MicroStrategy ONE

Create a Plug-In for the Properties Editor in iOS

You use the Web Customization Editor in Eclipse to create the plug-in for a custom widget properties editor. The Web Customization Editor is discussed in detail in the Web SDK section of the MSDL under Customizing MicroStrategy Web > Part I: Fundamentals of Customization > Web Customization Editor.

Before you create the plug-in, you first need to create a layout definition file for the custom widget, as well as a custom transform if you are not using the default transform. The transform and the layout definition file work together to display the controls in the editor for each property, populate the controls with a value for each property, and save the resulting property-value pairs to the metadata for the relevant report or document.  These saved property values can then be read by a widget in a mobile application.  

  • Deciding whether to create a custom transform or use the default transform

    You can use the default transform for a widget properties editor, VisualizationPropertiesTransform, or you can create a custom transform that extends VisualizationPropertiesTransform. The default transform provides code that a layout definition file can use to render a widget properties editor.

    You usually use the default transform when the widget properties editor displays simple controls such as check boxes, text fields, drop-down menus, and radio buttons that do not need to be dynamically generated. You usually choose to create a custom transform when the widget properties editor displays a list of elements that are generated dynamically for controls such as radio buttons and drop-down menus. For example, you would use a custom transform for listing all the attributes from the report in a drop-down menu. You also use a custom transform when you work with JavaScript files.

    Transforms are discussed in detail in the Web SDK section of the MSDL under Customizing MicroStrategy Web > Part I: Fundamentals of Customization > Data Presentation > Transforms.  

  • Creating a custom layout definition file

    You must create a custom layout definition file that is responsible for displaying the widget properties editor. It contains HTML code and invokes methods in the transform. You can use CSS in the custom layout definition file to customize the appearance of the editor and use tabs to organize properties.

    Layout definition files are discussed in detail in the Web SDK section of the MSDL under Customizing MicroStrategy Web > Part I: Fundamentals of Customization > Data Presentation > Layout Definitions.  

  • Building a plug-in for a widget properties editor

    You use the Web Customization Editor to create a plug-in that associates the style used by custom widget properties editor with the transform and the layout definition file created for the editor. Once you have created the plug-in and deployed it to MicroStrategy Web, you are ready to add the properties editor to the custom widget for which you created it. After you have added the properties editor, you can use it to set properties for the custom widget.