XPages: Using postNewDocument to populate fields from an agent

Question

I am trying to pre-populate some fields on an XPage (that creates a new doc) using an old LotusScript agent. My code on the XPage is:

 <xp:dominoDocument var="document1"
        formName="myForm">
        <xp:this.postNewDocument><![CDATA[#{javascript:
            var agent = database.getAgent("MyAgent");
            document1.save();
            agent.runOnServer(document1.getNoteID());
            }]]></xp:this.postNewDocument>
</xp:dominoDocument>


<xp:inputText value="#{document1.fname}" id="fname"
            styleClass="formInputText">
            <xp:this.defaultValue><![CDATA[#{javascript:
                document1.getItemValueString("fname");}]]></xp:this.defaultValue>
</xp:inputText>

The agent (for this example) is:

Dim agent As NotesAgent
Dim db As NotesDatabase

Sub Initialize
    Dim rDoc As NotesDocument 

    Dim s As New NotesSession
    Set db = s.CurrentDatabase
    Set agent = s.CurrentAgent

    Set rDoc = db.GetDocumentByID(agent.Parameterdocid)

    rDoc.fname = "Barney"       
    rDoc.lname = "Rubble"
    Call rDoc.Save(True, True)

End Sub

I know the agent is running (Agent log shows this and the fields are completed on the doc if I check the doc properties in Notes Client) however the field on the XPage is always blank? Is it possible to prepopulate from a LS agent? I added the document1.save() so I know I get a valid NoteID passed over (again which is the same - checked by logging) - any insight gratefully received...

stwissel stwissel · Accepted Answer · 2014-10-26T15:39:48

You can pass a document into an agent run. The method passing the unid into the agent context won't get you there. You need

  agent.runwithDocumentContext(doc)

See some example here: http://www.wissel.net/blog/d6plinks/SHWL-8SF7AH

Don't save the document. You will want to recast your agent into a JavaBean. Shaves off processing time.

What I actually would do: use a bean as the data source, makes it easier to deal with validation, default values etc.

It is less work than it might look like and it allows to pay down some technical debt (there is always technical debt).

Update

I tried it in a sample application. This is my agent:

Sub Initialize
    Dim db As NotesDatabase
    Dim rDoc As NotesDocument 

    Dim s As New NotesSession
    Set db = s.CurrentDatabase

    Set rDoc = s.Documentcontext

    rDoc.fname = "Barney"       
    rDoc.lname = "Rubble"

End Sub

2 key differences to your code: a) DocumentContext instead of parameterdocid and no saving of the document.

Then the page looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xp:view xmlns:xp="http://www.ibm.com/xsp/core">
    <xp:this.data>
        <xp:dominoDocument var="document1" formName="person">
            <xp:this.postNewDocument><![CDATA[#{javascript:var agent = database.getAgent("Background");
var doc = document1.getDocument();
agent.runWithDocumentContext(doc);}]]></xp:this.postNewDocument>
        </xp:dominoDocument>
    </xp:this.data>
    <xp:label value="First name:" id="fName_Label1" for="fName1">
    </xp:label>
    <xp:inputText value="#{document1.fName}" id="fName1"></xp:inputText>
    <br />
    <xp:label value="Last name:" id="lName_Label1" for="lName1"></xp:label>
    <xp:inputText value="#{document1.lName}" id="lName1"></xp:inputText>
    <xp:button value="Save" id="button1"><xp:eventHandler event="onclick" submit="true" refreshMode="complete" immediate="false" save="true"></xp:eventHandler></xp:button>
</xp:view>

Key differences here:

No saving of a document
No population of default values
calling of the agent with DocumentContext

Finally: the agent must be set to "run as web user" (which it is probably already). Works like a charm (and I still would go for a bean).

XPages: Using postNewDocument to populate fields from an agent

4 Answers