Controllers and Actions Reference

This appendix provides an overview of the classes used in Java Client applications, including the XML descriptions, tags, and attributes they use. Refer to XML Value Types for complete information on the proprietary value types such as editability and alignment.

XML Value Types

The XML attributes for Java Client classes include standard Java value types and these other value types:

Controllers With XML Tags and XML Attributes

Direct to Java Client user interfaces are defined in XML descriptions. The XML descriptions identify controllers, which in turn represent Enterprise Objects objects and Swing user interface objects. This section lists all the controllers in the Java Client frameworks that have at least one XML tag or one XML attribute. Controllers inherit XML attributes, but inherited XML attributes may not always be appropriate for the inheriting controller.

The following list is alphabetical by controller name, without regard to a controller’s package.

com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOActionButtonsController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOActionWidgetController
Description:
Handles toolbars with multiple action buttons.
XML Tag:
ACTIONBUTTONSCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
usesLargeButtonRepresentation (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOActionController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTitlesController
Description:
Handles invoking actions and action keys.
XML Tag:
ACTIONCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
actionKey (String representing the key path for the action aspect of the association)
buttonPosition (position)
usesAction (boolean)
usesButton (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOActionMenuController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOActionWidgetController
Description:
Handles pop-up menus with multiple action items.
XML Tag:
ACTIONMENUCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOActionTrigger
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
A lightweight control for actions.
XML Tag:
ACTIONTRIGGER
XML Attributes:
usesLargeButtonRepresentation (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOActionWidgetController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles toolbars and other action controls.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
widgetPosition (position)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOArchiveController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Used for loading interface files.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
archive (String representing the name of the interface file to be used by a controller rather than the dynamic user-interface generation)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOAssociationController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOWidgetController
Description:
Handles associations for widgets, including the editable state and enabled key.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
displayGroupProviderMethodName (provider method name)
editability (editability)
enabledDisplayGroupProviderMethodName (provider method name)
enabledKey (String representing the key path for the enabled aspect of the association)
prefersContinuousChangeNotification (boolean)
suppressesAssociation (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOBoxController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Displays bordered and titled boxes.
XML Tag:
BOXCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
borderType (border)
color (color)
font (font)
highlight (boolean)
titlePosition (position)
usesTitledBorder (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOCheckBoxController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOValueController
Description:
Handles checkboxes.
XML Tag:
CHECKBOXCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
displaysLabelInWidget (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOComboBoxController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTitlesController
Description:
Handles combo boxes with fixed values.
XML Tag:
COMBOBOXCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
isQueryWidget (boolean)
valueKey (String representing the key path for the value aspect of the association)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOController
Description:
Handles user interface issues such as visibility state, labels, icons, size information, subcontroller layout; default component controller is an empty box.
XML Tag:
COMPONENTCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
alignsComponents (boolean)
horizontallyResizable (boolean)
iconName (String)
iconURL (String)
insets (insets)
label (String)
minimumHeight (int)
minimumWidth (int)
prefersIconOnly (boolean)
toolTip (String)
usesHorizontalLayout (boolean)
verticallyResizable (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOController
Superclass:
java.lang.Object
Description:
An abstract definition of controllers; handles supercontrollers, subcontrollers, key-value coding for the controller hierarchy, messages in the controller hierarchy, establishing and breaking connections to other controllers.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
actions (array of EOAction objects)
className (String)
disabledActionNames (array of strings with names of actions to be disabled)
keyValuePairs (additional values that can be looked up with key-value coding)
transient (boolean)
typeName (String)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EODefaultActionTrigger
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOAssociationController
Description:
None (abstract class)
XML Tag:
invokesDefaultAction (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EODetailSelectionController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOEnumerationController
Description:
Handles detail selection tables.
XML Tag:
DETAILSELECTIONCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
None
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EODialogController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSimpleWindowController
Description:
Handles dialogs (such as error messages).
XML Tag:
DIALOGCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EODisplayStatisticsController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOStaticLabelController
Description:
Displays the number of selected objects and the number of displayed objects in list controllers.
XML Tag:
DISPLAYSTATISTICSCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
displayGroupProviderMethodName (provider method)
displayPattern (String)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EODocumentController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOEntityController
Description:
Handles editable documents.
XML Tag:
DOCUMENTCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
editability (editability)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOEditingController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EODocumentController
Description:
Handles master-detail associations.
XML Tag:
None
XML Attributes:
path (String, representing a relationship key path)
mandatoryRelationshipPaths (array of String values, representing the relationships to be filled on insert)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOEntityController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles business data on the level of entities: entity names, editing context, display group, controller display group, loading archives (Interface Builder files).
XML Tag:
ENTITYCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
entity (String representing the entity)
displayGroupProviderMethodName (provider method)
editingContextProviderMethodName (provider method)
fetchesOnConnectEnabled (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOEnumerationController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTitlesController
Description:
Handles enumeration widgets.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
path (String representing the detail relationship path to title objects)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOFormatValueController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOValueController
Description:
Handles the formatting and value aspect of widgets with associations.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
formatAllowed (boolean)
formatClass (String of the class name of the formatter object)
formatPattern (String representing the pattern string of the formatter object)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOFormController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOEditingController
Description:
Handles editable forms.
XML Tag:
FORMCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOFrameController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSimpleWindowController
Description:
Handles frames.
XML Tag:
FRAMECONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOImageViewController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration. EOValueAndURLController
Description:
Handles image views.
XML Tag:
IMAGEVIEWCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
imageScaling (scaling)
scalingHints (scaling hint)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOInspectorController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOWindowController
Description:
Handles inspector windows.
XML Tag:
INSPECTORCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
sharedIdentifier (String)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOInterfaceController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EODocumentController
Description:
Handles documents that always use an interface file.
XML Tag:
INTERFACECONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOListController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOEditingController
Description:
Handles editable lists.
XML Tag:
LISTCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOMenuSwitchController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSwitchController
Description:
Handles switch panes that have a pop-up menu.
XML Tag:
MENUSWITCHCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOModalDialogController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EODialogController
Description:
Handles modal dialog controllers.
XML Tag:
MODALDIALOGCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOMultipleValuesEnumerationController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOEnumerationController
Description:
Handles to-many relationships to enumeration entities.
XML Tag:
MULTIPLEVALUESENUMERATIONCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
allowsDuplicates (boolean)
allowsRemoveAll (boolean)
detailKeys (an array of String values, representing the key paths to be displayed for selected objects)
detailRelationshipPath (String)
indexKey (String, representing the key to sort on)
usesTableLabels (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOOneValueEnumerationController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOEnumerationController
Description:
Handles to-one relationships to enumeration entities.
XML Tag:
ONEVALUEENUMERATIONCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
isQueryWidget (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOProgrammaticSwitchController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSwitchController
Description:
Handles switch views that can only be changed programmatically.
XML Tag:
PROGRAMMATICSWITCHCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOQueryController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOEntityController
Description:
Handles query interfaces.
XML Tag:
QUERYCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
editability (editability)
runsConfirmDialogForEmptyQualifiers (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOQuickTimeViewController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration. EOAssociationController
Description:
Handles QuickTime views.
XML Tag:
QUICKTIMEVIEWCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
quickTimeCanvasResizing (resizing)
URLKey (String representing the key path for the URL aspect of the association)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EORangeTextFieldController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EORangeValueController
Description:
Handles range text fields with optional formatters.
XML Tag:
RANGETEXTFIELDCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
formatAllowed (boolean)
formatClass (String of the class name of the format object)
formatPattern (String representing the pattern of the format object)
isQueryWidget (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EORangeValueController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EORangeWidgetController
Description:
Handles the value aspect, enabled key aspect, and editable state of range widgets.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
displayGroupProviderMethodName (method name)
editability (editability)
enabledDisplayGroupProviderMethodName (method name)
enabledKey (String representing the key path for the enabled aspect of the association)
maximumValueKey (String representing the key path for the value aspect of the maximum association)
minimumValueKey(String representing the key path for the value aspect of the minimum association)
valueKey (String representing the key path for the value aspect of both the minimum and maximum associations)
suppressesAssociation (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EORangeWidgetController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOWidgetController
Description:
Handles range widgets—two widgets for the minimum and maximum value of the same value.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSimpleWindowController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOWindowController
Description:
Handles standalone windows.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
disposeIfDeactivated (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSplitController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles split views (split & snap) which display exactly two subcontroller views.
XML Tag:
SPLITCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
allowsOneTouchExpandable (boolean)
allowsSnapToZero (boolean)
resizeWeight (double from 0.0 to 1.0)
usesContinuousLayout (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOStaticIconController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles the display of static icons.
XML Tag:
STATICICONCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOStaticLabelController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles the display of static messages.
XML Tag:
STATICLABELCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
alignment (alignment)
color (color)
font (font)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOStaticTextFieldController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTextFieldController
Description:
Handles uneditable table columns.
XML Tag:
STATICTEXTFIELDCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
color (color)
font (font)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSwitchController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles switch views, which only display one view out of many at one time.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTableColumnController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration. EOFormatValueController
Description:
Handles table columns.
XML Tag:
TABLECOLUMNCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTableController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EODefaultActionTrigger
Description:
Handles table views.
XML Tag:
TABLECONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
allowsMultipleSelection (boolean)
sortsByColumnOrder (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOTabSwitchController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOSwitchController
Description:
Handles tabbed panes.
XML Tag:
TABSWITCHCONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTextAreaController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOValueAndURLController
Description:
Handles scrollable text areas.
XML Tag:
TEXTAREACONTROLLER
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTextFieldController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOFormatValueController
Description:
Handles editable text fields.
XML Tag:
TEXTFIELDCONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
isQueryWidget (boolean)
usesPasswordField (boolean)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTitlesController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOAssociationController
Description:
Handles the attributes of enumeration widgets such as titles, title keys, title display groups, and editable state.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
availableTitlesKey (String, representing a key path specifying an array of available title objects)
resetTitlesObjectsOnEveryConnect (boolean)
searchesTitlesObjectsInEditingContext (boolean)
titleKeys (array of String values, representing the key paths to be displayed for title objects)
titlesDisplayGroupProviderMethodName (method name)
titlesEntity (String, representing the name of the titles entity; an optional attribute for some subclasses that can derive a name)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOTreeController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EODefaultActionTrigger
Description:
Handles tree views.
XML Tag:
TREECONTROLLER
XML Attributes:
allowsDiscontiguousSelection (boolean)
allowsMultipleSelection (boolean)
childrenKey (String, representing a key path for the children aspect of the association)
expandedIconKey (String, representing a key path for the expandedIcon aspect of the association)
iconKey (String, representing a key path for the icon aspect of the association)
isLeafKey (String, representing a key path for the isLeaf aspect of the association)
isRootVisible (boolean)
parentKey (String, representing the inverse key path for the children key; not used as an aspect)
rootKey (String, representing the key path for the root aspect of the association)
valueKey (String, representing the key path for the value aspect of the association)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOValueAndURLController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOValueController
Description:
Handles the value or URL aspects of widgets with associations.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
URLKey (String representing the key path for the URL aspect of the association)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOValueController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eogeneration. EOAssociationController
Description:
Handles the value aspect of widgets with associations.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
valueKey (String representing key path for value aspect of association)
com.webobjects.eogeneration.EOWidgetController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles individual widgets, including their label and alignment.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
alignment (alignment)
highlight (boolean)
labelAlignment (alignment)
labelComponentPosition (position)
labelComponentWidth (integer)
minimumWidgetHeight (integer, which specifies the minimum height just for the widget, not the complete component, which includes the label)
minimumWidgetWidth (integer, which specifies the minimum width just for the widget, not the complete component, which includes the label)
usesLabelComponent (boolean)
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOWindowController
Superclass:
com.webobjects.eoapplication.EOComponentController
Description:
Handles windows and user defaults for window size and position.
XML Tag:
None (abstract class)
XML Attributes:
windowPosition (position)
usesAction (boolean)
usesButton (boolean)
usesUserDefaultsWindowLocation (boolean)
usesUserDefaultsWindowSize (boolean)

EOActions XML Descriptions

APPLICATIONACTION
Description:
Actions sent to the application object.
XML Attributes:
actionName (String)
actionPriority (int)
categoryPriority (int)
descriptionPath (String)
iconName (String)
iconURL (String)
menuAccelerator (String—example “shift P”)
shortDescription (String)
smallIconName (n)
smallIconURL (String)
standardAction (String; if specified, all other arguments are ignored)
toolTip (String)
XMLClassValues
Superclass:
Superclass
Description:
Para
XML Tag:
XMLTagInfo
XMLClassValues
Superclass:
Superclass
Description:
Para
XML Tag:
XMLTagInfo
CONTROLLERHIERARCHYACTION
Description:
Actions dispatched throughout the controller hierarchy.
XML Attributes:
actionName (String)
actionPriority (int)
categoryPriority (int)
descriptionPath (String)
iconName (String)
iconURL (String)
menuAccelerator (String—example “shift P”)
shortDescription (String)
smallIconName (String)
smallIconURL (String)
standardAction (String; if specified, all other arguments are ignored)
toolTip (String)
HELPWINDOWACTION
Description:
Action in the Help menu to activate a window for a task.
XML Attributes:
shortDescription (String)
menuAccelerator (String—example “shift P”)
multipleWindowsAvailable (boolean)
task (String)
toolTip (String)
INSERTACTION
Description:
Action in the Document menu to insert an object of an entity.
XML Attributes:
entity (String)
toolTip (String)
OPENACTION
Description:
Action in the Document menu to open an object of an entity.
XML Attributes:
entity (String)
toolTip (String)
QUERYACTION
Description:
Action in the Document menu to start the search for an object of an entity.
XML Attributes:
entity (String)
toolTip (String)
SUPERCONTROLLERSACTION
Description:
Action to activate a window for a task.
XML Attributes:
actionName (String)
actionPriority (int)
categoryPriority (int)
descriptionPath (String)
iconName (String)
iconURL (String)
menuAccelerator (String—example “shift P”)
shortDescription (String)
smallIconName (String)
smallIconURL (String)
standardAction (String; if specified, all other arguments are ignored)
toolTip (String)
STANDARDACTION
XML Attributes:
entity (String)
TOOLWINDOWACTION
Description:
Action in the Tools menu to activate a windoe for a task.
XML Attributes:
shortDescription (String)
menuAccelerator (String—example “shift P”)
multipleWindowsAvailable (boolean)
task (String)
toolTip (String)
WINDOWACTION
Description:
Action to activate a window for a task.
XML Attributes:
actionPriority (int)
categoryPriority (int)
categoryName (String)
descriptionPath (String)
iconName (String)
iconURL (String)
menuAccelerator (String—example “shift P”)
multipleWindowsAvailable (boolean)
shortDescription (String)
smallIconName (String)
smallIconURL (String)
task (String)
toolTip (String)
WINDOWOBSERVERACTION
Description:
Action sent to a window observer object (EOApplication.sharedApplication().windowObserver()).
XML Attributes:
actionName (String)
actionPriority (int)
categoryPriority (int)
descriptionPath (String)
iconName (String)
iconURL (String)
menuAccelerator (String—example “shift P”)
multipleWindowsAvailable (boolean)
shortDescription (String)
smallIconName (String)
smallIconURL (String)
standardAction (String; if specified, all other arguments are ignored)
toolTip (String)



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