Built-in front calls summary

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

This section describes the front-end functions available for all types 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 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbAdd",
  [text], [result])
Adds to the content of the clipboard. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbClear",
  [], [result])
Clears the content of the clipboard. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbGet",
   [], [text])
Gets the content of the clipboard. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbPaste",
   [], [result])
Pastes the content of the clipboard to the current field. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "cbSet",
 [text], [result])
Set the content of the clipboard. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "execute",
 [cmd,wait], [result])
Executes a command on the front-end platform, with or without waiting. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "feInfo",
 [name], [result])
Queries general front-end properties. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "getEnv",
 [name], [value])
Returns an environment variable set in the user session on the front end platform. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "hardCopy",
 [pgsize], [result])
Prints a screenshot of the current window 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "launchURL",
  [ url [, mode ] ], [] )
 Opens a URL with the default URL handler of the front-end. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "openDir",
 [path,caption], [result])
Displays a file dialog window to get a directory path on the local file system. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "openFile",
 [path,name,wildcards,caption],
 [result])
 Displays a file dialog window to let the user select a single file path on the local file system. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "openFiles",
 [path,name,wildcards,caption],
 [result])
 Displays a file dialog window to let the user select a list of file paths on the local file system. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "playSound",
  [ resource [, wait ] ], [])
 Plays the sound file passed as parameter on the front-end platform. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "restoreSize",
  [delay], [result])
Asks GDC to restore the stored window container size. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "storeSize",
  [], [result])
Asks GDC to store the size of the current window container. 
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. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("standard", "shellExec",
  [document, action], [result])
 Opens a file on the front-end platform with the program associated to the file extension.
Table 2. Webcomponent specific 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. GDC monitor front-end functions
Function Name Description 
ui.Interface.frontCall("monitor", "update",
  [ path-to-update-file [,warning-text [,elevation-prompt] ] ],
  [ result ])
 Starts the GDC update.
Table 4. Theme front-end functions
Function Name Description 
ui.Interface.frontCall("theme", "setTheme",
   [name], [])
 Activates a specific theme. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("theme", "getCurrentTheme",
   [], [result])
 Gets the active theme. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("theme", "listThemes",
   [], [result])
 Lists all available themes.
Table 5. Local storage front-end functions
Function Name Description 
ui.Interface.frontCall("localStorage", "clear",
   [], [])
 Removes all local storage key/value pairs. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("localStorage", "getItem",
   [key], [value])
 Returns the current value of local storage key. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("localStorage", "keys",
   [], [key-list] )
 Returns the list of defined local storage keys. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("localStorage", "removeItem",
   [key], [])
 Deletes the specified local storage key. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("localStorage", "setItem",
   [key,value], [])
 Sets a value for local storage key.
Table 6. Common mobile platform 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", "createNotification",
   [options], [id] )
 Creates or updates a (local) notification to be displayed on the mobile device. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "clearNotifications",
   [options], [status] )
 Drops notifications displayed on the mobile device. 
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", "getLastNotificationInteractions",
   [], [notifications] )
 Get the last user interactions on mobile app notifications. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile","getRemoteNotifications",
   [], [data] )
 This front call retrieves push notification messages. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "importContact",
   [vcard], [result] )
 Creates a new contact, or merges to an existing entry, the contact details passed in a vCard string. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "isEmulator",
   [],  [result] )
 Indicates if the mobile app runs or displays forms on an emulator/simulator. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "isForeground",
   [],  [result] )
 Indicates if the mobile app is in foreground mode. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile", "newContact",
  [defaults],[vcard])
 Opens contact input form to create a new entry in the contact database. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("mobile","registerForRemoteNotifications",
   [], [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 using 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",
   [], [] )
 This front call unregisters the mobile device from push notifications.
Table 7. Android™ specific 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 8. iOS specific 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", "setBadgeNumber",
  [value], [])
 Sets the current badge number associated to the app.
Table 9. Cordova front-end functions
Function Name Description 
ui.Interface.frontCall("cordova", "call",
  [plugin-name, function-name [, param1, param2, ... ] ],
  [result]
)
 Calls a function in a Cordova plugin and returns a result. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("cordova", "callWithoutWaiting",
  [plugin-name, function-name [, param1, param2, ... ] ],
  [callback-id])
 Calls a function asynchronously in a Cordova plugin, without waiting for a result. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("cordova", "getAllCallbackData",
  [callback-id-filter], [results])
 Returns all results for asynchronous Cordova plugin front calls, based on a callback ID filter. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("cordova", "getCallbackDataCount",
  [], [count])
 Returns the number of pending Cordova plugin results. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("cordova", "getCallbackData",
  [], [result, callback-id])
 Returns the first Cordova plugin result from the result queue of all asynchronous Cordova plugin front calls, and removes it from the queue. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("cordova", "getPluginInfo",
  [plugin-name], [result] )
 Returns details about a specific Cordova plugin. 
ui.Interface.frontCall("cordova", "listPlugins",
  [ ], [plugins] )
 Returns the list of available Cordova plugins.