Manage Contexts

A context in ontrack Designer represents the ebs entity that a page relates to and the parameter that defines the page data. A context consists of a set of screens and cannot exist without an associated screen (for example: a context of Learner is applied to pages where the main items of data being displayed relate to a learner and the defining parameter for a page with this context is PersonCode).

In ontrack Designer, each screen has only one context and the set of contexts are displayed as headings in the Screens section.

Screens section - contexts

There are a number of default contexts in ebs: ontrack Hub and ebs: ontrack Learner Hub, and additional contexts can be created as required.

When configuring contexts in ontrack Designer, you can:

To add a new context:

  1. Click the Add Page button on the System Configuration Commands ribbon.

    Add Page button

    The Add Page window is displayed.

    Add Page window

  2. Enter the name of the new context in the New Context field of the Context Details section.

    New Context field

  3. Click the Add button.

    Context Details section - Add button

    The new context is added to the list of contexts.

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All the pages for a context share the same parameters. To enable testing of data links you need to set up your test parameter after creating the first screen in the new context. When more than one screen is active you will not be able to add a parameter for the context.

Screen Details section - parameters

To add a context parameter:

  1. Click the Add Parameter button on the System Configuration Commands ribbon.

    Add Parameter button

    A row is added to the Parameters grid.

  2. Enter the details of the context parameter.

    Added parameter

The fields in the Parameters grid are described in the following table.

This field Holds this information...
Name The name of the parameter.
Type

The type of parameter. Select from the following:

  • Text
  • Numeric
  • Date/Time
  • String

Note: If you select Numeric and click on the Test Value field to enter a valid test value, the Type field will change to Decimal.
Test Value The value used for testing the page (for example: If the parameter is for a person code, you would want to set the test value to a person code in your database).

  1. Click Save to save the context parameter.

    The context parameter is added.

You should be aware of the following with context parameters:

  • When another screen has been added to a context, the context parameter cannot be changed
  • You cannot add a new parameter if a parameter already exists with a blank name
  • A warning will display if the test value conflicts with the parameter type (for example: if you define the parameter type as numeric and enter a text test value)
  • The parameters give the minimum information that needs to be supplied to the screen on the URL to get the page to work (for example: in ebs: ontrack Hub, the parameter for learner screens is person codes, so all pages require this information on the URL "PersonCode=x")

You can delete a context parameter, from the Delete Parameter button on the System Configuration Commands ribbon.

Delete Parameter button

Note: A context parameter cannot be deleted when more than one screen has been associated with the context or another page is already linked to a screen in this context.

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