Rules-Based Formatting
Tom Miller, Open SiteSearch Documentation

SiteSearch 4.0.x releases include a number of Java formatting classes for formatting record displays. To change record formatting you had to edit these classes or write your own classes. SiteSearch 4.1.0 introduces rules-based formatting, a new way of creating and modifying record display formats that does not usually require writing or modifying Java code. Rules-based formatting uses formatting configuration (.ini) files that contain display specifications. Each display specification consists of one or more rule specifications (formatting rules), which are the building blocks of a display. Rule specifications refer to Java formatting classes that implement one aspect of a record display format, such as adding a record number, adding the record data, or adding a save button. If the Java class requires parameters, you provide them as part of the rule specification. The field(s) or subfield(s) that you want to include in the record display may be one of the parameters required by a formatting rule. Some formatting rules use labels or HTML code to precede or follow record data ("data wrappers"). You specify data wrappers in the relevant interface display configuration file (such as displayGadgets.ini). You create or modify a record display format by selecting the rule specifications that build the elements of the display that you need and specifying their parameters in a formatting configuration file. As in Site Search 4.0.x versions, you specify a database's formats in its database configuration file. However, instead of referring to a formatting class, you refer to a formatting configuration file. All database configuration files shipped with SiteSearch 4.1.0 refer to formatting configuration files instead of formatting classes. However, you can continue to use your existing 4.0.x formatting classes with SiteSearch 4.1. In addition the OBI, version 0, interface display formatting file, displayGadgets.ini, refers to the rules-based formats rather than the 4.0.x formatting classes. SiteSearch 4.1.0 includes a new directory for formatting configuration files (<WebZ_root>/ini/format/obiv1/). The formatting rules themselves are contained in a new class package, ORG.oclc.fmts.rules.

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