Admin Task Registry entry

Add an admin task to the Admin Tasks module. An Admin Task can be selected by authorized users in the Vitalware client to run a task on the server.

Admin Tasks can be run from the Vitalware client to perform a wide range of server functions. They can:

  • Execute a command on the server to alter server-based files.
  • Run a server-side report and display output on the client machine.
  • Create a report that takes user input. An Admin Task can ask the user to provide values to be used as variables for the server-side script.

When Admin module button is selected in the Command Center, the Admin Tasks window displays with a list of tasks accessible to the current user and grouped by module:

Admin Task

Usage

This Registry entry can be assigned to users and groups:

Key User Group Group
Key 1 User Group Group
Key 2 user group Default
Key 3 Table
Key 4 table
Key 5 Admin Task
Key 6 task
Value script
User user Table table Admin Task task script
Group group Table table Admin Task task script
Group Default Table table Admin Task task script

where:

table

identifies the module heading under which the task will be listed in the Admin Tasks window. The format of table is the table's back-end name (e.g. eparties, emultimedia, etc.), but it will display in the Admin Tasks window as the module name (e.g. Parties, Multimedia).

A special table name of eadmin is used to add entries under the Admin virtual module.

task

is the name of the task as it is listed in the Admin Tasks window under the module heading.

script

is the script that is run when task is selected in the Admin Tasks window.

The format of script is:

{output format} command

where:
{output format}

specifies how output generated by the Admin Task is handled. By default, output will display in an Admin Task Results box. This is an optional value.

It is possible to specify how output generated by an Admin Task is handled. By default, output will display in the Admin Task Results box, and from here can be saved and printed:

Admin Task output

Specifying output format options makes it possible to display the results of an Admin Task using the standard Vitalware reporting facility.

The format of output options is:

{action location options}

where:

action

is one of:

Save

Output is saved to file and not displayed on-screen.

In this case the location value defines where the file should be saved.

There are no options for this action.
Launch

Output is saved to file as specified by the location setting.

When any output is saved, options specify which file(s) should be launched. The application that launches the file is the application registered for that file type in the Windows Registry.

The files specified byoptions can be hard-coded paths or file placeholders of the form %n where n is the file number in the list of files saved. Thus %1 is the first file saved, %2 the second and so on. If a place holder is specified greater than the number of files generated, it is ignored.

Once launched, a file is removed from the server. Use the %l option to stop the removal of files generated on the server (note that files on the client are never removed).

Use the %freportfile option to launch a report. The reportfile is the name of the file used to generate the report. The report file is loaded into a cache on the client machine and the option is replaced with the full pathname to the cached report file.

If a generic report is being launched (i.e. a single report that is used for multiple databases) the %mmodule option may be used. This results in any files that are transferred being sent to the report directory (e.g. eparties) and then the specified report file is taken from this directory.

Run

Output is saved to file as specified by the location setting.

When any output is saved, options define the client-side command to be executed. All options available for Launch can be used for Run.

location

is one of:

  
Temp Saves an output file in the Windows temporary file directory (usually C:\Winnt\Temp). The file name used is the same as the file name created on the server. The user is not asked for any input.
ODBC

Saves an output file under the ODBC Data Source for the current module. The module used is the one under which the Admin Task is defined. It is expected that the output files generated are in a format suitable for use by the Microsoft ODBC Text Driver.
File

Displays the Save File box as each file is copied from the server to the client; the user can specify where the file should be saved.
Directory

When the first file is copied from the client to the server the user is asked to specify a directory into which all files will be saved. The file name used is the same as the file name created on the server.

Note: Files generated on the server by the Admin Task and transferred to the client are removed from the server after they are transferred.

command

must be specified. This is the name of the script to be executed on the server. The command should reside in the admin directory on the Vitalware server machine. It is possible to prompt the user for input (arguments) which are passed through to the command. If an {output format} is not supplied, any output generated is displayed in an Admin Task Results box.
  1. Write the script that is to be run by the Admin Task.
  2. Place the script on the Vitalware server in the admin directory with 755 permissions.

    Admin Tasks scripts should be placed in the admin directory on the Vitalware server. This directory is part of the standard PATH setup for Vitalware on the server, hence absolute path names are not required. Upgrades of Vitalware do not remove files located in the admin directory.

    Furthermore, vwsync will not remove client specific commands found in the admin directory (unlike the bin and utils directories), but will add commands found in the master client. Client specific Admin Tasks (that is tasks specific to a given client, as opposed to general purpose) should be placed in the client?s admin directory.

  3. Create an Admin Task Registry entry to add the new task to the Admin module.

The following is an example of a Registry entry that creates a new Admin task:

Key Setting Description
Key 1 Group  
Key 2 Manager  
Key 3 Table  
Key 4 eadmin

Name of the table on which to run the Admin Task.

eadmin is used for all tasks that do not run on a particular table (e.g. eparties, emultimedia).
Key 5 Admin Task

 
Key 6 List ISO-8859 Characters

Name of the task as it will be listed in the Admin Tasks window.
Value listchars

Name of the script that runs the Admin Task.

This entry will display a Crystal Report listing possible duplicate records:

Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Default
Key 3 Table
Key 4 eparties
Key 5 Admin Task
Key 6 View Duplicate Report
Value {Run ODBC Crystal/crystal.exe %f duplicate_a4.rpt}duplicatereport eparties [number:Enter Year] [number: Enter Month] [number:Enter Day]

The View Duplicate Report task will be listed in the Admin Tasks module under the Parties heading. When the task is selected:

  1. A dialog box will display requesting input from the user.
  2. The user's input is passed to the script called duplicatereport, which resides in the admin directory.
  3. The output of the duplicatereport script is saved under the ODBC Data Source for the eparties module.
  4. Crystal/crystal.exe is then executed and passed the duplicate_a4.rpt file to execute.
  5. Typically the Crystal report file will use the output of the script executed (duplicatereport in this example) to create a report that is then viewable.

This entry is used to run a script clearematchlist on the server that requires no input from, or output to, the user:

Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Default
Key 3 Table
Key 4 eadmin
Key 5 Admin Task
Key 6 Clear Matchlist Database
Value clearematchlist