Built-in front calls

Various front-end functions are implemented within Genero front-ends.

This section describes the front-end functions available for all type of front-ends. Note that several front-end functions are specific to the type of front-end.

Table 1. Standard front-end functions
Function Name Description GDC GWC-JS GMA GMI
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbAdd",
  [text], [result]) 
Adds to the content of the clipboard. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbClear",
  [], [result]) 
Clears the content of the clipboard. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbGet",
   [], [text]) 
Gets the content of the clipboard. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbPaste",
   [], [result]) 
Pastes the content of the clipboard to the current field. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbSet",
 [text], [result]) 
Set the content of the clipboard. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "execute",
 [cmd,wait], [result]) 
Executes a command on the front-end platform, with or without waiting. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "feInfo",
 [name], [result]) 
Queries general front-end properties. Yes Yes Yes Yes
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "getEnv",
 [name], [value]) 
Returns an environment variable set in the user session on the front end platform. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "getWindowId",
 [aui-win-id], [loc-win-id]) 
Returns the local window manager identifier of the window corresponding to the AUI window id passed as parameter. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "hardCopy",
 [pgsize], [result]) 
Prints a screen shot of the current window Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "launchURL",
  [ url [, mode ] ], [] )
Opens an URL with the default URL handler of the front-end. Yes Yes Yes Yes
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "mdClose",
 [name], [result]) 
Unloads a DLL or shared library front call module. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "openDir",
 [path,caption], [result]) 
Displays a file dialog window to get a directory path on the local file system. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "openFile",
 [path,name,wildcards,caption],
 [result])
Displays a file dialog window to get a path to open a file on the local file system. Yes Yes No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "playSound",
  [filename], [])
Plays the sound file passed as parameter on the front-end platform. Yes Yes Yes Yes
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "saveFile",
  [path,name,filetype,caption],
  [result]) 
Displays a file dialog window to get a path to save a file on the local file system. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "setReportFont",
  [font], [result]) 
Override the font used for report generation for the current application. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "setReportPrinter",
  [printer], [result])
Override the printer configuration used for report generation for the current application. Yes No No No
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "setWebComponentPath",
  [path], [])
Defines the base path where web components are located. Yes N/A Yes Yes
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "shellExec",
  [document, action], [result])
Opens a file on the front-end platform with the program associated to the file extension. Yes No No No
Table 2. Webcomponent module front-end functions
Function Name Description
ui.Interface.frontCall("webcomponent", "call",
  [aui-name, function-name, [ param1, param2, ... ] ],
  [result]
)
Calls a JavaScript function through the web component.
ui.Interface.frontCall("webcomponent", "frontCallAPIVersion",
  [],[result])
Returns the API version of web component front-end calls.
ui.Interface.frontCall("webcomponent", "getTitle",
  [aui-name], [result] )
Returns the title of the HTML doc rendered by a web component.
Table 3. Windows DDE front-end functions
Function name Description
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINDDE","DDEConnect",
 [ program, document, encoding ], [result] )
DDEConnect opens a DDE connection.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINDDE","DDEExecute",
  [ program, document, command, encoding ], [result] )
DDEExecute executes a DDE command.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINDDE","DDEFinish",
  [ program, document ], [result] )
DDEFinish closes a DDE connection.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINDDE","DDEFinishAll",
  [], [result] )
DDEFinishAll closes all DDE connections.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINDDE","DDEError",
  [], [errmsg] )
DDEError returns error information about the last DDE operation.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINDDE","DDEPeek",
  [ program, container, cells, encoding ], [ result, value ] )
DDEPeek retrieves data from the specified program and document using the DDE channel.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINDDE","DDEPoke",
  [ program, container, cells, values, encoding ], [result] )
DDEPoke sends data to the specified program and document using the DDE channel.
Table 4. Windows COM front-end functions
Function name Description
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinCOM","CreateInstance",
  [ program ], [handle] )
The CreateInstance function creates an instance of a registered COM object.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINCOM","CallMethod",
  [ handle, method, arg1, ... ], [result] ) 
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINCOM","CallMethod",
  [ handle, method(arg1, ...) ], [result] )
The CallMethod function calls a method on a specified object.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINCOM","GetProperty",
  [ handle, member ], [result] )
The GetProperty function gets a property of an object.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINCOM","SetProperty", 
  [handle, member, value], [result] )
The SetProperty function sets a property of an object.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINCOM","GetError",
  [], [result] )
The GetError function gets a description of the last error which occurred.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WINCOM","ReleaseInstance",
  [handle], [result] )
The ReleaseInstance function releases an Instance of a COM object.
Table 5. WinMail front-end functions: General
Function name Description
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","Init",
  [], [id ] )
The Init function initializes the module.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","Close",
  [id], [ result ] )
The Close function clears all information corresponding to a message, and frees the memory occupied by the message.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","SetBody",
  [ id, body ], [ result ] )
The SetBody function sets the body of the mail.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","SetSubject",
  [ id, subject ], [ result ] )
The SetSubject function sets the subject of the mail.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","AddTo",
  [ id, name, address ], [ result ] )
The AddTo function adds a "To" addressee to the mail.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","AddCC",
  [ id, name, address ], [ result ] )
The AddCC function adds a "CC" addressee to the mail.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","AddBCC",
  [ id, name, address ], [ result ] )
The AddBCC function adds a "BCC" addressee to the mail.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","AddAttachment",
  [ id, fileName], [ result ] )
The AddAttachment function adds a file as an attachment to the mail.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","SendMailSMTP",
  [ id ], [result] )
The SendMailSMTP function sends the mail with the SMTP protocol.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","SendMailMAPI",
  [ id ], [result] )
The SendMailMAPI function sends the mail with the MAPI protocol.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","GetError",
  [ id ], [ result ] )
The GetError function gets a description of the last error that occurred.
Table 6. WinMail front-end functions: SMTP-specific
Function name Description
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","SetSmtp",
 [ id, smtp:port ], [ result ] )
The SetSmtp function sets the SMTP server to be used.
CALL ui.Interface.frontCall("WinMail","SetFrom",
  [ id, name, address ], [ result ] )
The SetFrom function sets sender information.
Table 7. Session module front-end functions
Function name Description
ui.Interface.frontCall("session", "getVar",
   [name], [result])
Returns the value of a session variable.
ui.Interface.frontCall("session", "setVar",
   [name,value], [result])
Sets a value of a session variable.
Table 8. Common mobile module front-end functions
Function Name Description
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "chooseContact",
   [], [result])
Lets the user choose a contact from the mobile device contact list and returns the vCard.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "choosePhoto",
   [], [path])
Lets the user select a picture from the mobile device's photo gallery and returns a picture identifier.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "chooseVideo",
  [], [path])
Lets the user select a video from the mobile device's video gallery and returns a video identifier.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "composeMail",
   [to, subject, content, cc, bcc, attachments ...],
   [result])
Invokes the user's default mail application for a new mail to send.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "composeSMS",
  [ recipients, content ],
  [ result ] )
Sends an SMS text to one or more phone numbers.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "connectivity",
   [], [result] )
Returns the type of network available for the mobile device.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "getGeolocation",
   [], [status, latitude, longitude] )
Returns the Global Positioning System (GPS) location of a mobile device.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile","getRemoteNotifications",
   [sender_id], [data] )
This front call retrieves push notification messages.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "importContact",
   [vcard], [result] )
Creates a new, or merges to an existing entry, the contact details passed in vCard string.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile","registerForRemoteNotifications",
   [sender_id], [registration_token] )
This front call registers a mobile device for push notifications.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "runOnServer",
   [ appurl, timeout ], [] )
Run an application from the Genero Application Server according to the specified URL.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "scanBarCode",
   [], [code, type] )
Allow the user to scan a barcode with a mobile device
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "takePhoto",
   [], [path] )
Lets the user take a picture with the mobile device and returns the corresponding picture identifier.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "takeVideo",
  [], [path])
Lets the user take a video with the mobile device and returns the corresponding video identifier.
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile","unregisterFromRemoteNotifications",
   [ sender_id ], [] )
This front call unregisters the mobile device from push notifications.
Table 9. Android module front-end functions
Function Name Description
ui.Interface.frontCall("android","askForPermission",
  [permission], [result])
Ask the user to enable a dangerous feature on the Android device.
ui.Interface.frontCall("android", "showAbout",
  [],[])
Shows the GMA about box displaying version information.
ui.Interface.frontCall("android", "showSettings", [], [])
Shows the GMA settings box controlling debug options.
ui.Interface.frontCall("android","startActivity",
  [action, data, category, type, component, extras],
  [])
Starts an external Android application (activity), and returns to the GMA application immediately.
ui.Interface.frontCall("android", "startActivityForResult",
  [action, data, category, type, component, extras],
  [outdata, outextras])
Starts an external application (Android activity) and waits until the activity is closed.
Table 10. iOS module front-end functions
Function Name Description
ui.Interface.frontCall("ios", "getBadgeNumber",
  [],[value])
Returns the current badge number associated to the app.
ui.Interface.frontCall("ios", "newContact",
  [defaults],[vcard])
Lets the user input contact information to create a new entry in the contact database of the mobile device.
ui.Interface.frontCall("ios", "setBadgeNumber",
  [value], [])
Sets the current badge number associated to the app.