within math expressions and what the result would be for each. Symbol Name Example Result + Addition [Output: 100 + 25] 125 – Subtraction [Output: 100 – 25] 75 * Multiplication [Output: 100 * 25] 2500 / Division [Output: 100 / 25] 4 % Modulo [Output: 100 % 25] 0 == Equality [Output: 100 == 25] False != Inequality [Output: 100 != 25] True > Greater than [Output: 100 > 25] True >= Greater than or equal [Output: 100 >= 25] True < Less than [Output: 100 < 25] False <= Less than or equal [Output: 100 <= 25] False

Conditional Expression Symbols The following table shows symbols that can be used when working with conditionals. Symbol Name Example Result >> Contains [Output: 'abcdef' >> 'bcd'] True == Equality [Output: 100 == 25] False != Inequality [Output: 100 != 25] True > Greater than [Output: 100 > 25] True >= Greater than or equal [Output: 100 >= 25] True < Less than [Output: 100 < 25] False <= Less than or equal [Output: 100 <= 25] False

Logical Expression Symbols The following table gives examples of the logical expression symbols. Symbol Name Example Result && And [Output: True && False] False || Or [Output: True || False] True ! Not [Output: !True] False

Quick Table Reference

453

LDML Delimiters This table shows the delimiters that are used to define LDML tags. Symbol Name Function [ Square bracket Start of tag in square bracket syntax. ] Square bracket End of tag in square bracket syntax. / Forward slash Closing container tag name. : Colon Separates tag name from tag parameters. , Comma Separates tag parameters. = Equal sign Separates name/value parameter. Hyphen Starts command tag name and keyword names. ' Single quote Start and end of LDML string value. ( Parentheses Start of sub-tag or expression. ) Parentheses End of sub-tag or expression. LassoScript End of LassoScript. ; Semicolon Separates tags within LassoScript. // Double slash Start of comment in LassoScript. -> Member symbol Separates data value from member tag. Space Specified between symbols and their parameters.

Array Member Tags The following table shows the member tags that are associated with arrays. Tag Description [Array->Find] Returns an array of elements that match the parameter. [Array->Get] Returns an item from the array. [Array->Insert] Inserts a value into the array. [Array->Last] Returns the last item in the array. [Array->Merge] Merges an array parameter into the array. [Array->Remove] Removes an item from the array. [Array->RemoveAll] Removes any elements that match the parameter from the array. [Array->Size] Returns the number of elements in the array. [Array->Sort] Reorders the elements of the array in alphabetical or numerical order.

454

Appendix C

Map Member Tags The following table shows which member tags are associated with maps. Tag Description [Map->Find] Returns a value from the map by key. [Map->Get] Returns a pair from the map by integer index. [Map->Insert] Inserts a value into the map by key. [Map->Remove] Removes a value from the map by key. [Map->Size] Returns the number of elements (keys) in the map.

Pair Member Tags The following table shows what member tags are associated with pairs. Tag Description [Pair->First] Returns the first element of the pair. [Pair->Second] Returns the second element of the pair.

File Tags Tag [File_Control]... [/File_Control] [File_Copy] [File_Create] [File_CreationDate] [File_CurrentError] [File_Delete] [File_Exists] [File_GetSize] [File_IsDirectory] [File_GetLineCount] [File_ListDirectory] [File_ModDate] [File_Move] [File_Read] [File_ReadLine]

Description Used to surround the following tags except for [File_Uploads]. Copies a file or directory from one location to another. Creates a new empty file or a new directory. Returns the creation date of a file. Reports the last error reported by a file tag. Deletes a file or directory. Returns True if the file or directory exists. Returns the size in bytes of a file. Returns True if the specified path is a directory. Returns the number of lines in a file. Returns an array of strings. Returns the modification date of a file. Moves a file or directory from one location to another. Reads the contents of a file. Reads a single line from a file.

Quick Table Reference

Tag [File_Rename] [File_SetSize] [File_Write] [File_Uploads]

455

Description Renames a file or directory. Sets the size of the specified file. Writes data to the specified file. Returns an array of maps that contain information about any files that were uploaded with the form that triggered the current format file.

Error Tags Tag [Error_CurrentError] [Error_SetErrorCode] [Error_SetErrorMessage] [Error_AddError] [Error_DatabaseConnection Unavailable] [Error_DatabaseTimeout] [Error_DeleteError]

[Error_FieldRestriction] [Error_FileNotFound] [Error_InvalidDatabase] [Error_InvalidPassword] [Error_InvalidUsername] [Error_NoError] [Error_NoPermission] [Error_NoRecordsFound] [Error_OutOfMemory]

Description Returns the current error message. Sets the current error code to a custom value. Sets the current error message to a custom value. An error occurred during an -Add action. A connection to the specified Lasso datasource connector for the current database cannot be established. The connection to the Lasso datasource connector timed out. An error occurred during a -Delete action, such as the specification of an invalid -KeyField or -KeyValue. An error was reported by the Lasso datasource connector that a field cannot be modified. The specified file in an [Include] tag or -Response… tag cannot be found. The specified database is not configured within Lasso Administration. The password for the specified username is invalid. The specified username cannot be found in the user’s database within Lasso security. The code has been executed successfully. The current user does not have permission to perform the requested database action. No records were found for a database action. Lasso encountered an internal out of memory error that prevents the current page from processing.

456

Appendix C

Tag [Error_RequiredFieldMissing]

[Error_UpdateError]

Description A value was not specified for an HTML form or URL parameter preceded by a -Required command tag. An error occurred during an -Update action, such as the specification of an invalid -KeyField or -KeyValue.

Encoding Keywords This table gives you the breakdown on the most used encoding tags. Tag Description -EncodeNone No encoding is performed. -EncodeHTML Reserved, illegal, and extended ASCII characters are changed to their hexadecimal-equivalent HTML entities. -EncodeSmart Illegal and extended ASCII characters are changed to their hexadecimal-equivalent HTML entities. Reserved HTML characters are not changed. -EncodeBreak ASCII carriage return characters are changed to HTML
. -EncodeURL Illegal and extended ASCII characters are changed to their equivalent hexadecimal HTTP URL entities. -EncodeStrictURL Reserved, illegal, and extended ASCII characters are changed to their equivalent hexadecimal HTTP URL entities. -EncodeXML Reserved, illegal, and extended ASCII characters are changed to their UTF-8 equivalent XML entities.

Quick Table Reference

457

HTML/HTTP Delimiters The following table shows the delimiters that are used in HTML pages and HTTP URLs. Symbol Name Function > Angle bracket Start of an HTML or XML tag. < Angle bracket End of an HTML or XML tag. = Equal sign Separates name/value parameter or attribute. " Double quote Start and end of HTML string value. ? Question mark Separates path from parameters in URL. # Hash mark Separates path from target in URL. & Ampersand Separates URL parameters. / Forward slash Folder delimiter in URL paths or designation of web server root if used at the start of a URL path. ../ Dot dot slash Up one folder level in URL paths. Space Separates tag attributes.

Example Application MyResume

459

Appendix D

Example Application MyResume Application Overview This appendix contains a list of example files from a full, working application called MyResume. It works alongside the database/tables that are created in Chapter 9. Each page that is referenced within this appendix contains elements that the book has covered. It will allow you to create a LassoApp at the end that will provide a basic resume builder application. All files listed can be found on the CD-ROM that accompanies this book. The application uses the include method. Some may find this fairly advanced, but it is provided to show you how easily an application can be built using Lasso Professional 5.

readme.lasso The file included shows the readme.lasso page that contains the breakdown of the application. A developer can read one page and obtain the general overview of how an application is built. It is a good idea to provide this information with each application you build, and you will earn respect from your fellow developers. When you are ready to test this application, please insert the CD-ROM into your drive and then locate the folder called MyResume. Copy this folder to your Lasso Professional 5 web serving directory and load the following URL, changing the IP address according to your setup: http://127.0.0.1/MyResume/index.lasso At this point, you will have loaded a full application that is ready be compiled into a LassoApp. To compile the LassoApp, load the following page and insert the appropriate authorized username and password to create files and LassoApps from the directory

460

Appendix D

located on the web server machine (usually the administrator’s username and password): http://127.0.0.1/MyResume/buildapp.lasso Once completed, you will find a file located in the web server root folder called MyResume.LassoApp. Please read the following readme.lasso file to obtain a brief overview on how the application is written and works. LassoScript Example 01.
Example Application MyResume

41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96.

461

// //

table_v_history.lasso - contains the HTML view structure for the information related to the history table.

// //

table_v_examples.lasso - contains the HTML view structure for the information related to the examples table.

// //

table_l_users.lasso

// //

table_l_history.lasso - contains the HTML list structure for the information related to the history table.

// //

table_l_examples.lasso - contains the HTML list structure for the information related to the examples table.

// //

users_main.lasso

- contains the elements required for creating/editing/deleting a users record.

// //

history_main.lasso

- contains the elements required for creating/editing/deleting a history record.

// //

examples_main.lasso

- contains the elements required for creating/editing/deleting an examples record.

// //

search_main.lasso

- contains the elements required for searching the MyResume application.

// //

usersR_main.lasso

- contains the response elements required for creating/editing/deleting a users record.

// //

historyR_main.lasso

- contains the response elements required for creating/editing/deleting a history record.

// //

examplesR_main.lasso - contains the response elements required for creating/editing/deleting an examples record.

// //

searchR_main.lasso

- contains the response elements required for searching the MyResume application.

// //

login_main.lasso

- contains the authentication form and works with the file auth_myresume.lasso

//

indx_main.lasso

// //

template_public.lasso - contains the HTML template to be used when no authentication is needed.

- contains the HTML list structure for the information related to the users table.

- contains the default homepage text.

462

Appendix D

97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148.

// //

template_account.lasso - contains the HTML template to be used when account files are used and authentication is used.

// //

index.lasso

// //

build.lasso - This page contains the source to convert the MyResume application into a LassoApp file.

- This page appoints the appropriate variables to enable the correct page to be called by the application.

// Each file called in the index.lasso file is broken down into four variables: // Variable One will be 'LinkPage' which indicates what page to call from the web directory. // Variable Two will be 'Action' to indicate what to call the page when loaded (if applicable). // Variable Three will be 'PageTitle' to indicate what to call the page when outputted to the user. // Variable Four will be 'Template' to indicate what template to call from the web directory.

// Table layouts // MyResume.users // // // // // // // //

FIELD NAME users_date_created users_date_modified users_firstname users_lastname users_emailaddress users_profile users_password

DESCRIPTION Date record created Date record modified Firstname of the record owner Lastname of the record owner Email Address of the record owner* Profile of the record owner* Password of the record owner*

DATA TYPE DateTime DateTime Varchar(100) Varchar(100) Varchar(100) Text Varchar(255)

// MyResume.history //FIELD NAME //history_date_created //history_date_modified //users_id //history_title //history_date_start //history_date_end //history_description //history_status

//MyResume.examples

DESCRIPTION Date record created Date record modified The related users record id* Title of the history record* Date of History Start Period* Date of History End Period* Description of History* Status of History Record*

DATA TYPE DateTime DateTime INT Varchar(150) Date Date Text INT

Example Application MyResume

149. 150. //FIELD NAME 151. //examples_date_created 152. //examples_date_modified 153. //history_id 154. //examples_title 155. //examples_type 156. //examples_link 157. //examples_status 158. 159. 160. ?> 161. 162.

DESCRIPTION DATA TYPE Date record created DateTime Date record modified DateTime The related history record id* INT Title of examples record Varchar(150) Type of examples record Varchar(150) Example Link Varchar(150) Status of Examples Record* INT

463

Lasso Resources

465

Appendix E

Lasso Resources General Lasso Resources I have included a list of sites that you will find useful when working with Lasso. Vendor Related Blue World Communications, Inc. http://www.blueworld.com/ Blue World provides Lasso Web Data Engine, Lasso Studio, and Blue World ListSearch service to fulfill its long-term mission to bring business to the Internet. LDML Reference Database http://ldml.blueworld.com This is Blue World’s online reference for LDML, a fantastic resource when you’re online. Blue World - Support Central http://support.blueworld.com/ Blue World Support Central provides instant access to the latest information, software releases, and resources to assist Blue World customers. BlueWorld - Download Area http://www.blueworld.com/blueworld/download/ BlueWorld-supported download area of Lasso products. ISP Related digital forest™ http://www.forest.net/ Since 1994, digital.forest has specialized in Internet solutions for companies worldwide.

466

Appendix E

Point In Space http://www.pointinspace.com/ Offering FileMaker, Lasso, web, email, Listserv, and FTP hosting solutions on Macintosh computers. Database Related 4D, Inc. (ACI) http://www.webstar.com/ 4D database FileMaker Inc. http://www.filemaker.com/ FileMaker Pro database FrontBase http://www.frontbase.com/ The scalable relational database server for Mac OS X. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 http://www.microsoft.com/sql/ Web site for info related to SQL Server 2000. MySQL Database http://www.mysql.com General Lasso Sites Corral Methodology http://www.corralmethod.org The Corral Methodology is a highly structured and modular way of creating LDML (Lasso) powered web sites and web site applications. Lasso Summit http://www.lassosummit.com Lasso’s premier developer’s conference. LassoScripts.com http://www.lassoscripts.com The official web site of this book, providing all examples used and also allowing developers of the LassoDevelopment.com network to share source code and solutions. LassoDevelopment.com http://www.lassodevelopment.com Network of both developers and companies. It also contains the Lasso Developer’s Directory.

Lasso Resources

467

The Data Web Center http://www.datawebcenter.com A great resource web site for Lasso news and obtaining Lasso-related products. Web Server Related Macintosh OS X Server http://www.apple.com/macosx/server/ Mac OS X Server provides you with a complete server solution, combining the power of UNIX-based Darwin with open, industry-standard services and unparalleled ease of use. WebSTAR http://www.webstar.com/ Products include WebSTAR Server suite. Windows 2000 Server http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/server/default.asp With Windows 2000 Server, you can be sure that essential processes, such as file and print services, are ready when you need them.

Index

Index ' ' (single quotes), 365 -- (decrement), 426 - (hyphen), 366 – (subtraction or deletion), 425 ! (not logical), 421 != (not equals), 422 # (local variable), 422 $ (variable), 422 % (modulo), 423 %= (modulo assignment), 423 && (logical AND), 44, 423 ( ) (parentheses), 365 * (multiplication or repetition), 424 *= (multiplication assignment), 424 , (comma), 366 / (division), 427 / (forward slash), 366 // (LassoScript comment), 366 /= (division assignment), 427 : (colon), 366 ; (semicolon), 367 [ ] (square brackets), 367 || (logical OR), 430 + (addition or concatenation), 424 ++ (increment), 425 += (addition assignment), 425 < (less than), 427 , 367 <= (less than or equals), 428 = (assignment), 428 = (equal sign), 367 –= (subtraction assignment), 426 == (equals), 43, 428 > (greater than), 429 -> (member), 426 >= (greater than or equals), 429 >> (contains) , 43-44, 429 [Abort], 333 [Action_Param], 435

[Action_Params], 436 [Admin_ChangeUser], 323 [Admin_CreateUser], 324 [Admin_GroupAssignUser], 324 [Admin_GroupListUsers], 324 [Admin_GroupRemoveUser], 324 [Admin_ListGroups], 324 [Array], 338 [Array->Find], 326 [Array->Get], 327 [Array->Insert], 327 [Array->Last], 327 [Array->Merge], 327 [Array->Remove], 328 [Array->RemoveAll], 328 [Array->Size], 328 [Array->Sort], 328 [Auth], 325 [Auth_Admin], 325 [Boolean], 338 [Checked], 346 [Client_Address], 330 [Client_Browser], 331 [Client_ContentLength], 331 [Client_ContentType], 331 [Client_CookieList], 331 [Client_Cookies], 331 [Client_FormMethod], 331 [Client_GetArgs], 331 [Client_GetParams], 331 [Client_Headers], 331 [Client_IP], 332 [Client_Password], 332 [Client_PostArgs], 332 [Client_PostParams], 332 [Client_Type], 332 [Client_Username], 332 [Column], 346 [Column_Name], 347 [Compress], 430

469

470

Index

[Content_Type], 399 [Cookie], 436 [Cookie_Set], 436 [Database_ChangeColumn], 347 [Database_ChangeField], 348 [Database_CreateColumn], 349 [Database_CreateField], 350 [Database_CreateTable], 351 [Database_Name], 352 [Database_NameItem], 351 [Database_Names] ... [/Database_Names], 352 [Database_RemoveColumn], 352 [Database_RemoveField], 352 [Database_RemoveTable], 353 [Database_TableNameItem], 353 [Database_TableNames] ... [/Database_TableNames], 353 [Date], 360 [Date_Add], 360 [Date_Difference], 361 [Date_Format], 361 [Date_GetCurrentDate], 362 [Date_GetDay], 362 [Date_GetDayOfWeek], 362 [Date_GetHour], 362 [Date_GetLocalTimeZone], 362 [Date_GetMinute], 363 [Date_GetMonth], 363 [Date_GetSecond], 363 [Date_GetYear], 363 [Date_GMTtoLocal], 363 [Date_LocaltoGMT], 364 [Date_Subtract], 364 [Decimal], 338 [Decimal->SetFormat], 387 [Decode_Base64], 368 [Decode_URL], 368 [Decompress], 431 [Decrypt_BlowFish], 370 [Define_Tag] ... [/Define_Tag], 335 [Define_Type] ... [/Define_Type], 335 [Else], 44-45, 333 example of using, 45-49 [Email_Send], 258-259, 437 [Encode_Base64], 368 [Encode_Break], 368

[Encode_HTML], 368 [Encode_ISOtoMac], 369 [Encode_MacToISO], 369 [Encode_Set] ... [/Encode_Set], 369 [Encode_Smart], 369 [Encode_StrictURL], 369 [Encode_URL], 370 [Encode_XML], 370 [Encrypt_BlowFish], 370 [Encrypt_MD5], 370 [Error_AddError], 371 [Error_ColumnRestriction], 371 [Error_CurrentError], 371 [Error_DatabaseConnectionUnavailable], 371 [Error_DatabaseTimeout], 372 [Error_DeleteError], 372 [Error_FieldRestriction], 372 [Error_FileNotFound], 372 [Error_InvalidDatabase], 373 [Error_InvalidPassword], 373 [Error_InvalidUsername], 373 [Error_ModuleNotFound], 373 [Error_NoError], 374 [Error_NoPermission], 374 [Error_NoRecordsFound], 374 [Error_OutOfMemory], 374 [Error_ReqColumnMissing], 375 [Error_ReqFieldMissing], 375 [Error_RequiredColumnMissing], 375 [Error_RequiredFieldMissing], 375 [Error_SetErrorCode], 376 [Error_SetErrorMessage], 376 [Error_UpdateError], 376 [Event_Schedule], 438 [Fail], 376 [Fail_If], 376 [Field], 353 [Field_Name], 354 [File_Control] ... [/File_Control], 377 [File_Copy], 377 [File_Create], 378 [File_CreationDate], 378 [File_CurrentError], 378 [File_Delete], 378 [File_Exists], 379 [File_GetLineCount], 379 [File_GetSize], 379

Index

[File_IsDirectory], 379 [File_ListDirectory], 379 [File_ModDate], 380 [File_Move], 380 [File_Read], 380 [File_ReadLine], 380 [File_Rename], 381 [File_SetSize], 381 [File_Uploads], 381 [File_Write], 381 [Found_Count], 404 [Handle] ... [/Handle], 377 [Header] ... [/Header], 399 [HTML_Comment] ... [/HTML_Comment], 399 [If] ... [/If], 39, 333 example of using, 40-42 [Image_URL], 354 [IMG], 355 [Include], 237, 382 [Include_Raw], 382 [Include_URL], 382 [Inline] ... [/Inline], 438 [Integer], 338 [Integer->BitAnd], 388 [Integer->BitClear], 388 [Integer->BitFlip], 388 [Integer->BitNot], 388 [Integer->BitOr], 389 [Integer->BitSet], 389 [Integer->BitShiftLeft], 389 [Integer->BitShiftRight], 389 [Integer->BitTest], 389 [Integer->BitXOr], 390 [Integer->SetFormat], 390 [KeyColumn_Name], 355 [KeyColumn_Value], 355 [KeyField_Name], 356 [KeyField_Value], 356 [Lasso_CurrentAction], 404 [Lasso_DatasourceIsFileMaker], 325 [Lasso_DatasourceIsLassoMySQL], 325 [Lasso_DatasourceIsMySQL], 325 [Lasso_DatasourceModuleName], 325 [Lasso_TagExists], 326 [Lasso_TagModuleName], 326 [Lasso_UniqueID], 439 [Lasso_Version], 326

471

[LassoApp_Create], 431 [LassoApp_Dump], 431 [LassoApp_Link], 431 [Layout_Name], 356 [Library], 237, 383 [Link_CurrentAction] ... [/Link_CurrentAction], 384 [Link_CurrentActionURL], 384 [Link_DetailURL], 385 [Link_NextGroup] ... [/Link_NextGroup], 385 [Link_NextGroupURL], 385 [Link_NextRecord] ... [/Link_NextRecord], 386 [Link_NextRecordURL], 386 [Link_PrevGroup] ... [/Link_PrevGroup], 386 [Link_PrevGroupURL], 386 [Link_PrevRecord] ... [/Link_PrevRecord], 386 [Link_PrevRecordURL], 386 [Local], 336 [Local_Defined], 336 [Locals], 336 [Log] ... [/Log], 382 [Loop] ... [/Loop], 52-53, 334 using, 54-58 [Loop_Abort], 334 [Loop_Count], 334 [Map], 339 [Map->Find], 329 [Map->Get], 329 [Map->Insert], 329 [Map->Remove], 329 [Map->Size], 329 [Math_Abs], 390 [Math_ACos], 390 [Math_Add], 391 [Math_ASin], 391 [Math_ATan], 391 [Math_ATan2], 391 [Math_Ceil], 391 [Math_ConvertEuro], 392 [Math_Cos], 392 [Math_Div], 392 [Math_Exp], 392 [Math_Floor], 392 [Math_Ln], 393 [Math_Log], 393 [Math_Log10], 393 [Math_Max], 393 [Math_Min], 393

472

Index

[Math_Mod], 394 [Math_Mult], 394 [Math_Pow], 394 [Math_Random], 394 [Math_RInt], 394 [Math_Roman], 395 [Math_Round], 395 [Math_Sin], 395 [Math_Sqrt], 395 [Math_Sub], 395 [Math_Tan], 396 [MaxRecords_Value], 404 [Named_Param], 336 [NSLookup], 439 [Null], 339 [Null->Dump], 432 [Null->FreezeType], 432 [Null->FreezeValue], 432 [Null->Serialize], 432 [Null->Type], 432 [Null->Unserialize], 433 [Null->Up], 433 [Op_LogicalValue], 398 [Operator_LogicalValue], 398 [Option], 357 [Output], 399 [Output_None] ... [/Output_None], 399 [Pair], 339 [Pair->First], 330 [Pair->Name], 330 [Pair->Second], 330 [Pair->Value], 330 [Params], 336 [Params_Up], 337 [Portal] ... [/Portal], 357 [PostCondition], 337 [PreCondition], 337 [Process], 433 [Protect] ... [/Protect], 377 [RecordID_Value], 357 [Records] ... [/Records], 357 [Redirect_URL], 400 [Referer] ... [/Referer], 386 [Referer_URL], 386 [Referrer] ... [/Referrer], 387 [Referrer_URL], 387 [Repeating] ... [/Repeating], 358

[Repeating_ValueItem], 358 [Repetition], 334 [Req_Column], 404 [Req_Field], 405 [Required_Column], 405 [Required_Field], 405 [Response_FilePath], 406 [Response_LocalPath], 406 [Response_Path], 406 [Response_Realm], 406 [Return], 337 [Return_Value], 337 [Rows] ... [/Rows], 358 [Search_Args] ... [/Search_Args], 407 [Search_Arguments] ... [/Search_Arguments], 407 [Search_ColumnItem], 407 [Search_FieldItem], 407 [Search_OperatorItem], 408 [Search_OpItem], 408 [Search_ValueItem], 408 [Selected], 359 [Self], 337 [Server_Date], 364 [Server_Day], 365 [Server_Name], 439 [Server_Port], 439 [Server_Push], 400 [Server_Time], 365 [Session_AddVar], 410 [Session_AddVariable], 411 [Session_End], 411 [Session_ID], 411 [Session_RemoveVar], 411 [Session_RemoveVariable], 411 [Session_Start], 412 [Shown_Count], 409 [Shown_First], 409 [Shown_Last], 409 [SkipRecords_Value], 409 [Sleep], 433 [Sort_Args] ... [/Sort_Args], 409 [Sort_Arguments] ... [/Sort_Arguments], 409 [Sort_ColumnItem], 409 [Sort_FieldItem], 410 [Sort_OrderItem], 410 [String], 339 [String_Concatenate], 415

Index

[String_EndsWith], 415 [String_Extract], 415 [String_FindPosition], 416 [String_FindRegExp], 416 [String_Insert], 416 [String_IsAlpha], 417 [String_IsAlphaNumeric], 417 [String_IsDigit], 417 [String_IsHexdigit], 417 [String_IsLower], 417 [String_IsNumeric], 418 [String_IsPunctuation], 418 [String_IsSpace], 418 [String_IsUpper], 418 [String_Length], 418 [String_LowerCase], 419 [String_Remove], 419 [String_RemoveLeading], 419 [String_RemoveTrailing], 420 [String_Replace], 420 [String_ReplaceRegExp], 420 [String_UpperCase], 421 [String->Append], 412 [String->BeginsWith], 412 [String->Contains], 413 [String->EndsWith], 413 [String->Find], 413 [String->Get], 413 [String->Length], 414 [String->RemoveLeading], 414 [String->RemoveTrailing], 414 [String->Split], 414 [String->Substring], 414 [String->Trim], 59-60, 415 [Table_Name], 359 [Tags], 326 [TCP_Close], 433 [TCP_Open], 434 [TCP_Send], 434 [Token_Value], 440 [Total_Records], 410 [Valid_CreditCard], 440 [Valid_Email], 440 [Valid_URL], 440 [Value_List] ... [/Value_List], 360 [Value_ListItem], 359 [Var], 441

[Var_Defined], 442 [Variable], 441 [Variable_Defined], 441 [Variables], 441 [Vars], 442 [WAP_IsEnabled], 332 [WAP_MaxButtons], 332 [WAP_MaxColumns], 332 [WAP_MaxHorzPixels], 333 [WAP_MaxRows], 333 [WAP_MaxVertPixels], 333 [While] ... [/While], 49-50, 335 example of using, 50-52 A action tags, 320-323 -Add, 191-194, 320 addition, 81 administration tags, 323-326 AND, 44 array, adding values to, 99 creating, 97-98 creating from form, 107-108 example of creating, 108-113 example of using with map, 117-125 removing values from, 99 sorting, 106-107 using with map, 116-117 array elements, accessing, 100-102 example of accessing, 102-106 array member tags, 453 array tags, 326-330 B binary operators, 81-82 using variables with, 82 Blowfish encryption algorithm, 62, 78 browser, example of creating, 151-162 example of sending data to, 5-6 example of sending HTML to, 6-8 example of sending text to, 3-4 sending data to, 5 sending HTML to, 6-7 sending text to, 3

473

474

Index

C calculator, creating, 82-86 calendar, creating, 242-252 client tags, 330-333 commenting, 10-11 comments, adding to scripts, 11-12 concatenation, string, 60 conditional expression symbols, 452 conditional statements, 39 conditional tags, 333-335 contains symbol, 43-44 control structures, 39 cookies, example of using with sessions, 232-235 using with sessions, 232 custom tags, 335-338 creating, 292-294 example of writing, 294-298 D data, example of receiving from a form, 31-34 example of sending to the browser, 5-6 receiving from a form, 29-31 sending to the browser, 5 data type tags, 338-339 data types, 451 database, connecting to, 175-176 creating with Lasso MySQL, 176-179 using with Lasso, 173-174 database permissions, 174 database tags, 339-360 -Database, 339 datasources, setting up, 305-310 date functions, example of using, 242-252 date tags, 360-365 date, determining, 239-242 debugging, 280-281 decoding strings, 65-67 example, 67-72 decrementing, 87 decrypting strings, 72-73 example, 73-77 -Delete, 202-204, 320 delimiter tags, 365-367

directories, browsing, 150 deleting, 170-171 renaming, 171 directory browser, example of creating, 151-162 division, 81-82 -Duplicate, 320 E email, example of creating form for, 259-265 sending, 257-259 encoding, 6 encoding strings, 65-67 example, 67-72 encoding tags, 368-370, 456 encrypting strings, 72-73 example, 73-77 encryption tags, 370-371 equals symbol, 43 error code descriptions, 277 error codes, 443-450 error page, example of replacing, 277-280 error tags, 371-377, 455-456 errors, 267 reporting, 273-276 F field, creating with Lasso MySQL, 182-191 example of using hidden, 35-38 hidden, 35 field operators, 196 file permissions, 127-128 setting, 316-317 file tags, 377-382, 454-455 FileMaker Pro error codes, 448-450 files, deleting, 169-170 example of reading from, 142-149 example of uploading, 165-169 example of writing to, 134-140 reading from, 141-142 renaming, 171 uploading, 162-165 writing to, 133-134

Index

-FindAll, 194-200, 321 -FMScript, 340 -FMScriptPost, 340 -FMScriptPre, 341 -FMScriptPreSort, 341 form, creating array from, 107-108 creating HTML, 25-26 example of creating HTML, 26-28 example of receiving data from, 31-34 receiving data from, 29-31 form input controls, 25-26 forms, example of using with sessions, 219-222 using with sessions, 218-219 FTP, 2 G general permissions, setting, 317-318 GET, 28-29 global variables, 18 group permissions, setting, 310-315 H hidden fields, 35 example of using, 35-38 HTML, commenting, 10 comments, 13 delimiters, 457 example of sending to the browser, 6-8 sending to the browser, 6-7 HTML form, creating, 25-26 example of creating, 26-28 HTTP, 253 delimiters, 457 methods, 28 HTTP headers, 253 example of using, 254-257 Hypertext Transfer Protocol, see HTTP I -Image, 321 include tags, 237, 382-383 includes, 237

using, 237-239 incrementing, 86-87 J JavaScript, example of using with Lasso, 13-15 using with Lasso, 13 joins, using, 213-214 K -KeyColumn, 341 -KeyField, 342 -KeyValue, 342 L Lasso, example of using with JavaScript, 13-15 resources, 465-467 setting up, 303-305 syntax, 1 using with JavaScript, 13 Lasso Administration, 128 Lasso Dynamic Markup Language, see LDML Lasso error codes, 443-444 Lasso MySQL, 173 error codes, 445-447 using to create a database, 176-179 using to create a field, 182-191 using to create a table, 179-181 Lasso page, example of creating, 3-4 LassoApps, 298 using, 298-301 LassoScript commenting, 10 syntax, 1 -Layout, 342 LDML, 1 delimiters, 453 link tags, 384-387 local variables, 18 log, using, 281-283 logging, 281-283 logical expression symbols, 452 logical operators, 197

475

476

Index

M map, creating, 114-116 example of using with array, 117-125 using with array, 116-117 map member tags, 454 matching patterns, see regular expressions math expression symbols, 452 math functions, 94-96 math operators, example of using, 88-94 math tags, 387-396 -MaxRecords, 343 -MaxRows, 343 MD5 encryption tool, 73 multiplication, 81 MyResume example, 459-463 N NOT, 42, 44 -Nothing, 322 NULL, 42-43 numbers, formatting, 96 O -Op, 396 -OpBegin, 396 -OpEnd, 397 -Operator, 397 operator precedence, 87-88 operator tags, 396-398 -OperatorBegin, 397 -OperatorEnd, 397 -OperatorLogical, 398 operators, 196 binary, 81-82 logical, 197 multiple, 87-88 string, 78-80 -OpLogical, 398 output tags, 399-400 P pair member tags, 454 -Password, 435 permissions, database, 174

example of determining, 128-132 file, 127-128 setting, 310-318 POST, 28-29 R -Random, 322 regular expressions, 285-288 example of using, 288-292 -Req, 343 -Required, 343 -Response, 400 response tags, 400-404 -ResponseAdd, 400 -ResponseAddError, 400 -ResponseAny, 401 -ResponseAnyError, 401 -ResponseDelete, 401 -ResponseDuplicate, 401 -ResponseLassoApp, 430 -ResponseNoResultsError, 402 -ResponseReqColumnMissingError, 402 -ResponseReqFieldMissingError, 402 -ResponseRequiredColumnMissingError, 402 -ResponseRequiredFieldMissingError, 403 -ResponseSecurityError, 403 -ResponseUpdate, 403 -ResponseUpdateError, 403 results tags, 404-410 -ReturnColumn, 343 -ReturnField, 344 S scripts, testing, 2 -Search, 194-200, 322 server application variables, 19 session tags, 410-412 sessions, 215 adding variables to, 222-223 deleting, 223 example of creating, 216-218 example of using, 223-231 example of using with cookies, 232-235 example of using with forms, 219-222 using, 215-216 using with cookies, 232

Index

using with forms, 218-219 shopping cart, creating, 223-231 -Show, 323 -SkipRecords, 344 -SkipRows, 344 -SortColumn, 345 -SortField, 345 -SortOrder, 345 SQL, 204 using, 204-214 -SQL, 204-212, 323 Square Bracket commenting, 10 Square Bracket syntax, 1 string concatenation, 30-31, 60 example, 61-64 string expression symbols, 451 string operations, 79-80 string tags, 412-421 strings, 59 concatenating, 60-61 decoding, 65-67 decrypting, 72-73 encoding, 65-67 encrypting, 72-73 multiplying, 78 subtracting, 78 text, 3 trimming, 59-60 Structured Query Language, see SQL subtraction, 81 symbol tags, 421-430 syntax, 1 rules, 1 variable, 17-18

syntax errors, correcting, 268-269 example of correcting, 270-272 T table, creating with Lasso MySQL, 179-181 -Table, 345 technical tags, 430-435 testing scripts, 2 text, example of sending to the browser, 3-4 sending to the browser, 3 text strings, 3 -Token, 435 U -Update, 200-202, 323 -Username, 435 utility tags, 435-441 V values, assigning to variables, 19-21 variable tags, 441-442 variables, 17 adding to sessions, 222-223 assigning values to, 19-21 example of using, 21-23 syntax of, 17-18 types of, 18-19 W white space, 8 using in Lasso, 9-10

477

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