Deploying gICAPI assets in direct mode

Using GDC, GMI or GMA front-ends in direct mode (not through GAS)

When using a front-end with a direct connection (not through the GAS), web component files can be automatically transferred to the front-end.

Providing gICAPI web component files with the direct mode mechanism simplifies the development process for mobile applications, as you do not have to copy the files to the device.

In direct mode, gICAPI web component assets are typically located in the directory where the MAIN program module resides, under a webcomponents sub-directory. If web component files are located in a different base directory, add the search path to the FGLIMAGEPATH environment variable. However, if your application is intended for different front-ends, consider using the recommended gICAPI web component directory layout, to avoid FGLIMAGEPATH for web component assets.

Genero BDL provides a set of standard web components in $FGLDIR/webcomponents. These standard web component assets will be implicitly found.

The gICAPI web component files are searched in the following directories:

  1. $FGLDIR/webcomponents/component-type/component-type.html
  2. appdir/webcomponents/component-type/component-type.html
  3. fglimagepath-dir/webcomponents/component-type/component-type.html
  4. fglimagepath-dir/component-type.html
Where:
  • $FGLDIR is the runtime installation directory on the application server.
  • appdir is the directory where the application program resides.
  • fglimagepath-dir is one of the base directories defined in FGLIMAGEPATH.
  • component-type is the name defined by the COMPONENTTYPE attribute in the form definition file.

If assets such as .js, .css, .png files are referenced by a relative path name in the HTML content, the resources are also transferred via the direct-mode mechanism. If the assets use an absolute path with a concrete URL scheme (such as http://something ), the HTML viewer will try to get the resource from the URL location.

For example, if you define the gICAPI web component field as follows:
WEBCOMPONENT wc = FORMOMLY.mychart,
   COMPONENTTYPE = "3DChart";
If the FGLIMAGEPATH search path contains "/opt/myapp", and the gICAPI files are located under "/opt/myapp/webcomponents/3DChart", the gICAPI web component HTML document will be found on the server at:
  • /opt/myapp/webcomponents/3DChart/3DChart.html

For backward compatibility, the GDC front-end is able to find web components locally on the workstation where it executes. However, this solution is deprecated. Consider centralizing your gICAPI web components on the application server.