The basics: Anatomy of a Module in Content Server

There is a Content Server module created for each of the main functional areas of Content Server. Modules are Designed To:

? Make it easy to install, remove and upgrade customizations

? Decrease development time

? Allow VARs and developers to package their Content Server enhancements

You need a running CSIDED to build a module.

Module Structure

A Content Server module must have:

? An initialization (INI) file

? An OSpace in a directory named ospace, containing subclasses of certain objects

A Content Server module may have:

? Additional OSpaces, in order to split up functionality

? WebLingo files (HTML with embedded OScript)

? Web support files (.gif, .class, .jar, .cab, etc.)

? Documentation

? Web help and adminhelp files (a set of HTML files and toc.txt file—see Appendix B)

? Properties files (used for localizing a module’s user text when it needs to be displayed in multiple languages)

Creating a module with CSIDE

From the CSIDE File menu select New > Other.

The New window opens.

Select Module under the OScript category and click the Next button.

Alternatively, right-click the <project_name>/ srcmodules folder and select New Module.

In the New Module screen enter the name of the primary OSpace (recall that you may have multiple OSpaces in each module).

Enter the version number for this new module.

Click the Finish button.

Your new module is created in the staging directory and the OSpace is unlocked (note the lack of a lock under the tree) for editing. Note the familiar objects and their icons.

Install your new module as you always have from the Administration pages.

Installing a module removes it from the <OTHome>/staging directory and places it in the Content Server root “module” directory. The functionality implemented by the module becomes available after installation.

Install Your Module

Save everything, then quit and restart CSIDE.

Navigate to the Content Server Administration Install Modules Page. The Installable Modules section of the page displays a list of modules that can be installed.

Select the check box to the left of the Suggestions module and then click the Install button. Content Server will install your module, and you will be prompted to restart your server.

The module does not actually do anything—but it is fully installed, and will be ready for use.

Remark: increment a Module Version

Either before or after you have made all your programming changes to your module, save everything.

Im CSIDE, open the WebModule object and override the .fVersion feature.

Restart CSIDE

In the CSIDE Module Explorer, run the Webmodule.0DumpModuleConfigToFile() method to recreate the ini file.

Save everything and stop CSIDE.

In the <othome>/module folder increment the version number on the module’s folder.

Start CSIDE.

Your module is now ready to be distributed for a system administrator to upgrade from a previous version.