How to get user input for an Admin Task

When a command is run as part of an Admin Task it is possible to prompt the user for input - arguments to be used by the command. The format of the prompt is:

[datatype:prompt:lutname:separator]

where:

datatype is one of:

attachment

It is possible to have a user specify an attachment record (IRN) as an argument for a command. The syntax of the attachment argument is:

[attachment:prompt:table]

where:

table

is the back-end table to be referenced.

prompt

is explained below.
The attachment record's IRNClosed A unique identifier automatically assigned when a record is created. becomes the argument for the command.

date

Displays an edit box in which the user can enter a value.

time

Displays an edit box in which the user can enter a value.

number

Displays an edit box in which the user can enter a value.

text

Displays an edit box in which the user can enter a value.

password

Displays an edit box in which the user can enter a value. Values entered display as an asterisk (*).

combobox

Displays a combo box with a list of values found in the lutname Lookup List (see below). The user can make a single selection from the list.

listbox

Displays a list box with a list of values from the lutname Lookup List. The user can make multiple selections. The values selected are joined together by an optional separator.

It is possible to specify a default value, width and height for the datatype. The format of the command is:

[datatype;default value; width; height:...]

All parts, except for datatype are optional.

prompt

is the text of the request for each datatype specified.

If more than one request is specified for a command, all requests are displayed on the one dialogue box. Each option is not prompted for individually. For example, the command string:

ls [text:Enter ls options] [text:Enter starting Directory]

would generate the following dialogue box:

Admin Parameters

lutname

is optional.

The name of a Lookup List in the eluts database used to populate the combobox and listbox with values.

If a level of a (hierarchical) lookup list is required, the lutname should be specified as lutname;level. As an example, if the second level of the Place Name Lookup List was required, then the lutname parameter would be Place Name;2.

separator

is an optional character (e.g. | or -) used to separate multiple selections by a user from lutname.