Implementing Range Helpers for Choosers or Custom Pages

You can configure fields so that when the form or table is in Edit mode, users can click a Browse (...) button next to the field and then choose a range value from a page in a chooser or custom window.

The following topics are discussed:

Chooser as a Range Helper Page

This chooser page is specified in the RangeHref parameter for the field. See Field with Popup Range Helper for details on configuring this type of field. The page can be a common chooser page installed with the framework or can be a custom page. Implementation details for both types of range helpers are described below.

Note: You can also use a pre-defined type ahead chooser for Person, Organization, or Type fields. See Automatic Type Ahead.

ENOVIA Business Process Services includes chooser pages, which can be used as range helper pages and specified as the RangeHref for a field. For example, the Type Chooser component can be used by entering the following in the RangeHref parameter:

${COMMON_DIR}/
emxTypeChooser.jsp?fieldNameActual=PartType&fieldNameDisplay=Pa
rtTypeDisplay&formName=PartList&SelectType=multiselect&Inclusio
nList=eServiceEngineeringCentral.Types&ObserveHidden=False&Suit
eKey=eServiceSuiteEngineeringCentral&ShowIcons=False

The chooser pages require two parameters shown below. The Edit mode of the form or table page automatically appends these two parameters to the RangeHref, so you do not need to add these parameters to the RangeHref parameter:


  • fieldNameDisplay--the form or table element name to display the field display value (translated).
  • fieldNameActual--the hidden form or table element to store actual field value (to be stored in database).

The chooser pages update the Edit form field when the user selects a new value.

Custom User-Defined Page as a Range Helper

To specify a custom select or chooser page as the range helper page, enter the page name plus any needed parameters in the RangeHref parameter for the field.

For example:

customRangeHelper.jsp?parameter1=value1

The custom JSP page must handle these parameters:


  • fieldNameDisplay--the form or table element name to display the field display value (translated).
  • fieldNameActual--the hidden form or table element to store actual field value (to be stored in database).

The Edit mode of the form or table page automatically appends these two parameters to the URL. So if the RangeHref parameter contains customRangeHelper.jsp?parameter1=value1, the resulting URL would be: 

customRangeHelper.jsp?parameter1=value1& 
fieldNameDisplay=fieldDisplay&fieldNameActual=fieldName

When the user selects a new entry, the custom JSP must set these two elements. Use the following JavaScript to update the Edit form field:

var setString = 
("top.opener.document.frames[1].document.forms[0]['"+formFieldN
ame+"'].value='"+newValue+ "';");

eval(setString);