SIEMENS

Teamcenter 11.2

Client Customization
PLM00075 • 11.2
Contents

Getting started with client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Introduction to client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Client interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Rich client interface layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Thin client interface layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Basic concepts about client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
The difference between client and server customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Siemens PLM Software customization support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Syntax definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Basic tasks for client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Enterprise-wide configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Methods of enterprise-wide configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Using the Business Modeler IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Suppressing menu commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Using style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Introduction to style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Types of style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Search for style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Create a custom style sheet based on an existing style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Create a custom style sheet by importing an XML file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Registering style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Sample customizations using style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Localizing style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35
Style sheet definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36

Rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Introduction to rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Basic concepts about rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
What are perspectives and views? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Understanding the Eclipse rich client platform framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Adding menus and toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Introduction to SWT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Basic tasks for rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Process for creating rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Enable rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Export plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Ensure your customizations appear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization 3

 Contents
Contents

Distributing rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14

Sample rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Common rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Infrequent rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Advanced rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-165
Customizing Command Suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-165
Displaying files in the viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-168
Customizing tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-168
Customizing the rich client to perform additional validations on a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-171
Creating pre-actions and post-actions in Resource Manager and Classification . . . . . . . 3-173
Customize the Launch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-180
Tips for rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-182
Localization of rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-182
Updating your rich client customizations from previous versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-183
Hide perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-183
Adding a third-party JAR file to your plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184
Troubleshooting rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184
Common problems in rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184
Rich client debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-185
Enabling client-side logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-188
Listener leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-191
Rich client customization reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-192
Teamcenter extension points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-192
Command line options for rich client startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-197
Coding standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-200
Property beans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-202
Rich client Javadoc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-221
Common Teamcenter command IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-263
Plug-in locations of perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-264
Application Integration Framework (AIF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-266

Thin client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Introduction to thin client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Customizing navigation pane and menu entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Modifying browser behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Generating a thin client page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Process for generating a thin client page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Choosing the menu command and displaying the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Submitting the data and submitting the Web request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Processing on the Teamcenter server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Receiving the response and displaying feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Basic thin client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Thin client customization recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Top-level pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Directory structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Deploying thin client customization changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Thin client preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Cascading style sheets (CSS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Thin client menu system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

4 Client Customization PLM00075 11.2

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Adding and modifying business object icons in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Configuration settings in the user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Customizing forms for the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Methods of customizing forms for the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Altering form content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21
Thin client custom form override mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Thin client custom form override example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Customize property names in the user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Customizing the thin client with TcScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Write TcScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
TcScript values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
TcScript operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Accessing Teamcenter data with TcScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
TcScript Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
TcScript error handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
TcScript helper functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Figures

Types of available style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Properties dialog box in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Properties dialog box in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Property style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Form in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Form in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Summary tab in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Overview tab in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Summary style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Creation dialog box in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Creation dialog box in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Create style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Save As dialog box in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Save As dialog box in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Save As style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Starting the search for style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Searching for XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Viewing the search results for XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Viewing the style sheet contents in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Create a custom style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Viewing the <dataset_name>.REGISTEREDTO and <type_name>.RENDERING
preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Viewing the business object type that the style sheet is registered to . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Viewing the style sheet type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Viewing the REGISTEREDTO preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Adding a property to the rich client Summary pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization 5

 Contents
Contents

Adding a property to the thin client Overview tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24

Adding a section to the rich client Summary pane using the objectSet tag . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
Adding a section to the thin client Overview tab using the objectSet tag . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
Adding a property to the Properties pane on the Summary tab in the rich client . . . . . . 2-28
Adding a property to the Properties pane on the Overview tab in the thin client . . . . . . 2-29
User Data boxes on the Item Master form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
Item Master Form with User Data boxes removed in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31
Item Master Form with User Data boxes removed in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
Selecting the item master form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
Default item master form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Customized layout of the form’s General properties page in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Customized layout of the form’s Advanced properties page in the rich client . . . . . . . . 2-34
Item properties dialog box in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Item properties dialog box in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37
The all element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
The all element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
classificationProperties in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
classificationTrace in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
column element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-47
column element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-47
command element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-50
command element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-50
No value match in the User Data 1 box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-52
Value in the User Data 1 box matches the first GoverningProperty node . . . . . . . . . . . 2-52
Value in the User Data 1 box matches the second GoverningProperty node . . . . . . . . . 2-52
customPanel example in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-55
firstcolumn element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-58
firstcolumn element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-58
header element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-60
header element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-61
image element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
image element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
Label tag example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-65
style tagging example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-65
URL rendering example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-66
listDisplay element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-67
listDisplay element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-68
objectset buttons in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-69
objectset buttons in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-69
Object set in the rich client (with table button selected) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-71
Object set in the thin client (with table button selected) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-71
page element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-75
page element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-75
Condition is not met for the visibleWhen parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-76
Condition is valid for the visibleWhen parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-76
property elements in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-80
property elements in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-81
secondcolumn element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-86
secondcolumn element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-86

6 Client Customization PLM00075 11.2

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section elements in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-88

section elements in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-89
Vertical command layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-89
Horizontal command layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-89
separator elements in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-90
separator elements in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-91
tableDisplay element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-92
tableDisplay element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-93
thumbnailDisplay element in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-94
treeDisplay element in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-95
view elements in the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-97
view elements in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-97
Headed rendering style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-108
Titled rendering style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-108
Launching the SWT samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
SWT sample projects in Eclipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Available SWT samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Launching the SWT tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
SWT tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
HelloWorldSWT application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Custom menu command on the menu bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Custom button on the toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Action launched from the custom menu command or button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Custom menu command moved to the Tools menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Custom menu command added to the shortcut menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Custom button on the toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Action launched from the custom button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Custom button location moved on the toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Exit command button on the view toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Menu button on the view toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Exit command on the view menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Error Level toggle menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Toggle state dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Custom view in the list of available views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Custom menu command displayed when the custom view is open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Custom view in the list of available views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50
Custom view displaying the contents of the selected object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Viewer view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Viewer view using the HelloWorldViewer definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
HelloWorldViewer view specified for another object type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Viewer view using the MyPropertyViewer definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-65
Launching the custom application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-70
New SendTo application in the navigation pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-78
New SendTo application added to the Send To menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-78
Choosing the custom menu command in the Spanish user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
Untranslated custom message box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
Translated custom message box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83
TableViewer menu command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-93
TableViewer button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-93

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Contents

TableViewer dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-94

TreeViewer menu command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-98
TreeViewer button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-98
Tree viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-98
Adding a new search type to the quick search list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-100
Changed color for read-only properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-103
New column for occurrence notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-104
Project files for the com.mycom.mpp.perspectives plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-109
New Manufacturing Process Planner perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-109
Manufacturing - MBOM to Product BOP perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-110
Manufacturing - Process Consumption perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-110
Manufacturing - Product 3D perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-111
org.eclipse.ui.perspectives extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-112
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-113
viewRef element (primary view) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-114
viewRef element for graphics (secondary view) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-115
viewRef element (secondary view) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-116
Assigning a workflow process template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-117
Viewing the assigned workflow process template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-117
Custom filtering applied to the assigned workflow process template . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-122
Default signoff pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-124
Default Signoff Decision dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-124
Default signoff pane after decision update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-134
New Signoff Decision dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-134
Searching for EPMTask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-137
Viewing search results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-137
Adding a property to the style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-138
Adding a column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-138
Viewing the new column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-139
XML schema definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-143
Custom form using JavaBeans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-153
Default form in the item creation wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-157
Custom form in the item creation wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-161
Form user interface display panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-164
Form displayed in a dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-164
Form displayed in the rich client viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-164
PropertyArray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-203
PropertyCheckbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-204
PropertyCheckboxOptionLov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-205
PropertyImage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-206
PropertyLongText . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-207
LOVPopupButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-208
PropertyLOVPopupButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-209
PropertyNameLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-209
PropertyObjectLink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-210
PropertyRadioButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-211
PropertyRadioButtonOptionLov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-211
PropertySlider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-212
PropertyTextArea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-212

8 Client Customization PLM00075 11.2

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PropertyTextField . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-213
PropertyToggleButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-214
PropertyToggleButtonOptionLov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-214
TitledPropertyArray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-215
TitledPropertyCheckbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-215
TitledPropertyCheckboxOptionLov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-215
TitledPropertyLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-216
TitledPropertyLogicalPanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-216
TitledPropertyLongText . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-217
TitledPropertyLOVButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-218
TitledPropertyLOVCombobox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-218
TitledPropertyObjectLink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-218
TitledPropertyRadioButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-219
TitledPropertyRadioButtonOptionLov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-219
TitledPropertySlider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-220
TitledPropertyTextArea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-220
TitledPropertyTextField . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-220
TitledPropertyToggleButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-221
TitledPropertyToggleButtonOptionLov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-221
Delete dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-223
Expanded Delete dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-224
Progress indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-224
Completion indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-224
Group panel in the Organization Selection dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-227
List of values display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-227
OrgSelectionDialog component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-230
Organization dialog box search feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-230
Referencers panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-231
Referencers reverse horizontal node layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-232
Referencers tree look node layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-232
Referencers vertical node layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-233
Role panel in the Organization Selection dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-234
Item revision UI component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-234
Usage of the TCTypeRenderer class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-235
User panel in the Organization Selection dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-236
Initial state of an AbstractPopupButton component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-237
AbstractPopupButton component popup window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-237
Table created using GenericTableModel component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-238
Horizontal button layout with center alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-240
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-240
Horizontal button layout with left alignment and a 20-unit gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-241
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-241
Horizontal button layout with right alignment and a 20-unit gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-242
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-242
Vertical button layout with center alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-243
Vertical button layout with top alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-244
Vertical button layout with bottom alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-245
Horizontal layout with center alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-246
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-246

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Contents

Horizontal layout with components added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-247

Horizontal layout with components added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-247
Horizontal layout with parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-248
Property layout with components added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-249
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-250
Property layout with components added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-250
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-251
PropertyLayout Manager with margin setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-251
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-252
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-252
Vertical layout with components added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-253
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-254
Horizontal layout with components added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-254
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-254
Results of resizing the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-255
Vertical layout with components added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-255
Vertical layout with margin setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-256
MessageBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-256
MessageBox produced from sample code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-257
MLabel component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-258
MLabel component produced from sample code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-258
Hierarchy of the com.teamcenter.rac.util package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-259
Separator in New Item dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-260
Separator produced from sample code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-261
SplitPane component used in a dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-262
StringViewerDialog component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-263
Validation report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-263
Context Sensitivity object model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-268
New Folder dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Default menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Customized menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
New Connection menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Custom business object on the New menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Configuration settings in the user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18

Tables

My Teamcenter File→New menu commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-264

My Teamcenter Edit menu commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-264
Plug-in locations of perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-265

10 Client Customization PLM00075 11.2

Chapter 1: Getting started with client customization

Introduction to client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Client interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Rich client interface layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Thin client interface layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Basic concepts about client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

The difference between client and server customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Siemens PLM Software customization support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Syntax definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Basic tasks for client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization

Chapter 1: Getting started with client customization

Introduction to client customization

Teamcenter provides several interfaces, including a rich client interface, a web-based thin client
interface, the Active Workspace client, and Teamcenter Client for Microsoft Office.
The following clients have supported customization methods :
• rich client

• thin client

• Active Workspace client

You can also perform server-side enterprise-wide customizations that affect all clients. Examples of
enterprise-wide customizations are:
• Business Modeler IDE

• XML Rendering Templates (XRT)

• Command suppression

Before you begin

Prerequisites • Rich client
You must have the following installed on your machine to customize
the rich client:

o The rich client itself

For more information, see the Linux Client Installation or the
Windows Client Installation.

o The Java Development Kit (JDK) 7 or later

You can download the JDK from this Web site:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/
downloads/index.html
Set the JRE_HOME environment variable to point to the location
of the JRE. Set the JAVA_HOME and JDK_HOME environment
variables to point to the location of the JDK.

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Caution

You must install the 32-bit version of Java if you want to install
and run the 32-bit version of the rich client, or you must install
the 64-bit version of Java if you want to install and run the
64-bit version of the rich client. You cannot run in mixed
modes.

o The Eclipse 3.8 integrated development environment (IDE)

For more information, see this Web site:
http://archive.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/
R-3.8-201206081200/

• Thin client
To successfully customize the thin client, you should be familiar with
the following:

o Integration Toolkit (ITK) programming

o HTTP and Web applications in general
o XML, HTML, and the document object models (DOMs)
o JavaScript
o Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)
o Cascading style sheets (CSS)
o Deploying in a Web application server environment
Enable client • Rich client
customization
To enable rich client customization, you must install Eclipse and configure
it to run the rich client.
For more information, see Process for enabling rich client customization.

• Thin client
You do not have to do anything else to enable thin client customization.
Configure client • Rich client
customization
Once you install the prerequisites and set up the Eclipse IDE, no
additional steps are required to configure rich client customization.

• Thin client
No additional steps are required to configure thin client customization.

Related topics
• Linux Client Installation

• Windows Client Installation

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 Getting started with client customization

Client interfaces

Rich client interface layout

The rich client interface has a standard menu bar and toolbar with options that vary depending
on the currently active application perspective. You can place the cursor over a rich client toolbar
button to display a tooltip description.

1 Back and Forward The Back and Forward buttons allow you to move between loaded
buttons Teamcenter applications. The small arrows next to the buttons let you
select from the list of currently loaded applications.
2 Application banner The application banner shows the name of the active application and
lists the current user and role. You can double-click the user and role
to display the User Settings dialog box in which you can change your
current role if multiple roles are available to your user.
3 Search box The Search box provides predefined quick searches using dataset,
item ID, item name, keyword search, and advanced search features.
4 Navigation pane The navigation pane provides quick access to the data you use most.
In addition to finding, organizing, and accessing your data, you can
configure the display of the Teamcenter perspective buttons in the
navigation pane to display only those perspectives that you use
regularly to perform your tasks.

Click the reorder button above the Search box to display the
Navigation Section Ordering dialog box that lets you hide sections
or change the order of sections in navigation pane.

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5 Application pane The application pane displays the application perspectives that are
open in your Teamcenter session. By default, the Getting Started
application perspective displays a single Getting Started view.
Note

Application perspectives are composed of views that can be

moved elsewhere in the Teamcenter window or can be dragged
to the desktop. Such detached views remain connected to
Teamcenter and continue to function in concert with other views.
6 Getting Started Provides access to the Getting Started application.
application button
7 Application buttons Application buttons provide access to your most frequently used
Teamcenter application perspectives.
8 Application button The application button bar provides access to Teamcenter application
bar buttons that do not fit in the application button area of the navigation
pane.
9 Clipboard button The clipboard button displays the Clipboard Contents dialog box,
which contains references to objects that have been cut or copied
from your workspace. The total number of objects on the clipboard is
displayed to the right of the symbol.

Note

The status message area on the lower-left side of the Teamcenter window is available to any
application to indicate whether the client is ready for input or is working, so the user interface
may not be accepting input at that time.
The status messages on the lower-right side of the Teamcenter window indicate the status or
activity of background threads for any potentially long operations.
• The default message is Working, but other messages, such as Loading children, can be
supplied by the application running the background thread.

• Information shown in this area can often be observed in more detail in the Progress view.

• In the Progress view, some operation messages have a Cancel button that can be
useful in cases where an operation was started but is not wanted at that time, such as
when a user is loading thousands of nodes but determines that operation is not needed.

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 Getting started with client customization

Note

On Windows systems, operational status for the rich client interface and the Teamcenter
server is provided by the Teamcenter icon in the system tray.

To display the running status dialog box, click the Teamcenter icon in the system tray .

The server and user interface condition symbols show the current status of the rich client
interface and the Teamcenter server.
• The server status indicates the state of the Teamcenter server:
o The server is ready, but there is no current communication between the client
and the server.

o The server is busy.

o The server is idle.

o The server is disconnected.

• The client status indicates the condition of the rich client:

o The user interface is responsive.

o The user interface is unresponsive.

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Note

When used, the Data Share Manager icon is also displayed in the system tray. The Data
Share Manager is a separate executable with its own user interface that lets you view large file
uploads and downloads, and manage them by pausing, resuming, or canceling the processes.

Thin client interface layout

The thin client interface has a standard menu bar and toolbar with options that vary depending on
the currently active application. You can place the cursor over a thin client toolbar button to display
a tooltip description.

1 Menu bar and button Provides access to menu and button commands and lists the
bar current user name, group, role, revision rule, and server.
2 Navigation pane Provides search functionality, link groups, and application buttons.
You can expand and collapse the entire pane and pane groups,
select what is displayed in primary and secondary areas, and
configure the display of applications.
3 Component pane Displays component hierarchies in a tree view. You can resize this
pane to be wider or narrower.

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 Getting started with client customization

4 Data pane The data pane displays tabbed information.

• Depending on the type of object selected and the configuration
specified in your installation’s XRT style sheet, you may
see tabs such as Overview, Details, Related Datasets,
Attachments, History, Change History, Where Used,
Structure, Impact Analysis, Available Revisions, and
Viewer.

• Groups of objects within a tab, called object sets, can be

configured in the XRT style sheet. Each group of information
can be configured to display in table, list, or thumbnail. Each
group can also be supported by action command buttons such
as Cut and Copy.

• You can configure the columns in the Details tab.

The default layout for thin client applications has a header bar containing menus, command buttons,
and session information above three panes, arranged vertically side-by-side. Some thin client
applications arrange the component pane and the data pane horizontally.
The layout configuration for a thin client application can only be changed by customization.
Note

If instant messaging is configured, the data pane may also display the current Microsoft Office
Communicator status of the owning and last modified users.

Basic concepts about client customization

The difference between client and server customization

Client customization means changing how the client user interface looks as well as how the client
behaves. Teamcenter is based on a client-server architecture. Both the client and server layers can
be customized. The client is the user interface (UI) layer and is built and customized using the
Java language (rich client) or JavaScript (thin client) and other methods. The server layer can be
customized using the Integration Toolkit (ITK) and the C++ programming language.
For information about customizing the server layer, see the Server Customization.

Siemens PLM Software customization support

Siemens PLM Software is committed to maintaining compatibility between Teamcenter product
releases. If you customize functions and methods using published APIs and documented extension
points, be assured that the next successive release will honor these interfaces. On occasion, it
may become necessary to make behaviors more usable or to provide better integrity. Our policy is
to notify customers at the time of the release prior to the one that contains a published interface
behavior change.

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As Teamcenter evolves and advances, leveraging newly available technologies, Teamcenter will make
the ability to extend and tailor Teamcenter as flexible and simple as possible. The direction is to fully
leverage the developing Eclipse paradigm to consolidate the thin client and rich client frameworks. A
single client framework allows extending both the thin client and rich client with a single extension.
Note that this consolidation will change the current extension model for the thin client in the future.
Siemens PLM Software does not support code extensions that use unpublished and undocumented
APIs or extension points. All APIs and other extension points are unpublished unless documented
in the official set of technical manuals and help files issued by Siemens PLM Software Technical
Communications.
The Teamcenter license agreements prohibit reverse engineering, including: decompiling Teamcenter
object code or bytecode to derive any form of the original source code; the inspection of header files;
and the examination of configuration files, database tables, or other artifacts of implementation.
Siemens PLM Software does not support code extensions made using source code created from
such reverse engineering.
If you have a comment or would like to request additional extensibility, contact the Siemens PLM
Software customer support representatives at GTAC for further assistance.

Syntax definitions
This manual uses a set of conventions to define the syntax of Teamcenter commands, functions, and
properties. Following is a sample syntax format:
harvester_jt.pl [bookmark-file-name bookmark-file-name ...]
[directory-name directory-name ...]
The conventions are:

Bold Bold text represents words and symbols you must type exactly as shown.
In the preceding example, you type harvester_jt.pl exactly as shown.
Italic Italic text represents values that you supply.
In the preceding example, you supply values for bookmark-file-name and
directory-name.
text-text A hyphen separates two words that describe a single value.
In the preceding example, bookmark-file-name is a single value.
[] Brackets represent optional elements.
... An ellipsis indicates that you can repeat the preceding element.

Following are examples of correct syntax for the harvester_jt.pl: command:

harvester_jt.pl
harvester_jt.pl assembly123.bkm
harvester_jt.pl assembly123.bkm assembly124.bkm assembly125.bkm
harvester_jt.pl AssemblyBookmarks

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 Getting started with client customization

Basic tasks for client customization

Following are some of the basic tasks you perform during client customizations:
• Change the layout of pages in both the rich client and thin client using style sheets.
For more information, see Introduction to style sheets.

• Set up your environment to perform rich client-only customizations.

For more information, see Process for enabling rich client customization.

• Override Teamcenter commands.

For more information, see Suppressing menu commands.

• Create custom forms on the rich client.

For more information, see Methods of form customization.

• Add a command to a menu on the rich client.

For more information, see Adding menu commands to a menu, toolbar, and shortcut menu.

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization 1-9

Chapter 2: Enterprise-wide configuration

Methods of enterprise-wide configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Using the Business Modeler IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Suppressing menu commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Using style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Introduction to style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Types of style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Overview of style sheet types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Property style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Form style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Summary style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Base summary style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Create style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Save As style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Search for style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Create a custom style sheet based on an existing style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Create a custom style sheet by importing an XML file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Registering style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Register a style sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Using predefined style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Verify the registration of forms in the rich client interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Creating form preferences for new business objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Sample customizations using style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Modify the Summary view using style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Modify the Properties pane on the Summary view using style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29
Modify the item create panels in the New Business Object wizard using style sheets . . 2-29
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
Modify a form's rendering using style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35
Localizing style sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization

 Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Style sheet definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Example of XML style sheet definition and rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
XML elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37
all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
attachments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41
classificationProperties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
classificationTrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-44
column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46
command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48
conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51
customPanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-53
firstcolumn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-56
GoverningProperty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-59
header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-60
image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-62
label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-64
listDisplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-67
objectSet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-69
page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-72
parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-77
property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-79
rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-82
Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-83
secondColumn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-84
section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-87
separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-90
tableDisplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-92
thumbnailDisplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-94
treeDisplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-95
view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-96
Rendering hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-98
Standard rendering hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-98
Add a custom rendering hint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-106
Rendering style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-108
Default renderers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-108
Set properties to be conditionally mandatory or disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-109

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Methods of enterprise-wide configuration

You can use the following tools to apply enterprise-wide changes for all clients.

• Business Modeler IDE

• Style sheets

• Command suppression

Using the Business Modeler IDE

The Business Modeler IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a tool for configuring and
extending the data model of your Teamcenter installation. The data model objects define the objects
and rules used in Teamcenter.

Administrators and business analysts use the IDE to:

• Create new data model objects such as:

o Business objects (for example, items and datasets)

o Properties

o Lists of values (LOVs)

o Rules

• Perform C++ customizations.

Related topics

• Business Modeler IDE

Suppressing menu commands

Carefully select which menu commands to suppress so end users are not presented with unnecessary
menu commands.

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Note

If all commands are removed from a menu, the menu itself is deleted. If commands are
suppressed, redundant dividers are removed.
• Suppressing menu commands in both the thin client and rich client
To suppress menu commands in the thin client, Siemens PLM Software recommends you
use the Command Suppression application in the rich client. This hides the commands in
both the thin client and rich client. The WEB_menu_entry_suppressions Web-specific
preference must have no values to work correctly. Some commands are unique to the
thin client and do not appear in the standard menu list in the Command Suppression
application. These commands can be found under the dhtml heading.

• Suppressing menu commands in the thin client only

To suppress thin client menu commands independently from the rich client, set
the WEB_menu_entry_suppressions preference, which ignores the command
suppression set in the rich client. This preference can be set at the site, group, or role
level. The values are a list of menu keys found in the *menu.xml files found in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\intl\language directory. For
example:
WEB_menu_entry_suppressions=
whereClassifiedAction
openInUGAction

This example suppresses the View→Where Classified and View→NX/Manager menu

commands and ignores the command suppressions set in the rich client.

Related topics
• Using Command Suppression

Using style sheets

Introduction to style sheets
Style sheets are the easiest way to codelessly customize the rich client and thin client. You can
customize the display by editing the style sheet. The advantages are:
• You can customize using configuration instead of coding.

• The customization affects both the rich client and thin client.

You can use style sheets to change the layout of pages such as forms, the Properties dialog box, the
Summary view, and the creation wizard dialog boxes.
Style sheets are XML documents stored in XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets. This gives more
control to sites regarding how dialog boxes are displayed. The XML code allows sites to define a
subset of properties to display, the display order, the user interface rendering components to be used,
and more. Sites can use XML code to customize not only forms but also individual fields in the forms.
To see all the available style sheets, search for all the XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets.

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When a style sheet is registered for a specific object type or form, it defines the display of the
object or form properties. Registration information is stored in the <type_name>.RENDERING and
<type_name>.FORMRENDERING preferences.
Note

If you change style sheets, clear the cache to see the style sheet changes in the clients. For
example, to see the changes in the thin client, clear the Web browser cache. To see the
changes in the rich client, exit the rich client and restart it using the -clean command argument
to remove the old configuration from cache.

Types of style sheets

Overview of style sheet types

Following are the available types of style sheets:
• Property
Defines the layout of the Properties dialog box.

• Form
Defines the layout of forms, such as the Item Master form or the Item RevisionMaster form.

• Summary
Defines the layout of the Summary tab.

• Create
Defines the layout of dialog boxes used in the creation wizard when you choose
File→New→Other and some portions of dialog boxes when you choose File→New→object.

• Save As
Defines the layout of Save As dialog boxes when you select an object and choose File→Save As.

These types are set on a style sheet using the Stylesheet Type box in the rich client.

Types of available style sheets

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Property style sheet

The Property style sheet type defines the layout of the Properties dialog box.
To view the Properties dialog box in the rich client, right-click an object and choose View Properties.

Properties dialog box in the rich client

To view the Properties dialog box in the thin client, click the arrow on an object and choose
Properties.

Properties dialog box in the thin client

To set a style sheet to the Property type, in the rich client open the style sheet dataset in the Viewer
tab and select Property in the Stylesheet Type box.

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Property style sheet

Notice how this Item style sheet defines the layout of the Properties dialog box for the selected item.

Form style sheet

The Form style sheet defines the layout of forms, such as the Item Master form or the Item
RevisionMaster form.
To view a form in the rich client, select an instance of a form and click the Viewer tab.

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Form in the rich client

To view a form in the thin client, click the arrow on a form object and choose Open.

Form in the thin client

To set a style sheet to the Form type, in the rich client, open the style sheet dataset in the Viewer tab
and select Form in the Stylesheet Type box.

Summary style sheet

The Summary style sheet type defines the layout of the Summary tab in the rich client and the
Overview tab in the thin client.

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Summary tab in the rich client

Overview tab in the thin client

To set a style sheet to the Summary type, in the rich client, open the style sheet dataset in the
Viewer tab and select Summary in the Stylesheet Type box.

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Summary style sheet

Notice how this ItemSummary style sheet defines the layout of the Summary tab in the rich client
and the Overview tab in the thin client.

Related topics

• Modify the Summary view using style sheets

Base summary style sheets

In Teamcenter 10, a set of revision summary style sheets are updated, including the style sheets for
ItemRevision and DocumentRevision business objects. These updated style sheets are named
with a Base prefix on the style sheet file names, for example, BaseItemRevSummary, to indicate
they are the primary style sheets to use for those business object types.
The previous versions of the summary style sheets remain in the system so that you
can still use them if you want. To change back to the previous version of the style
sheet, change the registration of the business object type to point to the older style
sheet using the <type-name>.SUMMARYRENDERING=<dataset-name(dataset-uid)> and
<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>.SUMMARY_REGISTEREDTO=<type-name> preferences.
The following table shows the new and old summary style sheet file names.
Object viewed
by end users Business object type New style sheet Old style sheet
Change notice ChangeNoticeRevision BaseChangeNoticeRevisionSummary ChangeNoticeRevisionSummary
revision
Change ChangeRequestRevision BaseChangeRequestRevisionSummary ChangeRequestRevisionSummary
request
revision

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Object viewed
by end users Business object type New style sheet Old style sheet
Commercial CommercialPart Revision BaseCommercialPartRevSummary ItemRevSummary
part revision (inherited from ItemRevision)
Deviation Cm0DevRqstRevision BaseCm0DevRqstRevisionSummary Cm0DevRqstRevisionSummary
request
revision
Document DocumentRevision BaseDocumentRevSummary ItemRevSummary
revision (inherited from ItemRevision)
EDA revision EDA Revision BaseEDARevSummary ItemRevSummary
(inherited from ItemRevision)
EDA EDAComp Revision BaseEDACompRevSummary ItemRevSummary
component (inherited from ItemRevision)
revision
EDA schematic EDASchem Revision BaseEDASchemRevSummary ItemRevSummary
revision (inherited from ItemRevision)
EPM workflow EPMTask BaseEPMTaskSummary EPMTaskSummary
task
Item revision ItemRevision BaseItemRevSummary ItemRevSummary
Problem report ProblemReportRevision BaseProblemReportRevisionSummary ProblemReportRevisionSummary
revision
Requirement Requirement Revision BaseRequirementRevisionSummary RequirementRevisionSummary
revision
Vendor Vendor BaseVendorSummary ItemRevSummary
(inherited from ItemRevision)
Vendor VendorRevision BaseVendorRevisionSummary ItemRevSummary
revision (inherited from ItemRevision)
Vendor part ManufacturerPart BaseManufacturerPartSummary ManufacturerPartSummary
Vendor part ManufacturerPart Revision BaseManufacturerPartRevSummary ManufacturerPartRevSummary
revision

Create style sheet

The Create style sheet type defines the layout of dialog boxes used in the creation wizard.
To view creation dialog boxes in the rich client, choose File→New→Other.
Note

Only some portions of dialog boxes are defined with the create style sheet when you choose
File→New→object.

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Creation dialog box in the rich client

To view creation dialog boxes in the thin client, choose New→object.

Creation dialog box in the thin client

To set a style sheet to the Create type, in the rich client, open the style sheet dataset in the Viewer
tab and select Create in the Stylesheet Type box.

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Create style sheet

Notice how this ItemCreate style sheet defines the layout of the creation dialog boxes for the Item
business object.

Related topics
• Modify the item create panels in the New Business Object wizard using style sheets

Save As style sheet

The Save As style sheet type defines the layout of dialog boxes used in the Save As wizard.
To view Save As dialog boxes in the rich client, select an object and choose File→Save As.

Save As dialog box in the rich client

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To view Save As dialog boxes in the thin client, select an object and choose Edit→Save As.

Save As dialog box in the thin client

To set a style sheet to the Save As type, in the rich client, open the style sheet dataset in the Viewer
tab and select Save As in the Stylesheet Type box.

Save As style sheet

Note how this ItemSaveAs style sheet defines the layout of the Save As dialog boxes for the Item
business object.

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Search for style sheets

To find style sheets in the rich client, search for XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets.
1. Click the Open Search View button .

2. Click the arrow on the Select a Search button and choose General.

Starting the search for style sheets

3. In the Type box, type XMLRenderingStylesheet.

If you are looking for style sheets for a particular kind of object, enter a string in the Name box to
look for those kinds of style sheets. For example, if you want to find all style sheets for items or
item revisions, type *Item* in the Name box.

Searching for XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets

4. Press the Enter key or click the Execute the Search button .
The results are displayed in the Search Results view.

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Viewing the search results for XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets

5. In the Search Results tab, select the style sheet you want to view. Click the Viewer tab to
see the style sheet.
Note

Do not double-click a style sheet (XMLRenderingStylesheet dataset file) in an attempt to

open it. If you do, you receive an Unable to open error message. Instead, select the style
sheet and view its contents in the Viewer view.

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Viewing the style sheet contents in the rich client

Create a custom style sheet based on an existing style sheet

You can create your own custom style sheet.
For example, you create a custom business object in the Business Modeler IDE and install it to the
rich client, and you want to create a unique style sheet to display the custom properties. To create
the style sheet, in the rich client, search for XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets, save one as your
own custom style sheet dataset, and then register the custom style sheet for use with the custom
business object.
1. In the rich client, search for a style sheet you can base your new style sheet on.

2. In the Search Results view, select the style sheet you want to use, choose File→Save As, and
rename it. For example, if you want to create a style sheet to be used with a custom A5_MyItem
business object, you could name the style sheet A5_MyItem.
The new style sheet dataset is saved in your Newstuff folder in the Home view and is still
displayed in the Viewer tab.

3. Edit the style sheet.

a. Change the named reference for the file by selecting the style sheet dataset and choosing
View→Named References. In the Name column in the Named References dialog box,
change the old name of the file to the new save as file name.

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b. In the Viewer tab, click the arrow in the Registered Type box and select the business object
type you want to register it to. For example, if you have a custom A5_MyItem business
object added to your server, select A5_MyItem from the list.

c. Edit the style sheet in the Viewer tab to include the elements you want displayed in the layout.
For example, if you want to display custom properties, add them where you want them
to appear on the page, like this:
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General">
<column>
<property name="object_string" column="32"/>
<separator/>
<property name="object_name" column="32"/>
<property name="object_desc" />
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink"
modifiable="false" />
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink"
modifiable="false" />
<property name="last_mod_user" />
<property name="a5_MyDate"/>
<property name="a5_MyDouble"/>
<property name="a5_MyFlag"/>
<property name="a5_MyLongString"/>
<property name="a5_MyLOV"/>
<property name="a5_MyRef"/>
</column>
<column>
<image/>
</column>
</page>

d. To change the style sheet type, click the arrow in the Stylesheet Type box. You can choose
one of the following types:
Property
Form
Summary
Create

4. When you are done making changes, click the Apply button in the lower right corner of the view.

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Create a custom style sheet

Because you used the Registered Type box on the Viewer tab to register the style sheet with a
business object type, two new preferences are created (a REGISTEREDTO preference and a
RENDERING preference). These preferences apply the style sheet to the business object so that
the style sheet is displayed in the situation you set it for (for example, for display of the business
object's property, summary, form, or create information).

5. To see the two new preferences, choose Edit→Options and at the bottom of the dialog box,
click Search.

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Viewing the <dataset_name>.REGISTEREDTO and <type_name>.RENDERING preferences

Notice how in the Current Values box of the <type_name>.RENDERING preference
there is a number in parentheses after the name of the business object. That is a GUID
number that identifies that unique business object, and that GUID number is set in the
<dataset_name(dataset-UID)>.REGISTEREDTO preference. This ensures that the style sheet is
applied to the correct business object.

6. To see the style sheet changes in the clients, clear the cache. For example, to see the changes
in the thin client, clear the Web browser cache. To see the changes in the rich client, exit the
rich client and restart it using the -clean command argument to remove the old configuration
from cache.
To make the new style sheets available for quick loading to clients, run the
generate_client_meta_cache utility to add the new style sheets to client cache, for example:
generate_client_meta_cache stylesheet –u=infodba –p=infodba –g=dba

Related topics

• Methods of form customization

• generate_client_meta_cache

Create a custom style sheet by importing an XML file

You can create a new style sheet by creating a new dataset and associating it with an XML file.
1. In the rich client My Teamcenter application, create a new dataset of type
XMLRenderingStylesheet.

2. Import the XML file as a named reference to the dataset as follows:

a. Right-click the dataset in the navigation tree and choose Named References.

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Teamcenter displays the Named References dialog box.

b. Click the Add button.

Teamcenter displays the Add File dialog box.

c. Locate and select the XML file in your operating system directory and click Add.
Teamcenter displays the XML file in the Named References dialog box.

d. Click Close.

3. Register the style sheet by setting the Form.REGISTEREDTO preference.

4. To see the style sheet changes in the clients, clear the cache. For example, to see the changes
in the thin client, clear the Web browser cache. To see the changes in the rich client, exit the
rich client and restart it using the -clean command argument to remove the old configuration
from cache.

Related topics

• <dataset_name>.REGISTEREDTO

Registering style sheets

Register a style sheet

Each commonly used business object type (such as item, folder, and dataset) has style sheets that
define the layout of its properties in the user interface.
1. To see the business object that a style sheet is registered to, in the rich client, first search for
XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets.

2. Select the style sheet, and in the Viewer tab, see the business object listed in the Registered
Type box on the style sheet

Viewing the business object type that the style sheet is registered to

3. To specify how the style sheet is to be used, select it in the Stylesheet Type box (for example, for
properties display, form rendering, Summary view, or creation dialog boxes).

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Viewing the style sheet type

4. When the Registered Type box in the Viewer tab is used to register a new property type style
sheet with a business object type, a new REGISTEREDTO preference and a new RENDERING
preference are created. These preferences apply the XML rendering style sheet dataset type
to the business object type so that the style sheet is displayed in the situation you set it for (for
example, for display of the business object's property, summary, form, or create information).
To see preferences, choose Edit→Options and click Search at the bottom of the dialog box.

Viewing the REGISTEREDTO preferences

For example, the <dataset_name(dataset-UID)>.REGISTEREDTO=<type-name> preference
indicates the business object type that an XML rendering dataset is registered to for use as a
property type style sheet. Therefore, the Item.REGISTEREDTO=Item preference means that
the Item XML rendering style sheet dataset is registered as a property type style sheet to the
Item business object type.

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Similarly, the <type_name>.RENDERING=<dataset_name(dataset-UID)> preference indicates

the XML rendering dataset used to render the properties shown on a particular business object
type. Therefore, the Item.RENDERING=Item preference means that for Item business objects,
the Item XML rendering style sheet dataset is used to render the properties in the user interface.
Note

The UID (unique ID) is set in the preferences when custom XML rendering datasets or
custom business objects are used. The UID ensures that the correct style sheet is applied
to the correct business object.

When you register a style sheet, the preferences that are created depend on the type of style
sheet that is registered:

• Property

<dataset_name(dataset-UID)>.REGISTEREDTO=<type-name>
<type_name>.RENDERING=<dataset_name(dataset-UID)>

• Form

<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>.FORM_REGISTEREDTO=<type-name>
<type-name>.FORMRENDERING=<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>

• Summary

<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>.SUMMARY_REGISTEREDTO=<type-name>
<type-name>.SUMMARYRENDERING=<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>

• Create

<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>.CREATE_REGISTEREDTO=<type-name>
<type-name>.CREATERENDERING=<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>

Note

Use the TC_CreateRenderingInheritTypeList preference to define the children

business object types to inherit the create rendering format.

• Save As

<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>.SAVEAS_REGISTEREDTO=<type-name>
<type-name>.SAVEASRENDERING=<dataset-name(dataset-uid)>

Note

Use the TC_SaveAsRenderingInheritTypeList preference to define the children

business object types to inherit the save as rendering format.

Related topics

• Search for style sheets

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Using predefined style sheets

The Teamcenter installation provides several predefined style sheets that are registered to display the
properties of the following objects:
EPM job
Folder
Form
Group
Group member
ImanFile
Item
Item revision
Reservation
Role
Site
Tool
User
Volume

The registration information is stored in the preference; each object type has two entries used to
display regular properties, as follows:
• <type_name>.RENDERING
The value of this key is the dataset name or the dataset UID used to display properties of this
type of object.

• <dataset_name>(UID).REGISTEREDTO
The value of this key is the type name for which this dataset is registered.

Therefore, the value for <type_name>.RENDERING is the dataset name/UID and the value for
<dataset_name>(UID).REGISTEREDTO is the business object name.
The following keys are used to display form properties:
business-object-name.FORMRENDERING
dataset-name/uid.FORM_REGISTEREDTO

Verify the registration of forms in the rich client interface

1. In one of the rich client applications, choose Options from the Edit menu. Teamcenter displays
the Options dialog box.

2. Click the Search link in the lower portion of the window.

Teamcenter displays the Preferences By Search pane.

3. Type form in the Search on Keywords box.

Teamcenter displays the preferences that begin with form in the Preferences List.

4. Click the Form.REGISTEREDTO entry in the Preferences List.

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Teamcenter displays the business objects to which the Form style sheet can be applied in the
right pane of the window.

If no rendering registration is found for the currently selected type, the system searches the hierarchy
to determine if a rendering is registered to any of the parent classes or parent types. If one is found,
that rendering is honored.

Related topics
• <dataset_name>.REGISTEREDTO

Creating form preferences for new business objects

To create a form for a customized business object (in other words, one not provided by Teamcenter),
you must create the following preferences:
• new-business-object-name.RENDERING

• new-business-object-name.REGISTEREDTO

The value of the preferences must be the name of the customized business object.
For example, to create a new business object called MyItem, you must create the following
preferences and set the value of each to MyItem:
• MyItem.RENDERING

• MyItem.REGISTEREDTO

After you create the preferences, either modify a predefined style sheet or create a new style sheet.

Related topics
• <type_name>.RENDERING

• <dataset_name>.REGISTEREDTO

• Create a custom style sheet by importing an XML file

Sample customizations using style sheets

Modify the Summary view using style sheets

You can modify what appears in the rich client Summary view and the thin client Overview panel by
codelessly changing the rendering using Teamcenter style sheets.
The Properties dialog box and the item create panes in the New Business Object wizard also use
style sheet rendering and can be similarly customized. You can also use this technique to create
custom renderings for new custom business objects.
This example adds the checked_out property to the folder summary header rendering, and a
Contents section to the folder summary page.
1. In the rich client, find all XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets using the search capability by
removing all search criteria except for Type and setting it to XMLRenderingStylesheet.

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2. Select the FolderSummary dataset and choose File→Save As. Type MyFolderSummary in
the Name box.

3. Select MyFolderSummary and the Viewer pane.

The XML style sheet is displayed in the viewer.

4. In the Registered Type box, select Folder, and in the Stylesheet Type box, select Summary.

5. Edit the MyFolderSummary style sheet to add the checked_out property to the header area.
The following is an example of the modified header area:
<header>
<image source="type"/>
<property name="owning_user" />
<property name="last_mod_date" />
<property name="checked_out" />
<property name="release_status_list" />
<property name="object_type" />
</header>

6. Click the Apply button.

7. Choose Edit→Options, click the Search link at the bottom of the Options dialog box, locate
the Folder.SUMMARYRENDERING preference, and verify that the preference value has been
changed from FolderSummary to MyFolderSummary. If it has not been changed, click the Edit
button and change the value to MyFolderSummary.

8. Select a folder and select the Summary pane.

You see the checked_out property displayed as Checked-Out.

Adding a property to the rich client Summary pane

Note

If the change doesn’t appear in the rich client, you can exit the rich client and restart it
using the -clean command argument to remove the old configuration from cache.

In the thin client, the change appears as follows.

Adding a property to the thin client Overview tab

9. You can configure the folder summary in many other ways. For example, to show folder contents
using the objectSet tag, place the following code highlighted in bold into the MyFolderSummary
style sheet after the properties section, and click the Apply button:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">

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<property name="object_name"/>
<property name="object_desc"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties" titleKey="tc_xrt_moreProperties"/>
</section>
<section title="Contents">
<objectSet source="contents.WorkspaceObject" defaultdisplay="thumbnailDisplay"
sortby="object_name" sortdirection="ascending">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="object_desc"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="owning_group"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="object_desc"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="owning_group"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
<command actionKey="newBusinessObjectContextualAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.common.AddNew" renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
<command actionKey="cutAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut"
renderingHint="commandbutton">
<parameter name="localSelection" value="true"/>
</command>
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy"
renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
<command actionKey="pasteAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.pastewithContext" renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
</objectSet>
</section>

When you select a folder and click the Summary tab, the Contents section is displayed.

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Adding a section to the rich client Summary pane using the objectSet tag
In the thin client, the change appears as follows.

Adding a section to the thin client Overview tab using the objectSet tag

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Note

Only three <views> elements are supported on the Summary view: impactanalysis, viewer,
and properties.
• impactanalysis is for where-used/referenced information.

• viewer is for an image preview.

• properties is for any combination of properties.

The style sheet contains <page> elements, and each <page> can contain multiple views. If
a user right-clicks the Summary view, a shortcut menu with the view list is displayed; the
user can hide or display views. The viewer view can be used for items, item revisions, and
datasets, but not folders or forms. The other two views can be used for any object.

Related topics

• Introduction to style sheets

• Search for style sheets

• objectSet

Modify the Properties pane on the Summary view using style sheets

You can modify what appears in the Properties pane and its layout by codelessly changing the
rendering using Teamcenter style sheets. This example adds the protection property to the folder
general rendering.
1. In the rich client, find all XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets using the search capability by
removing all search criteria except for Type and setting it to XMLRenderingStylesheet.

2. Select the FolderSummary dataset and choose File→Save As. Type MyFolderSummary in
the Name box.
The MyFolderSummary style sheet is saved in the Newstuff folder.

3. Select MyFolderSummary and the Viewer pane.

The XML style sheet is displayed in the viewer.

4. In the Registered Type box, select Folder, and in the Stylesheet Type box, select Summary.
Click the Apply button in the lower right corner.
Note

This changes the value in the Folder.SUMMARYRENDERING preference to

MyFolderSummary. To see the change, choose Edit→Options, click the Search link
at the bottom of the Options dialog box, locate the Folder.SUMMARYRENDERING
preference, and verify that the preference value has been changed from FolderSummary
to MyFolderSummary. If it has not been changed, click the Edit button and change
the value to MyFolderSummary.

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5. Edit the MyFolderSummary style sheet to add a separator and the protection property to the
general area. The following is an example of the modified general area:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="protection" />
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties" titleKey="tc_xrt_moreProperties"/>
</section>

6. Click the Apply button.

7. In the rich client, select a folder and click the Summary tab.
The protection property is displayed.

Adding a property to the Properties pane on the Summary tab in the rich client
Note

If your customization does not appear, exit the rich client and restart it using the -clean
command argument to remove the old configuration from cache.
If your customizations still do not appear, clear cache by deleting the Teamcenter
subdirectory in the user's home directory on the client. This directory is automatically
created again when the user starts the rich client. This directory usually contains RAC
and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.
If you delete this directory, the last state of the rich client is lost, and the user interface
appears as it does at initial startup.

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In the thin client, the change appears as follows.

Adding a property to the Properties pane on the Overview tab in the thin client

Related topics

• Search for style sheets

• Ensure your customizations appear

• Introduction to style sheets

Modify the item create panels in the New Business Object wizard using style sheets

You can modify what appears in the New Business Object wizard in the rich client when you choose
the File→New→Other menu command by codelessly changing the rendering using Teamcenter style
sheets. This example modifies the item creation panes by removing the user_data boxes from the
Additional Item Information dialog box (which uses the Item Master form) and the Item Revision
Information dialog box (which uses the ItemRevision Master form).

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User Data boxes on the Item Master form

1. In the rich client, find all XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets using the search capability by
removing all search criteria except for Type and setting it to XMLRenderingStylesheet.

2. Select the ItemCreate dataset and choose File→Save As. Type MyItemCreate in the Name box.
The MyItemCreate style sheet is saved in the Newstuff folder.

3. Select MyItemCreate and the Viewer pane.

The XML style sheet is displayed in the viewer.

4. In the Registered Type box, select Item, and in the Stylesheet Type box, select Create. Click
the Apply button in the lower right corner.
Note

This changes the value in the Item.CREATERENDERING preference to MyItemCreate.

To see the change, choose Edit→Options, click the Search link at the bottom of the
Options dialog box, and locate the Item.CREATERENDERING preference. If the value
has not been changed, click the Edit button and change the value from ItemCreate to
MyItemCreate.

5. Edit the MyItemCreate style sheet to remove the user_data elements shown in bold in the
following sample:
<section title="Additional Item Information" titleKey="tc_xrt_AdditionalItemInformation"
initialstate="collapsed">
<property name="IMAN_master_form:project_id" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:previous_item_id" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:serial_number" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:item_comment" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:user_data_1" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:user_data_2" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:user_data_3" />
</section>
<section title="Item Revision Information" titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemRevisionInformation"
initialstate="collapsed">
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:project_id" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:previous_version_id" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:serial_number" />

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<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:item_comment" />

<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:user_data_1" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:user_data_2" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:user_data_3" />
</section>

6. Click the Apply button.

7. To test the customization in the rich client, choose File→New→Other and select Item.
The user_data boxes are removed from the new item create panes.

Item Master Form with User Data boxes removed in the rich client
Note

If your customizations do not appear, exit the rich client and restart it using the -clean
command argument to remove the old configuration from cache.
If your customizations still do not appear, clear cache by deleting the Teamcenter
subdirectory in the user's home directory on the client. This directory is automatically
created again when the user starts the rich client. This directory usually contains RAC
and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.
If you delete this directory, the last state of the rich client is lost, and the user interface
appears as it does at initial startup.

To see the change in the thin client, choose New→Item.

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Item Master Form with User Data boxes removed in the thin client

Related topics

• Search for style sheets

• property

• Ensure your customizations appear

• Introduction to style sheets

Modify a form's rendering using style sheets

You can modify how a Teamcenter-provided form is rendered by codelessly changing the Teamcenter
style sheets. This example modifies the item master form.
1. In the rich client, choose File→New→Item to create a new item.
To see the default item master form, open the form just under the item.

Selecting the item master form

The default item master form appears:

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Default item master form

2. Find all XMLRenderingStylesheet datasets using the rich client search capability by removing
all search criteria except for Type and setting it to XMLRenderingStylesheet.

3. Select the FormXMLRenderingStylesheet dataset and choose File→Save As. Type

MyItemMasterRenderer in the Name box.
The MyItemMasterRenderer style sheet is saved in the Newstuff folder.

4. Select MyItemMasterRenderer and the Viewer pane.

The XML style sheet is displayed in the viewer.

5. In the Registered Type box, select Item Master, and in the Stylesheet Type box, select Form.
Click the Apply button in the lower left corner.
Note

This creates a new Item Master.FORMRENDERING preference. To see the preference,

choose Edit→Options, click the Search link at the bottom of the Options dialog box,
and locate the Item Master.FORMRENDERING preference. Note that its value is set to
MyItemMasterRenderer.

6. Replace the rendering tag contents of the MyItemMasterRenderer style sheet with the following
sample code:
<rendering>
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General">
<property name="project_id" />
<property name="serial_number" renderingHint="textfield" column="25" />
<property name="item_comment" renderingHint="textarea" column="10"
row="5" />
<property name="owning_user" />
</page>
<page title="Advanced">
<column>
<property name="user_data_1" renderingHint="lovbutton"
renderingStyle="titled" border="true" />
<separator />
<property name="user_data_2" renderingStyle="titled" />
</column>
<column>
<property name="user_data_3" renderingStyle="titled"
border="true" />
<property name="previous_item_id" renderingStyle="titled" />
</column>
</page>
</rendering>

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Note

Notice how this code adds an Advanced link to the form.

7. Click the Apply button.

8. Open the item master form to see the new layout.

Customized layout of the form’s General properties page in the rich client
Click the Advanced link at the bottom of the form to open the additional properties on the form.

Customized layout of the form’s Advanced properties page in the rich client
Note

To see the change in the rich client, you may need to exit the rich client and restart it using
the -clean command argument to remove the old configuration from cache.
If your customizations still do not appear in the rich client, clear cache by deleting the
Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the client. This directory is
automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This directory usually
contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.
If you delete this directory, the last state of the rich client is lost, and the user interface
appears as it does at initial startup.

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Related topics

• Search for style sheets

• Ensure your customizations appear

• Introduction to style sheets

Localizing style sheets

Localization is the translation of text into the local language. XML rendering templates (XRTs), also
known as style sheets, have their localized text in the tc_xrt_text_locale.xml file on the server in the
following location: TC_ROOT\lang\textserver\en_US\. When you customize a style sheet with new
text, you must enter the text to this file in the different languages to be displayed in the user interface.
If you do not enter localized text strings, the unlocalized text appears in the user interface between
exclamation marks (for example: !MyText!) except when in the command tag.
Style sheets use several tags:
• titleKey
Finds text values in the text server files.

• title
Uses values directly. This tag does not look for values in the text server files. Therefore, use the
titleKey attribute whenever possible.

• text
Uses values directly. This is the legacy method of holding text values. As of Teamcenter 10.1,
the text tag is deprecated.

Values used in the titleKey style sheet attribute have a corresponding localized text string in the
tc_xrt_text_locale.xml text server file. This text server file contains all the style sheet text key
entries for the rich client and the thin client. All keys are prefixed by tc_xrt_. (If the keys in the style
sheet do not have this prefix, the system adds the prefix and then looks in the text server files for
the corresponding values.)
Following is code from the ItemRevSummary.xml style sheet:
<page titleKey="tc_xrt_Overview">
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">

Following are the corresponding keys in the

TC_ROOT\lang\textserver\en_US\tc_xrt_text_locale.xml file:
<key id="tc_xrt_Overview">Overview</key>
...
<key id="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">Item Properties</key>

Note

There is no automated upgrade utility to move custom key/value pairs into the
tc_xrt_text_locale.xml file. You must move them manually.

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Related topics

• Localize your customizations

Style sheet definition

Example of XML style sheet definition and rendering

The following code shows an example of an XML definition for item properties found in the Item.xml
XML rendering style sheet file:
<rendering>
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General">
<column>
<property name="object_string" column="32"/>
<separator/>
<property name="object_name" column="32"/>
<property name="object_desc" />
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="last_mod_user" />
</column>
<column>
<image/>
</column>
</page>
<page title="Reservation" titleKey="tc_xrt_Reservation">
<property name="checked_out" />
<property name="checked_out_user" />
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out_date" />
<property name="checked_out_change_id" />
<separator/>
<property name="reservation" />
</page>
<page title="Project" titleKey="tc_xrt_Project">
<property name="proj_assign_mod_date" />
<property name="project_ids" />
<separator/>
<property name="project_list" />
</page>
<page title="All" titleKey="tc_xrt_All">
<all type="property"/>
</page>
</rendering>

The following figures show the resulting item properties dialog box in the rich client and thin client.

Item properties dialog box in the rich client

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Item properties dialog box in the thin client

XML elements

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all

Lists all properties of the defined object.

ATTRIBUTES
type
Indicates whether to list all the object properties or only form properties. The valid
values for this attribute are property and form.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets (but not the New Business
Object wizard):
Property
Summary
Form

EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the Folder.xml XML rendering style sheet showing
the all element:
<page title="All" titleKey="tc_xrt_All">
<all type="property"/>
</page>

The all element in the rich client

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The all element in the thin client

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attachments

Specifies which objects attached to an item revision should appear in the attachments
list. The format for the element value is:
relation.type

For example:
<attachments>
IMAN_reference.MSExcel
</attachments>

The example displays all attachments to the item revision with a MSExcel type and an
IMAN_reference relation. Separate multiple entries with commas.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the attachments tag is deprecated and is replaced

by the objectSet tag.
For example:
<view name="attachments">
<attachments>IMAN_specification.UGMASTER, IMAN_reference.MSExcel,
IMAN_Rendering.DirectModel</attachments>
</view>

Is replaced by:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_attachments" title="Attachments">
<objectSet source="IMAN_specification.UGMASTER, IMAN_reference.MSExcel,
IMAN_Rendering.DirectModel" defaultdisplay="linkDisplay" sortby="object_string"
sortdirection="ascending">
<linkDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemRevSummary2007.xml XML rendering style
sheet showing the attachments element:
<view name="attachments">
<attachments>IMAN_specification.UGMASTER, IMAN_reference.MSExcel,
IMAN_Rendering.DirectModel, SimplifiedRendering.JtSimplification</attachments>
</view>

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break

Inserts a break in the pane.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets:
Property
Summary
Form
Create

EXAMPLE
<page titleKey=”tc_xrt_General” title=”General”>
<property name="project_id" icon=”images/group.gif”/>
<property name="serial_number" renderingHint="textfield" renderingStyle=”headed”/>
<property name="item_comment" renderingHint="textarea" column=”30” row=”5”/>
<property name="user_data_1" renderingHint="lovcombobox" renderingStyle=”titled”
border=”true” />
<separator />
<property name=”user_data_1” />
<property name=”user_data_2” />
<break />
</page>

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classificationProperties

Specifies that the classification properties of the current object should be displayed.
Properties and their values are rendered as name/value pairs in static text.
ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used only on Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the classificationProperties element:
<page titleKey="tc_xrt_Overview">
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="listDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties"
titleKey="tc_xrt_moreProperties"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ClassificationProperties">
<classificationProperties/>
</section>
</column>

Following is how classification properties are rendered in the rich client.

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classificationProperties in the rich client

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classificationTrace

Specifies that the classification traces of the item should be displayed, for example,
Home Care > Cleaners > Detergents.
ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used only on Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the classificationTrace element:
<header>
<image source="thumbnail"/>
<classificationTrace/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
</header>

Following is how the classification trace is rendered in the rich client.

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classificationTrace in the rich client

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column

Defines the layout of the column defined on a page.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets (but not the New Business
Object wizard):
Property
Summary
Form
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the column element:
<page titleKey="tc_xrt_Overview">
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="listDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties"
titleKey="tc_xrt_moreProperties"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ClassificationProperties">
<classificationProperties/>
</section>
</column>
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_Preview">
<image source="preview"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_actions" commandLayout="vertical">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess"
titleKey="tc_xrt_newProc" />

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</section>
</column>
</page>

column element in the rich client

column element in the thin client

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configuration

command

Specifies a command representation to be displayed.

ATTRIBUTES
actionKey
Specifies the action key that presents the command in the thin client. (If you do not
want to present the command in the thin client, you can omit this attribute.)
commandId
Specifies the command to be executed. This attribute is used only by the rich client.
The attribute value must be a key into a property file and must be a valid command ID
defined in the rich client. This is a string attribute that is required.
defaultTitle
Specifies the string to be displayed if a key is not found in the property file. This is an
optional attribute.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the defaultTitle attribute is deprecated and is replaced

by the title and titlekey attributes.

icon
Specifies the icon to be displayed before the command label. The attribute value must
be a key into a property file. This is an optional attribute.
renderingHint
Specifies whether the command is rendered as a hyperlink or as a button. Valid values
are hyperlink and commandbutton. This attribute is optional. If the attribute is not
specified, the command is rendered as a hyperlink.
text
Specifies the text to display. The attribute value must be a key into a property file. If
the key is not found, the attribute value itself is displayed as static text. If neither the
text or icon attributes are specified, the value of the commandId attribute is rendered.
This attribute is optional.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the text attribute is deprecated and is replaced by the

title and titlekey attributes.

title
Specifies the default string of the title for this user interface element. This attribute
is used when the string in the titleKey attribute is not found in the locale file. This
is an optional attribute.
titleKey
Specifies the key used to search for the title in the locale file. If it is not defined, the
string defined by the title attribute is used. This is an optional attribute.

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tooltip
Specifies the tooltip for the command. The attribute value must be a key into a property
file. This attribute is optional but is required if the icon attribute is specified.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used only on the Summary style sheets.
Note

The command tag is ignored in the header section. Commands cannot be

added to the toolbar.

EXAMPLE
Following is sample code using the command element on an object set:
<objectSet source="contents.WorkspaceObject" defaultdisplay="thumbnailDisplay"
sortby="object_name" sortdirection="ascending">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="object_desc"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="owning_group"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="object_desc"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="owning_group"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
<command actionKey="newBusinessObjectContextualAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.common.AddNew" renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
<command actionKey="cutAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut"
renderingHint="commandbutton">
<parameter name="localSelection" value="true"/>
</command>
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy"
renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
<command actionKey="pasteAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.pastewithContext" renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
</objectSet>

In this example, the command element adds the Add New, Cut, Copy, and Paste
buttons in the user interface.

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command element in the rich client

command element in the thin client

For a customization example that uses the command element, see Modify the
Summary view using style sheets.

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conditions

Indicates that rules are specified for a property.

The GoverningProperty and Rule elements are used within the conditions element.
The GoverningProperty tag defines the property to apply the condition to, and the
Rule tag defines the state of the property. If multiple properties within a single form
are to be tracked, there are multiple entries of the GoverningProperty tag within the
conditions tag. Combining entries for a different form types within a single stylesheet
is not permitted.
Note

The conditions and GoverningProperty tags do not work in the Viewer view if
the style sheet is registered for properties or form display.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets:
Property
Form

EXAMPLE
Following is sample style sheet code showing the conditions element:
<rendering>
<property name = "user_data_1"/>
<property name = "user_data_2"/>
<property name = "user_data_3"/>
<conditions>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "user_data_1" propertyvalue = "Mine1">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "required"/>
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_3" state = "disabled"/>
</GoverningProperty>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "user_data_1" propertyvalue = "Do IM">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "disabled"/>
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_3" state = "required"/>
</GoverningProperty>
</conditions>
</rendering>

The first GoverningProperty node in the sample states that if the User Data 1 box
contains a value of Mine1, then the User Data 2 box is required and the User Data 3
box is disabled. The second GoverningProperty node in the sample states that if the
User Data 1 box contains a value of Do IM, then the User Data 2 box is disabled and
the User Data 3 box is required.
Following is the resulting user interface.

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No value match in the User Data 1 box

Value in the User Data 1 box matches the first GoverningProperty node

Value in the User Data 1 box matches the second GoverningProperty node
For another example, see Set properties to be conditionally mandatory or disabled.

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customPanel

Embeds a custom panel in a dialog box.

ATTRIBUTES
java
Specifies the fully qualified Java implementation class name responsible for building
the custom user interface (for example, com.teamcenter.rac.MyCustomPanel).
This is supported in the rich client only.
js
Specifies a JavaScript function that generates the HTML (for example, <customPanel
js=”MyCustomCalendar()” />).
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the Create style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is a custom style sheet that uses the customPanel element. (This example
works in the rich client only.)
<rendering>
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General">
<section title="Item Information" titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemInformation">
<property name="item_id" />
<property name="revision:item_revision_id" />
<property name="object_name" />
<property name="object_desc" />
<separator/>
<property name="uom_tag" />
<separator/>
<customPanel java="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.commands.newbo.mypanel.MyPanel" />
<section title="Additional Item Information"
titleKey="tc_xrt_AdditionalItemInformation" initialstate="collapsed">
<property name="IMAN_master_form:project_id" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:previous_item_id" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:serial_number" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:item_comment" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:user_data_1" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:user_data_2" />
<property name="IMAN_master_form:user_data_3" />
</section>
<section title="Item Revision Information"
titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemRevisionInformation" initialstate="collapsed">
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:project_id" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:previous_version_id" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:serial_number" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:item_comment" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:user_data_1" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:user_data_2" />
<property name="revision:IMAN_master_form_rev:user_data_3" />
</section>
</page>
</rendering>

You must create your own custom panel to pass to the customPanel tag. Following
is the MyPanel.java file that defines the custom panel:
package com.teamcenter.rac.ui.commands.newbo.mypanel;
import com.teamcenter.rac.ui.commands.create.bo.NewBOWizard;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.AbstractCustomPanel;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.IPageComplete;

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import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridData;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Label;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Text;
import org.eclipse.ui.forms.widgets.FormToolkit;
public class MyPanel extends AbstractCustomPanel implements IPageComplete
{
private Composite composite;
private Text text;
public MyPanel()
{
}
public MyPanel( Composite parent )
{
super( parent );
}
@Override
public void createPanel()
{
FormToolkit toolkit = new FormToolkit( parent.getDisplay() );
composite = toolkit.createComposite( parent );
GridLayout gl = new GridLayout( 2, false );
composite.setLayout( gl );
GridData gd = new GridData( GridData.FILL_HORIZONTAL );
gd.grabExcessHorizontalSpace = true;
composite.setLayoutData( gd );
GridData labelGD = new GridData( GridData.HORIZONTAL_ALIGN_END );
Label label = toolkit.createLabel( composite, "Object_Name: " );
label.setLayoutData( labelGD );
GridData typeTextGd = new GridData( GridData.FILL_HORIZONTAL );
text = toolkit.createText( composite, "" );
text.setText( "This is my own panel" );
text.setLayoutData( typeTextGd );
}
public boolean isPageComplete()
{
String txt = text.getText();
return txt.length() == 0 ? false : true;
}
@Override
public Composite getComposite()
{
return composite;
}
@Override
public void updatePanel()
{
if( input != null )
{
NewBOWizard wizard = (NewBOWizard) input;
String msg = "";
if( wizard.model.getTargetArray()!= null )
{
try
{
msg = wizard.model.getTargetArray()[0].getProperty(
"object_name" ).toString();
}
catch( Exception e )
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
else
{
msg = "Nothing is selected";
}
text.setText( msg );
}
}
@Override
public Object getUserInput()
{
return null;
}
}

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Following is the resulting custom panel added to the New Business Object wizard,
which is run when you choose File→New→Other in the rich client.

customPanel example in the rich client

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firstcolumn

Defines the layout of the first column defined on a page. The secondcolumn element
defines the layout of the second column on a page.
This element applies only if the TwoColumn format is set in the format attribute on
the page element.
Note

When placing properties in firstcolumn and secondcolumn elements, you

must place the properties elements inside the section tag. If you do not, the
properties do not appear in the thin client user interface.

Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the firstcolumn tag is deprecated and is replaced by

the column tag.
For example:
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General" format="TwoColumn">
<firstcolumn>
<property name="object_string" column="32"/>
<separator/>
<property name="object_name" column="32"/>
<property name="object_desc" />
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="last_mod_user" />
</firstcolumn>
<secondcolumn>
<image/>
</secondcolumn>
</page>

Is replaced by:
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General">
<column>
<property name="object_string" column="32"/>
<separator/>
<property name="object_name" column="32"/>
<property name="object_desc" />
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="last_mod_user" />
</column>
<column>
<image/>
</column>
</page>

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets (but not the New Business
Object wizard):

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Property
Summary
Form

EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the firstcolumn element:
<page text="Overview" format="TwoColumn">
<firstcolumn>
<section text="AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision"
defaultdisplay="thumbnailDisplay" sortdirection="descending"
sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>
<section text="ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties" text="moreProperties"/>
</section>
<section text="ClassificationProperties">
<classificationProperties/>
</section>
</firstcolumn>
<secondcolumn>
<view name="viewer"/>
<view name="actions">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess" text="newProc" />
</view>
</secondcolumn>
</page>

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firstcolumn element in the rich client

firstcolumn element in the thin client

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GoverningProperty

Specifies the name and value of the field that initiates the Rule element. The
GoverningProperty tag must be contained within a condition tag and used in
conjunction with a rule tag.
Note

The conditions and GoverningProperty tags do not work in the Viewer view if
the style sheet is registered for properties or form display.

ATTRIBUTES
propertyname
Specifies the name of the field that triggers the rule if its value matches.
propertyvalue
Specifies the property value that triggers the rule.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets:
Property
Form

EXAMPLE
<rendering>
<property name = "user_data_1"/>
<property name = "user_data_2"/>
<property name = "user_data_3"/>
<conditions>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "user_data_1" propertyvalue = "Mine1">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "required"/>
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_3" state = "disabled"/>
</GoverningProperty>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "user_data_1" propertyvalue = "Do IM">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "disabled"/>
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_3" state = "required"/>
</GoverningProperty>
</conditions>
</rendering>

For a user interface example, see conditions.

For another example, see Set properties to be conditionally mandatory or disabled.

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header

Specifies that a header area must be displayed in the page.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the header element:
<header>
<image source="thumbnail"/>
<classificationTrace/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
</header>

header element in the rich client

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header element in the thin client

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image

Specifies that an image is to be rendered. Image dimensions are always kept

proportional when being scaled or resized.
ATTRIBUTES
maxheight
Specifies the maximum height in pixels to which the image should be scaled. This is a
string attribute that is optional.

maxwidth
Specifies the maximum width in pixels to which the image should be scaled. This is a
string attribute that is optional.

source
Specifies the source of the image to display. The attribute value can be a thumbnail,
preview, or type keyword. This is a string attribute that is optional.

tooltip
Specifies the tooltip associated with the image. The attribute value must be a key into
a property file. This is a string attribute that is optional.

Note

For backward compatibility, if no attributes are specified and the current object
type is an Item, ItemRevision, or Dataset business object, an attempt is made
to find and render any preview image that is associated with the object.

SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client

Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets:

Property
Summary
Form

EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the image element:
<header>
<image source="thumbnail"/>
<classificationTrace/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
</header>

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image element in the rich client

image element in the thin client

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label

Specifies a label to be rendered.

ATTRIBUTES
class
Defines the cascading style sheet (CSS) class used to provide the style for the label
text. The CSS class must be an existing thin client CSS.
label text="Sample text."
class="textCSSClass"

style
Controls font style for the label text, including font size, weight, name, and style (such
as italic). The format follows the CSS guideline, for example:
style="font-size:14pt;font-style:plain;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold"

text
Specifies the text to use for the label. The attribute value must be a key into a property
file. If the key is not found, the attribute value itself is displayed as static text. This
attribute is required.
Support is provided for localized values. For example, the tagging <label text="Hello
World" /> displays text on the property page, and <label textKey="k_version_name"
/> displays the localized text in the provided property.
URL addresses in the label text and property tags are automatically rendered. (In
the rich client, URL addresses are also automatically rendered for textfield and
textarea rendering hints.)
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on all style sheet types.
EXAMPLES
• Text
Following is sample code for the label text element:
<label text="This is a raining day!" />

The following figure shows the text on the page.

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Label tag example

• style attribute
The property style sheet page tagging includes the style attribute within the label
text and property tags to control font style. Support is provided for font size, weight,
name, and style (such as italic). The format follows the CSS guideline, for example,
style="font-size:14pt;font-style:plain;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold".
For example:
<page title="Reservation" titleKey="tc_xrt_Reservation"
visibleWhen="object_desc==Testing*">
<label text="The object is checked out? or not ...."
style="font-size:14pt; font-style:plain;font-family:Tahoma; font-weight:bold" />
...
</page>

This results in the font style shown in the following figure.

style tagging example

• URL rendering
URL addresses included in the label and property tag are automatically rendered.
For example:
<label text="Press www.abcnews.com to view the latest headlines!"
style=" font-size:14pt;font-style:plain;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:normal" />

Consider the following code:

<label text="***My Header Info http://www.siemens.com ***" />

Because a URL is included in the label tag, it is automatically rendered on the

page, as shown in the following figure.

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URL rendering example

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listDisplay

Displays a set of objects in a list format.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the listDisplay element:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="listDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>

listDisplay element in the rich client

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objectSet

Provides a set of display options for the selected object. This element is a replacement
for the attachments element.
Click the appropriate button to view the object’s characteristics in a table, list, or tree.

objectset buttons in the rich client

Note that in the thin client, the tree option is rendered as a thumbnail display.

objectset buttons in the thin client

ATTRIBUTES
defaultdisplay
Specifies the default format to use when displaying the set of objects. Valid values
are treeDisplay, tableDisplay, listDisplay, or thumbnailDisplay. The default value
is listDisplay. This is a string attribute that is optional.
maxColumnCharCount
Specifies the maximum number of characters for a column. The default is 80. Set
to -1 for unlimited column size.
sortby
Specifies the object property to sort the set of objects by prior to rendering. The default
value is object_string. This is a string attribute that is optional.
sortdirection
Specifies the direction in which the set of objects should be sorted. Valid values are
ascending or descending. The default value is ascending. This is a string attribute
that is optional.
source
Specifies the comma-delimited set of run-time properties or relations that return the
desired set of objects. The format for the attribute value is property.type, where
property is the name of a relation, run-time, or reference property, and type represents
the type of objects to be included. Multiple property.type values can be specified as
a comma-separated list, such as contents.Item or contents.ItemRevision. When
using a relation property, you must explicitily specify the relation. Subtypes are not
traversed. This is a string attribute that is required.

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SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client

Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code using the objectSet tag:
<objectSet source="contents.WorkspaceObject" defaultdisplay="thumbnailDisplay"
sortby="object_name" sortdirection="ascending">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="object_desc"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="owning_group"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="object_desc"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="owning_group"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
<command actionKey="newBusinessObjectContextualAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.common.AddNew" renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
<command actionKey="cutAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut"
renderingHint="commandbutton">
<parameter name="localSelection" value="true"/>
</command>
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy"
renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
<command actionKey="pasteAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.pastewithContext" renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
</objectSet>

Note

In an object set, you can use the command tag to add buttons for
existing menu commands. For example, you can place cut, copy, and
paste buttons on the object set. When you add command buttons, you
must add the actionKey argument to make the buttons appear in the thin
client. The action key value to use for each command can be found in the
staging-location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\intl\
language\wsomenu.xml file.
You can use the localSelection parameter to specify the selected object. If the
localSelection parameter is set to true for any command action, the action is
performed on the object selected in the object set. For example, In case of the
cut action, if the localSelection parameter is true, the cut action operates on
the object selected in the object set list. If the localSelection parameter is
false (or not set), the cut action operates on the object for which the summary
is being shown and not on an object selected in the object set. Although the
localSelection parameter works with all commands defined in the object set
views, it only makes sense to use it with certain commands. For example, any
commands such as Revise, Cut, and Delete that should operate on objects in
the object set view should have the localSelection parameter set to true, and

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any commands such as Add New and Paste that do not operate on the object
selected should not use this parameter.

Following is how the sample code is rendered in the user interface. This object set
shows the contents of a folder.

Object set in the rich client (with table button selected)

Following is the same object set rendered in the thin client.

Object set in the thin client (with table button selected)

For a customization example that includes an object set, see Modify the Summary
view using style sheets.

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page

Presents a tab panel in a dialog box or view. If the page element is not defined in
the XML file, a default page is created.
ATTRIBUTES
format
Specifies the format to be used for this page. This attribute can have one of these
values: OneColumn or TwoColumn. The default value is OneColumn. This attribute
is optional.
The firstcolumn tag defines the layout of the first column, and the secondcolumn tag
defines the layout of the second column.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the format attribute is deprecated on the page tag. It

is no longer needed because the firstcolumn and secondcolumn tags are
deprecated.

text
Specifies the title to be displayed for the page. The attribute value must be a key into
a property file. If the key is not found, the attribute value itself is displayed as static
text. This is a required attribute.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the text attribute is deprecated and is replaced by the

title and titlekey attributes.

title
Specifies the default string of the title for this tab. This attribute is used when the string
in the titleKey attribute is not found in the locale file. This is an optional attribute.
titleKey
Specifies the key used to search for the title in the locale file. If it is not defined, the
string defined by the title attribute is used. This is an optional attribute.
visibleWhen
Defines the conditional display of a tab based on one of three types of expressions
comparing a property or preference to a value. The value can be null or a string,
including a string containing the * wildcard character. Multiple values can be checked
with an array property or preference. When checking an array value, use a comma as
a delimiter for the values. The three types of expressions check the following:
1. The value of a property on the selected object
2. The value of a Teamcenter preference
3. The value of a property on an object related to the selected object

• To check the value of a property on the selected object, use the real (database)
name of the property in the expression.
If you want to show a “Test” page if the object_desc property begins with the
word Testing, use the following:

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<page title="Test" titleKey="tc_xrt_testpage" visibleWhen="object_desc==Testing*

The following examples show "My Page" based on the value of a property called
myProp.
Display the page if myProp contains "test".
<page titleKey="My Page" visibleWhen="myProp==*test*">

Display the page if myProp does not contain "test".

<page titleKey="My Page" visibleWhen="myProp!=*test*">

Display the page if myProp contains no value (null).

<page titleKey="My Page" visibleWhen="myProp==null">

• To check the value of a Teamcenter preference, use {pref:preference-name} to

differentiate it from a property-based expression. Following are some examples:
Display the page when the TC_Enable_MyPref preference has no value.
<page titleKey="My Page" visibleWhen="{pref:TC_Enable_MyPref}==null">

Display the page when the Item_ColumnPreferences preference contains

object_string and object_type, as the first two values.
<page titleKey="My Page" visibleWhen="{pref:Item_ColumnPreferences}==object_stri

• To check a property on an object related to the selected object, you must include
the reference or relation property name and the property name from the related
object separated by a period.
Display the page when the owner of the selected object is user1.
<page title="Custom User Page" visibleWhen="owning_user.user_id==user1">

Display the page when the status of the selected object is TCM Released.
<page title="Custom Status Page" visibleWhen="release_status_list.name==TCM Rele

Display the page when two specific statuses are present on the object — both
TCM Released and Approved.
<page title="Special Status Page" visibleWhen="release_status_list.name==TCM Rel

Display the page when there is a PDF dataset attached with a specification relation.
<page title="The PDF Page" visibleWhen="IMAN_specification.object_type==*PDF*">

Note

If there is only one page, and the visibleWhen condition hides this page,
the rich client ignores this condition and makes the page visible.

If you specify a reference property but you do not specify a property on the
related object, the default value will be the secondary object’s localized
value - typically object_string.

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SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client

Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets:

Property
Summary
Form
Create

EXAMPLES
• page element

Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the page element:
<page titleKey="tc_xrt_Overview">
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="listDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties"
titleKey="tc_xrt_moreProperties"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ClassificationProperties">
<classificationProperties/>
</section>
</column>
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_Preview">
<image source="preview"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_actions" commandLayout="vertical">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess" titleKey="tc_xrt_newProc" />
</section>
</column>
</page>

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page element in the rich client

page element in the thin client

• visibleWhen attribute
To specify a single conditional evaluation for the component property, include
the visibleWhen parameter on the property style sheet page, for example,
visibleWhen="object_desc!=abc".

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Consider the following code:

<page title="Reservation" titleKey="tc_xrt_Reservation"
visibleWhen="object_desc==Testing*">
...
</Page>

If the word Testing is used in the object_desc property, the Reservation link
appears. In the following example, the object_desc property is blank, and
therefore the Reservation link does not appear.

Condition is not met for the visibleWhen parameter

Now change the description value to Testing my code; the Reservation link
appears after you save your changes, as shown in the following figure.

Condition is valid for the visibleWhen parameter

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parameter

Passes in the name/value parameters to the parent command. This is a child element
of the command element. An example of a parameter is localSelection.
ATTRIBUTES
name
Specifies the parameter name, for example, searchName. This is a required attribute.
value
Specifies the parameter value, for example, CustomSearch. This is a required
attribute.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin Client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the paramter element:
<command actionKey="pasteAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.pastewithContext"
renderingHint="commandbutton"/>
<command actionKey="cutAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut"
renderingHint="commandbutton">
<parameter name="localSelection" value="true"/>
</command>

Note

When you define a custom command for the rich client that uses parameters,
you must add the parameters with the commandParameter tag in the
plugin.xml file of the custom plug-in, for example:
<extension
id="com.myco.command.parameter.test.commands.category"
name="Test Category"
point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<command
name="Test command"
categoryId="com.teamcenter.ddp.commands.category"
id="com.myco.command.parameter.test.commands.testCommand">
<commandParameter id="localStage1" name="localStage1" optional="true" />
<commandParameter id="localStage2" name="localStage2" optional="true" />
<commandParameter id="localStage3" name="localStage3" optional="true" />
<commandParameter id="localStage4" name="localStage4" optional="true" />
<commandParameter id="source" name="source" optional="true" />
</command>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.myco.command.parameter.test.commands.testCommand"
class="com.myco.command.parameter.test.handlerTest">
</handler>
</extension>

When you add the custom command in a stylesheet, the parameters defined
in the stylesheet must match the commandParameter values defined in the
plug-in, for example:
<command commandId="com.myco.command.parameter.test.commands.testCommand"

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renderingHint="commandbutton">
<parameter name="localStage1" value="1"/>
<parameter name="localStage2" value="2"/>
<parameter name="localStage3" value="3"/>
<parameter name="localStage4" value="4"/>
</command>

If you add only the parameters in the style sheet and do not also add the
parameters in the plugin.xml file using the commandParameter tag, when
you execute the command in the rich client interface you receive an error that
no parameters are found.

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property

Specifies the property of the form or object. You must include at least one property in
the XML definition; otherwise, the system displays an empty panel.
Note

You cannot add the same property multiple times in the same stylesheet.

ATTRIBUTES
border
Determines whether the border is displayed. Valid values are true and false. This
works only with the titled style. This is supported in both the rich client and thin client.
column
Applies only to the textfield and textarea rendering hints. It sets the number of
columns. This is supported in both the rich client and thin client.
modifiable
Specifies if the owning_user or owning_group property can be modified (true or
false). For all other properties, use a property rule instead.
name
Specifies the display name of the property. This is a required attribute. This is
supported in both the rich client and thin client.
In the New Business Object wizard, you can use compounding to specify a property
with revision, IMAN_master_form, and IMAN_master_form_rev contexts on style
sheets registered to any object.
• For example, if the style sheet is registered on an item, name=
revision:item_revision_id displays the item_revision_id property from the
item's revision.

• Similarly, name= IMAN_master_form:project_id displays the project_id

property from the item master form.

• Also, name= revision:IMAN_master_form_rev: serial_number displays the

serial_number property from the item revision master form.

renderingHint
Specifies the component used to render this property. This is an optional attribute. If
not defined, the default renderer is used based on the property type.
renderingStyle
Defines the rendering style used in the rendering component. There are three styles:
headed, headless, and titled.
• Headed
This is the default rendering style. The property name is displayed on the left
followed by the property value renderer. This is supported in both the rich client
and thin client.

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• Headless
This style renders only the property value without displaying the property name in
front of it. This is supported in both the rich client and thin client.

• Titled
The property name is displayed on the top of the property value renderer. This is
supported in both the rich client and thin client.

row
Applies only to textarea elements. It sets the number of the rows for the element. This
is supported in both the rich client and thin client.
style
Controls font style for the label text, including font size, weight, name, and style (such
as italic). The format follows the CSS guideline, for example:
style="font-size:14pt;font-style:plain;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold"

SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets:
Property
Summary
Form
Create

EXAMPLES
• property element
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the property element:
<header>
<image source="thumbnail"/>
<classificationTrace/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
</header>

property elements in the rich client

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property elements in the thin client

• URL rendering
URL addresses in the label text and property tags are automatically rendered.
(In the rich client, URL addresses are also automatically rendered for textfield
and textarea rendering hints.)
For an example, see label.

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rendering

Root element
ATTRIBUTES
Version
Specifies the version of the XML schema. When an older version is detected, the
program automatically converts the old scheme to the new one.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag is required on all types of style sheets:
Property
Summary
Form
Create

EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the rendering element:
<rendering xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="XMLRenderingStylesheet_Schema.xsd">
<header>
<image source="thumbnail"/>
<classificationTrace/>
<property name="owning_user"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="object_type"/>
</header>
.
.
.
</rendering>

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Rule

Applies the rule to the field if the GoverningProperty element matches its conditions.
The Rule tag must be contained within a conditions tag and used in conjunction
with a GoverningProperty tag.
ATTRIBUTES
propertyname
Specifies the name of the field to require or disable.
state
Indicates whether to make the field required or disabled. The valid values for this
attribute are required and disabled.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets:
Property
Form

EXAMPLE
<rendering>
<property name = "user_data_1"/>
<property name = "user_data_2"/>
<property name = "user_data_3"/>
<conditions>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "user_data_1" propertyvalue = "Mine1">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "required"/>
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_3" state = "disabled"/>
</GoverningProperty>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "user_data_1" propertyvalue = "Do IM">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "disabled"/>
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_3" state = "required"/>
</GoverningProperty>
</conditions>
</rendering>

For a user interface example, see conditions.

For another example, see Set properties to be conditionally mandatory or disabled.

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secondColumn

Defines the layout of the second column defined on a page. The firstcolumn element
defines the layout of the first column on a page.
This element applies only if the TwoColumn format has been set in the format
attribute on the page element.
Note

When placing properties in firstcolumn and secondcolumn elements, you

must place the properties elements within the section tag. If you do not, the
properties do not appear in the thin client user interface.

Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the secondcolumn tag is deprecated and is replaced

by the column tag.
For example:
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General" format="TwoColumn">
<firstcolumn>
<property name="object_string" column="32"/>
<separator/>
<property name="object_name" column="32"/>
<property name="object_desc" />
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="last_mod_user" />
</firstcolumn>
<secondcolumn>
<image/>
</secondcolumn>
</page>

Is replaced by:
<page title="General" titleKey="tc_xrt_General">
<column>
<property name="object_string" column="32"/>
<separator/>
<property name="object_name" column="32"/>
<property name="object_desc" />
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false" />
<property name="last_mod_user" />
</column>
<column>
<image/>
</column>
</page>

For information about the column tag, see column.

ATTRIBUTES
None.

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SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets (but not the New Business
Object wizard):
Property
Summary
Form

EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the secondcolumn element:
<page text="Overview" format="TwoColumn">
<firstcolumn>
<section text="AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="thumbnailDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>
<section text="ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties" text="moreProperties"/>
</section>
<section text="ClassificationProperties">
<classificationProperties/>
</section>
</firstcolumn>
<secondcolumn>
<view name="viewer"/>
<view name="actions">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess"
text="newProc" />
</view>
</secondcolumn>
</page>

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secondcolumn element in the rich client

secondcolumn element in the thin client

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section

Defines a group of elements to be displayed together within a named section.

Note

This element is a replacement for the view element.

ATTRIBUTES
commandLayout
Controls the layout of commands. Valid values are horizontal or vertical.
initialstate
Specifies whether the view or section should be expanded or collapsed on initial
rendering. Valid values are expanded or collapsed. The default value is expanded.
This attribute is optional.
text
Specifies the title to be displayed on the section header. The attribute value must be a
key into a property file. If the key is not found, the attribute value itself is displayed
as static text. This attribute is required.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the text attribute is deprecated and is replaced by the

title and titlekey attributes.

SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
• Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the section element:
<page titleKey="tc_xrt_Overview">
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision"
defaultdisplay="listDisplay" sortdirection="descending"
sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>

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</objectSet>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink"
modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink"
modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties"
titleKey="tc_xrt_moreProperties"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ClassificationProperties">
<classificationProperties/>
</section>
</column>
<column>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_Preview">
<image source="preview"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_actions" commandLayout="vertical">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction"
commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction"
commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess" titleKey="tc_xrt_newProc" />
</section>
</column>
</page>

section elements in the rich client

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section elements in the thin client

• The following example demonstrates the use of the commandLayout attribute.

The following code defines the command layout as vertical:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_actions" commandLayout="vertical">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess"
text="newProc" />
</section>

Vertical command layout

The following code defines the command layout as vertical:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_actions" commandLayout="horizontal">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess"
text="newProc" />
</section>

Horizontal command layout

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separator

Adds a separator in the pane.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets and the New Business
Object wizard:
Property
Summary
Form
Create

EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the separator element:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_ItemProperties">
<property name="object_desc"/>
<separator/>
<property name="owning_user" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="owning_group" renderingHint="objectlink" modifiable="false"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<separator/>
<property name="checked_out"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
<separator/>
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.properties" titleKey="tc_xrt_moreProperties"/>
</section>

separator elements in the rich client

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separator elements in the thin client

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tableDisplay

Displays a set of objects in a table format.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the tableDisplay element:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="listDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>

tableDisplay element in the rich client

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tableDisplay element in the thin client

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thumbnailDisplay

Displays a set of objects using thumbnails arranged in a grid.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the thumbnailDisplay element:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="listDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>

thumbnailDisplay element in the thin client

The thumbnailDisplay element is not supported in the thin client. The treeDisplay
element is rendered instead.

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treeDisplay

Displays a set of objects in a tree format.

ATTRIBUTES
None.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on Summary style sheets.
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the treeDisplay element:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_AvailableRevisions">
<objectSet source="revision_list.ItemRevision" defaultdisplay="listDisplay"
sortdirection="descending" sortby="item_revision_id">
<tableDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</tableDisplay>
<thumbnailDisplay/>
<treeDisplay>
<property name="object_string"/>
<property name="item_revision_id"/>
<property name="release_status_list"/>
<property name="last_mod_date"/>
<property name="last_mod_user"/>
<property name="checked_out_user"/>
</treeDisplay>
<listDisplay/>
</objectSet>
</section>

treeDisplay element in the rich client

The treeDisplay element is not supported in the thin client. The thumbnailDisplay
element is rendered instead.

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view

Defines a group of properties to be displayed together. If there are firstcolumn and

secondcolumn elements, this element must be within them.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1, the view tag is deprecated and is replaced by the

section tag.
For example:
<view name="viewer"/>
<view name="actions">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess"
text="newProc"
</view>

Is replaced by:
<section titleKey="tc_xrt_viewer">
<image source="preview"/>
</section>
<section titleKey="actions" commandLayout="vertical">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />
<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />
<command actionKey="newProcessAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess"
text="newProc" />
</section>

For information about the section tag, see section.

ATTRIBUTES
name
Specifies the display name of the view. This name can be localized in the textserver
files. This is a required attribute. The following view names are valid: properties,
viewer, impactanalysis, actions, and attachments.
SUPPORTED
CLIENTS
Rich client
Thin client
SUPPORTED
STYLE
SHEETS
This tag can be used on the following types of style sheets and the New Business
Object wizard:
Property
Summary
Form
Create
EXAMPLE
Following is sample code from the ItemSummary.xml XML rendering style sheet
showing the view element:
<secondcolumn>
<view name="viewer"/>
<view name="actions">
<command actionKey="copyAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.copy" />

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<command actionKey="saveAsAction" commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.saveAs" />

<command actionKey="newProcessAction" commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.newProcess"
text="newProc" />
</view>
</secondcolumn>

view elements in the rich client

view elements in the thin client

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Rendering hints

Standard rendering hints

The renderingHint tag is an attribute on a <property> tag that allows you to specify which user
interface widget to use to present the corresponding property. It is an optional attribute, and if not
defined, the default rendering is used based on the property type.
The JavaBeans used depend on the specified rendering hint and rendering style. The following table
lists the JavaBeans used based on the hint and style definition. All rendering hints are supported
in the rich client. If the rendering style is not defined, the default style is headed. There is no titled
style for SWT.
For standard rendering hints, see the com.teamcenter.rac.viewer/plugin.xml file for the SWT
version of rendering hints, and see the com.teamcenter.rac.common/plugin.xml file for the Swing
version of rendering hints. Siemens PLM Software recommends you use SWT rather than Swing,
because Swing is being phased out in favor of SWT.

Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
array Used for Yes – Headed or headless
array only: date, string
character, date, (text area), • SWT:
double, float, string LOV, Not applicable. (Currently using
integer, logical, typed LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)
short, string, reference
note, typed (UID) • Swing:
reference, LOV are PropertyArray
typed relation. supported
Titled (Swing only)
• TitledPropertyArray
checkbox Logic. Yes Headed or headless
• SWT:
Not applicable. (Currently using
LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)

• Swing:
PropertyCheckbox

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyCheckbox

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Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
checkboxoptionlov Used with LOV Yes – Headed or headless
only: character, Rendered
date, double, using • SWT:
float, integer, same Not applicable. (Currently using
short, string, component LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)
note, typed ref, as string
typed relation. LOV array • Swing:
PropertyCheckboxOptionLov

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyCheckboxOptionLov
datebutton Date. Yes – Headed or headless
Rendered
as • SWT:
calendar DateControlPropertyBean
button.
• Swing:
PropertyDateButton

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyDateButton
label All types. Used Yes Headed or headless
for display only;
Note
you cannot • SWT:
change the LabelPropertyBean
As of Teamcenter
9.1, the button value.
• Swing:
rendering PropertyLabel
hint and the
PropertyButton Titled (Swing only)
bean and
TitledPropertyButton • TitledPropertyLabel
bean are
deprecated and
are no longer
supported. Use the
label hint instead.

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Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
localizablearray String. No Headed or headless
• SWT:
Not applicable. (Currently using
LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)

• Swing:
PropertyLocalizableArray

Titled (Swing only)

• Not applicable.
localizablelovuicomp String. No Headed or headless
As of Teamcenter 10.1, • SWT:
this rendering hint is LocalizedLOVUICompPropertyBean
deprecated and replaced
by the lovuicomp • Swing:
and lovuicomp_titled PropertyLocalizableLOVUIComponent
rendering hints.
Titled (Swing only)
• TitledPropertyLOVUIComponent
localizabletextarea String. No Headed or headless
• SWT:
LocalizedTextAreaPropertyBean

• Swing:
PropertyLocalizableTextArea

Titled (Swing only)

• Not applicable.
localizabletextfield String. No Headed or headless
• SWT:
LocalizedTextfieldPropertyBean

• Swing:
PropertyLocalizableTextField

Titled (Swing only)

• Not applicable.

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Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
localizablelongtextpanel String, note. Yes – Headed or headless
Rendered
as text • SWT:
area Not applicable. (Currently using
LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)

• Swing:
PropertyLocalizableLongTextPanel

Titled (Swing only)

• Not applicable.
logical Logical. No Headed or headless
• SWT:
LogicalPropertyBean

• Swing:
PropertyLogicalPanel

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyLogicalPanel
longtext Use only for Yes – Headed or headless
string type Rendered
when the as • SWT:
maximum textarea. Not applicable. (Currently using
length is bigger LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)
than 2500.
• Swing:
PropertyLongText

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyLongText
lovbutton Used with LOV Yes – Headed or headless
only: character, Rendered
As of Teamcenter 10.1, date, double, as regular • SWT:
this rendering hint is float, integer, LOV Not applicable. (Currently using
deprecated and replaced logical, short, LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)
by the lovuicomp string, note,
and lovuicomp_titled typed ref, typed • Swing:
rendering hints. relation. PropertyLOVButton

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyLOVButton

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Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
lovcombobox Used with LOV Yes – Headed or headless
only: character, Rendered
As of Teamcenter 10.1, date, double, as regular • SWT:
this rendering hint is float, integer, LOV LOVComboBoxPropertyBean
deprecated and replaced logical, short,
by the lovuicomp string, note, • Swing:
and lovuicomp_titled typed ref, typed PropertyLOVCombobox
rendering hints. relation.
Titled (Swing only)
The
column="name" • TitledPropertyLOVCombobox
argument
does not
apply for the
lovcombobox
rendering hint.
You cannot
use the
lovcombobox
rendering hint
in cascading
or hierarchical
LOVs. You
can only use
the lovuicomp
rendering hint.
lovuicomp Used with LOV No Headed or headless
only: character,
date, double, The rich • SWT:
float, integer, client only LOVUIComponentPropertyBean
logical, short, supports
string, note, this • Swing:
typed ref, typed rendering PropertyLOVUIComponent
relation. hint for
LOV Titled (Swing only)
display.
• TitledPropertyLOVUIComponent

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Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
objectlink Typed ref, Yes – Headed or headless
typed relation. Rendered
as a text • SWT:
field ObjectLinkPropertyBean

• Swing:
PropertyObjectLink

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyObjectLink
panel Unused. Yes – Headed or headless
Rendered
using • SWT:
separators Not applicable.

• Swing:
PropertyPanel

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyPanel
radiobutton Character, Yes Headed or headless
date, double,
float, integer, • SWT:
logic, short, Not applicable. (Currently using
string, note. LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)

• Swing:
PropertyRadioButton

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyRadioButton
radiobuttonoptionlov Used with LOV Yes – Headed or headless
only: character, Rendered
date, double, using • SWT:
float, integer, same Not applicable. (Currently using
short, string, component LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)
note, typed ref, as string
typed relation. LOV array • Swing:
PropertyRadioButtonOptionLov

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyRadioButtonOptionLov

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Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
slider Character, No Headed or headless
double, float,
integer, short, • SWT:
note, string. SliderPropertyBean

For types • Swing:

except integer PropertySlider
and short,
this attribute Titled (Swing only)
converts the
property value • TitledPropetySlider
to an integer.
The value
defaults to 0
if any errors
occur.
styledtextarea Character, Yes Headed or headless
date, double,
float, integer, • SWT:
logic, short, StyledTextAreaPropertyBean
string, note.
• Swing:
PropertyStyledTextArea

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyStyledTextArea
styledtextfield Character, No Headed or headless
date, double,
float, integer, • SWT:
logic, short, StyledTextfieldPropertyBean
string, note.
• Swing:
PropertyStyledTextField

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyStyledTextField

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Supported
Use on in thin
Rendering hint property types client? JavaBeans
textarea Character, Yes Headed or headless
date, double,
float, integer, • SWT:
logic, short, TextAreaPropertyBean
string, note.
• Swing:
PropertyTextArea

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyTextArea
textfield Character, Yes Headed or headless
date, double,
float, integer, • SWT:
logic, short, TextfieldPropertyBean
string, note.
• Swing:
PropertyTextField

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyTextField
togglebutton Character, No – Headed or headless
date, double, Rendered
float, integer, as • SWT:
logic, short, checkbox Not applicable. (Currently using
string, note. LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)

• Swing:
PropertyToggleButton

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyToggleButton
togglebuttonoptionlov Used with LOV Yes – Headed or headless
only: character, Rendered
date, double, using • SWT:
float, integer, same Not applicable. (Currently using
short, string, component LegacyPropertyBridgeBean.)
note, typed ref, as string
typed relation. LOV array • Swing:
PropertyToggleButtonOptionLov

Titled (Swing only)

• TitledPropertyToggleButtonOptionLov

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Related topics

• XML elements

Add a custom rendering hint

The renderingHint attribute on the property tag allows you to specify which user interface widget to
use to present the corresponding property. In addition to the supported standard rendering hints, you
can also add your own custom rendering hints.
For the standard rendering hints, see the com.teamcenter.rac.viewer/plugin.xml file for the SWT
version of rendering hints, and see the com.teamcenter.rac.common/plugin.xml file for the Swing
version of rendering hints.
The method of adding a custom rendering hint is different depending on whether you are using the
SWT or Swing property bean.
• SWT
The SWT property bean is used by the Summary view, the New→Other wizard, and the Viewer
view.

1. Create a custom plug-in that uses the com.teamcenter.rac.common.renderingHint

extension point.

2. Create a Java class by extending from the AbstractPropertyBean bean. Following is a

simple example of custom property bean:
<extension point="com.teamcenter.rac.common.renderingHint">
<renderingHint
id="mytextfield" priority="0">
<propertyBean
class="com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.stylesheet.beans.MyTextfieldPropertyBean">
</propertyBean>
</renderingHint>
</extension>

• Swing
The Swing property bean is used by the Properties dialog box and the Viewer view. There are
two ways you can implement the Swing property bean:
o Add the new rendering hint definition to a custom stylesheet_user.property file.
Each rendering hint has a key for the class path of the Java bean defined in the
com\teamcenter\rac\stylesheet.properties file, found in the com.teamcenter.rac.common
JAR file. You can plug in your own bean by overwriting the entry in the properties file to
replace the default Java bean, or you can add new entries for custom Java beans.
The key has the following format for headed or headless beans:
rendering-hint.DEFINITION

The following format is for titled beans.

rendering-hint_titled.DEFINITION

For example:
textfield.DEFINITION=com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.
PropertyTextField
textfield_titled.DEFINITION=com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.
TitledPropertyTextField

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o Use the com.teamcenter.rac.common.renderingHint extension point.

1. Create a custom plug-in that uses the com.teamcenter.rac.common.renderingHint
extension point.

2. Create a Java class by extending from the InterfacePropertyComponent component.

Note the difference from the SWT version, because it is using the legacyPropertyBean
element for the class in the extension definition:
<extension point="com.teamcenter.rac.common.renderingHint">
<renderingHint id="mytextfield" priority="0">
<legacyPropertyBean
class="com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.MyPropertyTextField"/>
</renderingHint>
</extension>

After you finish creating the Java code, add the new package or class to your custom plug-in
export-package list in the MANIFEST.MF file, for example:
Export-Package: com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.customplugin.bean

Following is an example Java class that creates a custom SWT rendering hint:
package com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.customplugin.beans;
import com.teamcenter.rac.common.controls.LOVComboBox;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCPropertyDescriptor;
import com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.stylesheet.beans.LOVComboBoxPropertyBean;
import java.util.Map;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IConfigurationElement;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExecutableExtension;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.ui.forms.widgets.FormToolkit;
/**
*/
public class MyLOVComboBoxPropertyBean
extends LOVComboBoxPropertyBean implements IExecutableExtension
{
/**
*
* Constructor
*
* @param lovCombo
*/
public MyLOVComboBoxPropertyBean( LOVComboBox lovCombo )
{
super( lovCombo );
}
/**
* Constructor
*
* @param toolkit FormToolkit to use to create UI widgets
* @param parent composite
* @param renderFlat Flag indicating it's read only or modifiable
* @param paramTable Map of attributes which in stylesheet file.
* @published
*/
public MyLOVComboBoxPropertyBean( FormToolkit toolkit, Composite parent,
boolean renderFlat, Map paramTable )
{
super(toolkit, parent, renderFlat, paramTable);
}
@Override
public void load( TCPropertyDescriptor desc )
throws Exception
{
super.load( desc );
System.out.println("This is mylovcombobox.");
// force it to load the LOVs
lovComboBox.initializeData(false);
}
@Override
public void setUIFValue( final Object value )
{
lovComboBox.getDisplay().asyncExec( new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
if ( value != null )
{
lovComboBox.setSelectedItem( value );
}
else

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{
lovComboBox.setText(""); //$NON-NLS-1$
}
}
} );
}
@Override
public void setInitializationData( IConfigurationElement config,
String propertyName, Object data )
throws CoreException
{
//
}
}

Related topics
• Customize the rich client properties files

Rendering style
Each type of renderer supports three styles: headed, headless, and titled.
• Headed
Displays the property name on the left followed by the property value renderer. This is the default
rendering style.
This style has two components, the PropertyNameLabel JavaBean for the property name
and the PropertyrenderingHint JavaBean for the renderer (for example, PropertyTextField or
PropertyTextArea).

Headed rendering style

• Headless
Renders only the property value without displaying the property name.
This style contains only one JavaBean, PropertyrenderingHint.

• Titled
Displays the property name above the property value renderer.
This style uses only the TitledPropertyrenderingHint JavaBean, for example
TitledPropertyTextField or TitledPropertyTextArea.

Titled rendering style

Default renderers
The following table displays the default renderer for each type. If the rendering hint is not provided,
the default renderer is used.

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Type Default renderer

string textfield if size < 60
textarea if 60 < size < 2500
longtext if size >= 2500
char textfield
double textfield
float textfield
int textfield
short textfield
long textfield
date datebutton
logical logical
note textfield if size < 60
textarea if size > 60
TypedReference/ UntypedReference objectlink
All array types array
Any property with an LOV attached lovuicomp
In turn, the lovuicomp renderer uses the lovcombox
renderer if the number of list of values does not exceed
500, and if there are more, the lovpopupbutton renderer
is used.

Set properties to be conditionally mandatory or disabled

You can use the conditions tag to configure rules on forms to make properties be conditionally
mandatory or disabled on the rich client and thin client. Teamcenter clients implement specified rules
locally using XML rendering style sheets without modifying the underlying server side metamodel.
Note

Style sheets are inherited by form types even where they have not been set.

1. Create a new XMLRenderingStylesheet dataset using the rich client.

Note

If you create a style sheet manually that uses conditions tags and attach it to the
XMLRenderingStylesheet dataset as a named reference, the style sheet must use
UTF-8 encoding. If you use the style sheet viewer to create your dataset, it automatically
uses UTF-8.

2. Select the Viewer pane.

The XML style sheet is displayed in the viewer.

3. Edit the style sheet to add your conditions between the rendering tags. You must include
rendering tags in the style sheet. If you use conditions, you cannot use default rendering.

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The following example makes the user_data_2 property required if the user_data_1 property is
set to axle and disabled if the object_desc property is set to part:
<conditions>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "user_data_1" propertyvalue = "axle">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "required"/>
</GoverningProperty>
<GoverningProperty propertyname = "object_desc" propertyvalue = "part">
<Rule propertyname = "user_data_2" state = "disabled"/>
</GoverningProperty>
</conditions>

The following rules apply to the XML code:

• You can add more than one Rule tag to a GoverningProperty tag. If the GoverningProperty
is true, all of its Rule tags are applied.
Caution

The GoverningProperty tag is not supported in the create style sheet or the summary
style sheet.

• If there is a data or format error in the XML code, no error message is displayed, the
conditions are not applied, and the form uses default functionality.

• If you specify conflicting or circular rules, Teamcenter does not resolve the problem. The
rules are applied, and no error message is displayed.
A circular rule specifies that field 1 makes field 2 disabled and field 2 makes field 1 disabled.
A conflicting rule specifies that a field is both required and disabled.

4. Select Form in the Stylesheet Type list and select the appropriate object from the Registered
Type list.

5. Click the Apply button.

6. Select the form and select the Viewer pane.

The conditions are applied to the form. If you set a property that triggers the rule, the rule is
applied after you move out of the property field (in other words, click or tab outside the field).

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Introduction to rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Basic concepts about rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

What are perspectives and views? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Understanding the Eclipse rich client platform framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Adding menus and toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Introduction to SWT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Basic tasks for rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Process for creating rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Enable rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Process for enabling rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Install Eclipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Set the project preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Run the rich client from Eclipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Export plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Export your custom plug-in to the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Export your custom plug-in to a shared directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Ensure your customizations appear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Distributing rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Distributing customizations to four-tier rich clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Process for distributing customizations to four-tier rich clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Creating a solution file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Distribute a solution file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
ICD tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Distributing customizations to two-tier rich clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Process for distributing customizations to two-tier rich clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Package custom rich client files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Create a feature file for rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23

Sample rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24

Common rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Adding menu commands to a menu, toolbar, and shortcut menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Add a menu command to a menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Add a menu command to the shortcut menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Add a button to the toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization

 Add a command to a menu or toolbar in a view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Add a toggle menu item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Adding views and applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Add a view to the rich client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Create a view that uses the Selection Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Create a custom Viewer view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Add a new rich client application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-66
Add an application to the Teamcenter Send To menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-71
Localize your customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-79
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-84
Customize the rich client properties files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-84
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Infrequent rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Add a table viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-94
Add a tree viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-94
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-98
Add a quick search item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-98
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-100
Change the display color of read-only properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-100
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-103
Add a column to view occurrence notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-103
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-104
Add perspectives to Manufacturing Process Planner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-104
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-116
Customize the workflow template filter list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-116
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-123
Customize the workflow signoff pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-123
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-139
Adding menus and toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-139
Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-141
Menu contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-141
Handler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-142
Context menu suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-142
Customizing form and properties display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-146
Introduction to customizing forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-146
Methods of form customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-146
Developing automatic forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-147
Developing forms using JavaBeans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-148
Developing forms by extending the abstract class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-155
Form user interface display components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-163
Displaying a form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-164

Advanced rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-165

Customizing Command Suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-165
Introduction to customizing Command Suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-165
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-165
Using the Command Suppression expression in the plugin.xml file . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-165
Command Suppression constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-167
Naming convention for extensions and Command Suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-167

Client Customization PLM00075 11.2

 Displaying files in the viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-168
Customizing tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-168
Customizing the data tabs display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-168
Edit a custom properties file to display tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-169
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-170
Sample tab customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-170
Customizing the rich client to perform additional validations on a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-171
Creating pre-actions and post-actions in Resource Manager and Classification . . . . . . . 3-173
Customizing Resource Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-173
Customizing Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-174
Develop Java pre-code and post-code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-175
Customizing complex commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-176
Customizing complex commands for Resource Manager and Classification . . . . 3-176
Resource Manager – Create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-176
Resource Manager – Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-177
Resource Manager – Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-177
Resource Manager – Cancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-178
Resource Manager – Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-178
Resource Manager – Create Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-178
Classification – Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-179
Customize the Launch Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-180

Tips for rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-182

Localization of rich client customizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-182
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-183
Updating your rich client customizations from previous versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-183
Hide perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-183
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184
Adding a third-party JAR file to your plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184

Troubleshooting rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184

Common problems in rich client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184
Eclipse startup error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-184
Customizations from a new plug-in do not appear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-185
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-185
Unable to load application error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-185
Rich client debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-185
Rich client debugging tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-185
Debug using the Print Object view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-186
Debug using the Communication Monitor view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-186
Debug using the Performance Monitor tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-187
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-188
Debug using Eclipse views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-188
Enabling client-side logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-188
Changing the logging level and location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-188
Adding appenders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-189
Pattern layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-189
Add logging to your code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-190
Listener leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-191

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization

Rich client customization reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-192
Teamcenter extension points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-192
Command line options for rich client startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-197
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-200
Coding standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-200
File organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-200
Naming conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-200
Property conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-201
Source code conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-201
Dialog box standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-201
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-202
Property beans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-202
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-221
Rich client Javadoc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-221
User interface components documented in Javadoc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-221
Use SWT instead of Swing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-222
Related topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-223
User interface components in the com.teamcenter.rac.common package . . . . . . . . . 3-223
AbstractProgessDialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-223
ExpansionRule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-226
GroupPanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-226
Lists of values (LOVs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-227
MRUButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-229
OpenByNameButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-229
OrgSelectionDialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-230
ReferencersPanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-231
ReferencerUINode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-233
RolePanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-233
TCComponentUINode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-234
TCConstants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-235
TCTypeRenderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-235
UserPanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-236
User interface components in the com.teamcenter.rac.util package . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-236
AbstractDialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-236
AbstractPopupButton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-237
GenericTableModel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-238
iTextArea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-239
iTextField . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-239
Layout manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-239
MessageBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-256
MLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-257
Registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-259
Separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-260
SplitPane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-261
StringViewerDialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-262
StringViewerPanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-263
Common Teamcenter command IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-263
Plug-in locations of perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-264
Application Integration Framework (AIF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-266

Client Customization PLM00075 11.2

 AIF customization and development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . . 3-266
Integrating the Application Integration Framework (AIF) desktop with the Eclipse
workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . . 3-267
AIF context sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . . 3-268
Introduction to AIF context sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . . 3-268
AIF context sensitivity registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . . 3-269
Write a handler for AIF context sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . . 3-269

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization

Chapter 3: Rich client customization

Introduction to rich client customization

The Teamcenter rich client is based on a client-server architecture. Both the client and server layers
can be customized. The rich client is the user interface (UI) layer and is built and customized using
the Java language. The server layer can be customized using the Integration Toolkit (ITK) and the
C++ programming language.
Because the rich client is based on Eclipse, your customizations have access to all Eclipse extension
points and OSGi services. They can also use Teamcenter-developed customization techniques. To
customize the rich client, you can use:
• Base Eclipse extension points and services (for example, the org.eclipse.ui.menus extension
point).

• Teamcenter extension points and services (for example, the application extension points).

• Teamcenter customization mechanisms (for example, style sheets).

The basic customization technique is to create a plug-in that contains the customizations and
deploy the custom plug-in to the rich client install. To effectively customize the rich client, you must
be comfortable working with Eclipse.

Basic concepts about rich client customization

What are perspectives and views?
Within the rich client user interface, application functionality is provided in perspectives and views.
Some applications use perspectives and views to arrange how functionality is presented. Other
applications use a single perspective and view to present information.
Note

Your administrator can use the HiddenPerspectives preference to prevent the display of
some Teamcenter perspectives in the rich client.

If your site has online help installed, you can access application and view help from the rich client
Help menu or by pressing F1.

Understanding the Eclipse rich client platform framework

When the rich client is installed, Java archive (JAR) files are installed that are Eclipse plug-in
files. They are located in the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory, and the file names start with
com.teamcenter. These files comprise rich client and the resources required to run it. When you add
a new custom plug-in, you deploy it into this directory.

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The Teamcenter rich client is hosted within the Eclipse rich client platform (RCP) framework. The
RCP is a general purpose application framework which provides strong support for modular and
extensible component-based development through the use of plug-ins.
You can find more information about the RCP's features, advantages, and use at the Eclipse Web site:
http://www.eclipse.org/
For more information about using Eclipse, see the Platform Plug-in Developer Guide, which can be
found at the following location:
http://help.eclipse.org/indigo/index.jsp
To customize the RCP, you need to use the Eclipse IDE.

Related topics
• Process for enabling rich client customization

Adding menus and toolbars

To add menu bars, toolbars, and shortcut menus, use the declarative approach provided by
Eclipse. The definition of the menu bar, toolbar, and context menus are provided in the individual
plug-in’s plugin.xml file. Menus and the resulting application logic they call can be placed in a
Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm. The three parts to the MVC paradigm are:
• Command
Command has a globally unique ID and represents the abstract semantic concept of a behavior,
such as copy, paste, and save. A command is not the implementation of that behavior nor is
it the visual representation of that behavior.
<command id="com.teamcenter.rac.command"
name="%com.teamcenter.rac.command.name">
</command>

• Menu contributions
Menu contributions represent a particular view or visual representation of a command. The
menu contributions create the menu and toolbar structures and insert them into the correct
Eclipse location. The location is specified as an Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and can
be any one of the following:
o Main menu

o Main toolbar

o View toolbar

o View menu

o Context (popup) menu

o Trim area

The menu contribution can define a menu label, mnemonic, or icon. It contains visual references
to already defined commands. The visual representations of commands may include labels,

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icons, and mnemonics. Menu contributions also may include separators. Separators are only
visible if there are visible commands before and after a separator. The menu contribution can
define when it will be visible with a visibleWhen clause. The visibleWhen clause refers to all
standard Eclipse expressions. This expression can be very simple or very complex and evaluates
to either true or false which determines whether a menu is visible or not.
<menuContribution locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu">
<menu id="file" label="%menu.file.label" mnemonic="%menu.file.mnemonic">
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.refresh"
mnemonic="%command.refresh.mnemonic"
style="push">
</command>
<separator name="sep1" visible="true"/>
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.exit"
mnemonic="%command.exit.mnemonic"
style="push">
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>

Note

You can define the icon for a menu toolbar item by specifying a URL. The URL is case
sensitive (for example, icon.PNG is not the same as icon.png). If you give an incorrect
icon URL, a warning is logged to the log file and the Console view, if displayed. The
menu or toolbar item with the incorrect URL definition is not visible until it is corrected and
the rich client is restarted.
If you run in development mode inside the IDE and pull the icon files from a source folder,
Windows is not case sensitive and finds the icons. However, once you run the rich client
from the command line where the icons are packaged in the plug-in's JAR file, the Java
API does not find the icons since those APIs are case sensitive.
Always verify the case is correct for image icons.

A command can also be bound to a key sequence using the org.eclipse.ui.bindings extension
point.

• Handler
A handler implements one particular behavior for a given command. For any given command,
there can be zero or several handlers defined. However only none or one handler may be active
for a given command. The active handler controls the command’s enabled state.
Handlers most commonly extend the AbstractHandler class. Handlers are provided an
application context in their execute(*) method. If a command has no active handlers defined,
any menu contributions defined for a command are not visible. A command can also define a
default handler ensuring that a command always has an active handler. The handler can be
declaratively activated via the ActiveWhen clause or programmatically activated. The handler
also defines declaratively when a command appears enabled in any menu contribution with
the enabledWhen expression for the handler.

For more information and full examples about how to use the Eclipse declarative approach to menus
and toolbars, see the following links:
• http://wiki.eclipse.org/Menu_Contributions

• http://wiki.eclipse.org/Platform_Command_Framework

• http://wiki.eclipse.org/Command_Core_Expressions

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• http://www.vogella.de/articles/EclipseCommands/article.html

Related topics

• Adding menu commands to a menu, toolbar, and shortcut menu

Introduction to SWT
The Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) is a graphical toolkit for use with the Java platform, and is
maintained by the Eclipse Foundation. It is an alternative to the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) and
Swing Java toolkits.
For more information about SWT, see the following URL:
http://www.eclipse.org/swt/
Because the rich client already uses SWT, the necessary files are already loaded into your Eclipse
environment from TC_ROOT\portal\plugins when you defined the target platform. Therefore, when
you create a Java file, you can use the import org.eclipse.swt.widgets command to include SWT
in your coding.
Note

Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user interface toolkit and moving away from
AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages you to customize Teamcenter using
SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will discontinue Swing/AWT support in a
future version.

To become familiar with SWT, you can download SWT samples and run the SWT tutorial in Eclipse:
1. Download the Eclipse 3.8 Software Development Kit (SDK) kit for your platform from the following
Web site:
http://archive.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.8-201206081200/

2. Run the SWT samples:

a. Click Samples on the Welcome page, and under SWT select Workbench views and
standalone applications.

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Launching the SWT samples

The SWT sample projects are installed in Eclipse.

SWT sample projects in Eclipse

b. To see the samples in action, right-click the org.eclipse.swt.examples project, choose Run
As→Java Application, and select samples from the dialog box.

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Available SWT samples

3. Run the SWT tutorial:

a. Choose Help→Welcome. On the Welcome page, click Tutorials and choose Create a
Hello World SWT application tutorial.

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Launching the SWT tutorial

The tutorial is displayed.

SWT tutorial

b. Run the tutorial.

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Note

In the Download SWT standalone step of the tutorial, go to the following URL:
http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/
Select the latest release build, and find the SWT Binary and Source download.

c. To run your application, right-click the HelloWorldSWT project in the Package Explorer
and choose Run As→Java Application.
A new empty window should appear with the title Hello world!.

HelloWorldSWT application

Related topics

• Set the project preferences

• User interface components documented in Javadoc

Basic tasks for rich client customizations

Process for creating rich client customizations

When you create a rich client customization, follow this general process to create, test, and distribute
the customization:
1. Set up your Eclipse environment for rich client customization.

2. Create the desired customization.

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3. If you create a custom rich client plug-in, export the plug-in to the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins
directory or a shared directory.

4. Clear cache and register any new plug-in to ensure the customization appears in the rich client.

5. Run the rich client to verify the customization.

6. After testing is successful, distribute the customization to your organization.

Related topics
• Sample rich client customizations

Enable rich client customization

Process for enabling rich client customization

To enable rich client customization, you must install Eclipse and configure it to run the rich client.
Note

The Teamcenter rich client must be installed on your machine first.

The following steps are required to customize the rich client with Eclipse for the first time:
1. Install Eclipse.

2. Set the project preferences.

3. Run the rich client from Eclipse.

Install Eclipse
1. If you have not already downloaded and installed the Java Development Kit (JDK) version 7 or
later, do so before proceeding further. You can download the JDK from the following Web site:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

2. Download the Eclipse 3.8 Software Development Kit (SDK) kit for your platform from the following
Web site:
http://archive.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/R-3.8-201206081200/

3. After you download the kit, extract the ZIP file to a directory on your machine.
The eclipse directory is automatically created below the installation directory.

4. Create a batch file that sets the environment, starts the server, and launches Eclipse using the
JDK command line parameters. Use the following template to create your batch file:
set FMS_HOME=TC_ROOT\tccs
set JAVA_HOME=jre-install-directory
set JRE_HOME=jre-install-directory
set CLASSPATH=TC_ROOT\portal
set PATH=%FMS_HOME%\bin;%FMS_HOME%\lib;TC_ROOT\portal;%PATH%
start "TAO ImR" /min cmd /c "TC_ROOT\iiopservers\start_imr.bat"
Eclipse-install-directory\eclipse.exe -vm jdk-install-directory\bin\javaw

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Note

You can use the portal.bat file as template for this batch file.

5. Run the batch file you just created.

Eclipse displays the Workspace Launcher dialog box.

6. Use the default location for the workspace. This location is used by Eclipse to store the project
related information. Click OK.
Eclipse displays the welcome window. You can close it.

Set the project preferences

1. In Eclipse, choose Window→Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
In the tree on the left, double-click the Java node, then select the Installed JREs node.
Verify that the correct Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version is listed and checked. If the
correct version is not listed, follow these steps:

a. Next to the Installed JREs list, click the Add button.

b. In the JRE Type dialog box, select Standard VM and click Next.

c. In the JRE Definition dialog box, type the JRE directory in the JRE home box. It is the jre
directory under the Java SDK installation directory.

d. Type the name of the JRE in the JRE name box.

e. Click Finish to save the new definition and close the dialog box.

f. In the Preferences dialog box, select the new JRE.

2. In the Preferences dialog box, double-click the Plug-in Development node, then select the
Target Platform node.

3. In the Target Platform dialog box, click Add.

4. In the Target Definition box, ensure Nothing is selected and click Next.

5. In the Target Content dialog box, click Add.

6. In the Add Content dialog box, select Directory and click Next.

7. Navigate to the TC_ROOT\portal directory and click Finish.

The target platform is loaded.

8. Click the Finish button.

The Target Platform dialog box appears.

9. In the Target Platform dialog box, select the target you just set and click OK.

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Run the rich client from Eclipse

1. In Eclipse, choose Run→Debug Configurations.

2. In the tree on the left of the Create, manage, and run configurations dialog box, double-click
Eclipse Application, then select the New_configuration node.

3. In the Name box, type RichClient.

4. In the Main tab, perform the following:

a. Select the Clear check box to clear the workspace before running the application.

b. Ensure that Run a product is selected and that the product is

com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.product.

c. Ensure the correct JRE appears in the Runtime JRE box.

5. Click the Arguments tab and type the following in the VM arguments box:
-Xms256m -Xmx1024m

6. Click the Debug button in the bottom right of the dialog box.
Ensure that the rich client logon dialog box appears. When it does, either click Cancel or log on
the rich client.

Export plug-ins

Export your custom plug-in to the rich client

To test your custom plug-in, export it as a JAR file to the rich client TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.
1. In Eclipse, right-click the customization project and choose Export.

2. In the Export dialog box, choose Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and fragments.

3. Click Next.

4. Click the Browse button to the right of the Directory dialog box and browse to the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

5. Click Finish.
The JAR file is automatically generated into the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

Before running the rich client to verify the customization, run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml
file to register the plug-in with the rich client, and clear the rich client cache.

Related topics

• Ensure your customizations appear

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Export your custom plug-in to a shared directory

If you want to store custom plug-ins in a shared directory on an external machine to be referenced
by rich client installations, you can export the custom plug-in to the shared directory instead of
the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory. Use a .link file on the rich client installations to point to
the shared directory:
1. Create the shared directory.
a. Create a directory (for example, shared) to hold the custom plug-ins, and share it so it can
be accessed by outside machines as a mapped directory.

b. Place within the shared directory an eclipse\features subdirectory and a eclipse\plugins

subdirectory, for example:
z:\shared\eclipse\features
z:\shared\eclipse\plugins

c. Export the custom plug-ins from Eclipse to the eclipse\plugins subdirectory on the shared
directory.

2. Link to the shared directory from the rich client installations.

a. In each rich client installation that requires access to the shared directory, add a links folder
inside the TC_ROOT\portal\ directory.

b. In the links folder, create a plain text file with a .link file extension (for example, custom.link)
that points to the shared directory, for example:
path=\\z:\\shared

Or:
path=/z:/shared

The slash is either one (/) or two (\\) depending on direction. Leading slashes (/ or \\) are
required to tell Eclipse that this is an absolute path. Otherwise, it converts it to a relative path
and does not support referencing another drive.

c. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-ins in the shared

directory with the rich client.

Related topics

• Ensure your customizations appear

Ensure your customizations appear

You can run the rich client from Eclipse, and thereby test if your customizations appear in the rich
client.
But running your customization from Eclipse is not a true test of whether your customizations will
work in an end user’s rich client installation. After you create a customization, you must perform the
following steps to ensure it appears in the rich client when it is run outside the Eclipse IDE.

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Note

You must perform these steps whenever you create a new plug-in to add to the rich client,
which should be in most cases of rich client customization (with the exception of style
sheets). You must always wrap your rich client customizations in a plug-in to ensure that the
out-of-the-box rich client is unchanged, thereby maintaining its integrity the next time you
upgrade to a newer version of Teamcenter. If you customize the out-of-the-box rich client files,
you can lose those customizations the next time you upgrade.

1. Export your custom plug-in from Eclipse to the rich client.

2. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml.bat file to register new plug-ins and other

changes with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are included
when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches the properties
so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and generates a
RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

3. Ensure that the -clean and -initialize arguments are added to the portal.bat file (between
the start Teamcenter.exe command and %*).
Run the portal.bat file to launch the rich client to verify that your customizations appear.
Note

To confirm that the plug-in is registered in the rich client, choose Help→About→Installation
Details and search the list to see the registered plug-ins.

4. If your customizations still do not appear, to clear cache, delete the Teamcenter\ subdirectory in
the user's home directory on the client. This directory is automatically created again when the
user starts the rich client. This directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter directory.
On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.
If you delete this directory, the last state of the rich client is lost, and the user interface appears
as it does at initial startup.

Related topics

• Run the rich client from Eclipse

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Distributing rich client customizations

Distributing customizations to four-tier rich clients

Process for distributing customizations to four-tier rich clients

If you used Over-the-Web Installer (OTW) to initially install a rich client, you can use OTW to distribute
your customized files to it.
1. Package your customized files into a JAR file.

2. Create an installable component descriptor (ICD) file that defines your custom solution.
Note

If you later modify the custom installable component descriptor (ICD) file, for the changes
to take effect, you must delete the client's Over-the-Web Installer distribution directory and
reinstall.

3. Run the Web Application Manager (insweb) to create a distribution instance for your custom
solution.

Creating a solution file

The following code shows a sample solution file named sample.icd. This file deploys the sample.jar
file to the RC_ROOT\plugins directory on the rich client machine.
#The name of the solution. It appears on the solution list in the Web
#Application Manager.
[NAME]
Sample Solution for Rich Client 4-Tier
#The description of the solution that appears in a tooltip when the user
#hovers the mouse over the solution name in the solution list. You can use
#HTML code to format the text.
[DESCRIPTION]
This installs the sample.jar file.
#Specify the jar file. If you have more than one jars, you need to repeat
#this section for each file like this:
#[COPYFILE]
#{
# [FROM]
# sample.jar
#
# [TO]
# plugins
#}
#[COPYFILE]
#{
# [FROM]
# sample2.jar
#
# [TO]
# plugins
#}
#[COPYFILE]
#{
# [FROM]
# sample3.jar
#
# [TO]
# plugins
#}
[COPYFILE]
{
[FROM]
sample.jar
[TO]
plugins
}
#The version of this Sample Solution.
[VERSION]
11
#Requires Teamcenter rich client install.
[PREREQUISITE_SOLUTIONS]
rac4t:11

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#This file defines a Solution.

[SOLUTION]
Y
#It's a Distribution Instance Solution.
[SOLUTION_TYPE]
DS_INSTANCE
#Install information
[MANIFEST_INFO]
{
#This is the RC_ROOT.
[SUBDIR]
rac
[TARGETS]
<target name="file_download_unix">
</target>
<target name="new_solution_unix">
</target>
<target name="file_download_win">
</target>
<target name="new_solution_win">
</target>
[DOWNLOAD_FILES]
{
#This section tells the OTW installer to download the jar.
#The location is subfolder to [SUBDIR] from above.
#If you have more than one jar, you need to list them here like this:
#[COMMON]
#plugins/sample.jar:1.0
#plugins/sample2.jar:1.0
#plugins/sample3.jar:1.0
[COMMON]
plugins/sample.jar:1.0
[SOLARIS]
[HPUX]
[AIX]
[NT_INTEL]
}
[PACKAGED_FILES]
{
[SOLARIS]
[HPUX]
[AIX]
[NT_INTEL]
}
}

Distribute a solution file

1. Launch the Web Application Manager:

a. Open the WEB_ROOT directory.
This is the directory in which you installed the Web Application Manager on your hard drive.

b. In Windows, double-click the insweb.bat file. In UNIX, type the following command:
insweb

The Web Application Manager displays the Teamcenter Web Application Manager dialog
box.

2. Click Copy ICDs.

The Web Application Manager displays the Copy ICD Files dialog box.

3. Enter the path to your solution file and click OK.

The Web Application Manager displays a Progress dialog box and copies the ICD file.

4. When copying is complete, click OK.

The Web Application Manager displays the Teamcenter Web Application Manager dialog box.

5. In the Web Applications list, select the rich client instance and click Modify.

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The Web Application Manager displays the Modify Web Application dialog box.

6. Click Modify Disk Locations.

The Web Application Manager displays the Modify Disk Locations dialog box.

7. Ensure the path to your solution files is listed in the Disk Locations for Install Images box.
If it is not, click Add.

8. Click Add Solutions.

The Web Application Manager displays the Add Solutions dialog box.

9. Select your solution and click OK.

The Web Application Manager begins installation of the solutions and displays a Progress
dialog box.

10. When installation is complete, click OK to close the Progress dialog box.

The Web Application Manager displays the Modify Web Application dialog box.

11. Click OK.

12. Deploy the distribution instance as described in the appropriate Teamcenter server installation
guide (either UNIX and Linux Server Installation or Windows Server Installation).

13. Launch the Over-the-Web-installed rich client or the local otw.bat file to download and use the
sample.jar file. You can verify the JAR file was downloaded to the designated installation location
by looking in the RC_ROOT\plugins directory.

Note

Once you install a customization using a solution file, you cannot remove it using Over-the-Web
Installer.

ICD tags

The following table lists the tags used in ICD files.

Optionally, you can add comments to an ICD file. Any line that begins with a pound sign (#) is
ignored by the system.

Tag Description
APPMAP Signifies that the following lines (until the next tag or end of file) contain the file names of any
application maps that must be added to the overall application map for this particular component.
The order in which the application map files appear in the ICD file is the order they appear in the
master application_map.xml file.

The application map path name entries are relative to the WEB-INF directory.

Use of this tag is optional.

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Tag Description
BOILERPLATE_XML Signifies that the following tag block (grouping of the lines between the braces) contains
boilerplate XML code that should be generated into the web.xml file as listed. There can
be only one BOILERPLATE_XML tag block per ICD file. The available subtags for the
BOILERPLATE_XML tag are derived from the Web application descriptor in Sun's J2EE Servlet
Specification web_app_2.2.dtd (which can be found at http://java.sun.com/j2ee/dtds).

Each valid subelement for the web-app element can be used as a separate subtag in the
BOILERPLATE_XML tag block (except for display-name, description, and session-config,
which are gathered from the Web Application Manager). The subtag should use the subelement
name in all capital letters. For example, for the servlet-mapping subelement, the appropriate
subtag for the BOILERPLATE_XML tag would be [SERVLET_MAPPING]

The list of valid subtags is as follows:

CONTEXT-PARAM
DISTRIBUTABLE
ENV-ENTRY
EJB-REF
ERROR-PAGE
ICON
MIME-MAPPING
LOGIN-CONFIG
RESOURCE-REF
SECURITY-CONSTRAINT
SECURITY-ROLE
SERVLET
SERVLET-MAPPING
TAGLIB
WELCOME-FILE-LIST

Note

The CONTEXT-PARAM subtag is used for context parameters that are not editable
from the Modify Context Parameters window in the Web Application Manager.

Following each subtag provide a valid block of XML code that uses only that subelement. Use
only one subtag for the entire block of entries for that particular subelement. For an example,
see the teamcenter_wae.icd file.
COMPONENT_DEPENDENCIES Signifies that the following lines (until the next tag or end of file) contains the name and version of
other components upon which your component is dependent. For example, your component
may be dependent on Global Services connector components.

Direct dependencies come from Java references to interfaces and classes, JSP include
statements, applets, HTML and .jpg and .gif files, text bundle textid references, application map
references, system preferences references, and so on. If your customization refers to any entity
defined in another component, you have a direct dependency on that other component, and you
must list that component in the COMPONENT_DEPENDENCIES section of your ICD file.

The format is:

component:major-version.minor-version

Replace component with the name of the component on which your custom component is
dependent (use the name of its ICD file, without the .icd extension). Replace major-version and
minor-version with the version of component that is necessary for your custom component
to function properly. For example, the following entry specifies that your component requires
version 00500.000001 of the teamcenter_reports component:
teamcenter_reports:00500.000001

Caution

The value supplied for this tag must match the exact case of the ICD file of the
component on which your component is dependent. For example, if your component
is dependent on the Siemens PLM Software component that has an ICD file named

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Tag Description
teamcenter_soa.icd (Teamcenter Services), your custom component's ICD file must
use the lowercase teamcenter_soa value in its COMPONENT_DEPENDENCIES
section.

CONTEXT_PARAM Signifies that the following tag block (grouping of the lines between the curly brackets) contains
a definition for a context parameter that is generated into the web.xml file. Multiple context
parameters can be defined in a single ICD file by using multiple CONTEXT_PARAM tag blocks.
Subtags are used inside the tag block to provide information about the context parameter being
defined. The values for context parameters defined in this manner can be changed in the Modify
Context Parameters dialog window of the Web Application Manager. The following tag block is
an example of a context parameter definition from the teamcenter_mwau.icd file:
[CONTEXT_PARAM]
{
[PARAM_NAME]
ApplicationInstance
[DESCRIPTION]
A name uniquely identifying the application instance within the application server.
[INPUT_REQUIRED]
Y
[DEFAULT_VALUE]
GlobalServicesInstance1
[TYPE]
string
}

The CONTEXT_PARAM tag block can contain the following subtags, all of which can only be
used as subelements of the CONTEXT_PARAM tag block:

DEFAULT_VALUE
Specifies the default value of the context parameter. If this tag is not used, then a blank
default value is provided.

DESCRIPTION
Contains a description of the context parameter. This tag is required.

ENCRYPT_VALUE
Specifies whether the Web Application Manager must encrypt the context parameter value.
Valid values are Y (encrypted) and N (plain text). If this tag is not specified, the value is
not encrypted.

INPUT_REQUIRED
Specifies whether the context parameter is a required parameter (by use of a Y or N entry).
If a required context parameter has any blank values, the user is not allowed to continue
the installation until the parameters are filled in.

MAXIMUM
Specifies the maximum integer value that is acceptable for this context parameter. This tag
is only used when int, float, or double are specified in the TYPE tag.

MINIMUM
Specifies the minimum integer value that is acceptable for this context parameter. This tag
is only used when int, float, or double are specified in the TYPE tag.
PARAM_FILES
Specifies a list of template files that contain tokens for this parameter that are replaced by
the value of this parameter when the template is used to generate a configuration or other
file used by a Teamcenter application. The substitution token in the template file is the
name of the context parameter surrounded by @ signs. The following example shows the
token for the JNDIName context parameter:
@JNDIName@

The template file name must have the .template extension. For example, if the
resulting file must be named TcEngConfig.xml, the template file must be named
TcEngConfig.xml.template. If the template file is nested inside of a JAR file, you can list
the JAR file name first, followed by a colon, and the template file name. For example, if
you type ejb/core_ejbs.jar:meta-inf/TcEngConfig.xml.template, the Web Application
Manager:

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Tag Description

• Extracts the ejb/core_ejbs.jar file (relative to either the webapp_root or earapp_root

directory).

• Creates a copy of the template renamed as TcEngConfig.xml.

• Substitutes the parameter value for the tokens in the meta-inf/TcEngConfig.xml file.

• Rebuilds the ejb/core_ejbs.jar file.

PARAM_FUNCTION
Specifies the name of the context parameter used in the web.xml file. This tag is required.

PARAM_NAME
Specifies the name of the context parameter used in the web.xml file. This tag is required.

TYPE
Specifies the data type of the context parameter value. Valid values are boolean, double,
float, int, and string. If a TYPE tag is not provided for a context parameter, it is assumed
the context parameter's value is a string.

VALID_VALUES
Specifies a list of values that can be used for this parameter. The Web Application Manager
displays these values in a list box where the installer selects the desired value.
DEFAULT_SOLUTION Signifies when the solution being defined in this ICD file must be included by default when adding
a new Web application in the Web Application Manager. The list of solutions included when
adding a new Web application can be changed by the user prior to beginning installation. For
example, the teamcenter_prestiersolution.icd ICD file, used for the Teamcenter – Web Tier
Core Applications solution, contains the following:
[DEFAULT_SOLUTION]
Y

This tag can only be used in an ICD file for a solution (as opposed to an ICD file for a component).
Valid values are Y (required) or N (not required).
FILES Signifies that the following line (until the next tag or end of file) contains the name of the
installable image file that must be installed for this particular component. Because the Web
Application Manager looks for .TZ files on UNIX and JAR files on Windows, entries in this tag
section list only the file name, without the file extension.

Use uppercase letters for the file name. For example, enter MYCO_MYFOUNDATION
to specify that there is one installable image file for your component (its file name is
MYCO_MYFOUNDATION.TZ on UNIX or MYCO_MYFOUNDATION.JAR on Windows).1

1. The insweb application takes the value it finds in the FILES tag and changes it to uppercase letters before looking for the actual image
file. This means that although you can use lowercase letters to specify the file name in the ICD file, the actual file must be named
using uppercase letters.

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Tag Description
INCOMPATIBLE_SOLUTIONS Signifies that this solution cannot be installed in conjunction with other solutions. For example,
the Teamcenter 11.2 Global Services – Application Directory solution (provides Global Services
datastore files, database scripts, and samples for customization) cannot be installed with other
solutions. The tagging from the ugs_globalservices_aplication_directory.icd file indicates that
the solution cannot be installed with the Teamcenter solutions or other Global Services solutions:
INCOMPATIBLE_SOLUTIONS]
sdrc_foundation
teamcenter_jetigateway
teamcenter_legacyurlsupportsolution
teamcenter_prestierbase
teamcenter_prestierproxysolution
ugs_globalservices_bpel_framework
ugs_globalservices_enterprise_application
ugs_globalservices_enterprise_application
ugs_globalservices_omfg_connector
ugs_globalservices_sap_connector
ugs_globalservices_security_proxy
ugs_globalservices_tceng_connector
ugs_globalservices_tcent_connector
ugs_globalservices_tcgs_connector
ugs_globalservices_teamcenter_connector
ugs_globalservices_teamcenter_RAC_connector
ugs_globalservices_teamcenter_SOA_connector
ugs_globalservices_webservices_connector

The values used must be the solution abbreviations and not their displayable names (for
example, teamcenter_prestierbase is the solution abbreviation for the Teamcenter – Web
Tier Infrastructure solution).
INSTALLER Signifies that installers, such as InstallShield programs, are part of the component. This tag is
used only in ICD files requiring separate installers, such as CAD connectors. There are different
installers for different platforms (for example, UNIX, Windows, and so on). To support this,
each installer has a different UID (unique identification) that points to each installer instance
by platform.

The INSTALLER tag block can contain the following subtags, all of which can only be used as
subelements of the INSTALLER tag block:

• DESCRIPTION
Specifies the description of the installer as used on the installer HTML page.

• DISPLAY_NAME
Specifies the name of the installer as used on the installer HTML page.

• GROUP
Specifies the name of the group the installer appears in.

• NAME
Specifies the ID used to identify the installer.

• REQUIRED
Indicates that this is a required installer. All required installers must be installed before
the client can launch.

• UID
Specifies the unique identification for the installer for each platform.

• VERSION
Specifies the current version of the installer. The value must be
change_me_installer-name_installer_version, where installer-name is the
name of the installer. The value for this tag is populated at build time.

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Tag Description
NAME Signifies that the next line in the file contains the full name of a solution. When a user eventually
uses the Web Application Manager (insweb) to install your solution, the Web Application
Manager uses the value you supply here when the Web Application Manager presents a list of
the solutions available for installation.

This tag is used only in ICD files for solutions (as opposed to ICD files for components). ICD files
for solutions contain the SOLUTION tag. Solutions are a special type of component because
they compose other components (for example, the Teamcenter 11.2 Global Services – Data
Exchange solutions comprises the Global Services User Interface, BPEL Framework, SOA
Connector, and Teamcenter Web Tier Infrastructure components).
NON_DEPLOYABLE Signifies whether the solution is nondeployable and therefore does not contain APPMAP or
SYSTEM_PREFERENCES tag values that must be included in the master application map
(application_map.xml) or system preferences (system_preferences.xml) files. Documentation
files are an example of a nondeployable solution (see the teamcenter_onlinedocs.icd file).
Valid values are Y (nondeployable) or N (deployable).

This tag can only be used in ICD files for solutions.

PREREQUISITE_SOLUTIONS Specifies that the following lines (until the next tag or end of file) contain the abbreviations of any
solutions that are prerequisites for this particular solution. The format is:
solution:major-version

Replace solution with the name of the ICD file (without the icd extension) of the solution that your
solution requires. Replace major-version with the minimum version of solution that is required
to run your (custom) solution. This version information is related to the value specified for the
VERSION tag in the ICD file of the solution that your solution requires.

For example, if your solution requires major version 02005 of the teamcenter_prestierbase
solution, enter the following value:
tteamcenter_prestierbase:02005

This tag is used only in ICD files for solutions (as opposed to ICD files for components). ICD files
for solutions contain the SOLUTIONS tag. Solutions are a special type of component because
they comprise other components.
SOLUTION Signifies that the current ICD file defines a solution (as opposed to a component). For
example, when the Teamcenter – Web Tier Core Applications solution is installed, its ICD file
(teamcenter_prestiersolution.icd) contains the following:
[SOLUTION]
Y

Valid values are Y (solution) or N (component).

SOLUTION_TYPE Designates the type of solution the current ICD file defines, such as a thin client solution (THIN) or
a distributable rich client 4-tier solution (DS_INSTANCE). For example, when the Teamcenter –
Enterprise Tier Common Component solution is installed, its ICD file (teamcenter_common.icd)
contains the following:
[SOLUTION_TYPE]
THIN

If no value is supplied for this tag, then THIN is used as the default. This tag is used only in ICD
files for solutions (as opposed to ICD files for components).
SYSTEM_PREFERENCES Signifies that the following lines (until the next tag or end of file) contains the names of any
system preferences files that this component adds to the system_preferences.xml file. The
path name entries are relative to the WEB-INF directory.

Use of this tag is optional.

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Tag Description
VERSION Signifies that the next line in the file contains the version identifier for a component. The format is
as follows:
major.minor.build

For example:
00300.000001.20021015

When the Web Application Manager reads an ICD file, the value you supply for the major section
of the version string must match the major value of all the other components.

Teamcenter imposes no limits to the number of digits in any section of the version number.
However, the length in any section may be relevant to the Web Application Manager. For
example, the version number 123.0456.999 is considered earlier than the version number
123.456.999. This is because version checking is done by string comparison, and 0456 sorts
before 456.

Distributing customizations to two-tier rich clients

Process for distributing customizations to two-tier rich clients

The basic customization technique is to create a plug-in that contains the customizations and deploy
the custom plug-in JAR file to the rich client installation’s TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory. This
way, when you upgrade to a newer version of Teamcenter, you can simply install the custom plug-in
without having to alter files in the Teamcenter installation.
Perform the following steps to distribute your rich client customizations created in Eclipse to two-tier
rich clients
1. Package your custom files.

2. Create a feature file to install the custom files.

Package custom rich client files

When you create customizations to the rich client, typically they are comprised of JAR files exported
from Eclipse that must be installed to the TC_ROOT/portal\plugins directory. Package these JAR
files into a ZIP file so you can install them using Teamcenter Environment Manager (TEM).
1. To create a plug-in JAR file of your customization, in Eclipse right-click the project and choose
Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and fragments.

2. Zip your custom JAR file into a rac_feature-name.zip file (for example, rac_samplecust.zip) with
the root path for the JAR file set to \plugins.
The use of rac_ in the name signifies that the ZIP file contains a rich client feature. For examples
of these files, see the portal\compressed_files directory on the Teamcenter installation source.

3. Create a directory structure to hold the ZIP files, for example, portal\compressed_files\.
You can use any directory structure you want. For convenience, this structure is the same used
on the Teamcenter installation source.

4. Copy your ZIP files to the portal\compressed_files\ directory.

5. Create a feature file so you can install the custom files using TEM.

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 Rich client customization

Create a feature file for rich client customizations

After you have packaged your rich client customization files into a ZIP file, you can create a feature
file so that you can install them using Teamcenter Environment Manager (TEM).
1. Package your rich client customization files JAR files into a ZIP file.

2. In a text editor, create an XML feature file that points to the ZIP file, for example,
feature_rac_mycust.xml.
Tip

For examples of feature_rac_feature-name.xml files, see the install\modules directory

on the installation source.

Following is an example of a feature file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<feature>
<name value="Rich Client Customizations"/>
<size value="21"/>
<os value="windows" version="5.1"/>
<os value="sunos" version="5.10"/>
<os value="hp-ux" version="11.11"/>
<root value="true"/>
<group value="package"/>
<singular value="true"/>
<guid value="7560C67ED5B01B65C39B8DF7364066C8"/>
<relation>
<depends>
<or value="FF18D25DA73019F880BCFFBC0029CA28"/>
<or value="E2564104E1B964BB23D78078DBA34EEA"/>
<or value="A2564824E1B434AC23D70178DBA34BCA"/>
</depends>
</relation>
<files>
<code>
<unzip file="portal/compressed_files/rac_samplecust.zip"
todir="portal"/>
</code>
</files>
</feature>

In the feature file, change the following lines:

• In the size tag, change the value text to the approximate size (in megabytes) of your
customization files.

• Add or remove os tags to match the platforms where you use rich client.

• In the guid tag, change the value text to a unique value exactly 32 characters in length and
composed of any combination of the numbers 0–9 and the letters A–F.

• In the unzip tag, change the file text to the name of the ZIP file that contains your
customizations.
To ensure that the todir="portal" line correctly unzips to the portal\plugins directory, ensure
that \plugins is set as the location in the ZIP file.

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Tip

If your customizations include a packaged Business Modeler IDE template project, you
can edit the packaged project’s feature file to include the new rich client feature by adding
a node similar to the following. This is not required; you can still have a separate feature
file for the rich client customizations.
<feature>
<name value="feature-display-name"/>
<property name="feature_id" value="rac"/>
<property name="bmide_optional" value="true"/>
<relation>
<depends>
<or value="FF18D25DA73019F880BCFFBC0029CA28"/>
<or value="E2564104E1B964BB23D78078DBA34EEA"/>
<or value="A2564824E1B434AC23D70178DBA34BCA"/>
</depends>
</relation>
<size value="0"/>
<singular value="true"/>
<guid value="85B3827CD5A0FA61220398F6C60C21AB"/>
<files>
<code>
<unzip file="portal/compressed_files/rac_feature-name.zip"
todir="portal"/>
</code>
</files>
</feature>

3. Copy the XML feature file to the TC_ROOT\install\install\modules directory on the installation
source.

4. Open the TC_ROOT\install directory and run Teamcenter Environment Manager (TEM).

5. Click Configuration Manager and click Next.

6. Click Perform maintenance on an existing configuration and click Next.

7. Ensure the correct configuration is selected and click Next.

8. Ensure Add/Remove Features is selected and click Next.

9. Under the Extensions node, select the check box for your new files. The name of the box is the
one you gave it in the feature file. Click Next.

10. In the Confirm Selections panel, click Next to start installing your customization files.

Sample rich client customizations

Common rich client customizations

Adding menu commands to a menu, toolbar, and shortcut menu

Add a menu command to a menu

The rich client uses the Eclipse menus, commands, and handlers mechanism for menus. This
example adds the Sample Command menu command to the end of the Tools menu in the My
Teamcenter perspective only.
1. Create the project.

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a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type
com.mycom.addmenuitem in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

f. To verify the configuration so far, choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client
from your Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the
launch configuration dialog box.
When you run the rich client from Eclipse, the new Sample Menu menu appears on the
menu bar.

Custom menu command on the menu bar

At the far right of the toolbar, there is also a new button.

Custom button on the toolbar

Selecting either the new menu or new button opens the following dialog box.

Action launched from the custom menu command or button

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2. Edit the com.mycom.addmenuitem plug-in's plugin.xml file to place the menu command
at the bottom of the Tools menu. Replace the entire contents of the plugin.xml file with the
following code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<command
name="Sample Command"
id="com.mycom.addmenuitem.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.addmenuitem.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.addmenuitem.handlers.SampleHandler">
</handler>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution locationURI="menu:tools?after=additions">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.addmenuitem.commands.sampleCommand"
mnemonic="S"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
id="com.mycom.addmenuitem.menus.sampleCommand">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

The visibleWhen clause uses the com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective definition to

control visibility. This definition is in the com.teamcenter.rac.common plug-in's plugin.xml file.
Each Teamcenter perspective has an inMainPerspective definition, usually in the plug-in's
plugin.xml file.
For example, the inMainPerspective definition for Structure Manager is in the plugin.xml file in
the com.teamcenter.rac.pse plug-in. If you want the menu command to be visible in Structure
Manager, change the visibleWhen clause to the following:
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.pse.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>

To add the menu to the menu bar instead of the Tools menu, change the locationURI attribute
to the following:
locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu?after=additions"

3. To verify the configuration, choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your
Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch
configuration dialog box.
The menu command is inserted at the bottom of the Tools menu in the My Teamcenter
perspective.

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Custom menu command moved to the Tools menu

4. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics

• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

Add a menu command to the shortcut menu

The rich client uses the Eclipse menus, commands, and handlers mechanism for the shortcut menu
(the right-click menu). This example adds the Sample Command button to the shortcut menu in
the My Teamcenter perspective only.

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1. Create the project.

a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type com.mycom.addshortcut
in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

2. To verify the configuration so far, choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client
from your Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the
launch configuration dialog box.
When you run the rich client from Eclipse, the new Sample Menu menu appears on the menu bar.

3. Edit the com.mycom.addshortcut plug-in's plugin.xml file to place the menu command on the
shortcut menu. Replace the entire contents of the plugin.xml file with the following code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<command
name="Sample Command"
id="com.mycom.addshortcut.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.addshortcut.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.addshortcut.handlers.SampleHandler">
</handler>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="popup:org.eclipse.ui.popup.any?after=additions">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.addshortcut.commands.sampleCommand"
mnemonic="S"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
id="com.mycom.addshortcut.menus.sampleCommand">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

The visibleWhen clause uses the com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective definition to

control visibility. This definition is in the com.teamcenter.rac.common plug-in's plugin.xml file.
Each Teamcenter perspective has an inMainPerspective definition, usually in the plug-in's
plugin.xml file.

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For example, the inMainPerspective definition for Structure Manager is in the plugin.xml file in
the com.teamcenter.rac.pse plug-in. If you want the menu command to be visible in Structure
Manager, change the visibleWhen clause to the following:
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.pse.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>

4. Verify the customization.

a. Choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your Eclipse environment.
Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch configuration dialog box.

b. Right-click on any object in the My Teamcenter perspective. For example, right-click a folder.
The Sample Command menu command appears on the shortcut menu.

Custom menu command added to the shortcut menu

c. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

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A. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins

and fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click
Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

B. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich
client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz
file is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins
or change plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your
changes are included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance
because it caches the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script
takes no arguments and generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the
portal\Registry directory.

C. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client.
This directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics
• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

Add a button to the toolbar

The rich client uses the Eclipse menus, commands, and handlers mechanism for the toolbar. This
example adds the Sample Command button to the toolbar in the My Teamcenter perspective only.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type com.mycom.addbutton
in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

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 Rich client customization

C. Click Next.

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

2. To verify the configuration so far, choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client
from your Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the
launch configuration dialog box.
At the far right of the toolbar, there is a new button.

Custom button on the toolbar

Selecting the new button opens the following dialog box.

Action launched from the custom button

3. Edit the com.mycom.addbutton plug-in's plugin.xml file to place the button on the My
Teamcenter toolbar. Replace the entire contents of the plugin.xml file with the following code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<command
name="Sample Command"
id="com.mycom.addbutton.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.addbutton.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.addbutton.handlers.SampleHandler">
</handler>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="toolbar:navigator_Toolbar?after=additions">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.addbutton.commands.sampleCommand"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
tooltip="Say hello world"
id="com.mycom.addbutton.toolbars.sampleCommand">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

Each Teamcenter perspective has its own toolbar. For example, the My Teamcenter toolbar is
navigator_Toolbar, and the Structure Manager toolbar is pse_Toolbar. The toolbar is usually

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defined in the plugin.xml file for the perspective. For example, the pse_Toolbar is defined in the
plugin.xml file in the com.teamcenter.rac.pse plug-in.

4. To verify the configuration, choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your
Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch
configuration dialog box.
The button is inserted in the middle of the toolbar in the My Teamcenter perspective.

Custom button location moved on the toolbar

5. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics

• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

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 Rich client customization

Add a command to a menu or toolbar in a view

You can add a command to a toolbar or menu in a view. To illustrate the process, this example adds
the exit command to My Teamcenter as a button on the Details view toolbar and as a command on
the view menu.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type
com.mycom.exitcommand in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

Click the Runtime tab, click the Add button, and select the following:

com.mycom.exitcommand
com.mycom.exitcommand.handlers

3. Edit the project files.

a. Edit the com.mycom.exitcommand plug-in's plugin.xml file to place the menu command on
the Details view. Replace the entire contents of the plugin.xml file with the following code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<category
name="Sample Category"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.exit.commands.category">
</category>
<command
name="Sample Command"
categoryId="com.mycom.exitcommand.commands.category"
id="com.mycom.exitcommand.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
<command
defaultHandler="com.mycom.exitcommand.handlers.SampleHandler"
id="com.mycom.exitcommand.command1.Exit"
name="Exit">
</command>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.exitcommand.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.exitcommand.handlers.SampleHandler">
</handler>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.bindings">
<key

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commandId="com.mycom.exitcommand.commands.sampleCommand"
contextId="org.eclipse.ui.contexts.window"
sequence="M1+6"
schemeId="org.eclipse.ui.defaultAcceleratorConfiguration">
</key>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="menu:com.teamcenter.rac.ui.views.DetailsView?after=group4">
<menu
id="closeMenu"
label="Close">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.exitcommand.command1.Exit"
label="Exit"
style="push"
tooltip="Exit the application">
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>
<menuContribution
locationURI="toolbar:com.teamcenter.rac.ui.views.DetailsView">
<toolbar
id="com.mycom.exitcommand.toolbar1">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.exitcommand.command1.Exit"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
label="Exit"
style="push"
tooltip="Exit the application">
</command>
</toolbar>
<command
commandId="com.mycom.exitcommand.command1.Exit"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
label="Exit"
style="push"
tooltip="Exit the application">
</command>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

b. Replace the code in the SampleHandler.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.exitcommand.handlers;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
import org.eclipse.ui.handlers.HandlerUtil;
/**
* Our sample handler extends AbstractHandler, an IHandler base class.
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.IHandler
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler
*/
public class SampleHandler extends AbstractHandler {
/**
* The constructor.
*/
public SampleHandler() {
}
/**
* the command has been executed, so extract extract the needed information
* from the application context.
*/
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
HandlerUtil.getActiveWorkbenchWindow(event).close();
return null;
}
}

c. Choose File→Save All.

4. Package the project.

To package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the TC_ROOT\portal
directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.

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 Rich client customization

The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the

TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

5. Verify the customization.

a. Launch My Teamcenter and click the Details view tab.
The exit command button is displayed on the toolbar of the view.

Exit command button on the view toolbar

Do not click the button to exit Teamcenter. You must first verify the new exit command on
the view menu.

b. Click the menu button on the toolbar.

Menu button on the view toolbar

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c. Choose Close→Exit on the menu to exit Teamcenter.

Exit command on the view menu

Although this example shows how to add an exit command, you can use this process to add your
own custom command to a view toolbar and menu.

Related topics
• Ensure your customizations appear

Add a toggle menu item

You can create toggle menu items and tie them to state inside the rich client. To illustrate the process,
this example adds an Error Level menu with toggled menu items. Select an object in My Teamcenter
and select the toggle on the custom Error Level menu.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type com.mycom.toggle in
the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

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 Rich client customization

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.util

b. Click the Runtime tab, click the Add button, and select the following:
com.mycom.toggle
com.mycom.toggle.handlers

3. Create the project files.

a. Edit the com.mycom.toggle plug-in's plugin.xml file. Replace the entire contents of the
plugin.xml file with the following code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<category
name="Sample Category"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.toggleexample.commands.category">
</category>
<command
categoryId="com.mycom.toggle.commands.category"
defaultHandler="com.mycom.toggle.handlers.ToggleInfoHandler"
id="com.mycom.toggle.commands.infoCommand"
name="Info">
<state
class="org.eclipse.ui.handlers.RegistryToggleState:true"
id="org.eclipse.ui.commands.toggleState">
</state>
</command>
<command
categoryId="com.mycom.toggle.commands.category"
defaultHandler="com.mycom.toggle.handlers.ToggleWarnHandler"
id="com.mycom.toggle.commands.warnCommand"
name="Warn">
<state
class="org.eclipse.ui.handlers.RegistryToggleState:false"
id="org.eclipse.ui.commands.toggleState">
</state>
</command>
<command
categoryId="com.mycom.toggle.commands.category"
defaultHandler="com.mycom.toggle.handlers.ToggleErrorHandler"
id="com.mycom.toggle.commands.errorCommand"
name="Error">
<state
class="org.eclipse.ui.handlers.RegistryToggleState:false"
id="org.eclipse.ui.commands.toggleState">
</state>
</command>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu?after=additions">
<menu
id="com.mycom.toggle.menus.sampleMenu"
label="Error Level"
mnemonic="L">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.toggle.commands.infoCommand"
label="Info"
mnemonic="I"
style="toggle">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>

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</command>
<command
commandId="com.mycom.toggle.commands.warnCommand"
label="Warn"
mnemonic="W"
style="toggle">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
<command
commandId="com.mycom.toggle.commands.errorCommand"
label="Error"
mnemonic="E"
style="toggle">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

b. Open the com.mycom.toggle.handlers package, select the SampleHandler.java file,

choose File→Rename, and rename the file to ToggleInfoHandler.java.
Replace the contents of the ToggleInfoHandler.java file with the following:
package com.mycom.toggle.handlers;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.Command;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.handlers.HandlerUtil;
import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.MessageDialog;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.Registry;
/**
* Our sample handler extends AbstractHandler, an IHandler base class.
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.IHandler
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler
*/
public class ToggleInfoHandler extends AbstractHandler {
private Registry reg ;
/**
* The constructor.
*/
public ToggleInfoHandler() {
}
/**
* the command has been executed, so extract extract the needed information
* from the application context.
*/
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
Command command = event.getCommand();
boolean checked = HandlerUtil.toggleCommandState(command);
IWorkbenchWindow window = HandlerUtil
.getActiveWorkbenchWindowChecked(event);
reg = Registry.getRegistry(this);
if (checked) {
MessageDialog.openInformation(window.getShell(), reg.getString("Info.TITLE"),
reg.getString("Info.MESSAGE"));
}
return null;
}
}

c. Right-click the com.mycom.toggle.handlers package, choose New→Class, and add the

following Java files:
ToggleErrorHandler.java
ToggleWarnHandler.java

d. Replace the contents of the ToggleErrorHandler.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.toggle.handlers;

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 Rich client customization

import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.Command;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.MessageDialog;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.handlers.HandlerUtil;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.Registry;
public class ToggleErrorHandler extends AbstractHandler {
private Registry reg ;
public ToggleErrorHandler() {
}
@Override
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
Command command = event.getCommand();
boolean checked = HandlerUtil.toggleCommandState(command);
IWorkbenchWindow window = HandlerUtil
.getActiveWorkbenchWindowChecked(event);
reg = Registry.getRegistry(this);
if (checked) {
MessageDialog.openError(window.getShell(), reg.getString("Error.TITLE"),
reg.getString("Error.MESSAGE"));
}
return null;
}
}

e. Replace the contents of the ToggleWarnHandler.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.toggle.handlers;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.Command;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.MessageDialog;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.handlers.HandlerUtil;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.Registry;
public class ToggleWarnHandler extends AbstractHandler {
private Registry reg ;
public ToggleWarnHandler() {
}
@Override
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
Command command = event.getCommand();
boolean checked = HandlerUtil.toggleCommandState(command);
IWorkbenchWindow window = HandlerUtil
.getActiveWorkbenchWindowChecked(event);
reg = Registry.getRegistry(this);
if (checked) {
MessageDialog.openWarning(window.getShell(), reg.getString("Warn.TITLE"),
reg.getString("Warn.MESSAGE"));
}
return null;
}
}

f. Right-click the com.mycom.toggle.handlers package, choose New→File, and add a

handlers.properties file.

g. Replace the contents of the handlers.properties file with the following:

Info.TITLE=ToggleInfo
Info.MESSAGE=Info menu is toggled off
Error.TITLE=ToggleError
Error.MESSAGE=Error menu is toggled off
Warn.TITLE=ToggleWarn
Warn.MESSAGE=Warn menu is toggled off

h. Choose File→Save All.

4. Package the project.

To package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the TC_ROOT\portal
directory.

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a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

5. Verify the customization.

a. Launch My Teamcenter and choose Error Level on the menu bar.
The error levels are displayed.

Error Level toggle menus

b. Select toggles on the menu.

When you clear a toggle, a dialog box is displayed.

Toggle state dialog box

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Related topics

• Ensure your customizations appear

Adding views and applications

Add a view to the rich client

This view contains a menu item that is visible only when the view is active. It uses the following
Eclipse extensions: commands, handlers, menus, expressions, and views.
Use the Eclipse plug-in create wizard to create the plug-in. Add packages and classes as needed
and copy and paste the class and plugin.xml file content from the following steps. If you use the
same names, you can cut and paste; otherwise, edit your Java files and plugin.xml file using the
following steps as a guide.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type
com.mycom.customview in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Content dialog box, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

b. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
plug-in.

3. Create the project files.

a. Right-click the com.mycom.customview project and choose New→Package. In the Name
box, type com.mycom.customview.handlers.

b. Right-click the com.mycom.customview.handlers package and choose New→Class. In

the Name box, type SampleHandler.

c. Create the com.mycom.customview.views package and the CustomView class in it.

The plug-in structure looks like this:

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d. Replace the code in the Activator.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customview;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.AbstractRACPlugin;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IAspectService;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IAspectUIService;
/**
* The activator class controls the plug-in life cycle
*/
public class Activator extends AbstractRACPlugin {
// The plug-in ID
public static final String PLUGIN_ID = "com.mycom.customview";
// The shared instance
private static Activator plugin;
/**
* The constructor
*/
public Activator()
{
super();
Activator.plugin = this;
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.core.runtime.Plugins#start
* (org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
public void start(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
super.start(context);
plugin = this;
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.core.runtime.Plugin#stop
* (org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
public void stop(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
plugin = null;
super.stop(context);
}
/**
* Returns the shared instance
*
* @return the shared instance
*/
public static Activator getDefault() {
return plugin;
}
@Override
public IAspectService getLogicService() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return null;
}
@Override
public IAspectUIService getUIService() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return null;
}
protected void setupServices(BundleContext context) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
}

e. Replace the code in the SampleHandler.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customview.handlers;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.handlers.HandlerUtil;
import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.MessageDialog;
/**
* Our sample handler extends AbstractHandler, an IHandler base class.
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.IHandler

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 Rich client customization

* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler
*/
public class SampleHandler extends AbstractHandler {
/**
* The constructor.
*/
public SampleHandler() {
}
/**
* the command has been executed, so extract extract the needed information
* from the application context.
*/
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
IWorkbenchWindow window = HandlerUtil.getActiveWorkbenchWindowChecked(event);
MessageDialog.openInformation(
window.getShell(),
"Customview",
"Hello, from SampleHandler");
return null;
}
}

f. Replace the code in the CustomView.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customview.views;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Font;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.FontData;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.FillLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Text;
import org.eclipse.ui.part.ViewPart;
public class CustomView extends ViewPart {
/** ID corresponding to the RCP declaration */
public static final String ID = CustomView.class.getName();
public CustomView()
{
super();
}
@Override
public void createPartControl(Composite parent) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
parent.setLayout( new FillLayout() );
Text t = new Text( parent, SWT.BORDER );
t.setBackground( parent.getDisplay().getSystemColor( SWT.COLOR_WHITE ));
t.setForeground( parent.getDisplay().getSystemColor( SWT.COLOR_BLUE ));
Font initialFont = t.getFont();
FontData[] fontData = initialFont.getFontData();
for (int i = 0; i < fontData.length; i++) {
fontData[i].setHeight(18);
}
Font newFont = new Font(parent.getDisplay(), fontData);
t.setFont( newFont );
t.setText( " Hello from CustomView!! ");
}
@Override
public void setFocus() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
}

g. To create an empty plugin.xml file, click the Extensions tab and click the Add button in the
Extensions view, and click the Cancel button in the New Extension dialog box.
A plugin.xml file is added to the project.

h. Click the plugin.xml tab and replace the code in the plugin.xml file with the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<command
name="Sample Command"
id="com.mycom.customview.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.customview.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.customview.handlers.SampleHandler">
</handler>
</extension>

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<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu?after=additions">
<menu
label="Sample Menu"
mnemonic="M"
id="com.mycom.customview.menus.sampleMenu">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.customview.commands.sampleCommand"
mnemonic="S"
id="com.mycom.customview.menus.sampleCommand">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.mycom.customview.inMainView" />
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.views">
<view
name="MyCom Custom View"
class="com.mycom.customview.views.CustomView"
id="com.mycom.customview.views.CustomView">
</view>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.core.expressions.definitions">
<definition id="com.mycom.customview.inMainView">
<with variable="activePartId">
<equals value="com.mycom.customview.views.CustomView" />
</with>
</definition>
</extension>
</plugin>

i. Choose File→Save All.

4. Verify the customization.

a. Choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your Eclipse environment.
Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch configuration dialog box.

b. Choose Window→Show View→Other→Other→MyCom Custom View.

The custom view is displayed in the list.

Custom view in the list of available views

The Sample Menu menu command is visible when MyCom Custom View is the active view.

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Custom menu command displayed when the custom view is open

5. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics
• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

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Create a view that uses the Selection Service

The following steps illustrate how to add a view that contains a JFace TableViewer to the rich client.
The view is both a selection listener and selection provider and its behavior is similar to the Details
view. This example also shows how to use Eclipse Job class and get Teamcenter services.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type com.mycom.myview in
the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Content dialog box, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

b. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following plug-ins:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.util

3. Create the project files.

a. Right-click the com.mycom.myview project and choose New→Package. In the Name box,
type com.mycom.myview.views.

b. Right-click the com.mycom.myview.views package and choose New→Class. In the Name

box, type MyComView.
The plug-in structure looks like this:

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c. Replace the code in the Activator.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.myview;
import org.eclipse.jface.resource.ImageDescriptor;
import org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
/**
* The activator class controls the plug-in life cycle
*/
public class Activator extends AbstractUIPlugin {
// The plug-in ID
public static final String PLUGIN_ID = "com.mycom.myview";
// The shared instance
private static Activator plugin;
/**
* The constructor
*/
public Activator() {
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#start
* (org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
public void start(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
super.start(context);
plugin = this;
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#stop
* (org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
public void stop(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
plugin = null;
super.stop(context);
}
/**
* Returns the shared instance
*
* @return the shared instance
*/
public static Activator getDefault() {
return plugin;
}
/**
* Returns an image descriptor for the image file at the given
* plug-in relative path
*
* @param path the path
* @return the image descriptor
*/
public static ImageDescriptor getImageDescriptor(String path) {
return imageDescriptorFromPlugin(PLUGIN_ID, path);
}
}

d. Replace the code in the MyComView.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.myview.views;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.jobs.Job;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelection;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.IStructuredContentProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ITableLabelProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.LabelProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredSelection;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TableViewer;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.Viewer;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Image;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.FillLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.ui.ISelectionListener;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPart;
import org.eclipse.ui.part.*;
import com.mycom.myview.Activator;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.AIFComponentContext;
import com.teamcenter.rac.common.IContextInputService;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCException;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.OSGIUtil;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.AdapterUtil;
// This view shows how to:
// be a selection listener
// be a selection provider
// use the Teamcenter OSGI IContextInputService

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// use the Teamcenter selection to AIFComponentContext adapter

// use Eclipse Jobs (to jump off the main thread)
// ...see IC_SelectionListener()
public class MyComView extends ViewPart {
public static final String ID = "com.mycom.myview.views.MyComView";
private TableViewer m_viewer;
private ISelection m_selection;
private MyComView m_view;
private IC_SelectionListener m_listener;
private boolean m_firstTime = true;
/**
* The constructor.
*/
public MyComView() {
m_view = this;
}
@Override
public void createPartControl(Composite parent) {
parent.setLayout( new FillLayout() );
// setup the viewer
m_viewer = new TableViewer(parent, SWT.MULTI | SWT.H_SCROLL | SWT.V_SCROLL);
m_viewer.setContentProvider(new ViewContentProvider());
m_viewer.setLabelProvider(new ViewLabelProvider());
m_listener = new IC_SelectionListener();
// register the selection listener
getSite().getWorkbenchWindow().getSelectionService().addSelectionListener
( m_listener );
// viewer is a selection provider
getViewSite().setSelectionProvider( m_viewer );
}
@Override
public void dispose() {
// cleanup
getViewSite().setSelectionProvider( null );
getSite().getWorkbenchWindow().getSelectionService().removeSelectionListener
(m_listener);
super.dispose();
}
/**
* Passing the focus request to the viewer's control.
*/
@Override
public void setFocus() {
//do nothing
}
// this will be executed in a job...it will get the children in the job
// and set the viewer input in the main thread
void setViewerInput() {
if( !(m_selection instanceof StructuredSelection) )
{
return;
}
// use the Teamcenter adapter
AIFComponentContext ctxt = (AIFComponentContext) AdapterUtil.getAdapter(
( (StructuredSelection) m_selection ).getFirstElement(),
AIFComponentContext.class, true );
AIFComponentContext[] ctxts = null;
if (ctxt != null)
{
TCComponent comp = (TCComponent) ctxt.getComponent();
if (comp!=null)
{
try {
ctxts = comp.getChildren();
} catch (TCException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
final AIFComponentContext[] fctxts = ctxts;
Display.getDefault().asyncExec(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
if (m_viewer.getContentProvider() != null)
{
m_viewer.setInput(fctxts == null ? new AIFComponentContext[0]
: fctxts);
}
}
});
}
// this is the viewer content provider
class ViewContentProvider implements IStructuredContentProvider {
public void inputChanged(Viewer v, Object oldInput, Object newInput) {
}
public void dispose() {
}
public Object[] getElements(Object parent) {
return (AIFComponentContext[])parent;
}
}
// this is the viewer label provider

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class ViewLabelProvider extends LabelProvider implements

ITableLabelProvider {
public String getColumnText(Object obj, int index) {
AIFComponentContext ctxt = (AIFComponentContext)obj;
TCComponent tc = (TCComponent)ctxt.getComponent();
return tc.toString();
}
public Image getColumnImage(Object obj, int index) {
return null;
}
}
// this is the selection listener
private class IC_SelectionListener implements ISelectionListener
{
public void selectionChanged( IWorkbenchPart part, ISelection selection )
{
m_selection = selection;
if( selection == null || selection.isEmpty() )
{
IContextInputService contextInputService = (IContextInputService)
OSGIUtil.getService(
Activator.getDefault(), IContextInputService.class );
if( contextInputService != null )
{
m_selection = contextInputService.getInput();
}
}
// ignore selections from this view
// need m_firstTime to load the viewer if we open this view in a
// perspective where it is not showing
if( (m_firstTime) || (part != m_view) )
{
m_firstTime = false;
if (m_selection != null)
{
// use a job...don't want to tie up the main thread
Job j = new Job( "" )
{
@Override
protected IStatus run( IProgressMonitor monitor )
{
setViewerInput();
return Status.OK_STATUS;
}
};
j.schedule();
}
}
}
}
}

e. To create an empty plugin.xml file, click the Extensions tab and click the Add button in the
Extensions view, and click the Cancel button in the New Extension dialog box.
A plugin.xml file is added to the project.

f. Click the plugin.xml tab and replace the code in the plugin.xml file with the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.views">
<view
name="MyCom View"
class="com.mycom.myview.views.MyComView"
id="com.mycom.myview.views.MyComView">
</view>
</extension>
</plugin>

g. Choose File→Save All.

h. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

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A. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins

and fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click
Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

B. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich
client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz
file is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins
or change plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your
changes are included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance
because it caches the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script
takes no arguments and generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the
portal\Registry directory.

C. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client.
This directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

i. Verify the customization.

A. Launch the rich client and choose Window→Show View→Other→Other→MyCom
View.
The custom view is displayed in the list.

Custom view in the list of available views

B. Select the view.

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C. Select an object.
The MyCom View view shows the contents of the selected object.

Custom view displaying the contents of the selected object

Related topics

• Ensure your customizations appear

Create a custom Viewer view

The Viewer view in My Teamcenter displays information about the selected object. As of Teamcenter
9.1, the Viewer view is converted from Swing to SWT. In this customization example using SWT, you
create two custom Viewer view definitions: a HelloWorldViewer definition that displays only the text
Helloselected-object-name! for the selected object, and a MyPropertyViewer definition that displays
properties and checkin/checkout buttons at the bottom of the view.
This SWT customization example extends the com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.ViewerViewRegistry
extension point to override the standard TextViewer viewer and replace it with a new viewers. In the
example Java files, you implement IViewerFactory and ISubViewer components, and extend the
ViewerViewRegistry extension point to register the new SubView definition.
After creating the view, you must update the defaultViewerConfig.VIEWERCONFIG preference to
include this new view for the data type you want. For example, if you set the custom view for the text
dataset type, the custom view appears when you select that dataset type.
Following is an example of a default Viewer view.

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Viewer view
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type
com.mycom.customviewerview in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Content dialog box, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

b. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following plug-ins:
org.eclipse.ui
org.eclipse.core.runtime
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.util
com.teamcenter.rac.viewer

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3. Right-click the com.mycom.customviewerview project, choose New→Package, and create the

following packages:
com.mycom.customviewerview.factory
com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer

4. Create the HelloWorldViewer definition.

a. Create the project files.
A. Right-click the com.mycom.customviewerview.factory package, choose New→Class,
and create the HelloWorldViewerFactory class.

B. Right-click the com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer package, choose New→Class,

and create the following classes:
HelloWorldViewer
HelloWorldViewerContentProvider

C. Replace the code in the HelloWorldViewerFactory.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customviewerview.factory;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer.HelloWorldViewer;
import com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer.HelloWorldViewerContentProvider;
import com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.factory.AbstractSWTViewerFactory;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.IViewerEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.SubViewerListener;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.ViewerEvent;
/**
* This factory builds HelloWorldViewer.
*/
public class HelloWorldViewerFactory extends AbstractSWTViewerFactory
{
@Override
public void loadViewer( final SubViewerListener listener )
{
Runnable runnable = new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
try
{
//HelloWorldViewer viewer = new HelloWorldViewer( m_parent );
HelloWorldViewer viewer = new HelloWorldViewer( getParent() );
viewer.setContentProvider( new HelloWorldViewerContentProvider());
listener.done( viewer );
}
catch( Exception e)
{
ViewerEvent viewerError = new ViewerEvent( this,
IViewerEvent.NOVIEWDATAFOUND );
listener.error( viewerError );
}
finally
{
}
}
};
Display.getDefault().asyncExec( runnable );
}
}

D. Replace the code in the HelloWorldViewer.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.FillLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Control;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Label;
import com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.TCComponentViewerInput;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent;

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import com.teamcenter.rac.util.AdapterUtil;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.IViewerEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.ViewerEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.view.AbstractSwtSubViewer;
/**
* A simple "Hello World" example viewer.
*/
public class HelloWorldViewer
extends AbstractSwtSubViewer //implements IAdaptable
{
private Composite m_composite = null;
private Label m_label = null;
private TCComponent m_comp = null;
public HelloWorldViewer( Composite parent )
{
m_composite = new Composite( parent , SWT.NONE );
m_composite.setLayout(new FillLayout());
m_label = new Label( m_composite, SWT.None );
m_label.setText( "" );
m_label.setVisible(true);
m_label.setEnabled(true);
}
/*
* Currently this is just getting the TCComponent object
* from the viewer input.
*/
@Override
public void setInput( Object viewerInput )
{
TCComponentViewerInput input = (TCComponentViewerInput)
AdapterUtil.getAdapter( viewerInput,
TCComponentViewerInput.class );
m_comp = (TCComponent)input.getViewableObj();
super.setInput( m_comp );
}
@Override
public void inputChanged( Object input, Object oldInput )
{
HelloWorldViewerContentProvider cp = (HelloWorldViewerContentProvider)
getContentProvider();
String text = cp.getText( input );
m_label.setText( text );
//Notify the host viewer to reload.
ViewerEvent viewerEvent = new ViewerEvent( this, IViewerEvent.RELOADVIEW );
viewerEvent.queueEvent();
}
@Override
public Control getControl() {
return m_composite;
}
@Override
public void refresh() {
m_composite.layout();
}

E. Replace the code in the HelloWorldViewerContentProvider.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.IContentProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.Viewer;
/**
* ContentProvider for the HelloWorldViewer
*/
public class HelloWorldViewerContentProvider implements IContentProvider
{
@Override
public void dispose()
{
//Do nothing.
}
@Override
public void inputChanged( Viewer viewer, Object oldInput, Object newInput )
{
//Do nothing.
}
public String getText( Object input )
{
return "Hello " + input.toString() + "!";
}

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F. To create an empty plugin.xml file, click the Extensions tab and click the Add button in
the Extensions view, and click the Cancel button in the New Extension dialog box.
A plugin.xml file is added to the project.

G. Click the plugin.xml tab and replace the code in the plugin.xml file with the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.ViewerViewRegistry">
<viewer
autoCheckout="false"
factoryClassName="com.mycom.customviewerview.factory.
HelloWorldViewerFactory"
id="HelloWorldViewer"
isSwing="false"
priority="100">
<enableWhen
checkEnabled="false">
</enableWhen>
</viewer>
<viewer
autoCheckout="false"
factoryClassName="com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.factory.
SwingViewerFactory"
id="SwingPropertyViewer"
isSwing="true"
priority="100"
viewPanel="com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.GenericViewer">
<enableWhen
checkEnabled="false">
</enableWhen>
</viewer>
</extension>
</plugin>

Note

Copying and pasting the plugin.xml file content is a quick way to provide you with
extensions for this example. However, when you create your own extensions,
instead of placing content directly in the plugin.xml file, you work in the project’s
Extensions tab. Therefore, review the Extensions tab to see how you can create
extensions yourself.

H. Choose File→Save All.

b. Verify the customization.

A. Choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your Eclipse environment.
Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch configuration dialog
box.

B. Edit the defaultViewerConfig.VIEWERCONFIG preference to point to the new

HelloWorldViewer definition when you select a text dataset.
In My Teamcenter, choose Edit→Options→Search, open the preference, and change
the Text.TextViewer=Text value to Text.HelloWorldViewer.

C. In My Teamcenter, create a text dataset by choosing File→New→Dataset, selecting

More on the left side of the New Dataset dialog box, and selecting Text from the list of
available dataset types.

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D. Select the text dataset and click the Viewer view.

The message Hellodataset-name! is displayed in the Viewer view.

Viewer view using the HelloWorldViewer definition

E. If you edit the Viewer view preferences to use the new HelloWorldViewer definition for
another object type, the viewer is presented.
For example, if you edit the defaultViewerConfig.VIEWERCONFIG preference to
include the Folder.HelloWorldViewer value, when you select a Folder object such as
the Home folder, the Viewer view displays the following message: Hello, Home!

HelloWorldViewer view specified for another object type

5. Create the MyPropertyViewer definition.

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This example displays custom properties named w2str, w2integer, and w2date in a custom
Viewer view. To see the properties, you must create them on a Text dataset, or create your own
custom properties and modify the sample code.

a. Create the project files.

A. Right-click the com.mycom.customviewerview.factory package, choose New→Class,
and create the MyPropertyViewerFactory class.

B. Right-click the com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer package, choose New→Class,

and create the following classes:
MyPropertyViewer
MyPropertyViewerContentProvider

The plug-in structure looks like this:

C. Replace the code in the MyPropertyViewerFactory.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customviewerview.factory;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer.MyPropertyViewer;
import com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer.MyPropertyViewerContentProvider;
import com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.factory.AbstractSWTViewerFactory;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.IViewerEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.SubViewerListener;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.ViewerEvent;
/**
*/
public class MyPropertyViewerFactory extends AbstractSWTViewerFactory
{
@Override
public void loadViewer( final SubViewerListener listener )
{
Runnable runnable = new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
try
{
MyPropertyViewer viewer = new MyPropertyViewer( getParent() );
viewer.setContentProvider( new MyPropertyViewerContentProvider());
listener.done( viewer );

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}
catch( Exception e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
ViewerEvent viewerError = new ViewerEvent( this,
IViewerEvent.NOVIEWDATAFOUND );
listener.error( viewerError );
} finally {
}
}
};
Display.getDefault().asyncExec( runnable );
}
}

D. Replace the code in the MyPropertyViewer.java file with the following:

// @<COPYRIGHT>@
// ==================================================
// Copyright 2011.
// Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
// All Rights Reserved.
// ==================================================
// @<COPYRIGHT>@

package com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Date;
import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridData;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Control;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Label;
import org.eclipse.ui.ISaveablePart;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.AIFComponentChangeEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.AIFComponentEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.AIFComponentPropertyChangeEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.InterfaceAIFComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.InterfaceAIFComponentEventListener;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.AIFUtility;
import com.teamcenter.rac.common.SoaPropertyHelper;
//import com.teamcenter.rac.common.controls.LOVComboBox;
import com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.TCComponentViewerInput;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCProperty;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.AdapterUtil;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.MessageBox;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.SWTUIUtilities;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.controls.DateControl;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.controls.TextControl;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.event.ClientEventDispatcher;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.event.IClientEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.IViewerEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.ViewerEvent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.stylesheet.StylesheetRenderingConstants;
import com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.utils.CheckInOutComposite;
import com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.view.AbstractSwtSubViewer;
/**
* Example Viewer which shows how to display a list of properties. This example
* contains textfield, textarea, date, integer. If you have a LOV attached, you
* can un-comment the lines for lov related code. (The example uses a string LOV.)
* To use this example, you need to add extension "com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.ViewerViewRegistry" and
* modify preference "defaultViewerConfig.VIEWERCONFIG". For more detail, please refer to
* RAC Customization Guide.
*/
public class MyPropertyViewer
extends AbstractSwtSubViewer implements ISaveablePart, InterfaceAIFComponentEventListener
{
private Composite m_composite = null;
private TCComponent m_comp = null;
private Label m_w2StrLabel = null;
private TextControl m_w2StrText;
private TCProperty m_w2StrProp;
private Label m_w2IntegerLabel = null;
private TextControl m_w2IntegerText;
private TCProperty m_w2IntProp;
private Label m_w2DateLabel = null;
private DateControl m_w2DateButton;
private TCProperty m_w2DateProp;

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private Label m_w2ObjDescLabel = null;

private TextControl m_w2ObjDescText;
private TCProperty m_w2ObjDescProp;
// private Label m_lovLabel;
// private LOVComboBox m_lovComboBox;
// private TCProperty m_lovProp;
public static String STR_PROP = "aos0str";
public static String INT_PROP = "aos0integer";
public static String DATE_PROP = "aos0date";
public MyPropertyViewer( Composite parent )
{
GridLayout parentLayout = SWTUIUtilities.tightGridLayout( 1 );
Composite mainComposite =new Composite( parent , SWT.NONE );
mainComposite.setLayout(parentLayout);
m_composite = new Composite( mainComposite , SWT.NONE );
m_composite.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, false) );
m_composite.setLayoutData( new GridData( SWT.FILL, SWT.FILL, true, true ) );
m_w2StrLabel = new Label( m_composite, SWT.None );
m_w2StrText = new TextControl( m_composite, SWT.SINGLE | SWT.FLAT | SWT.BORDER );
GridData m_w2StrTextGd = new GridData();
m_w2StrTextGd.horizontalAlignment = SWT.FILL;
m_w2StrTextGd.verticalAlignment = SWT.CENTER;
m_w2StrTextGd.widthHint = 30 * StylesheetRenderingConstants.DEFAULT_TEXTFIELD_COL_WIDTH;
m_w2StrText.getTextWidget().setLayoutData( m_w2StrTextGd );
m_w2IntegerLabel = new Label( m_composite, SWT.None );
m_w2IntegerText = new TextControl( m_composite, SWT.SINGLE | SWT.FLAT | SWT.BORDER );
m_w2IntegerText.getTextWidget().setLayoutData( m_w2StrTextGd );
m_w2DateLabel = new Label( m_composite, SWT.None );
m_w2DateButton = new DateControl( m_composite );
m_w2ObjDescLabel = new Label( m_composite, SWT.None );
m_w2ObjDescText = new TextControl( m_composite, SWT.WRAP | SWT.MULTI | SWT.V_SCROLL | SWT.BORDER );
GridData taGd = new GridData();
taGd.horizontalAlignment = SWT.FILL;
taGd.verticalAlignment = SWT.CENTER;
// gd.grabExcessHorizontalSpace = true;
taGd.widthHint = 30 * StylesheetRenderingConstants.DEFAULT_TEXTAREA_COL_WIDTH;
taGd.heightHint = 5 * StylesheetRenderingConstants.DEFAULT_TEXTAREA_ROW_HEIGHT;
m_w2ObjDescText.getTextWidget().setLayoutData( taGd );
// m_lovLabel = new Label( m_composite, SWT.None );
// m_lovComboBox = new LOVComboBox(m_composite, SWT.None);
CheckInOutComposite m_cicoComposite = new CheckInOutComposite( mainComposite );
m_cicoComposite.panelLoaded();

AIFUtility.getDefaultSession().addAIFComponentEventListener( this );
}
/*
* Currently this is just getting the TCComponent object
* from the viewer input.
*/
@Override
public void setInput( Object viewerInput )
{
TCComponentViewerInput input = (TCComponentViewerInput) AdapterUtil.getAdapter( viewerInput,
TCComponentViewerInput.class );
m_comp = (TCComponent)input.getViewableObj();
super.setInput( m_comp );
}
@Override
public void inputChanged( Object input, Object oldInput )
{
MyPropertyViewerContentProvider cp = (MyPropertyViewerContentProvider) getContentProvider();
m_w2StrLabel.setText( cp.getPropertyDisplayName(STR_PROP) );
m_w2StrProp = cp.getTCPropery(STR_PROP);
m_w2StrText.getTextWidget().setText(m_w2StrProp.getStringValue());
m_w2IntegerLabel.setText(cp.getPropertyDisplayName(INT_PROP));
m_w2IntProp = cp.getTCPropery(INT_PROP);
int ii = m_w2IntProp.getIntValue();
if( !m_w2IntProp.getNullVerdict() )
{
m_w2IntegerText.getTextWidget().setText(Integer.toString(ii));
}
m_w2DateLabel.setText(cp.getPropertyDisplayName(DATE_PROP));

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m_w2DateProp = cp.getTCPropery(DATE_PROP);
m_w2DateButton.setDate(m_w2DateProp.getDateValue());
m_w2ObjDescLabel.setText(cp.getPropertyDisplayName("object_desc"));
m_w2ObjDescProp = cp.getTCPropery("object_desc");
m_w2ObjDescText.getTextWidget().setText(m_w2ObjDescProp.getStringValue());
// m_lovLabel.setText(cp.getPropertyDisplayName("w2Str_e"));
// m_lovProp = cp.getTCPropery("w2Str_e");
// m_lovComboBox.setLOVComponent(m_lovProp.getLOV());
// m_lovComboBox.setSelectedItem( m_lovProp.getPropertyData() );
//Notify the host viewer to reload.
ViewerEvent viewerEvent = new ViewerEvent( this, IViewerEvent.RELOADVIEW );
viewerEvent.queueEvent();
}
@Override
public Control getControl()
{
return m_composite;
}
@Override
public void refresh()
{
if( m_composite == null || m_composite.isDisposed() )
{
return;
}
m_composite.layout();
if( m_comp.isCheckedOut() )
{
// Make panel writable
m_w2StrText.getTextWidget().setEditable(true);
m_w2IntegerText.getTextWidget().setEditable(true);
m_w2DateButton.setEnabled(true);
m_w2ObjDescText.getTextWidget().setEditable(true);
}
else
{
// make panel read-only or just show values in label like OOTB behavior.
m_w2StrText.getTextWidget().setEditable(false);
m_w2IntegerText.getTextWidget().setEditable(false);
m_w2DateButton.setEnabled(false);
m_w2ObjDescText.getTextWidget().setEditable(false);
}
}
// @Override
// public Object getAdapter( Class adapter )
// {
// if( adapter.equals( IContributionItem[].class ) )
// {
// return getCommandContributions();
// }
//
// return null;
// }
// private IContributionItem[] getCommandContributions()
// {
// List<IContributionItem> list = new ArrayList<IContributionItem>();
//
// CommandContributionItemParameter contributionParameters = new CommandContributionItemParameter(
// PlatformUI.getWorkbench(), "", "com.teamcenter.rac.checkOut", CommandContributionItem.STYLE_PUSH );
// contributionParameters.mode = CommandContributionItem.MODE_FORCE_TEXT;
// list.add( new CommandContributionItem( contributionParameters ) );
//
// contributionParameters = new CommandContributionItemParameter( PlatformUI.getWorkbench(), "",
// "com.teamcenter.rac.checkIn", CommandContributionItem.STYLE_PUSH );
// contributionParameters.mode = CommandContributionItem.MODE_FORCE_TEXT;
// list.add( new CommandContributionItem( contributionParameters ) );
//
// contributionParameters = new CommandContributionItemParameter( PlatformUI.getWorkbench(), "",
// "com.teamcenter.rac.saveCheckOut", CommandContributionItem.STYLE_PUSH );
// contributionParameters.mode = CommandContributionItem.MODE_FORCE_TEXT;
// list.add( new CommandContributionItem( contributionParameters ) );
//
// contributionParameters = new CommandContributionItemParameter( PlatformUI.getWorkbench(), "",
// "com.teamcenter.rac.cancelCheckOut", CommandContributionItem.STYLE_PUSH );
// contributionParameters.mode = CommandContributionItem.MODE_FORCE_TEXT;
// list.add( new CommandContributionItem( contributionParameters ) );
//
// return list.toArray( new IContributionItem[list.size()] );
// }
// Implementation of ISaveablePart
@Override
public boolean isDirty()
{

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// Check if the value has been changed

String txt = m_w2StrText.getTextWidget().getText();
if( !txt.equals(m_w2StrProp.getStringValue()) )
{
return true;
}
txt = m_w2IntegerText.getTextWidget().getText();
if( !txt.isEmpty() && m_w2IntProp.getNullVerdict() ||
txt.isEmpty() && !m_w2IntProp.getNullVerdict() )
{
return true;
}
if(!txt.isEmpty() && !txt.equals(Integer.toString(m_w2IntProp.getIntValue())))
{
return true;
}
Date date = m_w2DateButton.getDate();
if( (date == null && !m_w2DateProp.getNullVerdict()) ||
(date != null && m_w2DateProp.getNullVerdict()))
{
return true;
}
if( date != null && !date.equals(m_w2DateProp.getDateValue()) )
{
return true;
}
txt = m_w2ObjDescText.getTextWidget().getText();
if( !txt.equals(m_w2ObjDescProp.getStringValue()) )
{
return true;
}
// Object obj = m_lovComboBox.getSelectedObject();
// if( obj == null && !m_lovProp.getNullVerdict() ||
// obj != null && m_lovProp.getNullVerdict() )
// {
// return true;
// }
// if( obj != null && !obj.equals(m_lovProp.getPropertyData()) )
// {
// return true;
// }
return false;
}
// Implementation of ISaveablePart
@Override
public boolean isSaveAsAllowed()
{
return false;
}
// Implementation of ISaveablePart
@Override
public boolean isSaveOnCloseNeeded()
{
return true;
}
// Implementation of ISaveablePart
@Override
public void doSaveAs()
{
//not supported
}
// Implementation of ISaveablePart
@Override
public void doSave( final IProgressMonitor monitor )
{
Exception ex2 = null;
try
{
// If you want to setBusy(true), make sure it's reset to false after operation is done.
// Otherwise, after you modify the object, then select another object, the confirmation dialog
// about saving changes will not be displayed as the code considers the Viewer is still busy.
//setBusy( true );
// Save any changes in the viewer
TCProperty[] props = new TCProperty[] {m_w2StrProp, m_w2IntProp, m_w2DateProp, m_w2ObjDescProp};
//TCProperty[] props = new TCProperty[] {m_w2ObjDescProp, m_lovProp};
String txt = m_w2StrText.getTextWidget().getText();
m_w2StrProp.setStringValueData(txt);
txt = m_w2IntegerText.getTextWidget().getText();
if( txt.isEmpty() )
{
m_w2IntProp.setNullVerdict(true);

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}
else
{
int ii = Integer.parseInt(txt);
m_w2IntProp.setIntValueData(ii);
}
Date date = m_w2DateButton.getDate();
m_w2DateProp.setDateValueData(date);
txt = m_w2ObjDescText.getTextWidget().getText();
m_w2ObjDescProp.setStringValueData(txt);
// Object obj = m_lovComboBox.getSelectedObject();
// if( obj == null )
// {
// m_lovProp.setNullVerdict(true);
// }
// else
// {
// m_lovProp.setStringValueData(obj.toString());
// }
SoaPropertyHelper.setPropertiesService( m_comp, props );
}
catch( Exception e )
{
ex2 = e;
MessageBox.post(e);
}
finally
{
ClientEventDispatcher.fireEventLater( MyPropertyViewer.this,
IClientEvent.SS_VIEWER_SAVE_COMPLETE, TCComponent.class, m_comp, Exception.class,
ex2 );
}
}
// Implement InterfaceAIFComponentEventListener
@Override
public void processComponentEvents( AIFComponentEvent[] events )
{
if( getInput() == null )
{
// nothing to be done.
return;
}
boolean requireUpdate = false;
Arrays.sort( events );
for( AIFComponentEvent event : events )
{
InterfaceAIFComponent targetComponent = event.getComponent();
if( targetComponent == getInput() ) // changed.
{
if( event instanceof AIFComponentPropertyChangeEvent )
{
// For property change event, don't need to refresh the whole panel
}
else if( event instanceof AIFComponentChangeEvent )
{
requireUpdate = true;
}
}
}
if( requireUpdate )
{
SWTUIUtilities.asyncExec( new Runnable()
{
// update the check in/out UI widgets only
@Override
public void run()
{
refresh();
}
} );
}
}
}

For the Check-in, Check-out, and Cancel Check-out buttons, you do not need
to implement the IAdaptable or ISaveablePart methods. Instead, create the
CheckInOutComposite component and add it to your viewer, for example:
CheckInOutComposite m_cicoComposite = new CheckInOutComposite( mainComposite );
m_cicoComposite.panelLoaded();

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In the doSave() method, run the save complete event so that checkin can be launched
after saving for the Check-in button:
ClientEventDispatcher.fireEventLater( MyPropertyViewer.this,
IClientEvent.SS_VIEWER_SAVE_COMPLETE, TCComponent.class, m_comp, Exception.class,
ex2 );

For Form objects, the form display in the Viewer view is now in SWT tagging. To
use the legacy Swing FormViewer object in the Viewer view for all forms, modify
the defaultViewerConfig.VIEWERCONFIG preference and add the following entry:
Form.FORMViewer. To use the legacy Swing FormViewer object for a certain form type,
add an entry to the defaultViewerConfig.VIEWERCONFIG preference for the form type
that must be displayed in the legacy view, for example, form-type-name.FormViewer.

E. Replace the code in the MyPropertyViewerContentProvider.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customviewerview.viewer;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.IContentProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.Viewer;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCException;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCProperty;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCPropertyDescriptor;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.AdapterUtil;
/**
* ContentProvider for the MyPropertyViewer
*/
public class MyPropertyViewerContentProvider implements IContentProvider
{
private TCComponent m_comp;
@Override
public void dispose()
{
}
@Override
public void inputChanged( Viewer viewer, Object oldInput, Object newInput )
{
String[] propNames = new String[] {"w2str", "w2integer", "w2date", "object_desc"};
m_comp = (TCComponent)AdapterUtil.getAdapter(newInput, TCComponent.class);
if( m_comp == null )
{
return;
}
try
{
// Pre-load properties in one call to reduce the network calls.
m_comp.getTCProperties(propNames);
}
catch (TCException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
/**
* Return the TCProperty
* @param propName The property name
* @return TCProperty
*/
public TCProperty getTCPropery(String propName)
{
try
{
return m_comp.getTCProperty(propName);
}
catch (TCException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
return null;
}
/**
* Return the property's display name
* @param propName The property name
* @return String
*/
public String getPropertyDisplayName( String propName )
{

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try
{
TCPropertyDescriptor propDesc = m_comp.getTypeComponent()
.getPropertyDescriptor(propName);
return propDesc.getDisplayName();
}
catch (TCException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
return propName;
}
/**
* Return the property value
* @param propName The property name
* @return Object
*/
public Object getPropertyValue(String propName)
{
try
{
TCProperty prop = m_comp.getTCProperty(propName);
if( prop != null )
{
return prop.getPropertyData();
}
}
catch (Exception e)
{
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
return null;
}
}

F. Click the plugin.xml tab and add the code in bold to the plugin.xml file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="com.teamcenter.rac.viewer.ViewerViewRegistry">
<viewer
autoCheckout="false"
factoryClassName="com.mycom.customviewerview.factory.
HelloWorldViewerFactory"
id="HelloWorldViewer"
isSwing="false"
priority="100">
<enableWhen
checkEnabled="false">
</enableWhen>
</viewer>
<viewer
autoCheckout="false"
factoryClassName="com.mycom.customviewerview.factory.
MyPropertyViewerFactory"
id="MyPropertyViewer"
isSwing="false"
priority="100">
<enableWhen
checkEnabled="false">
</enableWhen>
</viewer>
<viewer
autoCheckout="false"
factoryClassName="com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.factory.
SwingViewerFactory"
id="SwingPropertyViewer"
isSwing="true"
priority="100"
viewPanel="com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.GenericViewer">
<enableWhen
checkEnabled="false">
</enableWhen>
</viewer>
</extension>
</plugin>

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Note

Copying and pasting content into the plugin.xml file is a quick way to provide you
with extensions for this example. However, when you create your own extensions,
instead of placing content directly in the plugin.xml file, you work in the project’s
Extensions tab. Therefore, review the Extensions tab to see how you can create
extensions yourself.

G. Choose File→Save All.

b. Verify the customization.

A. Choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your Eclipse environment.
Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch configuration dialog
box.

B. Edit the defaultViewerConfig.VIEWERCONFIG preference to point to the new

MyPropertyViewer viewer when you select a text dataset.
In My Teamcenter, choose Edit→Options→Search, open the preference, and change
the Text.HelloWorldViewer value to Text.MyPropertyViewer to load the other viewer
when you select a text dataset.

C. Select the text dataset and click the Viewer view.

The Viewer view displays the dataset information using the MyPropertyViewer definition.
Notice the checkin and checkout button at the bottom of the view.

Viewer view using the MyPropertyViewer definition

6. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

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a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics
• Viewer view content

• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

Add a new rich client application

This code creates a new application in the rich client that contains a single perspective and a single
view. It is displayed in the navigation pane. The project that contains the application uses the following
Eclipse extensions: org.eclipse.ui.perspectives, org.eclipse.core.expressions.definitions,
and org.eclipse.ui.views. It also uses the Teamcenter com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.application
extension.
Use the Eclipse plug-in create wizard to create the plug-in. Add packages and classes as needed
and copy and paste the class and plugin.xml file content from the following steps. If you use the
same names, you can cut and paste; otherwise, edit your Java files and plugin.xml file using the
following steps as a guide.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type com.mycom.customapp
in the Project name box. Click Next.

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d. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Content dialog box, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

b. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
plug-in.

3. Create the project files.

a. Create the following:
• The com.mycom.customapp.perspectives package and the CustomPerspective
class in it.
Note

To create a package, right-click the project and choose New→Package. To create

a class, right-click the package and choose New→Class.

• The com.mycom.customapp.views package and the CustomView class in it.

• An icons directory.
Note

To create a directory, right-click the project and choose New→Folder.

b. Open the com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp_version.jar in the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory,

extract all the defaultapplication_size.png files and the pview.gif file, and copy the files to
the icons directory you just created.
The plug-in structure looks like this:

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c. Replace the code in the Activator.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customapp;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.AbstractRACPlugin;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IAspectService;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IAspectUIService;
/**
* The activator class controls the plug-in life cycle
*/
public class Activator extends AbstractRACPlugin {
// The plug-in ID
public static final String PLUGIN_ID = "com.mycom.customapp";
// The shared instance
private static Activator plugin;
/**
* The constructor
*/
public Activator() {
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#start
* (org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
@Override
public void start(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
super.start(context);
plugin = this;
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#stop
* (org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
@Override
public void stop(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
plugin = null;
super.stop(context);
}
/**
* Returns the shared instance
*
* @return the shared instance
*/
public static Activator getDefault() {
return plugin;
}
@Override
public IAspectService getLogicService() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return null;
}
@Override
public IAspectUIService getUIService() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return null;
}
protected void setupServices(BundleContext context) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub

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}
}

d. Replace the code in the CustomPerspective.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customapp.perspectives;
import org.eclipse.ui.IFolderLayout;
import org.eclipse.ui.IPageLayout;
import org.eclipse.ui.IPerspectiveFactory;
public class CustomPerspective implements IPerspectiveFactory {
/** The perspective ID */
public static final String ID =
"com.mycom.customapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective";
@Override
public void createInitialLayout(IPageLayout layout) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
layout.setEditorAreaVisible(false);
String editorArea = layout.getEditorArea();
IFolderLayout top = layout.createFolder("top", IPageLayout.TOP, -2f,
editorArea);
top.addView( "com.mycom.customapp.views.CustomView" );
}
}

e. Replace the code in the CustomView.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.customapp.views;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Font;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.FontData;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.FillLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Text;
import org.eclipse.ui.part.ViewPart;
public class CustomView extends ViewPart {
public CustomView() {
super();
}
@Override
public void createPartControl(Composite parent) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
parent.setLayout( new FillLayout() );
Text t = new Text( parent, SWT.BORDER );
t.setBackground( parent.getDisplay().getSystemColor( SWT.COLOR_WHITE ));
t.setForeground( parent.getDisplay().getSystemColor( SWT.COLOR_BLUE ));
Font initialFont = t.getFont();
FontData[] fontData = initialFont.getFontData();
for (int i = 0; i < fontData.length; i++) {
fontData[i].setHeight(18);
}
Font newFont = new Font(parent.getDisplay(), fontData);
t.setFont( newFont );
t.setText( " Welcome to Custom Application !! ");
}
@Override
public void setFocus() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
}

f. To create an empty plugin.xml file, click the project's Extensions tab and click the Add
button in the Extensions view, and click the Cancel button in the New Extension dialog box.
A plugin.xml file is added to the project.

g. Click the project's plugin.xml tab and replace the code in the plugin.xml file with the
following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.application">
<aif_app_item
displayMode="Primary"
groupName="Mycompany"
icon="icons/defaultapplication_32.png"
id="com.mycom.customapp"
name="Custom Application"
ordinality="200"
perspective_id="com.mycom.customapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective"

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session="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCSession"
tooltip="Custom Application"/>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectives">
<perspective
class="com.mycom.customapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective"
icon="icons/defaultapplication_16.png"
id="com.mycom.customapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective"
name="Custom Application"/>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.views">
<view
allowMultiple="false"
class="com.mycom.customapp.views.CustomView"
icon="icons/pview.gif"
id="com.mycom.customapp.views.CustomView"
name="Custom View"/>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.core.expressions.definitions">
<definition id="com.mycom.customapp.inMainView">
<or>
<with variable="activePartId">
<equals value="com.mycom.customapp.views.CustomView" />
</with>
<with variable="arc_property.ACTIVE_APPLICATION">
<equals value="com.mycom.customapp" />
</with>
</or>
</definition>
</extension>
</plugin>

This example does not require the definitions extension; you can remove it. It is included for
reference to show how you can determine if your application is active.

4. Choose File→Save All.

5. Verify the customization.

a. Choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your Eclipse environment.
Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch configuration dialog box.

b. Verify that the new Custom Application button is shown in the left-hand navigation pane in
the rich client.

c. Click the Custom Application button to launch the new application.

Launching the custom application

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6. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics

• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

Add an application to the Teamcenter Send To menu

This code allows users in a different application to select an appropriate object, choose an application
from the Send To shortcut menu, and send the selected object to the custom application.
This code creates a new application that uses a CumstomHandler handler. Use the Eclipse plug-in
create wizard to create the plug-in. Add packages and classes as needed and copy and paste the
class and the plugin.xml file content from the following steps. If you use the same names, you can cut
and paste; otherwise, edit your Java files and the plugin.xml file using the following steps as a guide.

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Note

To hide the Send To menu in the rich client, create a custom plug-in with code similar to
the following in the plugin.xml file:
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.activities">
<activity
description="This will hide the Send To submenu"
id="com.mycom.sendtohidden"
name="Sendto Activity">
</activity>
<activityPatternBinding
activityId="com.mycom.sendtohidden"
pattern="com.teamcenter.rac.common/com.teamcenter.rac.sendto">
</activityPatternBinding>
</extension>

1. Create the project.

a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type com.mycom.sendtoapp
in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Content dialog box, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Select the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

b. Select the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following plug-ins:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel

3. Create the project files.

a. Create the following:
• The com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives package and the CustomPerspective
class in it.
Note

To create a package, right-click the project and choose New→Package. To create

a class, right-click the package and choose New→Class.

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• The com.mycom.sendtoapp.services package and the CustomOpenService class

in it.

• The com.mycom.sendtoapp.views package and the CustomView class in it.

• The com.mycom.sendtoapp.handlers package and the CustomHandler class in it.

• An icons directory.
Note

To create a directory, right-click the project and choose New→Folder.

b. Open the com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp_version.jar in the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory,

extract all the defaultapplication_size.png files and the pview.gif file, and copy the files to
the icons directory you just created.
The plug-in structure looks like this:

c. Replace the code in the Activator.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.sendtoapp;
import java.util.Dictionary;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
import com.mycom.sendtoapp.services.CustomOpenService;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.AbstractRACPlugin;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IAspectService;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IAspectUIService;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IOpenService;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IServiceConstants;

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/**
* The activator class controls the plug-in life cycle
*/
public class Activator extends AbstractRACPlugin {
// The plug-in ID
public static final String PLUGIN_ID = "com.mycom.sendtoapp";
// The shared instance
private static Activator plugin;
/**
* The constructor
*/
public Activator() {
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#start(org.osgi.framework.
BundleContext)
*/
@Override
public void start(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
super.start(context);
plugin = this;
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#stop(org.osgi.framework.
BundleContext)
*/
@Override
public void stop(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
plugin = null;
super.stop(context);
}
/**
* Returns the shared instance
*
* @return the shared instance
*/
public static Activator getDefault() {
return plugin;
}
@Override
public IAspectService getLogicService() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return null;
}
@Override
public IAspectUIService getUIService() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return null;
}
protected void setupServices(BundleContext context) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
Dictionary<String, String> properties = new java.util.Hashtable<String,
String>();
// Register the open service
properties.put( IServiceConstants.PERSPECTIVE,
"com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective" );
CustomOpenService customOpenService = new CustomOpenService();
context.registerService( IOpenService.class.getName(),
customOpenService, properties );
}
}

d. Replace the code in the CustomPerspective.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives;
import org.eclipse.ui.IFolderLayout;
import org.eclipse.ui.IPageLayout;
import org.eclipse.ui.IPerspectiveFactory;
public class CustomPerspective implements IPerspectiveFactory {
/** The perspective ID */
public static final String ID =
"com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective";
@Override
public void createInitialLayout(IPageLayout layout) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
layout.setEditorAreaVisible(false);
String editorArea = layout.getEditorArea();

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IFolderLayout top = layout.createFolder("top", IPageLayout.TOP, -2f,

editorArea);
top.addView( "com.mycom.sendtoapp.views.CustomView" );
}
}

e. Replace the code in the CustomOpenService.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.sendtoapp.services;
import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.MessageDialog;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.InterfaceAIFComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.services.IOpenService;
public class CustomOpenService implements IOpenService {
@Override
public boolean close() throws Exception {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return false;
}
@Override
public boolean open(final InterfaceAIFComponent cmp) {
Display.getDefault().asyncExec( new Runnable() {
public void run() {
IWorkbenchWindow window = PlatformUI.getWorkbench()
.getActiveWorkbenchWindow();
MessageDialog
.openInformation(window.getShell(),
"CustomOpenService",
"You sent this component to the SendTo Application: "
+ cmp.toString());
}
});
return false;
}
@Override
public boolean open(InterfaceAIFComponent[] cmps) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
return false;
}
}

f. Replace the code in the CustomView.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.sendtoapp.views;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Font;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.FontData;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.FillLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Text;
import org.eclipse.ui.part.ViewPart;
public class CustomView extends ViewPart {
public CustomView() {
super();
}
@Override
public void createPartControl(Composite parent) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
parent.setLayout( new FillLayout() );
Text t = new Text( parent, SWT.BORDER );
t.setBackground( parent.getDisplay().getSystemColor( SWT.COLOR_WHITE ));
t.setForeground( parent.getDisplay().getSystemColor( SWT.COLOR_BLUE ));
Font initialFont = t.getFont();
FontData[] fontData = initialFont.getFontData();
for (int i = 0; i < fontData.length; i++) {
fontData[i].setHeight(18);
}
Font newFont = new Font(parent.getDisplay(), fontData);
t.setFont( newFont );
t.setText( " Welcome to the SendTo Application !! ");
}
@Override
public void setFocus() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
}

g. Replace the code in the CustomHandler.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.sendtoapp.handlers;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;

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import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbench;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
import org.eclipse.ui.WorkbenchException;
/***/
public class CustomHandler
extends AbstractHandler
{
@Override
public Object execute( ExecutionEvent event )
throws ExecutionException
{
IWorkbench workbench = PlatformUI.getWorkbench();
IWorkbenchWindow window = workbench.getActiveWorkbenchWindow();
try {
workbench.showPerspective(
"com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective", window, null );
} catch (WorkbenchException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
// tell your code to open the components
return null;
}
}

Note

Notice the commented text // tell your code to open the components. You must
ensure that the component selected to send to the application can be opened in the
application.

h. To create an empty plugin.xml file, click the project's Extensions tab and click the Add
button in the Extensions view, and click the Cancel button in the New Extension dialog box.
A plugin.xml file is added to the project.

i. Click the project's plugin.xml tab and replace the code in the plugin.xml file with the
following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.application">
<aif_app_item
displayMode="Primary"
groupName="Mycompany"
icon="icons/defaultapplication_32.png"
id="com.mycom.sendtoapp"
name="SendTo Application"
ordinality="200"
perspective_id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective"
session="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCSession"
tooltip="Send To Application"/>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectives">
<perspective
class="com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective"
icon="icons/defaultapplication_16.png"
id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective"
name="SendTo Application"/>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectiveExtensions">
<perspectiveExtension targetID="*">
<perspectiveShortcut
id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective" />
</perspectiveExtension>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.views">
<view
allowMultiple="false"
class="com.mycom.sendtoapp.views.CustomView"
icon="icons/pview.gif"
id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.views.CustomView"
name="Custom View"/>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<command
name="SendTo Application"

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id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.sendto">
</command>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commandImages">
<command
icon="icons/defaultapplication_16.png"
id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.sendto">
</command>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.sendtoapp.sendto"
class="com.mycom.sendtoapp.handlers.CustomHandler">
<enabledWhen>
<iterate ifEmpty="false">
<reference definitionId="com.mycom.sendtoapp.sendToActive"/>
</iterate>
</enabledWhen>
</handler>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="popup:com.teamcenter.rac.sendto?after=additions">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.sendtoapp.sendto">
<visibleWhen>
<iterate ifEmpty="false">
<reference
definitionId="com.mycom.sendtoapp.sendToActive"/>
</iterate>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.core.expressions.definitions">
<definition id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.sendToActive">
<and>
<adapt type="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent">
<not>
<adapt type="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent">
<test
property=
"com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent.typeClass"
value="AllocationLine">
</test>
</adapt>
</not>
</adapt>
</and>
</definition>
<definition id="com.mycom.sendtoapp.inMainView">
<or>
<with variable="activePartId">
<equals value="com.mycom.sendtoapp.views.CustomView" />
</with>
<with variable="arc_property.ACTIVE_APPLICATION">
<equals value="com.mycom.sendtoapp" />
</with>
</or>
</definition>
</extension>
</plugin>

4. Choose File→Save All.

5. Verify the customization.

a. Choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client from your Eclipse environment.
Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the launch configuration dialog box.

b. Verify that the new SendTo Application button is shown in the left-hand navigation pane in
the rich client. Click the SendTo Application button.

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New SendTo application in the navigation pane

Verify that when you right-click an object, the new application is displayed on the Send
To menu.

New SendTo application added to the Send To menu

In addition to creating an application, this solution shows how to register a service in the
Activator.setupServices() method. It also shows how to use a CustomHandler handler to
take the perspective ID to open as an argument.
workbench.showPerspective( "com.mycom.sendtoapp.perspectives.CustomPerspective",
window, null );

6. Package the project.

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If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics
• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

Localize your customizations

You can localize (present in different languages) the rich client by either modifying the plugin.xml file
or the application_locale.properties file. Modifying the properties file was used prior to Teamcenter
2007 and is still supported. However, if you are creating a localization of a new custom project,
modify the Eclipse plug-in.xml file.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type com.mycom.l10n in
the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

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B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

2. Create the project files.

a. Add the following line to the end of the MANIFEST.MF file:
Bundle-Localization: plugin

The MANIFEST.MF file should appear as follows:

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
Bundle-Name: L10n
Bundle-SymbolicName: com.mycom.l10n; singleton:=true
Bundle-Version: 1.0.0.qualifier
Bundle-Activator: com.mycom.l10n.Activator
Bundle-Vendor: MYCOM
Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.ui,
org.eclipse.core.runtime
Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: JavaSE-1.6
Bundle-ActivationPolicy: lazy
Bundle-Localization: plugin

b. Create a plugin.properties file in the com.mycom.l10n project by selecting the project

and choosing File→New→File.
The empty plugin.properties file appears directly under the com.mycom.l10n project at the
same level as the plugin.xml file.

c. Add the following name/value pairs to the plugin.properties file:

myMenuitem.label=My Hello world
myTooltip.tip=My Say hello world
myCommand.name=My Command

d. Edit the plugin.xml file replacing hard coded values with %keyname for the name/value pairs
you typed in the plugin.properties file. For example:
label="%myMenuitem.label"

The plugin.xml file should appear as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<category
name="Sample Category"
id="com.mycom.l10n.commands.category">
</category>
<command
name="%myCommand.name"
categoryId="com.mycom.l10n.commands.category"
id="com.mycom.l10n.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.l10n.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.l10n.handlers.SampleHandler">
</handler>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.bindings">
<key
commandId="com.mycom.l10n.commands.sampleCommand"
contextId="org.eclipse.ui.contexts.window"
sequence="M1+6"
schemeId="org.eclipse.ui.defaultAcceleratorConfiguration">

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</key>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu?after=additions">
<menu
label="%myMenuitem.label"
mnemonic="M"
id="com.mycom.l10n.menus.sampleMenu">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.l10n.commands.sampleCommand"
mnemonic="S"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
id="com.mycom.l10n.menus.sampleCommand">
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>
<menuContribution
locationURI="toolbar:org.eclipse.ui.main.toolbar?after=additions">
<toolbar
id="com.mycom.l10n.toolbars.sampleToolbar">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.l10n.commands.sampleCommand"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
tooltip="%myTooltip.tip"
id="com.mycom.l10n.toolbars.sampleCommand">
</command>
</toolbar>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

e. Add a Spanish localization by creating a plugin_es.properties file at the same level as the
plugin.properties file. The keys are identical in the plugin_es.properties file but have
Spanish values.
myMenuitem.label=Mi Hola mundo
myTooltip.tip=Mi para Decir hola mundo
myCommand.name=Mi Orden

3. Verify the customization thus far.

a. Create a new configuration for the Spanish locale by choosing Run→Run Configurations
(or Run→Debug Configurations) and specifying -nl es instead of -nl ${target.nl} on the
Arguments tab. For example:
-os ${target.os} -ws ${target.ws} -arch ${target.arch} -nl es

b. To verify the configuration so far, choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client
from your Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the
launch configuration dialog box.

c. Choose Mi Hola Mundo→Mi Orden to run the custom command.

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Choosing the custom menu command in the Spanish user interface

However, the message displayed by the custom command is not localized (translated).

Untranslated custom message box

The message should also be localized.

4. Localize the message.

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a. In Eclipse, choose Source→Externalize Strings.

This creates the Messages.java and messages.properties files in the
com.mycom.l10n.handlers package.

b. Create a messages_es.properties file at the same level as the messages.properties file,

and add the following content to the new file:
SampleHandler_0=L10n
SampleHandler_1=Hola, mundo de Eclipse

5. Verify the customization.

a. Choose Run→Run Configurations and choose the Spanish locale to start the rich client
from your Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the
launch configuration dialog box.

b. Choose Mi Hola Mundo→Mi Orden to run the custom command.

The localized message is displayed.

Translated custom message box

For more information about localizing Eclipse plug-ins, see the Eclipse documentation. Also,
you can unzip any of the Teamcenter plug-ins to see how the rich client uses localization.
The plugin.properties and plugin.xml files in the aifrcp plug-in are good examples.

6. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

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a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics
• Localization of rich client customizations

• What is Teamcenter localization?

• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

Customize the rich client properties files

You can customize the appearance of applications in the rich client by creating user properties files
that override the default properties files. The default properties files, with a .properties extension,
are located in the various com.teamcenter.rac.component.jar files in the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins
directory. You override the default file by creating a _user.properties file and wrapping it in an
Eclipse plug-in. For example, if you want to override a property in Manufacturing Process Planner,
you must override the mpp.properties file located in the com.teamcenter.rac.cme.legacy.jar file
with the mpp_user.properties file.
1. Create the Java project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the Project name box, type the project name, which should be in the form of
com.mycom.project-name. For example, type com.mycom.propertiesfile. Click Next.

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d. Under Options, ensure the Generate an activator and This plug-in will make
contributions to the UI check boxes are selected. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Modify the properties file.

a. Navigate to the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory, and open the JAR file that contains the
properties file you want to override. The file name has the form property.properties. For
example, to override the mpp.properties file, open the com.teamcenter.rac.cme.legacy.jar
file.

b. Extract the properties file you want to override from the JAR file. For example, extract the
mpp.properties file.
Note

A JAR file uses ZIP compression and can be opened using standard unjar or unzip
tools.

c. In a text editor, open the properties file to determine the syntax of the property you want
to modify.

d. Create a new property_user.properties in a text editor. For example, if you open the
mpp.properties file, create the mpp_user.properties file.

e. Type the entries you want to use to override the defaults.

f. Save and exit the file.

3. Update the project tabs.

a. In Eclipse, click your project tab and click its Dependencies tab.

b. Under Required Plug-ins, click the Add button.

c. Select the following plug-ins from the list by holding down the Ctrl key while you click them:
• com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp

• com.teamcenter.rac.common

• com.teamcenter.rac.external

• com.teamcenter.rac.kernel

• com.teamcenter.rac.neva

• com.teamcenter.rac.tcapps

• com.teamcenter.rac.util

d. Click OK.

e. Click your project's Runtime tab.

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f. Under Exported Packages, click the Add button.

g. Select your project and click OK.

h. Click your project's Extensions tab.

i. Click the Add button.

j. Select the com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties extension point.

k. Click Finish.

l. Click the plugin.xml tab. Type text in the file so it looks like the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties">
</extension>
</plugin>

If the text is different, edit it in the tab to resemble the example.

m. Save the project by choosing File→Save All.

4. Create a package.
a. In the Package Explorer view, right-click your project and choose New→Package.

b. In the Name box, type the path name where the properties file was originally. For
example, if you originally extracted the mpp.properties file, the package name should be
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.

c. Click Finish.

d. From Windows Explorer, drag your modified property_user.properties file and drop it on the
package you created in Package Explorer.

e. In Package Explorer, select plugin.xml.

f. Click the MANIFEST.MF tab and type your new package at the end of the Export-Package
line. For example, if your project name is com.mycom.propertiesfile and the new package
is called com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp, the line should read:
Export-Package: com.mycom.propertiesfile, com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp

The MANIFEST.MF file should look like the following:

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
Bundle-Name: Propertiesfile
Bundle-SymbolicName: com.mycom.propertiesfile;singleton:=true
Bundle-Version: 1.0.0.qualifier
Bundle-Activator: com.mycom.propertiesfile.Activator
Bundle-Vendor: MYCOM
Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.ui,
org.eclipse.core.runtime,
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp;bundle-version="8000.2.0",
com.teamcenter.rac.common;bundle-version="8000.2.0",
com.teamcenter.rac.external;bundle-version="8000.2.0",
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel;bundle-version="8000.2.0",
com.teamcenter.rac.neva;bundle-version="1.0.0",
com.teamcenter.rac.tcapps;bundle-version="8000.2.0",
com.teamcenter.rac.util;bundle-version="8000.2.0"
Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: JavaSE-1.6

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Bundle-ActivationPolicy: lazy
Export-Package: com.mycom.propertiesfile, com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp

g. Click your project's Runtime tab. If one or more of the items listed in the Export-Package
line in the previous step are missing, add the missing ones by clicking the Add button,
selecting the missing packages, and clicking OK.

5. Save and export your changes.

6. Debug in Eclipse.
a. In Eclipse, choose Run→Debug Configurations.

b. In the Debug dialog box, under Java Application on the left-hand side, select the
configuration you want to debug.

c. At the bottom of the dialog box, click the Debug button.

This launches the application in debug mode. To change the perspective to the debug
perspective, choose Window→Open Perspective→Debug.

You can then debug your application.

7. Run the genregxml script.

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change plug-in
content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are included when the rich
client starts. This enhances performance because it caches the properties so they can be loaded
when the rich client starts. The script takes no arguments and generates a RegistryLoader
file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory. The RegistryLoader file is added during
rich client startup.

a. Delete the old registry loader file:

TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz

b. Run the following script:

TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml
When the script is finished, a new RegistryLoader.xml.gz file is created.

8. Verify the customization.

Related topics
• Export your custom plug-in to the rich client

Infrequent rich client customizations

Add a table viewer

You can create a table in its own dialog window and add a menu command to launch it.
1. Create the project.

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a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type com.mycom.tableviewer
in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.util

b. Click the Runtime tab, click the Add button, and select the following:
com.mycom.tableviewer
com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers

3. Create the project files.

a. Edit the com.mycom.tableviewer plug-in's plugin.xml file. Replace the entire contents of
the plugin.xml file with the following code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<category
name="Sample Category"
id="com.mycom.tableviewer.commands.category">
</category>
<command
name="Sample Command"
categoryId="com.mycom.tableviewer.commands.category"
id="com.mycom.tableviewer.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.tableviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers.TableViewerHandler">
</handler>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.bindings">
<key
commandId="com.mycom.tableviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
contextId="org.eclipse.ui.contexts.window"
sequence="M1+6"
schemeId="org.eclipse.ui.defaultAcceleratorConfiguration">
</key>
</extension>

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<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu?after=additions">
<menu
label="Viewer"
mnemonic="V"
id="com.mycom.tableviewer.menus.sampleMenu">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.tableviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
id="com.mycom.tableviewer.menus.sampleCommand"
label="TableViewer"
mnemonic="T">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>
<menuContribution
locationURI="toolbar:org.eclipse.ui.main.toolbar?after=additions">
<toolbar
id="com.mycom.tableviewer.toolbars.sampleToolbar">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.tableviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
id="com.mycom.tableviewer.toolbars.sampleCommand"
label="TableViewer"
tooltip="Explore Tableviewer">
</command>
</toolbar>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

b. Open the com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers package, select the SampleHandler.java file,

choose File→Rename, and rename the file to TableViewerHandler.java.
Replace the contents of the TableViewerHandler.java file with the following:
package com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
/**
* Our TableViewerHandler extends AbstractHandler
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler
*/
public class TableViewerHandler extends AbstractHandler {
/**
* The constructor.
*/
public TableViewerHandler() {
}
/**
* the command has been executed, so extract extract the needed information
* from the application context.
*/
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
return new TableViewerExample();
}
}

c. Right-click the com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers package, choose New→Class, and

add the following Java files:
Row.java
TableContentProvider.java
TableLabelProvider.java
TableViewerExample.java

d. Replace the contents of the Row.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers;
public class Row {
private String key;
private String value;
public Row(String key, String value) {
setKey(key);
setValue(value);

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}
public void setKey(String key) {
this.key = key;
}
public String getKey() {
return key;
}
public void setValue(String value) {
this.value = value;
}
public String getValue() {
return value;
}
}

e. Replace the contents of the TableContentProvider.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.IStructuredContentProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.Viewer;
public class TableContentProvider implements IStructuredContentProvider {
public Object[] getElements(Object parent) {
List results = new ArrayList();
if (parent instanceof ArrayList) {
results = (ArrayList) parent;
}
return results.toArray();
}
public void dispose() {
}
public void inputChanged(Viewer viewer, Object oldInput, Object newInput) {
}
}

f. Replace the contents of the TableLabelProvider.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ITableLabelProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.LabelProvider;
import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Image;
public class TableLabelProvider extends LabelProvider implements
ITableLabelProvider {
public Image getColumnImage(Object element, int columnIndex) {
return null;
}
public String getColumnText(Object element, int columnIndex) {
Row row = (Row) element;
switch (columnIndex) {
case 0:
return row.getKey();
case 1:
return row.getValue();
}
return null;
}
}

g. Replace the contents of the TableViewerExample.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.CellEditor;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ColumnWeightData;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ICellModifier;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelection;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.IStructuredSelection;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TableLayout;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TableViewer;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TextCellEditor;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionAdapter;
import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionEvent;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.FillLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridData;
import org.eclipse.swt.layout.GridLayout;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Button;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Control;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Table;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.TableColumn;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.TableItem;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.AbstractAIFDialog;

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import com.teamcenter.rac.util.Registry;
/**
* This is an example program showing how to use a TableViewer
*/
public class TableViewerExample {
private Table table;
private TableViewer tableViewer;
/** class registry */
private final static Registry reg =
Registry.getRegistry( TableViewerExample.class );
private final static String[] COLUMN_HEADINGS =
{ reg.getString( "Object"),reg.getString( "Type" )};
public TableViewerExample() {
createTableViewerExample();
}
private void createTableViewerExample() {
Shell shell = new Shell(SWT.SHELL_TRIM);
shell.setImage( Registry.getRegistry(
AbstractAIFDialog.class ).getImage(
"aifDesktop.ICON" ) );
shell.setText(reg.getString("details"));
shell.setLayout(new FillLayout());
createContents(shell);
shell.setSize(400, 400);
shell.open();
while (!shell.isDisposed()) {
if (!Display.getDefault().readAndDispatch())
Display.getDefault().sleep();
}
}
protected Control createContents(Composite parent) {
final Composite composite = new Composite(parent, SWT.NONE);
GridLayout layout = new GridLayout(1, false);
layout.verticalSpacing = 10;
composite.setLayout(layout);
GridData data = new GridData(GridData.FILL_BOTH);
data.grabExcessHorizontalSpace = true;
composite.setLayoutData(data);
table = new Table(composite, SWT.BORDER | SWT.V_SCROLL | SWT.MULTI
| SWT.FULL_SELECTION);
table.setLinesVisible(true);
table.setHeaderVisible(true);
data = new GridData(SWT.FILL, SWT.FILL, true, false);
data.heightHint = 300;
table.setLayoutData(data);
TableLayout tableLayout = new TableLayout();
table.setLayout(tableLayout);
tableLayout.addColumnData(new ColumnWeightData(10, 50, true));
TableColumn column = new TableColumn(table, SWT.NONE);
column.setText(COLUMN_HEADINGS[0]);
column.setAlignment(SWT.LEFT);
tableLayout.addColumnData(new ColumnWeightData(15, 200, true));
column = new TableColumn(table, SWT.NONE);
column.setText(COLUMN_HEADINGS[1]);
column.setAlignment(SWT.LEFT);
tableViewer = new TableViewer(table);
tableViewer.setColumnProperties(COLUMN_HEADINGS);
tableViewer.setContentProvider(new TableContentProvider());
tableViewer.setLabelProvider(new TableLabelProvider());
CellEditor[] editors = new CellEditor[2];
editors[0] = new TextCellEditor(table);
editors[1] = new TextCellEditor(table);
tableViewer.setCellEditors(editors);
tableViewer.setCellModifier(new TableCellModifier());
Composite buttonComposite = new Composite(composite, SWT.NONE);
FillLayout fillLayout = new FillLayout(SWT.HORIZONTAL);
fillLayout.spacing = 10;
buttonComposite.setLayout(fillLayout);
Button addButton = new Button(buttonComposite, SWT.PUSH);
addButton.setText(reg.getString("Add"));
addButton.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
Row row = new Row("", "");
tableViewer.add(row);
table.setTopIndex(table.getItemCount());
table.select(table.getItemCount() - 1);
tableViewer.editElement(row, 0);
}
});
Button deleteButton = new Button(buttonComposite, SWT.PUSH);
deleteButton.setText(reg.getString("Delete"));
deleteButton.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
ISelection selection = tableViewer.getSelection();
if (selection instanceof IStructuredSelection) {
Iterator iterator = ((IStructuredSelection) selection)
.iterator();
while (iterator.hasNext()) {
Object obj = iterator.next();
tableViewer.remove(obj);
}

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}
}
});
Button closeButton = new Button(buttonComposite, SWT.PUSH);
closeButton.setText(reg.getString("Close"));
closeButton.addSelectionListener(new SelectionAdapter() {
public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
composite.getParent().dispose();
}
});
return composite;
}
class TableCellModifier implements ICellModifier {
public boolean canModify(Object element, String property) {
return true;
}
public Object getValue(Object element, String property) {
Object result = null;
Row row = (Row) element;
List<String> list = Arrays.asList(COLUMN_HEADINGS);
int columnIndex = list.indexOf(property);
switch (columnIndex) {
case 0:
result = row.getKey();
break;
case 1:
result = row.getValue();
break;
}
return result;
}
public void modify(Object element, String property, Object value) {
List<String> list = Arrays.asList(COLUMN_HEADINGS);
int columnIndex = list.indexOf(property);
TableItem tableItem = (TableItem) element;
Row row = (Row) tableItem.getData();
switch (columnIndex) {
case 0:
String key = (String) value;
if (key.length() > 0) {
row.setKey(key);
}
break;
case 1:
String v = (String) value;
if (v.length() > 0) {
row.setValue(v);
}
break;
}
tableViewer.update(row, null);
}
}
}

h. Right-click the com.mycom.tableviewer.handlers package, choose New→File, and add a

handlers.properties file.

i. Replace the contents of the handlers.properties file with the following:

Object=Object
Type=Type
details=Details
Add=Add
Delete=Delete
Close=Close

j. Choose File→Save All.

4. Package the project.

To package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the TC_ROOT\portal
directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.

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The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the

TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

5. Verify the customization.

a. Launch My Teamcenter and choose Viewer→TableViewer on the menu bar, or click the
Explore TableViewer button on the toolbar.

TableViewer menu command

TableViewer button

b. In the Details dialog box, click the Add button to add a line to the table, or click the Delete
button to remove a line.

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TableViewer dialog box

Related topics
• Ensure your customizations appear

Add a tree viewer

You can create a tree in its own dialog window and add a menu command to launch it. This example
displays a file explorer tree that reads the contents of the hard disk.
By default, this example reads the C:\ drive on Windows systems. To read the /user drive on UNIX
systems, change code in the Explorer.java file.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Plug-in Project pane, type com.mycom.treeviewer
in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project dialog box Content pane, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Ensure the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box is selected and select
Hello, World Command in the list. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common

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com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.util

b. Click the Runtime tab, click the Add button, and select the following:
com.mycom.treeviewer
com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers

3. Create the project files.

a. Edit the com.mycom.treeviewer plug-in's plugin.xml file. Replace the entire contents of
the plugin.xml file with the following code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.4"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.commands">
<category
name="Sample Category"
id="com.mycom.treeviewer.commands.category">
</category>
<command
name="Sample Command"
categoryId="com.mycom.treeviewer.commands.category"
id="com.mycom.treeviewer.commands.sampleCommand">
</command>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
<handler
commandId="com.mycom.treeviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
class="com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers.TreeViewerHandler">
</handler>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.bindings">
<key
commandId="com.mycom.treeviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
contextId="org.eclipse.ui.contexts.window"
sequence="M1+6"
schemeId="org.eclipse.ui.defaultAcceleratorConfiguration">
</key>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
<menuContribution
locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu?after=additions">
<menu
label="Viewer"
mnemonic="V"
id="com.mycom.treeviewer.menus.sampleMenu">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.treeviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
id="com.mycom.treeviewer.menus.sampleCommand"
label="TreeViewer"
mnemonic="T"
tooltip="Explore Treeviewer">
<visibleWhen>
<reference
definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.inMainPerspective">
</reference>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>
<menuContribution
locationURI="toolbar:org.eclipse.ui.main.toolbar?after=additions">
<toolbar
id="com.mycom.treeviewer.toolbars.sampleToolbar">
<command
commandId="com.mycom.treeviewer.commands.sampleCommand"
icon="icons/sample.gif"
id="com.mycom.treeviewer.toolbars.sampleCommand"
label="TreeViewer"
tooltip="Explore Treeviewer">
</command>
</toolbar>
</menuContribution>
</extension>
</plugin>

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b. Open the com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers package, select the SampleHandler.java file,

choose File→Rename, and rename the file to TreeViewerHandler.java.
Replace the contents of the TreeViewerHandler.java file with the following:
package com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
/**
* TreeViewerHandler extends AbstractHandler, an IHandler base class.
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.IHandler
* @see org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler
*/
public class TreeViewerHandler extends AbstractHandler {
/**
* The constructor.
*/
public TreeViewerHandler() {
}
/**
* the command has been executed, so extract extract the needed information
* from the application context.
*/
public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
Explorer explorer = new Explorer();
explorer.setBlockOnOpen(true);
explorer.open();
return null;
}
}

c. Right-click the com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers package, choose New→Class, and add

the following Java files:
Explorer.java
FileTreeExplorerContentProvider.java
FileTreeExplorerLabelProvider.java

d. Replace the contents of the Explorer.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers;
import java.io.File;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.TreeViewer;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.*;
import org.eclipse.jface.window.ApplicationWindow;
public class Explorer extends ApplicationWindow {
public Explorer() {
super(null);
}
protected Control createContents(Composite parent) {
TreeViewer tv = new TreeViewer(parent);
tv.setContentProvider(new FileTreeExplorerContentProvider());
tv.setLabelProvider(new FileTreeExplorerLabelProvider());
// if for Linux/Unix platforms
// tv.setInput(new File("/usr/"));
tv.setInput(new File("C:\\"));
return tv.getTree();
}
}

Note

By default, this example reads the C:\ drive on Windows systems. To read the /user
drive on UNIX systems, change code in the Explorer.java file.

e. Replace the contents of the FileTreeExplorerContentProvider.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers;
import java.io.File;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ITreeContentProvider;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.Viewer;
public class FileTreeExplorerContentProvider implements ITreeContentProvider
{
public Object[] getChildren(Object element)
{
Object[] children = ((File) element).listFiles();
return children == null ? new Object[0] : children;

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}
public Object[] getElements(Object element)
{
return getChildren(element);
}
public boolean hasChildren(Object element)
{
return getChildren(element).length > 0;
}
public Object getParent(Object element)
{
return ((File)element).getParent();
}
public void dispose()
{
//No implementation
}
public void inputChanged(Viewer viewer, Object old_input, Object new_input)
{
//No implementation
}
}

f. Replace the contents of the FileTreeExplorerLabelProvider.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.treeviewer.handlers;
import java.io.File;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.LabelProvider;
public class FileTreeExplorerLabelProvider extends LabelProvider
{
public String getText(Object element)
{
return ((File) element).getName();
}
}

g. Choose File→Save All.

4. Package the project.

To package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the TC_ROOT\portal
directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.

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On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter

directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

5. Verify the customization.

a. Launch My Teamcenter and choose Viewer→TreeViewer on the menu bar, or click the
Explore TreeViewer button on the toolbar.

TreeViewer menu command

TreeViewer button

b. Browse the tree structure.

Tree viewer

Related topics
• Ensure your customizations appear

Add a quick search item

You can add an existing query to the quick search box at the top of the navigation pane. You can add
any query from Query Builder, including queries you create yourself. In the following example, add
the Item Revision... query to the quick search list.
1. Add the text for the new quick search item to the locale text file.
In the TC_ROOT\lang\textserver\en_US\weblocal_locale.xml file, add the following lines:

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<key id="Item Revision..._DisplayName">Item Revision Name</key>

<key id="Item Revision..._SearchAttributeDisplayName">Item Revision Name</key>
<key id="Item Revision..._tooltip">Enter Name to search</key>

Note

If you create your own query in Query Builder, you must also add the query to the list of
queries in the TC_ROOT\lang\textserver\en_US\qry_text_locale.xml file.

2. Add values to quick search preferences.

a. Open the preferences by choosing Edit→Options→Search.

b. Open the Quick_Access_Queries preference and add the name of the query to the list
(for example, add Item Revision).

c. Open the Quick_Access_Queries_Attribute preference and add the search attribute to use
for the query (for example, Name):
Item Revision..._SearchAttribute=Name

Note

The attribute to use for the search (for example, Name) must exist on the query. Look
at the query in Query Builder to see the attributes on the query.

3. Clear cache.
• Thin client
Shut down Web services and delete temporary tc_text.xml.mem files, for example:
%TEMP%\V9000.0.1.20011number\number\TextSrv\en_US\tc_text.xml.mem.

Restart services.

• Rich client
To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.
If you delete this directory, the last state of the rich client is lost, and the user interface
appears as it does at initial startup.
Also delete the directory containing temporary server cache (*.mem) files for the Teamcenter
server. On a Windows client, it is typically the C:\temp\PTeamcenter-version directory.

4. Test the new quick search item by logging on to Teamcenter and clicking the arrow to the right
of the quick search.

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Adding a new search type to the quick search list

Related topics
• Using quick search

• Ensure your customizations appear

Change the display color of read-only properties

You can change the foreground and background colors of read-only properties specified in style
sheets. This affects all elements that use style sheets to set the layout, such as the Summary
view and the Properties dialog box.
Override the default values for display. The format of the properties file is the following:
# Color for read only properties display
# Value can be a RGB value or color name.
PropertyBeanReadOnly.Background=255,255,128
PropertyBeanReadOnly.Foreground=gray

Note

Background and foreground color customizations are possible for style sheet rendering in the
Summary tab of My Teamcenter only when the selected object is in a checked-out state. This
is because of flat rendering, when text or empty display areas do not have widgets (such as a
text box in the background for a checked-in object).

Use the Teamcenter registry, which looks for the color setting in the following file order:
a. customer.properties

b. properties_user.properties

c. properties.properties

By changing the color settings in the properties_user.properties file, the default settings in the
application-name.properties file are overridden.
Create a custom plug-in that extends the com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties extension point
and deploy it to the plugins directory.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Then click Next.

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c. In the Project name box, type com.mycom.readonlycolor. Click Next.

d. Under Options, ensure the Generate an activator and This plug-in will make
contributions to the UI check boxes are selected. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. In Eclipse, click your project tab and click its Dependencies tab.

b. Under Required Plug-ins, click the Add button, select the com.teamcenter.rac.util plug-in,
and click OK.

c. Click your project's Extensions tab, click the Add button, and select the
com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties extension point. Click Finish.

d. Click your project's Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

e. Save the project by choosing File→Save All.

3. Create the project files.

a. In Package Explorer, right-click the com.mycom.readonlycolor project and choose
New→Package.

b. In the Name box, type com.teamcenter.rac.common.

c. Click Finish.

d. Right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.common package and choose New→File.

e. In the Name box, type common_user.properties.

f. Click Finish.

g. Add the following to the common_user.properties file:

PropertyBeanReadOnly.Background=lightGray
PropertyBeanReadOnly.Foreground=blue

The plug-in structure looks like this:

h. Click the plugin.xml tab. The text in the tab should look like the following:

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<?eclipse version="3.6"?>
<plugin>
<extension
point="com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties">
</extension>
</plugin>

If the text is different, edit it in the tab to resemble the example.

i. Click your project's MANIFEST.MF tab. It should look like the following:
Manifest-Version: 1.0
Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
Bundle-Name: Readonlycolor
Bundle-SymbolicName: com.mycom.readonlycolor;singleton:=true
Bundle-Version: 1.0.0.qualifier
Bundle-Activator: com.mycom.readonlycolor.Activator
Bundle-Vendor: MYCOM
Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.core.runtime,
com.teamcenter.rac.util;bundle-version="8000.3.0"
Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: JavaSE-1.6
Bundle-ActivationPolicy: lazy

4. Package the project.

To package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the TC_ROOT\portal
directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.

The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the

TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.

When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file

is created.

Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.

On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter

directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

5. Verify the customization.

a. In the rich client, select an item and click More Properties in the Summary tab.

Read-only properties are gray with blue characters.

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Changed color for read-only properties

Related topics
• Ensure your customizations appear

Add a column to view occurrence notes

By default, you cannot view occurrence notes on intermediate data capture (IDC) objects in the
Multi-Structure Manager. However, you can view the occurrence notes if you can add a column to
display them. To accomplish this, you must define the alias for the occurrence note type in the
TC_DATA\structure_alias.xml file, and then add the column for the occurrence note type in the
IDCStructureColumnsShownPref preference.
1. Create the occurrence note on the IDC object.
a. Create a structure in Multi-Structure Manager.

b. In the data pane to the right, select an occurrence (item revision) in the structure.

c. Right-click a column heading and add a column for an occurrence note type (for example,
UG NAME).

d. For the selected occurrence, double-click in the empty cell in that column and type in your
note (for example, type This is my occurrence note).

e. In the left pane, select that occurrence in the structure (the item revision) and choose
Tools→Intermediate Data Capture. For our example, choose the Transfer Mode Name of
tcm_export because it transfers the UG NAME type of occurrence note.
When the IDC appears on the tab, there is no content in the data panel, and there is no
occurrence note column (for example, no UG NAME column). That’s because the occurrence
note type column must be added to this IDC structure view using a customization.

f. Exit the rich client.

2. Open the TC_DATA\structure_alias.xml file and add code.

a. Add the following under the Alias name="BOM.Property" node:
<Alias name="UG NAME" default=""type="string" size="0"/>

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b. Add the following under the AliasAlternate name="BOM.Property" node:

<Alias name="UG NAME">
<Path depth="0..0">*:*:@instancedRef</Path>
<Xpath>/UserData/UserValue[@title=&apos;UGNAME&apos;]/@value</Xpath>
</Alias>

3. Restart the rich client. (Be sure to delete the rich client cache and use the -clean option when
restarting Teamcenter.)

4. Add the UG NAME value to the IDCStructureColumnsShownPref preference, and add a value
for the new column’s width to the IDCStructureShownColumnWidthsPref preference.

5. Select the item structure in My Teamcenter and send it to Multi-Structure Manager. The
occurrence note displays on the IDC in the right data panel under the new column (for example,
the UG NAME column).

New column for occurrence notes

Related topics

• Ensure your customizations appear

Add perspectives to Manufacturing Process Planner

This example adds new perspectives to the Manufacturing Process Planner application. Creating
new perspectives in Manufacturing Process Planner is similar to creating a new perspective in
any other application in Teamcenter, but with some modifications. The project that contains
the perspectives uses the Eclipse org.eclipse.ui.perspectives extension and the Teamcenter
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs extension.
Use the Eclipse plug-in create wizard to create the plug-in. Add packages and classes as needed
and copy and paste the class and plugin.xml file content from the following steps. If you use the
same names, you can cut and paste; otherwise, edit your Java files and plugin.xml file using the
following steps as a guide.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

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b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type
com.mycom.mpp.perspectives in the Project name box and clear the Source folder
box. Click Next.

d. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Content dialog box, do the following:
A. Under Options, ensure the This plug-in will make contributions to the UI check
box is selected.

B. Click the No button next to Would you like to create a rich client application?.

C. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

b. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following:
org.eclipse.core.runtime
org.eclipse.ui
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp

c. Click the Runtime tab, click the Add button, and select com.mycom.mpp.perspectives.

3. Create the project files.

a. Create project icons.
A. Right-click the project, choose New→Package, and create an icons package.

B. Click the Runtime tab, click the Add button, select the Show non-Java packages
check box, and select icons.

C. Add the following icons to the package:

Icon File name Use

consumptionPerspective_16.png Small icon used in the Manufacturing -
Process Consumption perspective
consumptionPerspective_24.png Medium icon used in the Manufacturing -
Process Consumption perspective
consumptionPerspective_32.png Large icon used in the Manufacturing -
Process Consumption perspective
mbom_pbop_16.png Small icon used in the Manufacturing -
MBOM to Product BOP perspective
mbom_pbop_24.png Medium icon used in the Manufacturing -
MBOM to Product BOP perspective

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Icon File name Use

mbom_pbop_32.png Large icon used in the Manufacturing -
MBOM to Product BOP perspective
threeD_16.png Small icon used in the Manufacturing -
Product 3D perspective
threeD_24.png Medium icon used in the Manufacturing -
Product 3D perspective
threeD_32.png Large icon used in the Manufacturing -
Product 3D perspective

b. Create the plugin.properties file.

A. Create a plugin.properties file in the com.mycom.mpp.perspectives project by
selecting the project and choosing File→New→File.

B. Add the following name/value pairs to the plugin.properties file:

#Properties file for com.mycom.mpp.perspectives
Bundle-Name = Manufacturing Incubator Plug-in
consumption.perspective.name = Manufacturing - Process Consumption
product-3d.perspective.name = Manufacturing - Product 3D
mbom-pbop.perspective.name = Manufacturing - MBOM to Product BOP
ProcessConsumption.tooltip = Process Consumption
Product3D.tooltip = Product 3D
MBOM2ProductBOP.tooltip = MBOM to Product BOP

c. Create the plugin.xml file.

A. To create an empty plugin.xml file, click the project's Extensions tab and click the
Add button in the Extensions view, and click the Cancel button in the New Extension
dialog box.
A plugin.xml file is added to the project.

B. Click the project's plugin.xml tab and replace the code in the plugin.xml file with the
following:
<plugin>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectives">
<perspective
class="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspective.GenericRACPerspective"
icon="icons/consumptionPerspective_16.png"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.Consumption"
name="%consumption.perspective.name">
</perspective>
</extension>
<extension
point="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs">
<perspective
displayMode="Tertiary"
icon16="icons/consumptionPerspective_16.png"
icon24="icons/consumptionPerspective_24.png"
icon32="icons/consumptionPerspective_32.png"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.Consumption"
label="%consumption.perspective.name"
legacyAppClass="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.application.
MFGLegacyApplication"
legacyAppId="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication"
ordinality="0"
taskpaneID="TaskPane"
tooltip="%consumption.perspective.name">
<contextRef id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.ConsumptionContext"/>
<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="false"
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_UL"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.processView"
secondaryId="MPPApplication_1"
placeholderOnly="false">
</viewRef>

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<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="false"
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_UR"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productView"
secondaryId="MPPApplication_1"
placeholderOnly="false">
</viewRef>
<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="false"
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_LR"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.plantView"
secondaryId="MPPApplication_1"
placeholderOnly="false">
</viewRef>
<folderLayout
id="RAC_Folder_UR"
ratio="0.5">
</folderLayout>
<viewRef
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_UL"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.processView"
placeholderOnly="true">
</viewRef>
<viewRef
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_UR"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productView"
placeholderOnly="true">
</viewRef>
<viewRef
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_LR"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.plantView"
placeholderOnly="true">
</viewRef>
</perspective>
</extension>
<extension point="org.eclipse.ui.contexts">
<context id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.ConsumptionContext"
description="%consumption.perspective.name"
name="%consumption.perspective.name"
parentId="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication.
applicationContext"/>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectives">
<perspective
class="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspective.
GenericRACPerspective"
icon="icons/threeD_16.png"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.product3D"
name="%product-3d.perspective.name">
</perspective>
</extension>
<extension
point="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs">
<perspective
displayMode="Tertiary"
icon16="icons/threeD_16.png"
icon24="icons/threeD_24.png"
icon32="icons/threeD_32.png"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.product3D"
isLegacyAppDefault="false"
label="%product-3d.perspective.name"
legacyAppId="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication"
ordinality="0"
taskpaneID="TaskPane"
tooltip="%product-3d.perspective.name">
<contextRef id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication.
applicationContext"/>
<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="false"
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_UL"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productView"
secondaryId="MPPApplication_1"
networkId="3D_productView_001"
placeholderOnly="false">
</viewRef>
<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="false"
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_UR"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.graphics.3d"
secondaryId="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productView_MPPApplication_1"
networkRef="3D_productView_001"
placeholderOnly="false">
</viewRef>
</perspective>
</extension>
<extension
point="org.eclipse.ui.perspectives">
<perspective
class="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspective.GenericRACPerspective"
icon="icons/mbom_pbop_16.png"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.mbom-pbop"

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name="%mbom-pbop.perspective.name">
</perspective>
</extension>
<extension
point="com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs">
<perspective
displayMode="Tertiary"
icon16="icons/mbom_pbop_16.png"
icon24="icons/mbom_pbop_24.png"
icon32="icons/mbom_pbop_32.png"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.mbom-pbop"
label="%mbom-pbop.perspective.name"
legacyAppId="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication"
ordinality="100"
taskpaneID="DefaultTaskPane"
tooltip="%mbom-pbop.perspective.name">
<contextRef id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication.
applicationContext"/>
<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="false"
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_UL"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productBopView"
secondaryId="MPPApplication_1"
networkId="mbom-pbop.pbop1"
placeholderOnly="false">
</viewRef>
<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="false"
folderIdOverride="RAC_Folder_LL"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productView"
secondaryId="MPPApplication_1"
placeholderOnly="false">
</viewRef>
<viewRef
allocateSecondaryId="true"
id="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.ProcessRelationView"
networkRef="mbom-pbop.pbop1"
placeholderOnly="false"
secondaryId="mbom-pbom_001"
standalone="false">
</viewRef>
<folderLayout
id="RAC_Folder_LL"
ratio="0.5">
</folderLayout>
<folderLayout
id="RAC_Folder_UR"
ratio="0.5">
</folderLayout>
</perspective>
</extension>
</plugin>

d. Replace the contents of the MANIFEST.MF file with the following:

Manifest-Version: 1.0
Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
Bundle-Name: %Bundle-Name
Bundle-SymbolicName: com.mycom.mpp.perspectives;singleton:=true
Bundle-Version: 1.0.0
Bundle-Activator: com.mycom.mpp.perspectives.Activator
Bundle-Vendor: %providerName
Bundle-Localization: plugin
Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: JavaSE-1.6
Bundle-ActivationPolicy: lazy
Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.core.runtime,
org.eclipse.ui,
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp,
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
Export-Package: com.mycom.mpp.perspectives;x-internal:=true,
icons;x-internal:=true

e. Choose File→Save All.

The project files look like the following:

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Project files for the com.mycom.mpp.perspectives plug-in

4. Verify the customization.

a. To verify the configuration so far, choose Run→Run Configurations to start the rich client
from your Eclipse environment. Clear the workspace by selecting the Clear check box in the
launch configuration dialog box.

b. Choose Window→Open Perspective→Other.

The following new perspectives appear in the list.

New Manufacturing Process Planner perspectives

c. Choose the perspectives one-by-one.

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Following are the new perspectives.

Manufacturing - MBOM to Product BOP perspective

Manufacturing - Process Consumption perspective

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Manufacturing - Product 3D perspective

5. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

6. Examine the project’s Extensions tab to review the extensions created in the project.

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Copying and pasting the plugin.xml file content is a quick way to provide you with extensions for
this example. However, when you create your own extensions, instead of placing content directly
in the plugin.xml file, you work in the project’s Extensions tab. Therefore, you should review the
Extensions tab to see how you can create extensions yourself.
To make a perspective, a org.eclipse.ui.perspectives extension and a
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs extension must be created for each perspective.

a. Examine the org.eclipse.ui.perspectives extension.

When the org.eclipse.ui.perspectives extension is created,
the perspective gets a unique ID, name, and an icon, and the
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspective.GenericRACPerspective class is used.

org.eclipse.ui.perspectives extension

b. Examine the com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs extension.

When the com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs extension is created, use the ID
previously given for the perspective and do the following:

A. Type TaskPane in the taskpaneID box.

B. Type values to the displayMode and ordinality boxes to define the location of the
new perspective in the left hand navigation.

C. Type com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication in the legacyAppID box.

D. Leave the legacyAppClass box empty.

E. Choose false in the isLegacyAppDefault box.

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com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs extension

c. Under each com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.perspectiveDefs extension, do the following:

A. Add a contextRef element and the choose
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.MPPApplication.applicationContext for the ID.

B. Add a viewRef element for each view you want to appear in the perspective.
Following are the common primary views that are supported in Manufacturing Process
Planner:
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productView
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.processView
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.plantView
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.plantBopView
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.workinstructions.
win32.STXLibraryView (for STX)
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.appInterfaceView (for IDC)
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.plantBopView (for EBOP)
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productBopView (for EBOP)
• com.teamcenter.rac.cme.genericBopView (for EBOP)

For primary views:

• The id box shows the ID of the view you want to use.

• The secondaryId box value should be composed of the short application ID, (for
example, MPPApplication for Manufacturing Process Planner), an underscore (_),
and a view number between 1 and 10, for example, MPPApplication_1. Ensure this
is the same number in any perspective you define so that this view represent the
same view in all perspectives.

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• In the allocateSecondaryId box, select false.

• In the placeHolderOnly box, select false. It should be true only if you do not want
this view to appear in the perspective by default.

• In the folderIdOverride box, select the folder you want the view to appear in.

• If you want to define a secondary view for this primary view in this perspective, type
it in the networkId box. It does not matter what the ID is as long as it is unique
in this perspective.

viewRef element (primary view)

C. If you want to create a view to display graphics, add a viewRef element for the view and
use the com.teamcenter.rac.cme.graphics.3d view type ID.
Because this is a secondary view, note the following:

• The value in the secondaryId box is composed of the ID of the primary

view that you want to associate this graphics view to, an underscore
(_), and the secondaryId value of the primary view, for example,
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.productView_MPPApplication_1.

• In the allocateSecondaryId box, select false.

• In the placeHolderOnly box, select false. It should be true only if you do not want
this view to appear in the perspective by default.

• In the folderIdOverride box, select the folder you want the view to appear in.

• In the networkId box, type the networkId value you provided in the primary view.

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viewRef element for graphics (secondary view)

D. If you want to create a secondary view that is not a graphics view, add a viewRef element
for the view and set the allocateSecondaryId box to true.
Take note of the following for secondary views:

• In the id box, browse to the view you want to use for the secondary view.

• In the secondaryId box, type a unique ID for the view.

• In the allocateSecondaryId box, select true.

• In the placeHolderOnly box, select false. It should be true only if you do not want
this view to appear in the perspective by default.

• In the folderIdOverride box, select the folder you want the view to appear in.

• In the networkRef box, type the networkId value you provided in the primary view.
(If the networkRef value is set, then the secondaryId value also must be set.)

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viewRef element (secondary view)

Related topics

• Process for enabling rich client customization

• Ensure your customizations appear

Customize the workflow template filter list

To add more ways to filter Workflow templates, you need to implement the applyTemplateFilter
extension point. The applyTemplateFilter extension point is exposed in the
com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.processdesigner plug-in.
The existing Teamcenter rich client framework allows you to create Workflow template filters based
on object type and group name only. With the applyTemplateFilter extension point, functionality for
advanced template filtering is made available based on object class, object attributes, and the status
applied to the target object.
Note

The workflow template filter can be customized using the EPM user exit in the Business
Modeler IDE.

Before showing you the sample customization using the applyTemplateFilter extension point,
following is a review of the normal process to filter Workflow templates:
1. In Workflow Designer, choose Edit→Template Filter.

2. In the Process Template Filter dialog box, select a group in the Group Name box (for example
dba), type in the Object Type box (for example, Item) and move templates from the Defined
Process Template list on the right to the Assigned Process Template list on the left. Click
Apply.

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This assigns these Workflow templates to the dba group for Item objects so that only these
templates are available for use with that object type with the specified group.

Assigning a workflow process template

3. To test the template assignment, log on to My Teamcenter as a member of the dba group,
choose an object type for which you created a filter (for example, an item), and choose
File→New→Workflow Process.

4. In the New Process Dialog dialog box, click the Assigned button.
The filtered templates you previously chose for that object type and group name are displayed
in the Process Template box list.

Viewing the assigned workflow process template

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Perform the following steps to create a sample customization that evaluates on review status.
1. Create the project.
a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type
com.mycom.workflowtemplatefilter in the Project name box. Click Next.

d. Do not change the default settings on the Content dialog box. Click Finish.

2. Update the project tabs.

a. Click the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

b. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following plug-ins:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.util
com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.processdesigner

c. Choose File→Save All.

d. Add the applyTemplateFilter extension point.

A. Click the Extensions tab, click Add, and in the Extension point filter box, select
com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.processdesigner.applyTemplateFilter and click
Finish.

B. Right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.processdesigner.applyTemplateFilter

extension point and choose New→Client.
This adds an entry to the class box.

C. Click the class box, and in the resulting Java Class dialog box, type CustomFilter
in the Name box. Ensure that the Interfaces box is populated with the
com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newprocess.ItemplateFilter extension.
Click Finish.
A CustomFiler.java file is added to the project.

3. Edit the project files.

a. Replace the code in the CustomFiler.java file with the following:
package com.mycom.workflowtemplatefilter;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.util.Vector;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JComboBox;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.AbstractAIFDialog;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.kernel.InterfaceAIFComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentTaskTemplate;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentType;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCSession;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TypeInfo;

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import com.teamcenter.rac.util.ButtonLayout;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.HorizontalLayout;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.MessageBox;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.Separator;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.VerticalLayout;
import com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newprocess.ITemplateFilter;
import com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newprocess.
NoCustomFilteringRequiredException;
public class CustomFilter implements ITemplateFilter
{
TCSession session;
public Vector allTasktemplates = new Vector<TCComponentTaskTemplate>();
public Vector assignedTasktemplates = new Vector<TCComponentTaskTemplate>();
InterfaceAIFComponent[] pasteTargets = null;
boolean cancelButtonClicked = false;
public CustomFilter()
{
// TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
}
public Vector getFilteredTemplates(Vector alltemplates, Vector Assignedtemplates,
InterfaceAIFComponent[] pastetargets, TCSession s)throws
NoCustomFilteringRequiredException
{
allTasktemplates = alltemplates;
assignedTasktemplates = Assignedtemplates;
session = s;
CustomFilterDialog v = new CustomFilterDialog(true, this);
cancelButtonClicked = false;
v.showDialog();
if (cancelButtonClicked)
{
throw new NoCustomFilteringRequiredException ("Exception");
}
else
return v.templatelist;
}
// customize this dialog to add the status selection UI.
class CustomFilterDialog extends AbstractAIFDialog
{
/**
*
*/
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
public Vector templatelist = new Vector<TCComponentTaskTemplate> ();
private JButton cancelButton;
private JButton applyButton;
private JComboBox statuses = null;
private JComboBox criteria = null;
CustomFilter op;
public CustomFilterDialog(boolean first, CustomFilter operation )
{
super(first);
op = operation;
initdialog();
}
public void showDialog()
{
this.setModal( true );
this.setVisible( true );
}
public void initdialog()
{
JPanel parentPanel = new JPanel (new VerticalLayout (5,2,2,2,2));
this.setTitle( "Filter Based on Status" );
this.getContentPane().add(parentPanel);
JPanel buttonPanel = new JPanel (new ButtonLayout ());
JPanel compPanel = new JPanel (new HorizontalLayout ());
applyButton = new JButton ("Apply");
applyButton.setMnemonic('A');
applyButton.addActionListener ( new ActionListener()
{
public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e)
{
startApplyOperation();
}
});
cancelButton = new JButton ("Cancel");
cancelButton.setMnemonic('C');
cancelButton.addActionListener ( new ActionListener()
{
public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e)
{
setVisible(false);
cancelButtonClicked = true;
dispose();

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}
});
//Add the buttons to the buttonPanel
buttonPanel.add(applyButton);
buttonPanel.add(cancelButton);
//ADD button panel and the com panel to the parent panel
parentPanel.add ( "top.bind", compPanel );
parentPanel.add ( "top.bind", new Separator () );
parentPanel.add ( "bottom.bind.center.top", buttonPanel);
JPanel filterpanel = new JPanel (new HorizontalLayout ());
parentPanel.add ( "top.bind", filterpanel );
JLabel l4 = new JLabel("Select status");
statuses = new JComboBox();
filterpanel.add ( "bottom.left",l4);
filterpanel.add ( "bottom.left",statuses);
JLabel l3 = new JLabel("Criteria");
criteria = new JComboBox();
filterpanel.add ( "bottom", l3);
filterpanel.add ( "bottom.bind", criteria );
criteria.addItem("Ends With");
criteria.addItem("Starts With");
criteria.addItem("Equals");
criteria.addItem("Contains");
try
{
String typeNames[] = null;
TypeInfo typeInfo = null;
TCComponentType ct = op.session.getTypeComponent ( "TaskType");
typeInfo = ct.getTcTypes("TaskType", false);
if ( typeInfo != null )
typeNames = typeInfo.getTypeNames();
for(int i=0;i<typeNames.length;i++)
statuses.addItem(typeNames[i]);
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.post(ex);
//ex.printStackTrace();
}
this.pack();
//Centering the position of the Dialog
this.centerToScreen(1.0, 1.0);
}
public void startApplyOperation()
{
try
{
boolean isMatch = false;
Vector filtertemplates = new Vector<TCComponentTaskTemplate> ();
if(op.assignedTasktemplates.size() > 0)
{
filtertemplates = op.assignedTasktemplates;
}
else
{
filtertemplates = op.allTasktemplates;
}
for(int i=0;i<filtertemplates.size();i++)
{
if(criteria.getSelectedIndex() == 0)
{
isMatch = ((TCComponentTaskTemplate) filtertemplates.get(i)).
getProperty("template_name").toLowerCase().
endsWith(statuses.getSelectedItem().toString().toLowerCase());
}
else if(criteria.getSelectedIndex() == 1)
{
isMatch = ((TCComponentTaskTemplate)filtertemplates.get(i)).
getProperty("template_name").toLowerCase().
startsWith(statuses.getSelectedItem().toString().toLowerCase());
}
else if(criteria.getSelectedIndex()==2)
{
isMatch = ((TCComponentTaskTemplate)filtertemplates.get(i)).
getProperty("template_name").toLowerCase().
equalsIgnoreCase(statuses.getSelectedItem().toString().toLowerCase());
}
else
{
isMatch = ((TCComponentTaskTemplate)filtertemplates.get(i)).
getProperty("template_name").toLowerCase().
contains(statuses.getSelectedItem().toString().toLowerCase());
}
if(isMatch)
{

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this.templatelist.add( filtertemplates.get(i) );
}
}
dispose();
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}

b. Choose File→Save All.

4. Package the project.

To package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the TC_ROOT\portal
directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file
is created.
Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

5. Verify the customization.

a. To test the template assignment, in My Teamcenter, choose an object type for which you
created a filter (for example, an item) and choose File→New→Workflow Process.

b. In the New Process Dialog dialog box, click the Assigned button.
The Filter Based on Status dialog box is displayed.

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Custom filtering applied to the assigned workflow process template

Note

This is a sample customization. You can create your own customization by altering
the contents of the CustomFiler.java file in the plug-in.

6. Package the project.

If you want to package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.

The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the

TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.

When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file

is created.

Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

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c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics

• Filter template display based on user group and target object

• Ensure your customizations appear

Customize the workflow signoff pane

You can customize the workflow signoff pane by customizing the components displayed in the pane
rather than writing a new class.
Note

This example is for informational purposes only and does not represent a recommended
customization. Rather, it is an illustration of the customization hooks available for the workflow
signoff. Create a customization that fits your business needs.

1. Before viewing the sample customization, perform the following steps to view the default signoff
pane:
a. Log on to Teamcenter with a user whose default group and role is not dba.

b. Select an item revision and choose File→New→Workflow Process.

c. In the Process Template box, select the Requirement Signoff template and click the
Assign All Tasks tab to assign the task to the current user and other reviewers.

d. Click OK.

e. In the left pane, select My Worklist, open the Tasks to Perform folder, and select the
review item in the folder.

f. Click the Viewer tab to the right.

The default signoff pane is displayed.

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Default signoff pane

g. Click the No Decision link in the Decision column of the table.

The Signoff Decision dialog box is displayed.

Default Signoff Decision dialog box

The customization adds components to both the signoff pane and the Signoff Decision
dialog box.

Before performing the customization, keep in mind the following:

• The com\teamcenter\rac\workflow\commands\newperformsignoff\
newperformsignoff_user.properties file shown in the customization example contains the
new classes that are overridden from existing ones. Default imports should be kept intact
in the properties file, for example:
DecisionDialog=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.
CustomDecisionDialog
NewPerformSignoffTaskPanel=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.
CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel
NewSignoffDecisionPanel=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.
CustomNewSignoffDecisionPanel

• In the com\teamcenter\rac\common\tcviewer\tcviewer_user.properties file shown in

the customization example, the EPMPerformSignoffTask.VIEWPANEL entry points to
the custom NewPerformSignoffTaskPanel to be able to view the same dialog box in the

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My Teamcenter Viewer tab. Default imports should be kept intact in the properties file, for
example:
EPMPerformSignoffTask.VIEWPANEL=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.
CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel

• In the Signoff Decision dialog box, if the display name for decisions has to be customized,
they can be controlled from the newperformsignoff_user.properties file, for example:
approve=Approve Decision reject=Reject Decision

2. Perform the following steps to customize the workflow signoff:

a. Create rejection codes in the Business Modeler IDE.
A. Add a new p3_decision code property to the Signoff business object to store the
rejection decision codes in the signoff object.

B. Create a new P3_Rejectcode list of values containing a list of rejection codes. For
example, the codes could be RJ101, RJ102, RJ103, and RJ104.

C. Attach the P3_Rejectcode list of values to the new p3_decision code property.

D. Deploy the changes to the server.

b. Create the project.

A. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

B. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

C. In the New Plug-in Project wizard Plug-in Project dialog box, type
com.mycom.workflowsignoff in the Project name box. Click Next.

D. Do not change the default settings on the Content dialog box. Click Finish.

c. Update the project tabs.

A. Click the Overview tab and select the This plug-in is a singleton check box.

B. Click the Dependencies tab, click the Add button, and select the following plug-ins:
org.eclipse.ui
org.eclipse.core.runtime
org.eclipse.osgi.services
org.eclipse.ui
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.external
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.neva
com.teamcenter.rac.util
com.teamcenter.rac.tcapps

C. Choose File→Save All.

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d. Create the project files.

A. Right-click the com.mycom.workflowsignoff project and choose New→Package. In
the Name box, type com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.

B. Right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer package and choose New→File.

In the Name box, type tcviewer_user.properties.

C. Right-click the com.mycom.workflowsignoff project and choose New→Package. In

the Name box, type com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.

D. Right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff

package, choose New→Class, and create the following Java files:
CustomDesignDialog.java
CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel.java
CustomNewSignoffDecisionPanel

Also right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff

package, choose New→File, and create a newperformsignoff_user.properties file.
The plug-in structure looks like this:

E. Replace the code in the Activator.java file with the following:

package com.mycom.workflowsignoff;
import org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
/**
* The activator class controls the plug-in life cycle
*/
public class Activator extends AbstractUIPlugin {
// The plug-in ID
public static final String PLUGIN_ID = "com.teamcenter.rac.custom"; //$NON-NLS-1$
// The shared instance
private static Activator plugin;
/**
* The constructor
*/
public Activator() {
}

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/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#start(org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
public void start(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
super.start(context);
plugin = this;
}
/*
* (non-Javadoc)
* @see org.eclipse.ui.plugin.AbstractUIPlugin#stop(org.osgi.framework.BundleContext)
*/
public void stop(BundleContext context) throws Exception {
plugin = null;
super.stop(context);
}
/**
* Returns the shared instance
*
* @return the shared instance
*/
public static Activator getDefault() {
return plugin;
}
}

F. Replace the code in the tcviewer_user.properties file with the following:

import=com.teamcenter.rac.common.common,com.teamcenter.rac.util.viewer.viewer,
com.teamcenter.rac.productvision.productvision,
com.teamcenter.rac.scm.common.tcviewer.tcviewer
#The custom dialog to be visible in My Teamcenter Viewer Tab
EPMPerformSignoffTask.VIEWPANEL=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.
newperformsignoff.CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel

G. Replace the code in the CustomDecisionDialog.java file with the following:

// @<COPYRIGHT>@
// ==================================================
// Copyright 2012.
// Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
// All Rights Reserved.
// ==================================================
// @<COPYRIGHT>@
package com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.awt.event.ItemEvent;
import java.awt.event.ItemListener;
import javax.swing.ButtonGroup;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JRadioButton;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.AIFDesktop;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCCRDecision;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentSignoff;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentTask;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCException;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.iTextArea;
/**
* The DecisionDialog constructs the Decision Panel.
*
* This sample java class creates a new custom Decision Panel that
* adds the following to the existing panel:
* - two rejects button corresponding to two different reject codes
* - a sample custom text area "Notes"
*
* To override the existing performsignoff dialog, locate or create the file:
* - com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff/
* newperformsignoff_user.properties
* and add/replace the "DecisionDialog" entry with this custom class name
*
* Ex:
* DecisionDialog=
* com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.CustomDecisionDialog
*
*/

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public class CustomDecisionDialog extends DecisionDialog

{
/**
*
*/
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
protected JPanel rejectCodePanel;
String rejectCode = null;
boolean showRejectCode = false;
public CustomDecisionDialog(AIFDesktop arg0, TCComponentTask arg1,
TCComponentSignoff arg2) {
super(arg0, arg1, arg2);
}
public void setDecision( TCCRDecision currentDecision)
{
decision = currentDecision;
}
@Override
public void constructDialog()
{
super.constructDialog();
// To reflect codes when you reopen the dialog after saving your Reject decision
if(decision.equals(TCCRDecision.REJECT_DECISION))
{
getRejectCode();
addRejectCode();
}
//You can also have approve codes similar to reject
rbApprove.addItemListener(new ItemListener()
{
@Override
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
{
setRejectCode("");
setDecision(TCCRDecision.APPROVE_DECISION);
}
} );
rbReject.addItemListener(new ItemListener()
{
@Override
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
{
addRejectCode();
setDecision(TCCRDecision.REJECT_DECISION);
}
} );
rbNoDecision.addItemListener(new ItemListener()
{
@Override
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e)
{
setRejectCode("");
setDecision(TCCRDecision.NO_DECISION);
}
} );
okB.addActionListener( new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed( ActionEvent e )
{
commit();
}
});
//Adding components below comments field
JLabel notes = new JLabel("Notes");
iTextArea notesArea = new iTextArea(2,30);
//If it is a secure task we have an additional password field already existing
if( is_secure_task )
{
rightPanel.add( "3.1.left.top.preferred.preferred", notes );
rightPanel.add( "3.2.left.top.preferred.preferred", new JScrollPane( notesArea ) );
}
else
{
rightPanel.add( "2.1.left.top.preferred.preferred", notes );
rightPanel.add( "2.2.left.top.preferred.preferred",
new JScrollPane( notesArea ) );
}
validate();

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repaint();
}
private void commit()
{
try {
signoffObj.setProperty("p3_decisioncode", rejectCode);
} catch (TCException ex) {
ex.printStackTrace();
}
commitDecision();
okB.setEnabled( false );
}
private void addRejectCode()
{
if(!showRejectCode)
{
showRejectCode = true;
//Show the Reject code LOV
TCComponentListOfValues codeLov =
TCComponentListOfValuesType.findLOVByName("P3_Rejectcode");
try {
codeLov.getListOfValues().getLOVDisplayValues();
} catch (TCException e1) {
e1.printStackTrace();
}
cbCode = new LOVComboBox(codeLov);
if(rejectCode=="")
{
cbCode.setSelectedIndex(0);
rejectCode = cbCode.getSelectedString();
}
else
cbCode.setSelectedString(rejectCode);
cbCode.addActionListener(new ActionListener()
{
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
//perform required updates
setRejectCode(cbCode.getSelectedString());
}
} );
rejectCodePanel = new JPanel();
rejectCodePanel.add(cbCode);
//Add the new Reject code Panel to existing DecisionP
decisionP.add( "top.bind.left.center",rejectCodePanel);
decisionP.validate();
masterPanel.validate();
validate();
repaint();
}
else
{
showRejectCode = false;
rejectCode = "";
decisionP.remove(rejectCodePanel);
decisionP.validate();
masterPanel.validate();
validate();
repaint();
}
}
private void setRejectCode(String code)
{
rejectCode = code;
}
private void getRejectCode()
{
try {
rejectCode = signoffObj.getProperty("p3_decisioncode");
} catch (TCException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

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H. Replace the code in the CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel.java file with the

following:
// @<COPYRIGHT>@
// ==================================================
// Copyright 2012.
// Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
// All Rights Reserved.
// ==================================================
// @<COPYRIGHT>@
package com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.GridBagConstraints;
import java.awt.Insets;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JScrollPane;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.AIFDesktop;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentTask;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.iTextArea;

/**
* The PerformSignoffTaskPanel constructs the Perform signoff Panel.
*
* This sample java class creates a new custom Perform Signoff Panel that adds
* the following to the existing panel:
* - a sample custom button "CustomBtn1"
* - a sample custom button "CustomBtn2" that is visible only in Workflow
* Viewer application
* - a sample custom text area "Notes"
* - replaces an existing text label "responsible party" with a custom label
* "CustomRespParty"
*
* To override the existing performsignoff dialog, locate or create the file:
* - com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff/
* newperformsignoff_user.properties
* and add/replace the "NewPerformSignoffTaskPanel" entry with this custom class name
*
* Ex:
* NewPerformSignoffTaskPanel=
* com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel
*
*/
public class CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel extends NewPerformSignoffTaskPanel
{
//This constructor is called when we create dialog for My Teamcenter Viewer Tab
public CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel(AIFDesktop theDesktop, JPanel anAppPanel,
TCComponentTask aTask)
{
super(theDesktop,anAppPanel, aTask);
}
//This constructor gets called when we create dialog in Workflow Viewer
public CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel(AIFDesktop theDesktop,
NewPerformSignoffDialog aDialog, TCComponentTask aTask)
{
super(theDesktop,aDialog, aTask);
}
/**
* InitPanel creates the main display panel and populates the fields with data
*/
public void initPanel()
{
super.initPanel();
//Adding extra button to the dialog
JButton custBtn1 = new JButton("CustomBtn1");
custBtn1.setEnabled(true);
custBtn1.setVisible(true);
buttonPanel.add(custBtn1);
//Button visible in Workflow viewer but not in My Teamcenter Viewer Tab
if (parentDialog != null)
{
JButton custBtn2 = new JButton("CustomBtn2");
custBtn2.setEnabled(true);
custBtn2.setVisible(true);
buttonPanel.add(custBtn2);
}
GridBagConstraints cn = new GridBagConstraints();
cn.anchor = GridBagConstraints.WEST;
cn.insets = new Insets(2,16,2,16);

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JLabel notesLabel = new JLabel("Notes:");

iTextArea notesArea = new iTextArea(2,30);
//Keep adding components by incrementing gridy value
cn.gridx = 0; cn.gridy = 9; cn.gridwidth = 1; cn.gridheight = 1;
cn.fill = GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
propertiesPanel.add( notesLabel, cn );
cn.gridx = 1; cn.gridy = 9; cn.gridwidth = 3; cn.gridheight = 2;
propertiesPanel.add( new JScrollPane( notesArea ), cn );
//Get existing Font from labels and reuse it for custom fields
Font font = lbProcess.getFont();
Font newFont1 = new Font(font.getName(), font.getStyle(), font.getSize()-1);
notesLabel.setFont(newFont1);
//Hide Label which exists on grid
lbRespParty.setVisible(false);
//Replace it with a new Label, calculate the row on grid using gridy
JLabel customRPLabel = new JLabel("CustomRespParty:");
cn.gridx = 0; cn.gridy = 5; cn.gridwidth = 1; cn.gridheight = 1; cn.fill =
GridBagConstraints.BOTH;
propertiesPanel.add( customRPLabel, cn );
repaint();
}
}

I. Replace the code in the CustomNewSignoffDecisionPanel.java file with the following:

// @<COPYRIGHT>@
// ==================================================
// Copyright 2012.
// Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
// All Rights Reserved.
// ==================================================
// @<COPYRIGHT>@
package com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.AIFDesktop;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentSignoff;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentTask;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCException;
/**
* The NewSignoffDecisionPanel constructs the Signoff Decision Panel.
*
* This sample java class creates a new custom Decision Panel that makes the
* following changes to the existing panel:
* - add decision code column
* - change column widths
*
* To override the existing signoff decision dialog, locate or create the file:
* - com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff/
* newperformsignoff_user.properties
* and add/replace the "NewSignoffDecisionPanel" entry with this custom class name
*
* Ex:
* NewSignoffDecisionPanel=
* com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.CustomNewSignoffDecisionPanel
*
*/
public class CustomNewSignoffDecisionPanel extends NewSignoffDecisionPanel
{
/**
*
*/
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
public CustomNewSignoffDecisionPanel(AIFDesktop arg0, TCComponentTask arg1,
TCComponentSignoff[] arg2, NewPerformSignoffTaskPanel arg3) {
super(arg0, arg1, arg2, arg3);
}
public void initPanel()
{
//Needs to be called explicitly here
super.initPanel();
}
//Do not modify the sequence of existing columns
//Just add to the array your new custom column
public String[] getColumnNames()
{
String[] cols = super.getColumnNames();
String[] newCols = new String[cols.length + 1];
int i = 0;
for(i=0; i<cols.length; i++)

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{
newCols[i] = cols[i];
}
newCols[i] = "Decision Code";
return newCols;
}
//You can modify the complete array to fit your needs for Column widths
//Or can just add width width for your custom column
public String[] getShownColumnWidths()
{
String[] colWidth = super.getShownColumnWidths();
String[] newColWidths = new String[colWidth.length + 1];
int i = 0;
for(i=0; i<colWidth.length; i++)
{
newColWidths[i] = colWidth[i];
}
newColWidths[i] = "100";
return newColWidths;
}
//Here the "p3_decisioncode" property has been added on the "SignOff" business
//Object through BMIDE
//Then this custom property can be used to keep your reject code values persistent
//with SignOff Object.
private String getDecisionCode(TCComponentSignoff newSo)
{
String decisionCode = null;
try {
decisionCode = newSo.getProperty("p3_decisioncode");
} catch (TCException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return decisionCode;
}
//The default values for first four rows should not be changed.
//Just add new value for new column(s)
public void updateRow(int row, TCComponentSignoff newSo)
{
//Needs to be called explicitly here
super.updateRow(row, newSo);
Object obj = null;
int rowCount = signoffTable.getRowCount();
if (rowCount > 0 )
{
if (row < rowCount)
{
{obj = getDecisionCode(newSo);
signoffTable.setValueAt(obj, row, 4);
}
}
}
validate();
repaint();
}
}

J. Replace the code in the newperformsignoff_user.properties file with the following:

import=com.teamcenter.rac.common.common,com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.common.common
#Override the existing classes with custom classes
DecisionDialog=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.
CustomDecisionDialog
NewPerformSignoffTaskPanel=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.
CustomNewPerformSignoffTaskPanel
NewSignoffDecisionPanel=com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff.
CustomNewSignoffDecisionPanel
#Change the visible text for decisions in Decision Dialog
approve=Approve Decision
reject=Reject Decision

K. Choose File→Save All.

e. Choose the newly created package to be included in the export.

A. From the META-INF folder, open the MANIFEST.MF file.

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B. From the runtime tab, add the com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.commands.newperformsignoff

package.

C. Save your changes.

f. Package the project.

To package the project for distribution, export it to a JAR file and place it in the
TC_ROOT\portal directory.

A. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins

and fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click
Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

B. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich
client.
When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz
file is created.

Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins
or change plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your
changes are included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance
because it caches the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script
takes no arguments and generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the
portal\Registry directory.

C. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client.
This directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.
For more information, see Ensure your customizations appear.

g. Verify the customization.

A. Log on to Teamcenter as the user with the workflow task.

B. In the left pane, select My Worklist, open the Tasks to Perform folder, and select the
review item in the folder.

C. Click the Viewer tab to the right.

The default signoff pane is displayed. Note that the Responsible Party label is changed,
a Decision Code column is added to the table, and a CustomBtn1 is added.

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Default signoff pane after decision update

D. Click the No Decision link in the Decision column of the table.

The Signoff Decision dialog box is displayed. Note that the labels on the Decision
buttons are changed, a box for the rejection code is added, and a Notes box is added.

New Signoff Decision dialog box

h. In the Business Modeler IDE, update the audit log with the new rejection codes.
A. Add the p3_decision code property to the Fnd0WorkflowAudit business object to
store the decision code.

B. In the Extensions tab, open the Code Generation→Libraries folders, right-click the
Libraries folder and create a new custom library named P3_custom.

C. In Extensions tab, in Rules→Extensions, create a new extension for the new library.
i. In the Name box, type P3_CustomAuditLog.

ii. In the Language box, select CPlusplus.

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iii. In the Library box, select P3_custom.

iv. Click the Add button to the right of the Availability box to launch the Extension
availability dialog box.
In the Business Object Name box, select Fnd0AuditDefinition; in the Operation
Name box, select fnd0writeAuditLog(); and in the Extension Point box, select
PostAction.

D. In the Extensions tab, open the Audit Manager→Audit Definitions folders and open
the EPMTask:_Reject:isTrue audit definition.
Click the Add button to the right of the Audit Extensions box and add your new
Extension P3_CustomAuditLog extension.

E. On the toolbar, choose BMIDE→Save Data Model.

F. Right-click the newly created extension and choose Generate extension code.

G. Click the Navigator tab, right-click the template, and select Refresh.
A new src folder appears in the template directory, which contains the generated .cxx
and .hxx header files.
The generated files include the liblibrary-name_undef.h file and the
output\server\gensrc\library-name\liblibrary-name_exports.h file. In this case, the files
are libP3_custom_undef.h and libP3_custom_exports.h.

H. Copy these four files and update the .cxx and .hxx files with your customization. The
input parameters generated with the new function in .cxx and .hxx files should be
replaced with new parameters as shown in the sample code. Also include the required
header files in the .hxx file. The other two header files should not be changed. Build
these files together to create a dll file with your library name, in this case, libP3_custom.
Following is the sample code for the extension:
int P3_CustomAuditLog( tag_t targetObjTag,
int /*secondaryObjectCount*/,
tag_t* /*secondaryObjectTags*/,
char** /*secondaryQualifiers*/,
tag_t /*eventType*/,
int paramCount,
char** paramNames,
char** paramValues,
int /*errorCode*/,
const char* /*errorMessage*/,
tag_t primaryAuditBOTag )
{
int ifail = ITK_ok;

//tag_t job_tag = NULLTAG;

char* signoff = NULL;
tag_t signoffTag = NULLTAG;
tag_t auditClassId = NULLTAG;
tag_t signoffClassId = NULLTAG;
char* audit_class_name = NULL;
char* signoff_class_name = NULL;
int signoffDecision = 0;
logical isProp = false;

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char* propVal = 0;

if ( paramCount ==0 )
{
return ITK_ok;
}
for ( int i=0; i<paramCount; i++ )
{
if(strcmp(paramNames[i],"signoff") == 0)
{
signoff=paramValues[i];
break;
}
}
if (signoff == 0)
{
return ITK_ok;
}

ifail = POM_class_of_instance( primaryAuditBOTag, &auditClassId );

ifail = POM_name_of_class (auditClassId, &audit_class_name );
//ifail = EPM_ask_job(targetObjTag, &job_tag);
ifail = POM_string_to_tag(signoff, &signoffTag);

ifail = POM_class_of_instance( signoffTag, &signoffClassId );

ifail = POM_name_of_class (signoffClassId, &signoff_class_name );

isProp = false;
ifail = POM_attr_exists("p3_decisioncode", signoff_class_name, &isProp);
if (isProp)
{
ifail = AOM_ask_value_string ( signoffTag, "p3_decisioncode"
,&propVal);
isProp=false;
ifail = POM_attr_exists("p3_decisioncode", audit_class_name,
&isProp);
if (isProp)
{
ifail = AOM_set_value_string(primaryAuditBOTag,
"p3_decisioncode", propVal);
}
}

if (audit_class_name)
{
MEM_free(audit_class_name);
}
if (signoff_class_name)
{
MEM_free(signoff_class_name);
}
if(propVal)
{
MEM_free(propVal);
}

return ITK_ok;

I. In Teamcenter, update the TC_customisation_libraries preference to include the name

of the new libP3_custom library.

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J. Copy the newly generated dll file to the TCROOT\bin directory.

K. In Teamcenter, choose Windows→Show View, and select the Process History view.
A new view appears parallel to the Summary tab. In the new view, click the button to the
far right of the view toolbar. Choose the column... command and a new window displays
all the attributes of the audit. Select the p3_decision property. The value of this property
is updated in the extension code using the signoff object.

L. Restart Teamcenter to see the updates. You see audit information created for this new
property only for workflows that are rejected after this change is made. Existing audit
records are not modified with this update.

i. See the results in the rich client.

A. To configure audit logs in the rich client, update the respective style sheet.
Search with the General... query for the EPMTask* name and select
XMLRenderingStylesheet as the type.

Searching for EPMTask

The following is displayed:

Viewing search results

B. Select the EPM Task Summary style sheet and edit it in the Viewer tab. Ensure
the Registered Type and Stylesheet Type values are correctly set to EPMTask
and Summary, respectively. Add the new p3_decisioncode property for the
Fnd0WorkflowAudit business object and click Apply to save the changes.

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Adding a property to the style sheet

C. On the toolbar, choose Windows→Show view→Process History. A new view is

opened parallel to the Summary view.
Add a new column using the right-most menu on the view using the custom property
added to the Fnd0WorkflowAudit business object.

Adding a column

D. Open the Worklist, select the task, and view its update in the Process History and the
Audit Logs tabs.
Note

If the Process History or Audit Logs tabs are not displayed, ensure that the
TC_audit_manager preference is set to ON and TC_audit_manger_version
preference is set to 3.

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Viewing the new column

Related topics

• Ensure your customizations appear

Adding menus and toolbars

To add menu bars, toolbars, and shortcut menus, use the declarative approach provided by
Eclipse. The definition of the menu bar, toolbar, and context menus are provided in the individual
plug-in’s plugin.xml file. Menus and the resulting application logic they call can be placed in a
Model-View-Controller (MVC) paradigm. The three parts to the MVC paradigm are:
• Command
Command has a globally unique ID and represents the abstract semantic concept of a behavior,
such as copy, paste, and save. A command is not the implementation of that behavior nor is
it the visual representation of that behavior.
<command id="com.teamcenter.rac.command"
name="%com.teamcenter.rac.command.name">
</command>

• Menu contributions
Menu contributions represent a particular view or visual representation of a command. The
menu contributions create the menu and toolbar structures and insert them into the correct
Eclipse location. The location is specified as an Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and can
be any one of the following:
o Main menu

o Main toolbar

o View toolbar

o View menu

o Context (popup) menu

o Trim area

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The menu contribution can define a menu label, mnemonic, or icon. It contains visual references
to already defined commands. The visual representations of commands may include labels,
icons, and mnemonics. Menu contributions also may include separators. Separators are only
visible if there are visible commands before and after a separator. The menu contribution can
define when it will be visible with a visibleWhen clause. The visibleWhen clause refers to all
standard Eclipse expressions. This expression can be very simple or very complex and evaluates
to either true or false which determines whether a menu is visible or not.
<menuContribution locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu">
<menu id="file" label="%menu.file.label" mnemonic="%menu.file.mnemonic">
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.refresh"
mnemonic="%command.refresh.mnemonic"
style="push">
</command>
<separator name="sep1" visible="true"/>
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.exit"
mnemonic="%command.exit.mnemonic"
style="push">
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>

Note

You can define the icon for a menu toolbar item by specifying a URL. The URL is case
sensitive (for example, icon.PNG is not the same as icon.png). If you give an incorrect
icon URL, a warning is logged to the log file and the Console view, if displayed. The
menu or toolbar item with the incorrect URL definition is not visible until it is corrected and
the rich client is restarted.
If you run in development mode inside the IDE and pull the icon files from a source folder,
Windows is not case sensitive and finds the icons. However, once you run the rich client
from the command line where the icons are packaged in the plug-in's JAR file, the Java
API does not find the icons since those APIs are case sensitive.
Always verify the case is correct for image icons.

A command can also be bound to a key sequence using the org.eclipse.ui.bindings extension
point.

• Handler
A handler implements one particular behavior for a given command. For any given command,
there can be zero or several handlers defined. However only none or one handler may be active
for a given command. The active handler controls the command’s enabled state.
Handlers most commonly extend the AbstractHandler class. Handlers are provided an
application context in their execute(*) method. If a command has no active handlers defined,
any menu contributions defined for a command are not visible. A command can also define a
default handler ensuring that a command always has an active handler. The handler can be
declaratively activated via the ActiveWhen clause or programmatically activated. The handler
also defines declaratively when a command appears enabled in any menu contribution with
the enabledWhen expression for the handler.

For more information and full examples about how to use the Eclipse declarative approach to menus
and toolbars, see the following links:
• http://wiki.eclipse.org/Menu_Contributions

• http://wiki.eclipse.org/Platform_Command_Framework

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• http://wiki.eclipse.org/Command_Core_Expressions

• http://www.vogella.de/articles/EclipseCommands/article.html

Command

Command has a globally unique ID and represents the abstract semantic concept of a behavior,
such as copy, paste, and save. A command is not the implementation of that behavior nor is it the
visual representation of that behavior.
<command id="com.teamcenter.rac.command"
name="%com.teamcenter.rac.command.name">
</command>

Menu contributions

Menu contributions represent a particular view or visual representation of a command. The menu
contributions create the menu and toolbar structures and insert them into the correct Eclipse location.
The location is specified as an Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and can be any one of the following:
• Main menu

• Main toolbar

• View toolbar

• View menu

• Context (popup) menu

• Trim area

The menu contribution can define a menu label, mnemonic, or icon. It contains visual references
to already defined commands. The visual representations of commands may include labels, icons,
and mnemonics. Menu contributions also may include separators. Separators are only visible if
there are visible commands before and after a separator. The menu contribution can define when it
will be visible with a visibleWhen clause. The visibleWhen clause refers to all standard Eclipse
expressions. This expression can be very simple or very complex and evaluates to either true or
false which determines whether a menu is visible or not.
<menuContribution locationURI="menu:org.eclipse.ui.main.menu">
<menu id="file" label="%menu.file.label" mnemonic="%menu.file.mnemonic">
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.refresh"
mnemonic="%command.refresh.mnemonic"
style="push">
</command>
<separator name="sep1" visible="true"/>
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.file.exit"
mnemonic="%command.exit.mnemonic"
style="push">
</command>
</menu>
</menuContribution>

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Note

You can define the icon for a menu toolbar item by specifying a URL. The URL is case sensitive
(for example, icon.PNG is not the same as icon.png). If you give an incorrect icon URL, a
warning is logged to the log file and the Console view, if displayed. The menu or toolbar item
with the incorrect URL definition is not visible until it is corrected and the rich client is restarted.
If you run in development mode inside the IDE and pull the icon files from a source folder,
Windows is not case sensitive and finds the icons. However, once you run the rich client from
the command line where the icons are packaged in the plug-in's JAR file, the Java API does
not find the icons since those APIs are case sensitive.
Always verify the case is correct for image icons.

A command can also be bound to a key sequence using the org.eclipse.ui.bindings extension point.

Handler

A handler implements one particular behavior for a given command. For any given command, there
can be zero or several handlers defined. However only none or one handler may be active for a given
command. The active handler controls the command’s enabled state.
Handlers most commonly extend the AbstractHandler class. Handlers are provided an application
context in their execute(*) method. If a command has no active handlers defined, any menu
contributions defined for a command are not visible. A command can also define a default handler
ensuring that a command always has an active handler. The handler can be declaratively activated
via the ActiveWhen clause or programmatically activated. The handler also defines declaratively
when a command appears enabled in any menu contribution with the enabledWhen expression
for the handler.

Context menu suppression

Overview of context menu suppression

The Teamcenter rich client uses Eclipse’s Platform menu contribution mechanism for displaying
menus and toolbars. By default, all available commands are shown on a menu or toolbar unless the
Teamcenter Command Suppression application has been configured by the administrator. Due to the
nature of the platform, Command Suppression is unable to control the contents of a context menu.
Note

A context menu is also referred to as a shortcut menu, right-click menu, or popup menu.

To reduce clutter, context menu suppression allows control over the contents of a context menu using
an XML file. The elements in this file control which commands are suppressed, and in which view,
application context, or with which types of objects.

Implementation

This XML file is stored in the Teamcenter database as a ContextMenu Suppression dataset, and
is registered using the TC_ContextMenuSuppression preference. The value of the preference
is the name of the dataset.

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Note

Ensure that ContextMenu Suppression datasets maintain unique names; however, this is not
required by Teamcenter.

The preference can have a site, group, role, or user protection scope, so suppression rules can be
implemented based on the user’s current credentials. If there are two datasets and two preferences,
one pair for each of two groups, a user may see one set of commands on the context menu while in
one group, and then, after switching groups, see a different set of commands.

XML file elements

The context menu suppression XML rules consist of the following elements.
• Command ID

• View ID

• Type Name

• ApplicationContext ID

XML schema definition

Command ID Command ID is a root node for each context menu suppression rule.
The Command ID node can have one or more View ID, Type Name, or
ApplicationContext ID nodes.
View ID Teamcenter applications consist of one or more views, each of which has
an associated View ID. A rule with a View ID node restricts the suppression
definition to a specific view. View ID elements can hold one or many Type
Name elements. In such cases, commands can be suppressed for all types
in a given view.

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Type Name This specifies the real or database name of the object type for which a
command must be suppressed when the selection is made in the rich client
interface. This object type can be abstract, persistent, or dynamic.
• A rule defined for an abstract type is applied for all its child types.

• A rule defined for a persistent type is applied on the specific instance

selected.

• A rule defined for a dynamic type is honored for underlying type in the rich
client. Any underlying definition of a dynamic type will be considered for
evaluating context menu suppression. Because of this, the administrator
should not write any suppression rule for dynamic types like BOMLine.
For example, when BOMLine is selected from Structure Manager, if the
underlying component is an item revision, the suppression rules for item
revision are applied, and those context menus are suppressed in the rich
client. Any context menu added for dynamic types cannot be suppressed
by adding a suppression rule.

ApplicationContext The ApplicationContext ID filter can be defined under the root element.
ID This filter allows the administrator to write a suppression rule with respect to
a specific application like Structure Manager, My Teamcenter, or Systems
Engineering, and so forth. The ApplicationContext ID element can hold view
or type elements.
When elements are nested, it is considered to be an AND grouping, while elements at the same level
are considered to be an OR grouping.

Example 1
<command id ="com.teamcenter.rac.expand">
<view id ="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.views.DetailsView"/>
<view id ="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.views.SummaryView"/>
<type name="Folder"/>
<type name="Dataset"/>
</applicationContext>
</command>

In this example, the expand command is suppressed when the current view is the Details view or
the Summary view or if the object type is Folder or any dataset.

Example 2
<command id ="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut">
<applicationContext id ="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.perspectives.navigatorContext">
<view id ="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.views.TCComponentView">
<type name="Item"/>
</view>
<view id ="com.teamcenter.rac.ui.views.SummaryView">
<type name="Folder"/>
</view>
<type name="BOMLine">
<view id ="com.teamcenter.rac.pse.PSEView"/>
</type>
</applicationContext>
</command>

In this example, the cut command is suppressed for the My Teamcenter application when:

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(type=Item AND view=Teamcenter Component)

OR
(type=Folder AND view=Summary)
OR
(type=BOMLine AND view=Structure Manager)

Getting the internal names

Because the XML file requires Teamcenter’s internal names for objects, commands, views, and
application contexts, it is important to know how to find them. Using the display name does not work.
Here are a few common examples.

Display name Internal name

My Teamcenter (application context) com.teamcenter.rac.ui.perspectives.navigatorContext
Summary (view) com.teamcenter.rac.ui.views.SummaryView
Document revision (object type) DocumentRevision

To find complete listings of Teamcenter’s internal names, refer to the following sources:
Objects The Business Modeler IDE is the best place to find the internal names for all
objects.
Commands, views, The DumpCMSConfigInfo utility generates a listing of these names.
and application
contexts

XML prolog

A full context menu suppression file must have a proper XML prolog, and all suppression elements
must be enclosed within contextMenuSuppression tags.
<?xml version=’1.0’ encoding=’UTF-8’ ?>
<contextMenuSuppression>
<command id =”org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut”>
<applicationContext id =”com.teamcenter.rac.ui.perspectives.navigatorContext”>
<type name=”Item”/>
</applicationContext>
</command>
<command ...>
...
</command>
</contextMenuSuppression>

Caveats

• This is not a hierarchical or inheritance system. Only a single dataset is evaluated at any
given time. If multiple preferences are defined, for example, a group and a role preference,
standard Teamcenter preference evaluation precedence determines which preference is valid,
and therefore which dataset is used. If the user changes group or role, the preferences are
reevaluated, which may result in a different dataset being used.

• The Summary view’s Send To... menu is built using the same rules as the context menu’s
Send To... command. Suppressing one of the Send To... commands from the context menu
also suppresses it from the Summary view’s Send To... menu.

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• There is no upgrade mechanism provided for the context menu suppression rule XML. Any of the
contents related to Command ID, View ID, and ApplicationContext ID are subject to change.

Customizing form and properties display

Introduction to customizing forms

A form is a logical storage mechanism that supports captured, informative, and derived data.
Captured data are the boxes within a form in which users type data; these are generally required
boxes. Business rules often dictate that certain boxes be populated before the form is created.
Informative data are read-only boxes that appear within the form and cannot be modified by the user.
Derived data are the boxes within a form that are the sum or combination of other boxes, or PDM
data that is composed and displayed within the form. Derived data typically cannot be modified.
Forms capture information that users reference and view. These forms store data, such as work
order, ECO, or ECN information. Information contained in forms can be used for queries. Companies
typically use forms to:
• Capture and store information for work orders, ECOs, or ECNs. This is the most common use
of forms.

• Maintain processing information to support other features. For example, a form can be developed
to maintain the next available number when automatically generating numbers. This type of form
is used by administrators.

There two perspectives in creating forms. The first perspective is the actual creation of forms within
the rich client. It takes very little work and requires no programming ability to create and display a
form. The second perspective is that of the programmer, which focuses on the techniques used
to develop sophisticated solutions.
There are several processes used to create forms in the Teamcenter rich client.
Note

• Character (char) and character array (char [ ]) data types are not supported in forms. Use
a string (string) or a string array (string [ ]) data type with a length of 1.

• The default string value for False is an empty string. Therefore, end users must click the
Show empty properties link on the rendering page to see this logic attribute if its value
is set to False.

Methods of form customization

The forms feature allows companies to create electronic versions of forms, representing logically
organized data fields. Forms persist to a POM class object. The display is determined by the form
properties in the POM class definition.
Teamcenter supports the following methods of form customization:
• XML style sheet
Allows you to define a set of properties to display, including the display order and user interface
rendering component. The XML style sheet method is supported for both the rich client and
thin client.

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• Automatic forms
Allows you to display forms that have no associated interface definition. The interface is created
automatically as the form is displayed, based on the storage fields identified within the form
POM class.

• JavaBean
Allows you to define forms using JavaBeans and an IDE (such as Eclipse) to present form
properties. Each bean knows how to display and save a specific property type. This method is
less complex than the abstract rendering method but still requires some programming knowledge.

• Abstract rendering
Allows you to write the form display by extending the AbstractRendering class. This is the most
flexible method of form customization. It is also the most complex method and requires coding.

Note

The following class attributes have been lengthened from 32 to 128 bytes:
• item_id in the Item class

• object_name in the WorkspaceObject class

• name in the AuditLog class

If you used these attributes in customized code, ensure they still display correctly.

Related topics

• Introduction to style sheets

Developing automatic forms

You can create and implement automatic forms. All work is performed on the server; no work is
required on the client. This form solution works with existing Teamcenter implementations. Once
the rich client is installed, existing forms appear automatically because they are considered to be
automatic forms and can display without customization. The rich client assumes that forms are
automatic if they are not registered on the client. If an error occurs during form loading, the system
throws an exception. All attempts are made to display the data.
1. Create a form type on the server side.
The form type can be created in Teamcenter using the Business Modeler IDE application. All
methods require you to enter the form type name: POM storage.

2. Create the POM storage in the Teamcenter schema.

Related topics

• Create a form business object

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Developing forms using JavaBeans

Process for developing forms using JavaBeans

1. Launch your IDE and create a new JPanel.

2. Add components to the new JPanel. To select a library to add components, select the one
that includes the com.teamcenter.rac plug-in files. If the library containing the plug-in files
is not listed, add it.

3. Locate and select a property bean class.

Note

The property JavaBeans are located in the com\teamcenter\rac\stylesheets directory.

4. Repeat the previous steps to add additional JavaBeans.

The property JavaBeans are now ready to use.

Related topics

• Property beans

Create a sample custom form using JavaBeans

You can create a custom Java panel (JPanel) assigned to a custom business object and display the
properties using JavaBeans.
In this example, when a user selects a custom ItemRevision business object and chooses the
Viewer view or View→Properties, the custom panel is displayed. The custom properties on the
business object are set on the Java panel using property beans (JavaBeans).
Note

Panel rendering is registered to the business object by placing the following command into
a custom stylesheet_user.properties file:
custom-business-object-name.JAVARENDERING.
package-name.custom-java-panel-name

1. Create a custom item business object.

a. In the Business Modeler IDE, create a custom item business object as a child of the Item
business object, for example, A5_MyItem.
Note

The A5_ portion of the name is an example of a naming prefix. When you create a
Business Modeler IDE project, you are required to define a unique prefix that will
be affixed to the name of all custom data model items you create to show that they
belong to your custom data model. You can use your own prefix, but remember that
the following coding examples use this example prefix.

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b. In the Business Objects view, open the item revision business object (for example,
A5_MyItemRevision), click the Properties tab, and create the custom persistent properties
you want to display in the panel, for example:
• a5_MyDate
Select the Date attribute type.
Tip

Type a display name for each of these new properties, for example, Test Date.

• a5_MyDouble
Select the Double attribute type.

• a5_MyFlag
Select the Boolean attribute type.

• a5_MyLongString
Select the LongString attribute type.

• a5_MyLOV
Select the String attribute type. Attach an LOV to this property, for example, BillCodes.

• a5_MyRef
Select the TypedReference attribute type. Choose a reference business object, for
example, Item.

c. Set the Enabled property constant to True for each of the new properties. This means the
property is enabled for display in the user interface.

d. Deploy the custom template from the Business Modeler IDE to your Teamcenter server. If
you use the deployment wizard, select the Generate Server Cache? check box to generate
shared server cache that contains the new data model.

e. After deployment, test your new business object in the Teamcenter rich client by creating an
instance of it.
For example, in the My Teamcenter application, choose File→New→Item.
Your new business object appears in the New Item dialog box. Choose your new business
object and launch the New Item wizard.

2. Create the Eclipse project.

a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the Project name box, type com.mycom.custompanel. Click Next.

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d. Under Options, ensure the Generate an activator and This plug-in will make
contributions to the UI check boxes are selected. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

3. Update the project tabs.

a. Update the Dependencies tab.
A. In Eclipse, click your project tab and click its Dependencies tab.

B. Under Required Plug-ins, click the Add button.

C. Select the following plug-ins from the list by holding down the Ctrl key while you click
them:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.external
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.neva
com.teamcenter.rac.tcapps
com.teamcenter.rac.util

D. Click OK.

b. Update the Runtime tab.

A. Click your project's Runtime tab.

B. Under Exported Packages, click the Add button.

C. Select your project and click OK.

c. Update the Extensions tab.

A. Click your project's Extensions tab.

B. Click the Add button.

C. Select the com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties extension point.

D. Click Finish.

d. Save the project by choosing File→Save All.

4. Create the project files.

a. Create the custom viewer panel.
A. In Package Explorer, right-click your project and choose New→Package.

B. In the Name box, type com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet. This is the path name where
rich client style sheet files are located.

C. Click Finish.

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D. Right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet package and choose New→File.

E. Open the project’s Runtime tab, click the Add button, and add the
com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet package.
Note that the listed exported packages are com.mycom.custompanel and
com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet. This ensures that these packages are listed as
exported packages in the MANIFEST.MF file.

F. In the File Name box, type CustomSamplePanel.java and click Finish.

G. Open the CustomSamplePanel.java file and enter the following code:

package com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet;
import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.PropertyLayout;
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
/**
* This example shows how to use the property java beans to display properties/form.
* To use this example, please create an object with following attributes (or change the
* property names used in this example to match the data model you have):
* a5_MyDouble: double type
* a5_MyDate: date type
* a5_MyFlag: logical type
* a5_MyLongString: long string type
* a5_MyRef: typed reference type
* a5_MyLOV: a string type attached with LOV
*
* To register the usage of this panel, user needs to add a line to the stylesheet_user.properties file,
* with the format: <type_name>.JAVARENDERING=<package name>.CustomSamplePanel
*
* For example, I have this panel registered to display my custom item revision properties:
* A5_MyItemRevision.JAVARENDERING=com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.CustomSamplePanel
*
* When user selects A5_MyItemRevision and launches the properties dialog, this CustomSamplePanel
* should be displayed.
*/
public class CustomSamplePanel
extends JPanel
{
public CustomSamplePanel()
{
try
{
init();
}
catch( Exception e )
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
private void init()
throws Exception
{
this.setLayout( new BorderLayout() );
this.setOpaque( false );
JPanel jPanel1 = new JPanel();
jPanel1.setLayout( new PropertyLayout() );
jPanel1.setOpaque( false );
JLabel jLabel1 = new JLabel("Test double");
PropertyTextField doubleTextField = new PropertyTextField();
doubleTextField.setProperty( "a5_MyDouble" );
JLabel jLabel2 = new JLabel("Test date" );
PropertyDateButton dateButton = new PropertyDateButton();
//dateButton.setDate( (String) null );
//dateButton.setDisplayFormat( "d-MMM-yyyy HH:mm:ss" );
dateButton.setProperty( "a5_MyDate" );
dateButton.setMandatory( true );
JLabel jLabel3 = new JLabel("Test boolean");
PropertyLogicalPanel logicalPanel = new PropertyLogicalPanel();
logicalPanel.setProperty( "a5_MyFlag" );
JLabel jLabel4 = new JLabel("Test longstring");
PropertyLongTextPanel longTextPanel = new PropertyLongTextPanel();
longTextPanel.setProperty( "a5_MyLongString" );
JLabel jLabel5 = new JLabel("Test ref");
PropertyObjectLink refLink = new PropertyObjectLink();
refLink.setProperty( "a5_MyRef" );
JLabel jLabel6 = new JLabel("Test Lov");
PropertyLOVUIComponent lovUIComp = new PropertyLOVUIComponent();
lovUIComp.setProperty( "a5_MyLOV" );

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this.add( jPanel1, BorderLayout.WEST );

jPanel1.add( "1.1", jLabel1 );
jPanel1.add( "1.2", doubleTextField );
jPanel1.add( "2.1", jLabel2 );
jPanel1.add( "2.2", dateButton );
jPanel1.add( "3.1", jLabel3 );
jPanel1.add( "3.2", logicalPanel );
jPanel1.add( "4.1", jLabel4 );
jPanel1.add( "4.2", longTextPanel );
jPanel1.add( "5.1", jLabel5 );
jPanel1.add( "5.2", refLink );
jPanel1.add( "6.1", jLabel6 );
jPanel1.add( "6.2", lovUIComp );
}
}

Note

If you want to set your panel’s background color, you cannot use the
setOpaque(false) tag. For more detail on the usage of this Java API, go to the
following URL:
http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/javax/swing/
JComponent.html#setOpaque%28boolean%29

b. Create a style sheet property file to render the new panel.

A. Right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet package and choose New→File.

B. In the File Name box, type stylesheet_user.properties and click Finish.

This file adds content to the stylesheet.properties file. The _user name in the file
indicates that this is a custom file provided by a user.

C. Open the stylesheet_user.properties file and enter the following line:

A5_MyItemRevision.JAVARENDERING=
com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.CustomSamplePanel

D. In the rich client, create a preference for this rendering. Choose Edit→Options→Filters
and click the Create a new preference definition button in the upper left corner of the
dialog box. In the Name box, type A5_MyItemRevision.JAVARENDERING and in the
Values box, type com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.CustomSamplePanel.

c. Save the new files by choosing File→Save All.

5. Package the project.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and

fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.

The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the

TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.

When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file

is created.

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Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

6. Verify the customization.

a. In the rich client, choose File→New→Item and select the new custom item type (for example,
A5_MyItem), and create an instance of it.

b. Select the item revision and click the Viewer tab or choose View→Properties to see your
new panel.

Custom form using JavaBeans

Related topics
• Create an Item business object

• How to deploy a template

• Ensure your customizations appear

Using the Teamcenter property beans

You can create a JPanel component in which to contain the property beans, place them in the panel,
and connect them directly to the form properties by entering in the property for the box. Once this is
done, compile the form and register it with the rich client.

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Registration is accomplished by adding an entry in the form of

Form-Type-Name.FORMJAVARENDERING=Your-Form-Class to the
com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.stylesheet_user.properties file. Once registered, the rich client
uses the custom form when the form type is opened.
For example, if the form type is MyFormType and the form display class is named
com.mycompany.forms.MyForm, the entry is added to the properties file, as follows:
My\ Form\ Type.FORMJAVARENDERING=com.mycompany.forms.MyForm

Often, a form must obtain the reference to the TCComponentForm component with which it is
rendering. Each property bean has knowledge of the TCComponentForm class; however, for
the JPanel component to recognize the form, you must include a constructor that includes the
TCComponentForm component. When you use your IDE to create the JPanel component, you may
be provided a default constructor, for example:
public MyPanel()
{
}

To reference the TCComponentForm component, include a constructor requesting a reference,

as shown in the following example:
// IDE given
public MyPanel()
{
}
// User written
public MyPanel ( TCComponentForm f )
{
}

When the form loads, the system looks first for the constructor with a reference to the
TCComponentForm component. If one is found, it is used. If not, the default constructor is used.

Related topics

• Property beans

Developing custom property beans

Each property bean fundamentally knows how to load and save itself. When the form is loaded
and ready to be displayed, each property bean is notified to load itself and its data. The property
bean uses the defined property and obtains the value from the Teamcenter database. When the
user clicks the Save button, each property bean is notified to save. When the form is loaded, the
top-level container (the JPanel component) that is registered for the form type is recursively cycled
to look for the InterfacePropertyComponent interface. When found, the beans are instructed
to either load or save. The property beans can be nested as deeply as desired within containers
and still be selected by the system.
To implement property beans, decide which user interface class to subclass. Then, identify a
Teamcenter property bean and implement the InterfacePropertyComponent interface, which
contains two methods:
public void load ( TCComponent ) throws Exception
public void save ( TCComponent f ) throws Exception

After you create the component, all other JavaBean rules apply. For example, you can attach icons
for reference within an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), such as Eclipse, and attach
property rendering rules.

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To perform checks prior to loading the property beans, override the checkObject method as follows:
public void checkObject() throws Exception
{
//required checks
}

Note

All IDEs that support JavaBeans work with the property beans.

To increase the efficiency of property beans, Siemens PLM Software recommends that you also
implement the InterfaceBufferedPropertyComponent class. This requires a method that has
the following signature:
public TCFormProperty saveProperty ( TCComponent f )
throws Exception

This method should only use the setValue<type>Data calls to the form property and return it.
Therefore, all properties in the property bean system are collected and saved in one call. This
increases the efficiency of the property bean.
Siemens PLM Software provides both save() and saveProperty() methods to allow for flexibility in
form storage. All property beans delivered with Teamcenter use the saveProperty() method. If you
choose to override any of the base property beans, Siemens PLM Software recommends that you
override the saveProperty() method.

Developing forms by extending the abstract class

Process for developing forms by extending the abstract class

Perform the following steps to create a user interface form:

1. Create a form type on the server side.
The form type can be created in Teamcenter using the Business Modeler IDE application. All
methods require you to enter the form type name: POM storage.

2. Extend the schema.

3. Create the form panel.

Create a Java object that extends from the AbstractRendering class, which requires the
implementation of two methods: loadRendering() and saveRendering(). The loadRendering()
method is invoked when the form is constructed and reads the values from the TCComponent
class to populate the form interface. The saveRendering() method writes the values from the
user interface components to the TCComponent class. Override the checkObject() method to
enable performance of checks prior to loading the form.

4. Register the form panel with the rich client.

Once a form class is written on the client, it must be registered in the stylesheet_user.properties
registry file to be recognized within Teamcenter. The key within the stylesheet_user.properties
file points to the implemented AbstractRendering class definition and is comprised of the form
type name appended with .FORMJAVARENDERING. The associated client-side definition file for
the Item Revision Master form type is shown in the following code example.
ItemRevision\ Master.FORMJAVARENDERING=com.teamcenter.rac.form.ItemRevisionMaster

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The backslash character and a space (\ ) in the string create a space. If the backslash character
is not used, the space is misinterpreted and the form is displayed using the automatic form
display. Java interprets the key as item and does not parse past the space, considering it the
delimiter for the key/value combination.

Create a sample custom form by extending the abstract class

You can extend the abstract class (AbstractRendering) to display properties for a custom business
object.
In this example, you create a custom Java form assigned to the ItemRevisionMaster form. When a
user chooses File→New→Item to launch the New Item wizard for a custom Item business object, a
new form is displayed on the Define additional item revision information page of the wizard.
This example extends the AbstractRendering component. The sample code uses the
getRenderingModified and isRenderingModified methods. These methods ensure the values are
copied from the New Item wizard to the form.
Note

The isRenderingModified() method is required to use this customized form in the Viewer view.

Note

Rendering of the form is tied directly to the business object by placing the following command
into a custom stylesheet_user.properties file:
custom-business-object-name.FORMJAVARENDERING.
package-name.custom-java-form-name

1. Create a custom item business object.

a. In the Business Modeler IDE, create a custom item business object as a child of the Item
business object, for example, A5_MyItem.
Note

The A5_ portion of the name is an example of a naming prefix. When you create a
Business Modeler IDE project, you are required to define a unique prefix that will
be affixed to the name of all custom data model items you create to show that they
belong to your custom data model. You can use your own prefix, but remember that
the following coding examples use this example prefix.

b. Deploy the new custom item business object from the Business Modeler IDE to your
Teamcenter server.

c. After deployment, test your new business object in the Teamcenter rich client by creating an
instance of it.
For example, in the My Teamcenter application, choose File→New→Item.
Your new business object appears in the New Item dialog box. Choose your new business
object and launch the New Item wizard.

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Observe the boxes on the Define additional item revision information page. These are
provided by the item revision master form. In the following steps, you are going to create
your own custom form to replace it and to provide different boxes on this page.

Default form in the item creation wizard

2. Create the Eclipse project.

a. In Eclipse, choose File→New→Project.

b. In the New Project dialog box, select Plug-in Project. Click Next.

c. In the Project name box, type com.mycom.masterform. Click Next.

d. Under Options, ensure the Generate an activator and This plug-in will make
contributions to the UI check boxes are selected. Click Next.

e. Clear the Create a plug-in using one of these templates check box. Click Finish.

3. Update the project tabs.

a. Update the Dependencies tab.
A. In Eclipse, click your project tab and click its Dependencies tab.

B. Under Required Plug-ins, click the Add button.

C. Select the following plug-ins from the list by holding down the Ctrl key while you click
them:
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
com.teamcenter.rac.common
com.teamcenter.rac.external
com.teamcenter.rac.kernel
com.teamcenter.rac.neva
com.teamcenter.rac.tcapps

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com.teamcenter.rac.util

D. Click OK.

b. Update the Runtime tab.

A. Click your project's Runtime tab.

B. Under Exported Packages, click the Add button.

C. Select the com.mycom.custompanel and com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet packages

and click OK.

c. Update the Extensions tab.

A. Click your project's Extensions tab.

B. Click the Add button.

C. Select the com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties extension point.

D. Click Finish.

d. Click the plugin.xml tab and replace the contents of the file with the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?eclipse version="3.2"?>
<plugin>
<extension point="com.teamcenter.rac.util.tc_properties">
<plugin_properties pluginName="com.mycom.masterform"/>
</extension>
</plugin>

e. Save the project by choosing File→Save All.

4. Create the project files.

a. Create the custom item revision master form.
A. Right-click the com.mycom.masterform package and choose New→File.

B. In the File Name box, type A5_MyItemMaster.java and click Finish.

C. Open the A5_MyItemMaster.java file and enter the following code:

package com.mycom.masterform;
import com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet.AbstractRendering;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCException;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCProperty;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.MessageBox;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.PropertyLayout;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.VerticalLayout;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
public class A5_MyItemMaster extends AbstractRendering {
/**
*
*/
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
private JTextField data1_jtextfield;
private JTextField data2_jtextfield;

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private TCProperty data1_tcproperty;

private TCProperty data2_tcproperty;
private TCComponent comp; // TcEng legacy used TCComponentForm, use TCComponent now
public A5_MyItemMaster( TCComponent c)throws Exception
{
super ( c );
comp = c;
loadRendering();
}
public void loadRendering() throws TCException
{
initializeUI();
data1_tcproperty = comp.getTCProperty("user_data_1");
data2_tcproperty = comp.getTCProperty("user_data_2");
data1_jtextfield.setText(data1_tcproperty.getStringValue());
data2_jtextfield.setText(data2_tcproperty.getStringValue());
}
public void saveRendering()
{
try
{
data1_tcproperty.setStringValueData(data1_jtextfield.getText() );
data2_tcproperty.setStringValueData(data2_jtextfield.getText() );
TCProperty[] ps = new TCProperty[2];
ps[0] = data1_tcproperty;
ps[1] = data2_tcproperty;
// TcEng legacy used setTCProperties or setFormTCProperties,
// use compnent.setTCProperties(ps);
component.setTCProperties( ps );
}
catch ( Exception ex )
{
MessageBox.post(ex.getMessage(), null, MessageBox.ERROR);
}
}
public boolean isRenderingModified()
{
if( data1_tcproperty != null && !data1_jtextfield.getText().equals( data1_tcproperty.getStringValue() ) )
{
return true;
}
if( data2_tcproperty != null && !data2_jtextfield.getText().equals( data2_tcproperty.getStringValue() ) )
{
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}
}
@Override
public Map getRenderingModified ()
{
Map modifiedRendering = new HashMap<String, Object> ();
if( data1_tcproperty != null && !data1_jtextfield.getText().equals( data1_tcproperty.getStringValue() ) )
{
data1_tcproperty.setStringValueData(data1_jtextfield.getText() );
modifiedRendering.put( "user_data_1", data1_tcproperty );
}
if( data2_tcproperty != null && !data2_jtextfield.getText().equals( data2_tcproperty.getStringValue() ) )
{
data2_tcproperty.setStringValueData( data2_jtextfield.getText() );
modifiedRendering.put( "user_data_2", data2_tcproperty );
}
return modifiedRendering;
}
private void initializeUI()
{
setLayout ( new VerticalLayout() );
JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel( new PropertyLayout());
mainPanel.setOpaque(false);
mainPanel.setEnabled(false);
// Create all the text fields
data1_jtextfield = new JTextField(15);
data2_jtextfield = new JTextField(15);
//Add components to Panel
mainPanel.add("1.1.right.center",new JLabel("User Data One"));
mainPanel.add("1.2.left.center", data1_jtextfield);
mainPanel.add("2.1.right.center",new JLabel("User Data Two"));
mainPanel.add("2.2.left.center", data2_jtextfield);
add("unbound.bind", mainPanel);
}
/**
*The following code is optional depending on whether you want to pre-load the

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*property data from the original (selected) item revision during a Revise.
* Without it the values are reset/left blank.
*/
@Override
public void setValues(String[] props, Object[] values)
{
if ( props != null && props.length > 1 )
{
for( int i=0; i<props.length; i++ )
{
if( props[i].equals( "user_data_1" ) )
{
data1_jtextfield.setText(values[i].toString());
}
else if( props[i].equals( "user_data_2" ) )
{
data2_jtextfield.setText(values[i].toString());
}
}
}
}
}

Note

Note how this file uses the TCComponent method to set properties on
components. This method uses the underlying Teamcenter Services API. Prior to
Teamcenter 9, the SOAPropertyHelper method, which was a temporary wrapper
on top of legacy code, could be used to set properties on components even
though it was unpublished.

b. Create a style sheet property file to render the new form.

A. In Package Explorer, right-click your project and choose New→Package.

B. In the Name box, type com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet. This is the path name where
rich client style sheet files are located.

C. Click Finish.

D. Right-click the com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet package and choose New→File.

E. In the File Name box, type stylesheet_user.properties and click Finish.

This file adds content to the stylesheet.properties file. The _user name in the file
indicates that this is a custom file provided by a user.

F. Open the stylesheet_user.properties file and enter the following line:

A5_MyItemRevisionMaster.FORMJAVARENDERING=
com.mycom.masterform.A5_MyItemMaster

c. Save the new files by choosing File→Save All.

5. Package the project.

a. Right-click the project, choose Export→Plug-in Development→Deployable plug-ins and
fragments, select the TC_ROOT\portal directory as the destination, and click Finish.
The com.mycom.project-name JAR file is automatically generated into the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory.

b. Run the TC_ROOT\portal\registry\genregxml file to register the plug-in with the rich client.

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When the script is finished, a new TC_ROOT\portal\registry\RegistryLoader.xml.gz file

is created.

Note

If you make changes to any of the .properties files, or you add new plug-ins or change
plug-in content, you must run the genregxml script to ensure your changes are
included when the rich client starts. This enhances performance because it caches
the properties so they can be loaded at startup. The script takes no arguments and
generates a RegistryLoader file for each locale in the portal\Registry directory.

c. To clear cache, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the
client. This directory is automatically created again when the user starts the rich client. This
directory usually contains RAC and TAO subdirectories.

On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter

directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

6. Verify the customization.

a. In the rich client, choose File→New→Item and select the new custom item type (for example,
A5_MyItem), and click Next.

b. Assign the new item an ID and name and click Next.

c. Click Next on the Define additional item information page.

d. On the Define additional item revision information page, you should see your new item
revision master form.

Custom form in the item creation wizard

Related topics

• Ensure your customizations appear

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General comments
The form user interface is not limited to creation using an integrated development environment (IDE)
or to the use of any Java component. Third-party Java components can be used within the form.
The Eclipse IDE can be used to generate the contents of the form. Once created, you need only
add the code required to read the property values from Teamcenter and set the property values
within the associated component on the panel. Other components, such as LOVButton, make it
easier to render the form properties.
If you upgrade from a previous version of Teamcenter that used the note attribute in the form storage
class, instances created from that class will continue to use the note attribute. If you create a new
storage class, it uses the string attribute, and instances created from that class use the string attribute.
Starting with Engineering Process Management 2005, you should use the new style sheet package
(com.teamcenter.rac.stylesheet) instead of the old form package (com.teamcenter.rac.form). The
old form package is deprecated. If you want to still use the old custom forms in the new package,
move the entries you added to the form_user.properties file to the stylesheet_user.properties file.

Form performance issues

System performance when forms are saved depends largely on the way the API is used. All API
components for saving and loading forms are found in the TCComponentForm component. The
object retrieves form values and can represent all types of data found in Teamcenter. It is patterned
after the TCProperty object. The TCComponentForm class is responsible for handling the retrieval
and storage of properties to a form. The TCFormProperty object handles the data representation of
the value (or property).
It is more efficient to save all form properties in one call, because this minimizes network traffic and
limits the save action to one commit to the database. If each property is saved individually, each
requires a network call and a commit to the database, which degrades system performance.
For example, a form containing 20 properties takes approximately two seconds to save when
all properties are saved in one call and approximately 25 seconds to save when each property
is saved individually. There are legitimate cases for saving properties both individually and
collectively. Therefore, take care when deciding which API to use to achieve a desired result. The
following examples illustrate the different usages of the form API and assume a component f of
type TCComponentForm:
• Obtaining one form property
TCFormProperty p = f.getFormTCProperty(“my_prop_name”);

• Obtaining all form properties

TCFormProperty[] props = f.getAllFormProperties();

• Saving one form property

TCFormProperty p = f.getFormTCProperty(“my_prop_name”);
// Get the property to set
p.setStringValue ( “abc” ); // Set it.
At this point it is saved to the db.

• Saving several form properties

TCFormProperty[] ps = f.getAllFormProperties();
// Get the property to set
ps[0].setStringValueData ( “abc” );
// Sets the value but is not saved.
ps[1].setStringValueData ( “def” );
// Sets the value but is not saved.

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f.setTCProperties(ps); // Now is saved to the db.

In summary, performance gains depend on how form data is saved. Whenever possible, obtain an
array of properties and set their values by using methods such as setStringValueData() as opposed
to the setStringValue() method. The setStringValue() method sets the value and performs the save
immediately. The setStringValueData() method sets the value but relies on a subsequent call to
perform the commit. Finally, for an array of properties, make a call such as setTCProperties()
to increase efficiency.

Form events

When a form is displayed, the size is governed by the standard of preferred size for a dialog box.
However, it may be necessary to control the dialog box size prior to displaying the form. In this event,
implement the InterfaceRendererEvent interface within the form display class. This interface forces
the implementation of two methods: dialogDisplayed (OpenFormDialog dlg, boolean state). The
method is called before the dialog box is displayed. It is the place where the setBounds() method for
the dialog box can be called.
When a form is displayed, the okToModify() method is invoked. If the form is modifiable, it is
constructed and displayed as designed. However, if the form is not modifiable, logic is executed
to determine what should or should not be editable. When a read-only form is displayed, the
components shown in the following table are modified.

Component Read-only effect

JTabbedPane None
JSplitPane None
JPanel None
JLabel None
JScrollPane None
JProgressBar None
JTextComponent Edit ability set to False
All others Disabled

When a form is not modifiable, all Container objects, such as JTabbedPane, are ignored and the
remaining components are disabled. This is because Container objects allow users to traverse
and work through them to view the data. You may want to control the read-only ability of a
component within a form, in which case you must override the read-only logic by implementing the
InterfaceRendererEvent interface and providing body to the setReadOnly() method.

Form user interface display components

The rich client has changed the strategy of forms in Teamcenter. Forms within the rich client are user
interface representations only. Teamcenter stores the information for the form; therefore, when the
form is loaded and displayed in the rich client, all data is obtained from the server and placed into
user interface components. The base component for a rich client form is a JPanel component
that provides flexibility for the placement of forms within different parent containers. The following
figure shows a form panel.

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Form user interface display panel

Displaying a form

When a form is displayed, the user interface definition for the form is constructed, populated, and
placed within a container. In the rich client, a form can be displayed under two paradigms: dialog
box and viewer. The dialog box displays when the form is opened using the Open menu or the
form is double-clicked.

Form displayed in a dialog box

The viewer paradigm is used when the form is selected and the Viewer tab is active (the following
figure). The contents of nonwritable form are displayed as read-only. If the user has write access,
the form can be edited.

Form displayed in the rich client viewer

A reusable Java component is used for form panel construction. Given the component reference to
the form, call the RenderingLoader.load(TCComponent) method, which constructs and returns
the form panel. The form definition within the rich client is flexible and supports a wide variety of
applications. When a form panel is loaded, the RenderingLoader looks to see if there is a registered
form panel for the component. If so, the registered form panel is returned. If not, an automatic form
is constructed and returned.

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Advanced rich client customizations

Customizing Command Suppression

Introduction to customizing Command Suppression

You can suppress menu commands using the Command Suppression application in Teamcenter. If
you want to make your custom plug-ins conform to the Command Suppression application, you must
add the proper coding to the plug-ins.
The rich client uses Eclipse declarative commands, menu contributions, and handlers to define the
vast majority of menu bar and toolbar items. Eclipse uses a Boolean expression-based syntax to
allow control over visibility of any specific command in a menu using the visibleWhen expression.
Just like Eclipse provides some sources like activeContexts, activePartId, and so on, a rich client
rac_command_suppression source is defined.
Every command contribution in a custom plugin.xml file must have a visibleWhen expression
consuming the rac_command_suppression source using the with expression. (That is, those
command contributions using the org.eclipse.ui.menus extension point to contribute a command
using the menuContribution source.) Using the rac_command_suppression source ensures that
the command is visible only when it is not suppressed.
The rac_command_suppression source gets called whenever the workbench state changes, for
example, when new commands are suppressed, when switching between perspectives, and so on.
The with expression (henceforth referred to as the Command Suppression expression) consuming
the rac_command_suppression source must be specified in the visibleWhen expression of every
command contribution. A template of this Command Suppression expression follows:
<with variable="rac_command_suppression">
<not>
<iterate operator="or">
<equals value="command_ID_of_the_command_contribution"/>
</iterate>
</not>
</with>

Replace command_ID_of_the_command_contribution with the command ID of the respective

command contribution.

Related topics
• Using Command Suppression

Using the Command Suppression expression in the plugin.xml file

Using the Command Suppression expression in a rich client plugin.xml file varies based on the
following scenarios:
• The command contribution does not contain a visibleWhen expression.
Example before changes:
<menuContribution locationURI="menu:edit?after=cut.ext">
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut" id="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut"
label="%cutAction.NAME">
</command>
</menuContribution>

Example after changes:

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<menuContribution locationURI="menu:edit?after=cut.ext">
<command commandId="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut" id="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut"
label="%cutAction.NAME">
<visibleWhen>
<with variable="rac_command_suppression">
<not>
<iterate operator="or">
<equals value="org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut"/>
</iterate>
</not>
</with>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>

• The command contribution contains a visibleWhen expression with a nested and expression.
Example before changes:
<menuContribution locationURI="popup:org.eclipse.ui.popup.any
?after=org.eclipse.ui.edit.paste">
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.pasteDuplicate">
<visibleWhen>
<and>
<reference definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.inMainView"/>
<reference definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.tcapps.
isPasteDuplicateAllowed"/>
</and>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>

Example after changes:

<menuContribution locationURI="popup:org.eclipse.ui.popup.any
?after=org.eclipse.ui.edit.paste">
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.pasteDuplicate">
<visibleWhen>
<and>
<reference definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp.inMainView"/>
<reference definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.tcapps.
isPasteDuplicateAllowed"/>
<with variable="rac_command_suppression">
<not>
<iterate operator="or">
<equals value="com.teamcenter.rac.pasteDuplicate"/>
</iterate>
</not>
</with>
</and>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>

• The command contribution contains a visibleWhen expression with nested expressions (not
the and expression).
Example before changes:
<menuContribution locationURI="menu:file?after=save.ext">
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.importAMRuleTree"
icon="icons/importamruletree_16.png" mnemonic="%importAMRuleTreeAction.MNEMONIC">
<visibleWhen>
<reference definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.accessmanager.inMainView"/>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>

Example after changes:

<menuContribution locationURI="menu:file?after=save.ext">
<command commandId="com.teamcenter.rac.importAMRuleTree"
icon="icons/importamruletree_16.png" mnemonic="%importAMRuleTreeAction.MNEMONIC">
<visibleWhen>
<and>
<reference definitionId="com.teamcenter.rac.accessmanager.inMainView"/>
<with variable="rac_command_suppression">
<not>
<iterate operator="or">
<equals value="com.teamcenter.rac.importAMRuleTree"/>
</iterate>

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</not>
</with>
</and>
</visibleWhen>
</command>
</menuContribution>

Command Suppression constraints

Following are constraints on Command Suppression customization:
• The Command Suppression application cannot suppress commands that are dynamic
contributions using the <dynamic> </dynamic> tag in the menuContribution section of the
org.eclipse.ui.menus extension point.

• Any contributions that are done statically in the code (for example, the Window menu) cannot
be suppressed.

• Any contributions that are done using Eclipse actions cannot be suppressed.

Naming convention for extensions and Command Suppression

Every command contribution in a plug-in has the visibleWhen expression containing the
rac_command_suppression source provider. The naming convention of the extensions in a plug-in
should always start with the bundle symbolic name to clearly indicate which plug-in is providing
the contribution.
Assume that the com.mycom.myapp plug-in has the com.mycom.myapp bundle symbolic name in
the META-INF/MANIFEST.MF. Assume that this plug-in creates the Sample Perspective perspective
and makes contributions to the global menu bar and toolbar that are visible in the perspective. The
perspective ID starts with the bundle symbolic name, for example:
com.mycom.myapp.perspectives.samplePerspectiveId

Because the command contributions from the com.mycom.myapp plug-in should be visible only in
the Sample Perspective perspective, a reference definition can be defined and associated on all
command contributions, for example:
<definition id="com.mycom.myapp.inMainPerspective">
<with variable="activeContexts">
<iterate operator="or">
<or>
<equals value="com.mycom.myapp.perspectives.samplePerspectiveId"/>
</or>
</iterate>
</with>
</definition>

Assume that the plug-in contributes a sample command. This means that the plug-in must define
a command ID using the org.eclipse.ui.commands extension point adhering to the naming
convention, for example:
com.mycom.myapp.sampleCommand

To make this sample command visible only in the Sample Perspective perspective, and if it is not
suppressed from the Command Suppression perspective, use a combination of this reference
definition and the command suppression source provider, for example:
<command commandId="com.mycom.myapp.sampleCommand" tooltip="%sampleCommand.TIP">
<visibleWhen>
<and>
<reference definitionId="com.mycom.myapp.inMainPerspective"/>
<with variable="rac_command_suppression">
<not>
<iterate operator="or">

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<equals value="com.mycom.myapp.sampleCommand"/>
</iterate>
</not>
</with>
</and>
</visibleWhen>
</command>

Displaying files in the viewer

On Windows platforms, you can display Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Portable Document
Format (PDF), and text files in the Viewer panel. On UNIX platforms, the properties of the file are
displayed instead.
Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and text files are displayed automatically when they are
named references of corresponding datasets. No additional configuration required.
To display QAF files in the viewer if Teamcenter lifecycle visualization is not already installed:
1. In the com.teamcenter.rac.common plug-in, create an empty
com\teamcenter\rac\common\tcviewer\tcviewer_user.properties file.

2. In the com.teamcenter.rac.common plug-in, open the tcviewer\tcviewer.properties

file, copy the entire DatasetViewer.VIEWSEARCHORDER line, and paste it into the new
tcviewer_user.properties file.

3. In the tcviewer_user.properties file, add UG-QuickAccess-Binary to the end of the

DatasetViewer.VIEWSEARCHORDER line.

4. Add the following line to the tcviewer_user.properties file:

UGMASTER.VIEWPANEL=com.teamcenter.rac.common.tcviewer.DatasetViewer

5. In the com.teamcenter.rac.util plug-in, create a

com\teamcenter\rac\util\viewer\viewer_user.properties file, and add the following line:
Imager.EXTENSION=gif,jpg,qaf

Note

To disable the toolbar in the viewer, go to com/teamcenter/rac/common/tcviewer, create the

tcviewer_user.properties file in a text editor, and add the following entry:
useNevaIEViewerToolBar=false

Customizing tabs

Customizing the data tabs display

If you have administrator privileges, you can customize how data tabs appear in Multi-Structure
Manager and other applications. When a user runs one of these applications and selects the
data panel, several tabs appear in the panel. You can change the tabs that appear by editing the
application properties file.
There are two types of tabs in each application:
• Tabs that always appear for a particular parent panel regardless of whether anything is selected.

• Tabs that appear only when particular components are selected in the parent panel.

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You can customize how the second, selection-specific group of tabs is displayed.
To determine the tabs to display, the system checks four criteria:
• The class type of the selected display component, for example:
BOMLine
CfgAttachmentLine
TcItemBOPLine

• The subtype of the selected display component, which is generally the same as the class type.
However, for BOM lines, it is the occurrence type and for attachment lines it is the relation to
the parent.

• The class type of the underlying component, such as ItemRevision.

• The subtype of the underlying component (the component type name).

For each selection, the system checks for six properties and adds all the tabs found. You can edit
these properties to change the tabs that are presented to the user:
Display-component-classtype.TABS
Display-component-subtype.TABS
Display-component-classtype.underlying component classtype.TABS
Display-component-classtype.underlying component subtype.TABS
Display-component-subtype.underlying component classtype.TABS
Display-component-subtype.underlying component subtype.TABS

For example, in the Multi-Structure Manager application, the default properties are:
BOMLine.TABS=Referencers, Variant, Attachments, InClassAtt, CMEViewer, Report,
IncrementalChangeInfo
TcItemBOPLine.TABS=Referencers, Variant, Attachments, InClassAtt, CMEViewer,
Report, IncrementalChangeInfo
AppGroupBOPLine.TABS=Referencers, Attachments, CMEViewer, IncrementalChangeInfo
GDELine.TABS=Referencers, InClassAtt, CMEViewer, Report, IncrementalChangeInfo
GDELinkLine.TABS=Referencers, InClassAtt, CMEViewer, Report,
IncrementalChangeInfo
MEAppearanceLine.TABS=Referencers, Attachments, CMEViewer, IncrementalChangeInfo
CfgAttachmentLine.TABS=Referencers, CMEViewer, IncrementalChangeInfo, Report
BOMLine.ItemRevision.TABS=ProductAppearance
TcItemBOPLine.ItemRevision.TABS=ProductAppearance
CfgAttachmentLine.ItemRevision.TABS=InClassAtt

You can add or delete the names of tabs that are displayed for each data panel in this file.

Edit a custom properties file to display tabs

To display tabs, you can place the changes in a _user.properties file to override the default
.properties file.
1. Extract the application.properties file from the appropriate com.teamcenter.rac.component.jar
file using the jar xf command. For example, if you want to extract the mpp.properties file
for Part Planner, the command looks like this:
jar xf com.teamcenter.rac.cme.legacy.jar com/teamcenter/rac/cme/mpp/mpp.properties

Note

For more information about the jar command, see Sun's Java documentation.

2. Save the extracted file as the application_user.properties file.

3. In the custom properties file, edit the .TABS line to include the tab you want.

4. Insert the custom properties file into your own custom plug-in.

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Related topics

• Customize the rich client properties files

Sample tab customization

The following example is for creating new tabs for Manufacturing Process Planner.
1. In the Business Modeler IDE, create a new type as a child of the MEProcess business object.
When the object is deployed to the rich client and displayed in Manufacturing Process Planner,
the tabs in the data pane are different than the tabs for the MEProcess business object. You
must customize the tabs for the new business object so that they match tabs for the parent.

2. Open the installation-location\portal\plugins\com.teamcenter.rac.cme.legacy JAR file and find

the mpp.properties file in the following directory:
com\teamcenter\rac\cme\mpp\mpp.properties

3. Make a copy of the mpp.properties file and rename it into a customer-specific

application_user.properties file.

4. In the custom properties file, create .TABS entries for your custom business object.
Manufacturing Process Planner accepts the following definitions in the properties files:
line-type.TABS= tab-1, tab-2, tab-n
line-subtype.TABS=tab-1, tab-2, tab-n
line-type.underlying-type.TABS= tab-1, tab-2, tab-n
line-type.underlying-subtype.TABS= tab-1, tab-2, tab-n
line-subtype.underlying-type.TABS= tab-1, tab-2, tab-n
line-subtype.underlying-subtype.TABS= tab-1, tab-2, tab-n

line-type is the type of the BOM line, for example, BOMLine, ImanItemBOPLine, or
Mfg0BvrProcess. line-subtype is the subtype of a line and it can be an occurrence type
or a relation type, for example, MEConsumed (in some cases, it is equal the line type).
underlying-type is the type of the underlying component; a BOPLine can have the underlying
MEOperationRevision type, MEProcessRevision type, or other types. underlying-subtype is
the subtype of the underlying component; like the line subtype, the underlying subtype can also
be the same as the underlying type.
If a BOMLine type matches more than one definition, the result is the sum of tabs from all
matched definitions. For example, an item name I1 is assigned to an operation as MEConsumed
type. The following tab lines are defined:
ImanItemBOPLine.TABS= Variant
ImanItemBOPLine.ItemRevision.TABS= CMEViewer
BOMLine.TABS= Referencers
BOMLine.ItemRevision.TABS= ProductAppearance

Selecting the I1 item in the process structure (below the operation) matches
ImanItemBOPLine.TABS and ImanItemBOPLine.ItemRevision.TABS, and as a result,
the system shows the Variant and CMEViewer tabs. But selecting I1 in the BOM structure
matches BOMLine.TABS and BOMLine.ItemRevision.TABS; therefore, the system shows the
References and ProductAppearance tabs.

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Note

The tabs are also defined in the mpp.properties file:

tab.CLASS
tab.ICON

The tab label and tooltip are defined in the mpp_locale.properties file:
tab.TABLABEL
tab.TOOLTIP

5. Insert the custom properties file into your own custom plug-in.

Customizing the rich client to perform additional validations on a file

You can customize the rich client to allow users to perform additional validations on a file when
creating a dataset or importing named references. To do this, you must implement the filesSelector
extension point in the com.teamcenter.rac.common plug-in.
You must specify the following attributes in the extension point:
• class
Specifies the name of the custom Java class that implements the extension point. This
customer-supplied custom class must implement the IFilesSelector interface.
This Java-type attribute is required.

• priority
Specifies the priority of the extension using a valid integer value. If multiple extensions are
available for the filesSelector extension point, the rich client refers to this attribute to choose the
extension with the highest priority.
This string-type attribute is required.

Following are the methods in the IFilesSelector interface:

• initialize
Custom code must implement this method to allow a user to interactively select the file by
popping up the appropriate dialog box.
Siemens PLM Software recommends that you use the ImportFilesFileChooser dialog box
defined in the com.teamcenter.rac.commands.namedreferences package. This is a standard
Teamcenter dialog box that gets information about the selected file from the user. Apart from
selecting the file, this dialog box has additional widgets that allow a user to select the file type
and reference type.

• getSelectedFiles
Custom code must implement this method to return information about the file selected by the
user. This method must not perform any GUI interaction with the end user.
This method encapsulates the file object, file type, and reference type information in a
TCFileDescriptor object and return it to the caller. The TCFileDescriptor constructor is

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designed to perform validation on the file type and reference type, and throw exceptions if the
validation fails. Custom code is expected to handle these exceptions.

• getFormattedText
Custom code must implement this method to return the path of the selected file. This method
should not attempt any GUI interaction with end users.

• resetSelectedFiles
Custom code must implement this method to clear the list of selected files.

The following example code demonstrates how a simple validation can be performed using the
filesSelector extension point. This sample code validates if the file being imported is of length 0
bytes or if the file object selected by the user is a directory:
package sample;
import com.teamcenter.rac.commands.namedreferences.ImportFilesFileChooser;
import com.teamcenter.rac.commands.newdataset.IFilesSelector;
import com.teamcenter.rac.commands.newdataset.TCFileDescriptor;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentDatasetDefinition;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentDatasetDefinition.TCInvalidFileTypeException;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentDatasetDefinition.TCInvalidRefTypeException;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCException;
import java.io.File;
import javax.swing.JFileChooser;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;

public class SampleFileSelector implements IFilesSelector {

private List<TCFileDescriptor> listOfFileDesc = null;
public void initialize(TCComponentDatasetDefinition dsDef,
String[] extensions, String refType)
{
ImportFilesFileChooser fc= new ImportFilesFileChooser ( dsDef, null, extensions,
refType );
int ret = fc.showDialog ( null, null );
if ( ret == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION )
{
File selectedFile= fc.getSelectedFile();
String fileType = fc.getType();
String fileRefType = fc.getReferenceType();
listOfFileDesc = new ArrayList<TCFileDescriptor>(1);
try
{
TCFileDescriptor currDesc=null;
//Any additional validations which customer wants to implement
isSelectedFileValid(selectedFile);
//Create TCFilDescriptor object
currDesc = new TCFileDescriptor(dsDef,selectedFile,fileType,fileRefType);
listOfFileDesc.add(currDesc);
}
catch (TCInvalidRefTypeException ex)
{
//Do appropriate exception handling
}
catch (TCInvalidFileTypeException ex)
{
//Do appropriate exception handling
}
catch(TCException ex)
{
//Do appropriate exception handling
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, ex);
resetSelectedFiles();
return;
}
}
}
public List<TCFileDescriptor> getSelectedFiles()
{
return listOfFileDesc;
}

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public String getFormattedText()

{
if ((listOfFileDesc != null) && (listOfFileDesc.size()>0))
{
String displayText=listOfFileDesc.get(0).getFile().getPath();
for (int i=1;i<listOfFileDesc.size();++i)
{
displayText = displayText + ", " + listOfFileDesc.get(i).getFile().getPath();
}
return displayText;
}
return null;
}
//Additional user-validation methods, We have chosen some simple validation examples
//Customer can similar validation in preferred fashion
public String isFileADirectory(File fileObj)
{
if ( fileObj.isDirectory())
{
return "You have selected directory (" + fileObj.getName() + "),
please select a valid file";
}
return null;
}
public String isFileZeroLength(File fileObj)
{
if ( fileObj.length()==0)
{
return "You have selected file (" + fileObj.getName() + " with length 0,
please select a valid file";
}
return null;
}
public void resetSelectedFiles()
{
listOfFileDesc = null;
}
public boolean isSelectedFileValid(File fileObj) throws Exception
{
String validationMessage=null;
validationMessage = isFileADirectory(fileObj);
if (validationMessage!=null)
{
throw new Exception(validationMessage);
}
validationMessage = isFileZeroLength(fileObj);
if (validationMessage!=null)
{
throw new Exception(validationMessage);
}
return true;
}
}

Creating pre-actions and post-actions in Resource Manager and Classification

Customizing Resource Manager

You can customize Resource Manager using the following packages, found in the
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.legacy plug-in:
• Actions
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.actions

• Commands
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.resource

• Operations
com.teamcenter.rac.cme.operations

• Dialogs

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com.teamcenter.rac.cme.dialogs

The classes that belong to the Resource Manager menu bar and toolbar tokens are specified in
the mrm.properties properties file, located in the com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mrm package. To
override the settings in the mrm.properties file, create the mrm_user.properties file and make
your changes there.
The class for the action token is specified like this:
newMRMAction=com.teamcenter.rac.cme.actions.MRMNewItemAction

The action command has its own registry token with the following syntax:
action-registry—token.COMMAND=command-registry—token

For example:
newMRMAction.COMMAND=newMRMCommand

The class for the command token is specified as follows:

newMRMCommand=com.teamcenter.rac.cme.resource.MRMNewItemCommand

The following code shows an example of the Resource Manager action registry entries:
# File->New->Resource...
# ----------------------
newMRMAction=com.teamcenter.rac.cme.actions.MRMNewItemAction
newMRMAction.ICON=/com/teamcenter/rac/cme/images/mrmnew_16.png
newMRMAction.COMMAND=newMRMCommand
newMRMCommand=com.teamcenter.rac.cme.resource.MRMNewItemCommand
newMRMDialog=com.teamcenter.rac.cme.dialogs.MRMNewItemDialog
newMRMOperation=com.teamcenter.rac.cme.operations.MRMNewItemOperation

Customizing Classification
You can customize Classification using the following packages:
• Actions
com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.actions

• Commands
com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.commands

• Operations
com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.operations

The classes that belong to the Classification toolbar tokens are specified in the common.properties
properties file, located in the com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common package. To override
the settings in the common.properties file, create the common_user.properties file and make
your changes there.
The class for the action token is specified as follows:
g4mSave.ACTION=com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.actions.G4MSaveAction

The class for the command is specified as follows:

g4mSave.COMMAND=com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.actions.G4MSaveCommand

The following code shows an example of the Classification action registry entries:
g4mSave.ICON=images/save_16.png
g4mSave.SHOWLABEL=false
g4mSave.ENABLED=false
g4mSave.ACTION=com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.actions.G4MSaveAction
g4mSave.COMMAND=com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.actions

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.G4MSaveCommand
g4mSave.ACTIVE=edit,new

Note

All customizations made in the Classification common.properties file are visible in Resource
Manager as well. If you want to customize something in Classification only and keep the
standard behavior in Resource Manager, you must add the original action/command entries
from the Classification common.properties file to the Resource Manager mrm.properties file.

Develop Java pre-code and post-code

Note

The action collects only the values from the user interface and passes them into the command.
Therefore, do not customize the action, instead customize the command.

1. To customize a command, subclass the original command.

2. In the constructor of your new class, call the constructor of the original command.

3. Override the executeCommand() method.

With this method you can execute your pre-code. Then call the implementation of the original
command with the super.executeCommand() method. If you want to execute this part only if
some conditions are fulfilled, you can put this method in an if statement. After that, you can
execute your post-code.

The following code shows an example of a customized command:

package com.teamcenter.rac.cme.resource;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.AbstractAIFApplication;
public class MySaveCommand extends MRMSaveCommand
{
public MySaveCommand(AbstractAIFApplication application)
{
super (application);
}
protected void executeCommand() throws Exception
{
int option;
// Put your Pre-Save-Action code here...
option = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null,
"This is my Pre-Save-Action!!!",
"MySave",
JOptionPane.OK_OPTION);
// Execute the original command
if (allValuesAreOK())
{
super.executeCommand();
}
// Put your Post-Save-Action code here...
option = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null,
"This is my Post-Save-Action!!!",
"MySave",
JOptionPane.OK_OPTION);
}
} // End of class MySaveCommand

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Customizing complex commands

Customizing complex commands for Resource Manager and Classification

Most commands are simple. For those commands, it is enough to customize before and after the
original command. But there are other more complex commands. For those commands, it makes
sense to customize not only before and after the original command, but also within the original
command. To customize those complex commands, you start as in the example shown in Develop
Java pre-code and post-code. But in the executeCommand() method, you can do what is shown
in the following code:
protected void executeCommand() throws Exception
{
int option;
// Put your Pre-Save-Action code here...
option = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null,
"This is my Pre-Save-Action!!!",
"MySave",
JOptionPane.OK_OPTION);
// Execute the first step of the original command
super.executeCommandStep1();
// Put your intermediate customization code here...
// Execute the second step of the original command
super.executeCommandStep2();
// Put your intermediate customization code here...
// Execute the third step of the original command
super.executeCommandStep3();
// Put your Post-Save-Action code here...
option = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null,
"This is my Post-Save-Action!!!",
"MySave",
JOptionPane.OK_OPTION);
}

The following are the exact names of the different command step methods for the complex commands:
MRMNewItemCommand
MRMSaveCommand
MRMEditCommand
MRMCancelCommand
MRMDeleteCommand
MRMCreatePFMemberCommand
G4SaveCommand

Resource Manager – Create

MRMNewItemCommand runs the Resource Manager New Resource dialog box (based on the
newMRMDialog registry key). This dialog box allows you to define the item ID, revision ID, item
name, description, and item type. Those values are passed into the MRMNewItemOperation
operation. This creates the item, classifies it, and opens it in the Resource Manager assembly tree.

Symbol:

Menu: File→New→Resource
Toolbar: Create a new resource

Action: MRMGenericAction
(newMRMAction)

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Command: MRMNewItemCommand
(newMRMCommand)
Dialog box: MRMNewItemDialog
(newMRMDialog)

Resource Manager – Save

MRMSaveCommand checks if the context is in EDIT or NEW mode; otherwise, no save is allowed. If
the root item revision is classified or if this is an ICO without a workspace object, the Classification
Save Action, based on the g4mSave.ACTION registry key, gets called. If this item revision is not
classified, the context is set back to SHOW mode.
Afterward, if this resource is an assembly, it checks if the resource has multiple propagation start
points defined. In this case a warning is displayed. Then the precision for the BOM is set to Precise,
and the Resource Manager BOM Save Action, based on the saveMRMBOMSaveAction registry
key, is called to save the BOM changes. Last, the root and selected labels are updated.

Symbol:

Menu: Edit→Save Resource

Toolbar: Save current resource

Action: MRMGenericAction
(saveMRMAction)
Command: MRMSaveCommand
(saveMRMCommand)
BOM Save: MPPsaveAction
(saveMRMBOMSaveAction)

Resource Manager – Edit

MRMEditCommand checks if the context is in EDIT or NEW mode; otherwise, no save is allowed. If
the root item revision is classified or if this is an ICO without workspace object, the Classification
Save Action, based on the g4mSave.ACTION registry key, gets called. If this item revision is not
classified, the context is set back to SHOW mode.
Afterward, if this resource is an assembly, this checks if the resource has multiple propagation start
points defined. In this case a warning is displayed. Then the precision for the BOM is set to Precise,
and the Resource Manager BOM Save Action, based on the saveMRMBOMSaveAction registry
key, is called to save the BOM changes. Last, the root and selected labels are updated.

Symbol:

Menu: Edit→Edit Resource

Toolbar: Edit current resource

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Action: MRMGenericAction
(editMRMAction)
Command: MRMEditCommand
(editMRMCommand)

Resource Manager – Cancel

The MRMCancelCommand command creates the Classification Cancel Action, based on the
g4mCancel.ACTION registry key and runs this action on the root, selected, and display contexts of
the Resource Manager application.

Symbol:

Menu: Edit→Cancel Edit

Toolbar: Cancel Edit
Action: MRMGenericAction
(cancelMRMAction)
Command: MRMCancelCommand
(cancelMRMCommand)

Resource Manager – Delete

This method creates the Classification Delete Action, based on the g4mDelete.ACTION registry
key, and runs this action on the root context of the Resource Manager application.

Symbol:

Menu: Edit→Delete Resource

Toolbar: Delete current resource
Action: MRMGenericAction
(deleteMRMAction)
Command: MRMDeleteCommand
(deleteMRMCommand)

Resource Manager – Create Graphics

The MRMCreatePFMemberCommand command creates the Classification Create Part Family

Action, based on the g4mcreatePFMember.ACTION registry key, and runs this action on the root
context of the Resource Manager application.

Symbol:

Menu: Tools→Create Graphics

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Toolbar: Create Graphics based on Part Family Template or TCL

Macro
Action: MRMGenericAction
(createPFMember)
Command: MRMCreatePFMemberCommand
(createPFMemberCommand)

Classification – Save
The G4MSaveCommand saves the current instance to the database.

Symbol:

Menu: Not applicable.

Toolbar: Save current instance

Action: G4MSaveAction
(g4mSave)
Command: G4MSaveCommand
(g4mSave.COMMAND)

You can define a pre-hook and/or post-hook for the G4MSaveCommand by defining a command for
the following property keys:

Pre-hook: g4mSave.customPreHook.COMMAND
Post-hook: g4mSave.customPostHook.COMMAND

The com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.commands package contains the

G4MSaveCustomPreHook.java and G4MSaveCustomPostHook.java examples. The custom
hook must satisfy the following two requirements:
• The hook must extend from the AbstractAIFCommand command.

• The constructor has a AbstractG4MContext parameter.

This is an example of a pre-hook:

package com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.commands;
import com.teamcenter.rac.aif.AbstractAIFCommand;
import com.teamcenter.rac.classification.common.AbstractG4MContext;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponent;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCException;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.ics.ICSApplicationObject;
import com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.ics.ICSProperty;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.MessageBox;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.log.Debug;
public class G4MSaveCustomPreHook extends AbstractAIFCommand
{
private AbstractG4MContext m_context;
//=========================================================================
public G4MSaveCustomPreHook( AbstractG4MContext theContext )
{

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m_context = theContext;
}
//=========================================================================
@Override
public void executeCommand()
{
Debug.println( "G4M", "G4MSaveCustomPreHook start ..." );
try
{
// the icsApp contains the Data of the classification instance
ICSApplicationObject icsApp = m_context.getICSApplicationObject();
// get the classified object if required
TCComponent tcComp = m_context.getClassifiedComponent();
// name of the class the instance is classified in
System.out.println( "class ID = " + icsApp.getClassId() );
// to set a value we currently need to get all values
// replace the value of the attribute we want to change
ICSProperty properties[];
properties = icsApp.getProperties();
for( int i = 0; i < properties.length; i++ )
{
if( properties[i].getId() == -2345 && properties[i].getValue() == null )
{
// value is not set
properties[i].setValue( "new Value" );
}
}
// set the Values
icsApp.setProperties( properties );
}
catch( TCException iex )
{
// Post Message Box if something went wrong
MessageBox.post(
m_context.getRegistry().getString( "g4mSaveUnexpectedTCException.MSG",
"unexpected TCException" ),
"" + iex,
m_context.getRegistry().getString( "g4mSaveCustomPreHook.TITLE",
"G4MSaveCustomPreHook" ),
MessageBox.ERROR );
}
catch( Exception ex )
{
// Post Message Box if something went wrong
MessageBox.post(
m_context.getRegistry().getString( "icaXmlExport.UnexpectedException.MSG",
"unexpected Exception" ),
"" + ex, m_context.getRegistry().getString( "g4mSaveCustomPreHook.TITLE",
"G4MSaveCustomPreHook" ),
MessageBox.ERROR );
}
Debug.println( "G4M", "G4MSaveCustomPreHook done." );
}
}

Customize the Launch Pad

The Launch Pad is an application that provides a desktop space to place items and notes for quick
reference.
Perform the following steps to create your own Launch Pad configuration:
1. Expose the Launch Pad perspective by removing the Launch Pad from the list of hidden
perspectives in the HiddenPerspectives preference.

2. Open the TC_ROOTportal\plugins\com.teamcenter.rac.launchpad JAR file and extract the

l1_launchpad.xml file. This is the default Launch Pad configuration file. You can use this as the
basis for your own Launch Pad configuration file. The file’s contents are as follows:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<launchpad name="Getting Started"
xmlns="http://com.teamcenter.rac.launchpad">

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<launchnode type="URLLaunch" title="Web Links"

title_image="url_16.png" contents_image="links.png">
<attrib name="url" value="www.google.com/calendar"/>
<attrib name="url" value="www.npr.org"/>
</launchnode>

<launchnode type="MyTasksLaunch" title="My Tasks"

title_image="task_16.png" contents_image="mytasks.png"/>

</launchpad>

3. Rename the file (for example, to MyDefault_Launchpad.xml) and change it as you like. Also
create icons to use for your Launch Pad configuration.
For example, you could create a file containing the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<launchpad name="Default" xmlns="http://com.teamcenter.rac.launchpad">
<launchnode type="MyTasksLaunch" title_image="icon.png"/>
<launchnode type="ScheduleLaunch"/>
<launchnode type="RequirementsLaunch"/>
<launchnode type="ApplicationLaunch" title="NX"
title_image="application_16.png" contents_image="VehicleArchitecture.png">
<attrib name="target" value="NX"/>
</launchnode>
</launchpad>

Tip

You can look at the schema directory in the

TC_ROOTportal\plugins\com.teamcenter.rac.launchpad plug-in to see the definitions
for file elements you can use in the Launch Pad XML file.

4. Create a Launch Pad Rendering dataset and import your XML file:
a. In My Teamcenter, select the folder where you want to place your new dataset and choose
File→New→Dataset.

b. In the New Dataset dialog box, choose the Launch Pad Rendering type, type the name of
the dataset (for example, MyDefault_Launchpad) in the Name box, select TextEditor in the
Tool Used box, and click the Import button.

c. In the Import File dialog box, select Fnd0XMLRendering in the Reference box, select
your Launch Pad configuration XML file (for example, MyDefault_Launchpad.xml), and
click Import.

d. Click OK.
The dataset is created.

5. Add icons referenced in the XML file to the named references for the dataset:
a. Right-click the new Launch Pad Rendering dataset and choose Named References.

b. In the Named References dialog box, click the Add button and select the icons referenced in
your Launch Pad XML file.

c. When you are finished, click Close.

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6. Now that you have created the Launch Pad Rendering dataset, create a
DEFAULT_LAUNCHRENDERING preference whose value is the Launch Pad Rendering dataset
name (for example, MyDefault_Launchpad).
Now when you click the Launch Pad button in the left navigation bar, your custom Launch Pad
configuration is displayed. (You may have to close the Launch Pad and open it again before
the new configuration is displayed.)

7. You can pin objects to the Launch Pad such as items, item revisions, folders, and so on, by
right-clicking the objects and choosing Pin to Launch Pad. Create additional Launch Pad
configurations for these objects so that when you double-click the object pinned on the Launch
Pad, the configuration for that object type is launched.
a. Create an XML configuration file for a specific object type by placing that type into the
launchpad name node of the XML configuration file. For example, to create a configuration
for Folder types, use launchpad name="Folder", or to create a configuration for Item types,
use launchpad name="Item". Then create the Launch Pad dataset, import the XML file,
and add the necessary icons to the dataset’s named references.

b. Create a business-object-name_LAUNCHRENDERING preference for that business object

type (for example, Folder_LAUNCHRENDERING or Item_LAUNCHRENDERING.

c. When you double-click an that business object type (for example, an item or folder) that
is pinned to the Launch Pad, the new configuration is displayed. (To return to the default
configuration, click the Getting Started button on the Launch Pad toolbar.)

Tips for rich client customization

Localization of rich client customizations

There are two ways to localize the rich client user interface:
• Properties files
Siemens PLM Software recommends that you place your custom localizations into a custom
plug-in. However, some aspects of style sheets still require that you use the following properties
files:

o messages_locale.properties
Used by the SWT version of style sheet parsing for the page and section tags on the
Summary view, the Viewer view, and the Properties dialog box.
This file is located in the com.teamcenter.rac.viewer plug-in in the
com/teamcenter/rac/viewer/stylesheet/viewer/ package.

o xmlstylesheet_locale.properties
Used by the SWT version of style sheet parsing for the command and label tags on the
Summary view, the Viewer view, and the Properties dialog box.
This file is located in the com.teamcenter.rac.viewer plug-in in the
com/teamcenter/rac/viewer/stylesheet/xmlstylesheet/ package.

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o stylesheet_locale.properties (Optional)
Used by the Swing version of style sheet parsing for the Properties dialog box. Use of this
file is not required for localization, but you can override it in your custom plug-in.
This file is located in the com.teamcenter.rac.common plug-in in the
com/teamcenter/rac/stylesheet/ package.

• Plug-in
The registry checks the localization plug-in to see if there is a localized property defined in
the plugin.properties file in the com.teamcenter.rac.common_version.jar file. If the string
needs to be localized, use % and the key name in the value area to define the key value in
the plugin.properties file.
For more information, see the following Web sites:

http://www.eclipse.org/articles/Article-Internationalization/how2I18n.html

http://www.eclipse.org/articles/Article-Speak-The-Local-Language/article.html

Related topics
• Localize your customizations

• What is Teamcenter localization?

Updating your rich client customizations from previous versions

If you customized the rich client in previous versions of Teamcenter or Teamcenter engineering
process management, you may have to update your customizations to work with the current version.
Some of the significant changes are:
• Customizations should be placed into Eclipse plug-ins if they are not already.

• Some Java API classes, methods, and constructors are deprecated or obsolete and should be
replaced.
For more information about deprecated and obsolete API, see the Teamcenter 11.2 Release
Bulletin.

• Some applications have their own plug-in. Open the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory to
see which applications have their own plug-in.

Hide perspectives
1. Log on to Teamcenter as a user that is in the dba group.

2. Choose Edit→Options→Search and search for the HiddenPerspectives preference.

3. Modify the preference to include the perspective you want to hide.

See the description of the HiddenPerspectives preference for more information about
perspectives that can be hidden.

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Related topics
• Managing the values of preferences

• Plug-in locations of perspectives

Adding a third-party JAR file to your plug-in

Sometimes, you may need to add a third-party JAR file to your plug-in project. To accomplish this,
add the JAR file to a project library.
1. To create a folder to hold the JAR file, right-click your Eclipse project, choose New→Folder, and
create a lib folder. This stands for libraries and can contain all the third-party JAR files required
by the project.

2. To import the JAR file, right-click the lib folder, choose Import→General→File System, select
the directory that contains the JAR file on your system, and select the JAR file to import.
The JAR file is imported into the lib folder.

3. To add the lib folder to the classpath, on the Runtime tab, click the Add button and select the
lib folder

4. To ensure the new JAR file is built with the project, click the Build tab, and in the Binary Build
pane, select the check the box next to the lib folder.

5. Click the Save button.

6. To update the class path, right-click the project and choose PDE Tools→Update classpath.
The JAR file is added to the Referenced Libraries container under the project.

7. To add the JAR to the project Java build path properties, perform the following steps:
a. Right-click the project, choose Properties, and select Java Build Path in the left pane.

b. In the Java Build Path dialog box, click the Add Library button, select User Library, click
Next, select the lib folder, and click Finish.

c. In the Java Build Path dialog box, select the lib library, click the Add JARs button, select
the JAR file under the lib folder, and click OK.

Troubleshooting rich client customization

Common problems in rich client customization

Eclipse startup error

If you get the error shown in the following figure during Eclipse's startup, either the Java Runtime
Environment is not installed or the PATH statement does not contain the JDK-installation-directory\bin
directory.

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Customizations from a new plug-in do not appear

Teamcenter has a base set of Eclipse plug-ins for the rich client. They are located in the
TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory, and the file names start with com.teamcenter. When you add
a new plug-in, you deploy it into this directory.
If you add or remove a plug-in when customizing the rich client and your changes do not appear,
delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the user's home directory on the client. This clears the cache.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter directory. On
a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.

Related topics
• Ensure your customizations appear

Unable to load application error

When you start the rich client, you may get the following error:
Unable to Load Application: application-name
Details java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException

This error can occur when you expose custom classes using Eclipse but do not include the class
information in the MANIFEST.MF file. To correct this error, ensure that you have added your plug-in
on the Runtime tab in the Exported Packages pane in Eclipse. This adds class information to
the MANIFEST.MF file.
Previous to Teamcenter 2007.2, the classpath alone was sufficient to handle custom class
information. In later Teamcenter versions, you must add your plug-in to the Exported Packages
pane on the project Runtime tab to ensure that the MANIFEST.MF file is correctly updated.

Rich client debugging

Rich client debugging tools

You can debug your customizations to the rich client by using the following tools:
• Print Object view
Displays the selected object's internal attribute values. Use it to determine if there is an incorrect
value for an attribute.

• Communication Monitor view

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Shows you the calls between the rich client and server. Use it to determine if your data is being
correctly exchanged between the server and client.

• Performance Monitor tool

Tracks the calls between the server and the database. Use it to determine how fast the server
and the database are communicating.

• DB Walker view
Examines the database. This view is for Siemens PLM Software internal use only.

There are also standard Eclipse views that can help you debug your customization.

Debug using the Print Object view

1. In the rich client, choose Window→Show View→Print Object.

2. Select an object, such as an item or dataset. You can also copy an object's tag from a syslog
and paste it in the UID box.
The object's attributes and their values appear in the Print Object pane at the bottom of the
rich client.
Note

You cannot edit the values in the Print Object pane.

3. (Optional) Limit what is displayed in the pane by changing All attrs in the list to one of the
following:
• Refs only
Shows only those attributes whose value is a tag.

• Strings only
Shows only those attributes whose value is a string.

• Refs & Strings

Shows only those attributes whose value is a tag or a string.

4. (Optional) Expand what is displayed in the pane by changing Hide OM attrs in the list to Show
OM attrs.
This shows the object manager attributes in addition to the attributes already displayed.

5. If you want to save the attributes and their values to a file, click the SAVE button in the pane.

6. To see attributes of another object, leave the pane open and select the other object. If you want
to see attributes of an object you selected earlier, select it from the list at the top of the pane.

Debug using the Communication Monitor view

1. In the rich client, choose Window→Show View→Communication Monitor.

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The values appear in the Communication Monitor pane at the bottom of the rich client.

2. To choose what you want to see in the monitor, click the Menu button in the Communication
Monitor pane and choose one or more of the following:
• Show Server Calls
Displays an entry for each call to the server.

• Show Stack Trace

Displays the call stack trace for each call to the server.

• Show Request
Displays the XML request sent to the server.

• Show Response
Displays the XML response returned by the server.

• Show Timing
Displays the length of the server call in seconds.

3. If you want to clear the data, click the Clear button in the pane.

4. If you want to save the data to a file, click the Save As button in the pane.

Debug using the Performance Monitor tool

1. Set the TC_PERFORMANCE_MONITOR environment variable to 0.
The tool appears the next time you open the rich client.

2. To see the data from the server and client, click the Report button. The data is also logged along
with the text in the Log comment box. It also resets the counters.
• The SQL and server CPU statistics are retrieved from the server.

• Wallclock time since reset is the time since the last reset.
Times are shown in milliseconds. If the top of the Performance Monitor states that the Hi-Res
timer is in use, times are accurate to 1 millisecond. Otherwise the standard operating system
clock is in use; Microsoft Windows uses a 60 Hertz clock, so times on Windows are accurate
to about 16 milliseconds.

• Client CPU time is available only with the Hi-Res timer.

• Server calls made is a count of all calls made to the server, not including the call to get
the SQL statistics.
Note

If you select the Reset on first server call check box, the Performance Monitor is reset
after the next server call after you click the Report button.

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3. To clear the data and reset all counters, click the Reset button.
Note

If you select the Reset on first server call check box, the Performance Monitor is reset
after the next server call after you click the Reset button.

4. To save the data to a file, click the Save button.

Related topics
• Environment variable script files

Debug using Eclipse views

Some Eclipse views may be helpful when debugging your customizations:
• Console view
Shows the standard output, standard error, and standard input for your program. Used to debug
problems with customizations and to monitor rich client activity.
For more information, see the following URL in the Eclipse help:
http://help.eclipse.org/indigo/index.jsp?topic=/org.eclipse.jdt.doc.user/reference/
views/console/ref-console_view.htm

• Progress view
Shows the progress of background jobs. You can connect this view to your customizations if
you want to see the progress when your customizations run.
For more information, see the following URL in the Eclipse help:

http://help.eclipse.org/indigo/index.jsp?topic=
/org.eclipse.platform.doc.isv/guide/runtime_jobs_progress.htm

Enabling client-side logging

Changing the logging level and location

Teamcenter uses the log4j mechanism for logging. You can change logging parameters in the
TcLogger.properties file, located in the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins\configuration_version directory,
to specify the level and scope of logging, as well as changing the log file location.
You can change the logging level for the entire rich client, a package, or a single class, as well as
the log location:
• Rich client debug-level logging
To enable debug-level logging for the entire rich client, change the log4j.rootLogger line in the
TcLogger.properties file to DEBUG. The line should look like this:
log4j.rootLogger=DEBUG, TcLoggerConsoleAppender, TcLoggerFileAppender,
TcLogContext

• Package debug-level logging

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To enable debug-level logging for a package, add a line in the TcLogger.properties file for it. For
example, if you want to enable debug-level logging for Structure Manager, the line looks line this:
log4j.logger.com.teamcenter.rac.pse=DEBUG

• Single class debug-level logging

To enable debug-level logging for a single class, add a line in the TcLogger.properties file for it.
For example, if you want to enable logging for the TCSession class, the line looks line this:
log4j.logger.com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCSession=DEBUG

• Log location
By default, the rich client log is the operating-system-user-name_TcRAC.log file in your
operating system's temporary directory. You can change the location by changing the
log4j.appender.TcLoggerFileAppender.file entry in the TcLogger.properties file. This is
the default location:
log4j.appender.TcLoggerFileAppender.file=${osgi.instance.area}/
${user.name}_TcRAC_${timestamp}.log

Adding appenders

You can easily add or remove an appender to a logger. The content of all appender output is identical
unless you add a filter to the content. Each appender supports a pattern layout that determines the
format of the output. By default, the rich client has two kinds of appenders:
• A console appender which outputs to the console. To see console output in the rich client outside
of Eclipse, you must use the -consolelog flag on the command line when you run the rich client.

• A file appender which outputs to a file.

Pattern layouts

Use a pattern layout to include more information in the console or log file. Each appender has a
pattern layout, which is a substitution string for the output.
• c
Display the logger (category) name.

• C
Display the fully qualified class name of the caller issuing the logging request.

• d
Display the date of the logging event.
%d{HH:mm:ss,SSS}

• F
Display the file name where the logging request was issued. This slows execution.

• l

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Display the location information of the caller that generated the logging event. This slows
execution.

• L
Display the line number from where the logging request was issued. This slows execution.

• m
Display the message.

• M
Display the method name where the logging request was issued. This slows execution.

• n
Insert a new line.

• p
Display the priority of the logging event (DEBUG, WARN, INFO).

• r
Display the number of milliseconds elapsed since the start of the application until the creation
of the logging event.

• t
Display the name of the thread that generated the logging event.

• x
Display the nested diagnostic context (NDC) associated with the thread that generated the
logging event.

For example:
• %-5p: %m%n
This layout produces the following log message:
ERROR: There is something wrong here!

• %n%-5p: %d{HH:mm:ss,SSS} %x - %C{1}.%M:%L%n%m%n

This layout produces the following log message:
INFO : 11:51:54,871 - Class.method:90
Session logging via TcLoggerFileAppender into file
C:\Windows\temp\smithj_TcRAC.log

Add logging to your code

1. Import the Apache logger:
import org.apache.log4j.Logger;

2. Add a static logger to the file at the top of the class:

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private final static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger( MyClass.class );

3. Specify the logger output you want:

• Error condition
logger.error( String [,Throwable] );

• Warning condition
logger.warn( String [,Throwable] );

• Information condition
logger.info( String [,Throwable] );

• Debug condition
logger.debug( String [,Throwable] );

4. (Optional) Add debug control flags to the TcLogContext appender defined in the
TcLogger.properties file:
a. Add the boolean flag to the TcLogger.properties file.

b. Add the getter and setting for the flag to the com.teamcenter.rac.util.log.TcLogContext line.

c. Use the getter to control your debug code:

if( TcLogger.getLogContext().getMyFlag() ) doSomething();

Listener leaks
Events in Java are fired by means of listeners. An object registers interest with a target object, so that
when an event occurs the listening object is notified. For this relationship to be maintained, the target
object must maintain a reference to the listening object. The Java memory management facilities
look only to delete objects from virtual memory when the objects are no longer referenced by any
other Java object. The problem at hand is the removal of listeners.
Rich client does not currently have a system in place to facilitate the removal of listeners. This
creates two issues:
• It causes a memory leak.
The memory leak issue exists because references are maintained to Java objects that are no
longer needed. This creates the situation in which the garbage collector runs but is unable to
remove the old objects because they are still tied as listeners. Under this condition, the virtual
memory of the Java VM eventually runs out.

• It begins to impact performance of the UI, because old components are being needlessly updated.
The performance issue is more prevalent than the memory leak. System performance begins to
deteriorate quickly under certain UI conditions. The use of the viewer illustrates this, because
as new viewers are displayed, they add their components to the session, attached as listeners.
The UI appears sluggish and eventually becomes unusable.

The InterfaceSignalOnClose and SignalOnClose classes are used to remedy listener leaks:
• InterfaceSignalOnClose

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The InterfaceSignalOnClose class requires the implementation of the closeSignaled() method.

This interface is designed to signify the desire to be notified when closure is to commence.
The closeSignaled() method is designed to remove any listeners that were created during
the life of the object.
This interface signifies that the implementing class registers interest to be known when closure
occurs. The implementing class is required to implement the closeSignaled() method. The
closeSignaled() method is invoked when closure is commencing (as shown in the following
code):
public interface InterfaceSignalOnClose
{
public void closeSignaled();
}
Example: An implementation of the closeSignaled() method can look like the following:
public void closeSignaled()
{
TCSession session = (TCSession) application.getSession();
if (session != null)
{
session.removeAIFComponentEventListener( this );
}
}

• SignalOnClose
The SignalOnClose class is designed to signal the processing of the components to detach
themselves from listeners and prepare to be closed. This class contains a single method,
close(), which is designed to be passed a reference to a Container object. The Container
object is the start of a recursive walk down the component tree to look for instances of
InterfaceSignalOnClose classes. If instances are found, the classes are notified that closure is
commencing. At this point, it is the responsibility of the implementing class to take appropriate
action.

Rich client customization reference

Teamcenter extension points

To see the available extension points, open a project in Eclipse and click the Add button in the
project's Extensions tab.
Some of the documented rich client customization examples show detailed use of Teamcenter
extension points.
The following Teamcenter extension points are available for your use.

Extension point Description

Application Adds an application to the rich client. All new applications
are plugged in from this extension point.

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Extension point Description

ApplicationTaskPane Adds an application task pane to an application. Each
application task pane can be comprised of one or more
application task pane sections. An application task pane
is associated with:
• ID
Unique ID of the application task pane.

• title
Application task pane title.

• class
Application task pane implementation class.

• ApplicationTaskPaneSectionID
Sequence of section component IDs that contribute
to the application task pane. Each of the
ApplicationTaskPaneSectionID defined should
correspond to the ID attribute on the extensions
defined for the ApplicationTaskPaneSection
extension point.
ApplicationTaskPaneSection Adds an application task pane section to an application
task pane. Each ApplicationTaskPaneSection can
be composed of zero or more section components. An
application task pane section is associated with:
• ID
Unique ID of the application task pane section.

• title
Application task pane section title.

• iconBundleName
Location of the icons if they are located in a different
bundle.

• icon
Application task pane section icon.

• class
Application task pane section implementation class.

• secondaryTitle

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Extension point Description

Application task pane section secondary title.

• secondaryActionClass
Secondary action implementation class.

• SectionComponentID
Sequence of section component IDs that contribute
to the application task pane section. Each of the
SectionComponentID defined should correspond
to the ID attribute on the extensions defined for the
SectionComponent extension point.
SectionComponent Adds a section component to an application task pane
section. A section component is associated with:
• ID
Unique ID of the section component.

• title
Section component title.

• iconBundleName
Location of the icons if they are located in a different
bundle.

• icon
Section component icon.

• class
Section component implementation class.

• secondaryTitle
Section component secondary title.

• secondaryActionClass
Secondary action implementation class.

• SectionComponentID
Sequence of section component IDs that contribute
to the application task pane section. Each of the
SectionComponentID defined should correspond

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Extension point Description

to the ID attribute on the extensions defined for the
SectionComponent extension point.
boTypesLoader Contributes extensions used to load types. The types
loader class decides which base type and its subtypes to
load, the types to be excluded, and if the most recently
used list (MRU) is enabled.
boTypesPage Contributes extensions that add custom panels to the
types selection page in New Other dialog box.
buttonProvider Registers the button providers with the Clipboard
composite area.
extWizard Registers wizards.
extWizardPage Registers pages with the specified wizard.
extWizardRef Registers pages with the specified wizard.
filesSelector Defines a custom implementation for the file selection
dialog box displayed when the user creates a dataset
or imports files to an existing dataset and performs any
additional validations on the imported files.
health Registers the IHealthCheckControl Factories for the
health check status bar area.
Kernel_Components Controls the mapping of the server side schema type
definitions to the client.
For an example of implementation, see the plugin.xml
file in the com.teamcenter.rac.kernel plug-in JAR file.
For example:
<extension-point id="Kernel_Components" name="components"
schema="schema/components.exsd"/>
<extension id="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel"
point="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.Kernel_Components">
<entry id="ACTLine"
name="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentACTLine"
type="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.TCComponentBOMLineType"
icct="com.teamcenter.tc.kernel.icctstubs.ICCTBOMLine" />
...

Kernel_Services Defines the ICCT-based services used by the kernel.

ICCT is deprecated so you should not use this extension.
Use service-oriented architecture (SOA) for client-server
communication instead of ICCT.
For an example of implementation, see the plugin.xml
file in the com.teamcenter.rac.kernel plug-in JAR file.
For example:
<extension-point id="Kernel_Services" name="services"
schema="schema/services.exsd" />
<extension id="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel"
point="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.Kernel_Services">
<entry id="BMF_SERVICE"
name="com.teamcenter.rac.kernel.BMFService" />
...

navigatorRoots Adds root node objects to the Navigator view.

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Extension point Description

openConfiguration Contributes extensions used when the File→Open menu
is chosen.
• typeName
Teamcenter type name

• perspectiveId
Perspective ID that should be the same as the
ID in the org.eclipse.ui.perspectives extension
point or in the perspective_id attribute of the
com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.
application extension point.

• applicationId
The id attribute on the aif_app_item element under
the com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp.
application extension point.
openWithConfiguration Matches editors with Teamcenter types in the Open With
menu.
• typeName
Teamcenter type name.

• editorId
Editor ID that is registered using the
org.eclipse.ui.editors extension point.

• perspectiveId
If specified, the perspective is posted prior to
opening the editor in the perspective. If the specified
perspective does not have an editor area visible, then
a default perspective (metadata-editing perspective)
is posted prior to opening the editor.
operation Contributes extensions that are used to perform an
operation from a wizard or dialog box.
ProjectSections Supports associating sections within a view.
tcOpenConfiguration Allows the extenders to specify a perspective ID to open
with in conjunction with the Eclipse core expressions.
When the core expression evaluates to true, the
perspective ID registered against it is used to open the
selected object.
tc_properties Defines the entry point where the customer can plug in
their override properties file.

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Command line options for rich client startup

You can specify the following command line options during rich client startup.
Note

• You can specify these same command line options in Eclipse when you test your
customization. Choose Run→Debug Configurations or Run→Run Configurations,
select the application in the left pane that you want to test, click the Arguments tab, and
enter the command line options in the Program arguments box.

• You can also use some of these command line arguments (such as -attach) when
constructing a URL to launch the rich client in a four-tier environment. To obtain a URL in
the four-tier rich client, right-click an object such as an item and choose Copy, and then
paste the resulting URL into the address bar of a Web browser. This allows you to launch
the rich client and automatically open the copied object. For example:
http://svi6w101:7001/tc/launchapp?-attach=true&-s=226TCSession&
-o=QNG11_93oEfenBAAAAAAAAAAAAA

In this example, launchapp? launches the rich client, and -attach launches within an
already-running rich client session if one is available. (While not rich client command
line options, the -s argument designates the session, and the -o argument designates
the object to open.)
If you have multiple rich client installations on your system, the constructed URL only opens
the most recently installed rich client because the registry is updated at each installation.

• -arch architecture
Defines the processor architecture on which the Eclipse platform is running. The Eclipse platform
ordinarily computes the optimal setting using the prevailing value of Java os.arch property.
If specified here, this is the value that the Eclipse platform uses. The value specified here is
available to plug-ins as BootLoader.getOSArch(). Example values: x86, sparc, PA-RISC, ppc.

• -attach
Attaches the new client to an existing session.
For example, a user launches CATIA from the rich client and works on a structure. The same
structure is also loaded in Structure Manager. Selecting a part in CATIA, the user wants to
synchronize the same selections in Structure Manager. This is where the -attach argument is
useful to indicate that the synchronization of the selections should happen in an existing rich
client session.

• -application applicationId
Specifies the application to run. Applications are declared by plug-ins supplying extensions to the
org.eclipse.core.runtime.applications extension point. This argument is typically not required.
If specified, the value overrides the value supplied by the configuration. If not specified, the
Eclipse Workbench is run. For example, to launch My Teamcenter, use the following command:
portal.bat -application=com.teamcenter.rac.ui.perspectives.navigatorPerspective

• -clean

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Cleans cached data used by the OSGi framework and Eclipse run time. This is useful if you have
new plug-ins you have added to your environment. Try to run Eclipse once with this argument if
you observe startup errors after installation, update, or using a shared configuration.
Note

When you start the rich client, if your customization changes still do not appear in the user
interface after running the -clean argument, delete the Teamcenter subdirectory in the
user’s home directory on the client. This directory is automatically created again when the
user starts the rich client.
On a Windows client, it is typically the %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Teamcenter
directory. On a Linux client, it is typically the $HOME/Teamcenter/ directory.
If you delete this directory, the last state of the rich client is lost, and the user interface
appears as it does at initial startup.

• -configuration configurationFileURL
The location for the Eclipse platform configuration file, expressed as a URL. The configuration
file determines the location of the Eclipse platform, the set of available plug-ins, and the primary
feature. Note that relative URLs are not allowed. The configuration file is written to this location
when the Eclipse platform is installed or updated.

• -consolelog
Mirrors the Eclipse platform's error log to the console used to run Eclipse. It is effective when
combined with -debug.

• -data workspacePath
The path of the workspace on which to run the Eclipse platform. The workspace location is also
the default location for projects. Relative paths are interpreted relative to the directory that
Eclipse was started from.

• -detach
Detaches the client from an existing session.
Starts clients as separate sessions. This is the default behavior, even if the -detach option
is not specified.

• -debug [optionsFile]
Puts the platform in debug mode and loads the debug options from the file at the given location, if
specified. This file indicates which debug points are available for a plug-in and whether or not
they are enabled. If a file location is not given, the platform looks in the directory that eclipse
was started from for a file called .options. Both URLs and file system paths are allowed as file
locations.

• -dev [classpathEntries]
Puts the platform in development mode. The optional classpath entries (a comma separated list)
are added to the run-time classpath of each plug-in. For example, when the workspace contains
plug-ins being developed, specifying -dev bin adds a classpath entry for each plug-in project's

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directory named bin, allowing freshly generated class files to be found there. Redundant or
nonexistent classpath entries are eliminated.

• -DskipRegReload args
If you are starting the rich client inside the Eclipse IDE, this option prevents the registry database
from loading if it already exists, which can save up to a minute or more during startup depending
on your system. You can add this argument to your run/debug configuration. However, if you
use this argument, any changes you make to the registry property files are not used. If you are
making changes to the registry database, do not use this argument.

• -initialize
Initializes the configuration being run. All run-time related data structures and caches are
refreshed. This is useful with shared installs; running Eclipse once with this option from an
account with write privileges improves startup performance.

• -nl locale
Defines the name of the locale on which the Eclipse platform is running. The Eclipse platform
ordinarily computes the optimal setting automatically. If specified here, this is the value that the
Eclipse platform uses. The value specified here is available to plug-ins as BootLoader.getNL().
For example, you can use the following: en_US or fr_FR_EURO.

• -nosplash
Runs the platform without putting up the splash screen.

• -os operatingSystem
Defines the operating system on which the Eclipse platform is running. The Eclipse platform
ordinarily computes the optimal setting using the prevailing value of Java os.name property.
If specified here, this is the value that the Eclipse platform uses. The value specified here is
available to plug-ins as BootLoader.getOS() and used to resolve occurrences of the $os$
variable in paths mentioned in the plug-in manifest file. For example, you can use one of the
following: win32, linux, hpux, solaris, aix.

• -perspective perspectiveId
The perspective to open in the active workbench window on startup. If this parameter is not
specified, the perspective that was active on shutdown will be opened.

• -plugincustomization propertiesFile
The location of a properties file containing default settings for plug-in preferences. These default
settings override default settings specified in the primary feature. Relative paths are interpreted
relative to the directory that Eclipse was started from.

• -product productId
The ID of the product to run. The product gives the launched instance of Eclipse its personality,
and determines the product customization information used. This replaces -feature, which
is still supported for compatibility.

• -refresh

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Option for performing a global refresh of the workspace on startup. This reconciles any changes
that were made in the file system since the platform was last run.

• -showlocation [workspaceName]
Option for displaying the location of the workspace in the window title bar. The optional
workspace name argument displays the provided name in the window title bar instead of the
location of the workspace.

• -vm vmPath
The location of Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to use to run the Eclipse platform. If not
specified, the JRE is at jre, sibling of the Eclipse executable. Relative paths are interpreted
relative to the directory that Eclipse was started from.

• -vmargs args
When passed to Eclipse, this option customizes the operation of the Java Virtual Machine (VM)
used to run Eclipse. If specified, this option must come at the end of the command line. The
given arguments are dependant on the VM that is being run.

Related topics
• Install Eclipse

Coding standards

File organization
The following file and directory structure standards should be used when developing the rich client
customization code:
• All package names must be lowercase. Do not use space characters in package names.

• The general package registry should have the same name as the last package name. For
example, for the com.mycompany.rac.explorer package, the file for the ResourceBundle
object that contains the registry information is explorer.properties.

• Image files associated with a particular package must be located within the images directory
below the package.

• Image file names must consist of all lowercase letters.

Naming conventions
The following table describes the recommended naming convention for the various Java types.

Java
type Rule Example Comment
Interface Interface[name], I[name] InterfaceAIFOperationListener, Teamcenter
ISelectionService standard
Abstract Abstract[name] AbstactAIFApplication Teamcenter/Java
class standard

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Java
type Rule Example Comment
Exception [name]Exception SomethingHappenedException Java
class standard
Variable Lowercase first word, factoryName Java
naming uppercase first letter of standard
other words.
Accessor Getting: Use getXXX, except getFactoryName(), setFactoryName(), Java
methods for Booleans, where XXX is isReady() standard
allowed. Setting: use setXXX.
Source Same as Class name ISelectionService.java Java
files (including case). requirement
Class Uppercase first character of ComponentManager Java
names each word. standard

Property conventions

Property files can be categorized in three ways:

• Core development

• Localization

• User properties

The reason for this distinction is that customers modify the user property files while maintaining
the links to the core development property files. The following table describes the properties files
using explorer as an example.

File Description
explorer.properties Base property file
explorer_locale.properties Property file for the purpose of localization
explorer_user.properties Customer created property file

Source code conventions

The source conventions follow the Sun Java source code standards that match the industry norms
for Java development.

Dialog box standards

The following standards should be used when customizing the rich client dialog boxes:
• Dialog boxes must always be modal unless the situation requires that they be nonmodal, such as
when the user selects additional information when the dialog box is visible.

• Mnemonics should be used for common dialog box buttons, such as OK, Apply, and Cancel.

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• The initial location of the dialog box must be screen centered, and the sizing of the dialog box
must be adjusted with a sizing factor.

• Dialog boxes should include a default focus when displayed.

• Text field/area policies:

o Allow only the maximum number of characters that the property can accept.

o Send an audible beep when the maximum is reached.

o Set all text area components to the initial size of 3 rows by 30 columns.

o Select the text when the focus is gained inside the text field.

o Set word wrapping to true for text area components.

• Color policies
Whenever possible, use the default color provided by the base component. Allow the current
look and feel to determine the color.

o If it is not possible to use the default color, use the SystemColor class.

o If neither the default color nor the SystemColor class suffice, define the color in the property
files so users can change it.

• Font policies
Whenever possible, use the default font provided by the base component.
If the default font is not sufficient, try one of the following options:

1. Offset the font based on the size of the current font. Do not hard code the font name, because
the font may not be available on all platforms.

2. Mention the font in the property file.

Related topics

• AIF customization and development

Property beans
The following table lists JavaBeans that you can use to customize the properties display.

Note

To display a red asterisk in the upper-right corner of a UI widget to indicate a mandatory

property, use the Business Modeler IDE to set the Required property constant to true.

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JavaBean Description
PropertyArray Renders all array type properties. It is composed with a list box
and buttons to access the values in the list box (as shown in the
following figure). Based on the type of the property, a different
renderer is used for modifying or adding values. If the property is
read only, users cannot enter edit mode.

PropertyArray
property
The property name presented by the bean.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the edit
button is not available and the user cannot enter edit mode.

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JavaBean Description
PropertyCheckbox Renders any nonarray type property, except reference/relation
type, using JCheckBox. A flag indicates whether the value is
saved only when the check box is selected or whether it is always
saved. There is a variable for the value to use on saving for a
selected button or for the deselected button. If the flag is set to
save regardless of whether the button is selected or deselected,
both the selected value to save and the deselected value to save
must be set. The following figure illustrates an implementation of
the PropertyCheckbox bean.

PropertyCheckbox
Properties:
property
The property name presented by this bean. When a
component is provided, the check box is selected if the
property value is same as the selected value.
modifiable
Indicates if the property is modifiable. If not, the check box is
disabled.
selectedValue
Specifies the value used for saving when the check box is
selected.
deselectedVaue
Specifies the value to use for saving when the check box is
deselected.
saveOnlyWhenSelected
Indicates to save only when check box is selected or to always
save.
PropertyCheckbox Presents each value in the LOV as a check box (as shown in the
OptionLov following figure). This bean is designed for any type property that
has a LOV attached. If the property is not an array, the check
boxes are added to a button group; otherwise, they are not added
to the button group and multiple selections are allowed.

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JavaBean Description

PropertyCheckboxOptionLov
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the check
boxes are disabled.
lovName
Specifies the name of the LOV that the bean will use. If
undefined, the LOV information is retrieved from the property
descriptor.
PropertyImage This bean is limited to items, item revision, datasets, and BOM
view revisions. It walks down these objects to find a dataset
with a displayable image and displays that image. It uses the
same logic as Engineering Process Management Visualization to
find the image dataset and read the search order defined in the
tcviewer.properties file. For example, the following figure shows
an image attached to the selected item revision.

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JavaBean Description

PropertyImage
PropertyLabel Renders any nonarray type property and displays the value of the
property as the label text. Users cannot change the label text;
therefore, save does not apply to this bean.
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean. When a component
is provided, the property value is displayed as the label text.
PropertyLogicalPanel This bean is used to present a logical type property. It uses two
buttons, one for value true and another for false.
property
The property name presented by the bean.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the buttons
are disabled.

Note

For Boolean properties, if neither true or false are selected,

the value of the property is NULL.

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JavaBean Description
PropertyLongText This bean can be used with any string or note type properties, but
is generally used to render text with lengths over 2500 characters.
It contains a text area and a button. The long text dialog box is
displayed by clicking the button, making it easier to browse the text
(as shown in the following figure).

PropertyLongText
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the text
area cannot be edited and only the close button is available in
the long text dialog box.
PropertyLOVButton Used for any property that has an LOV attached to it except logical
type.
Caution
It uses LOVPopupButton to present this property (as shown in
As of Teamcenter 10.1, the following figure).
this bean is deprecated
and is replaced by the

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JavaBean Description
PropertyLOVDisplayer
bean.

LOVPopupButton
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean. When a component
is provided, the button text is set to the property value.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the button
is disabled.
lovName
Specifies the name of the LOV that the bean uses. If undefined,
the LOV information is retrieved from the property descriptor.
PropertyLOV This bean is similar to the PropertyLOVPopupButton bean;
Combobox however, it uses LOVComboBox rather than LOVPopupButton
to present the property (as shown in the following figure).
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1,
this bean is deprecated
and is replaced by the
PropertyLOVDisplayer
bean.

PropertyLOVPopupButton
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean.

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JavaBean Description

modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the combo
box is disabled.
lovName
Specifies the name of the LOV that the bean will use. If
undefined, the LOV information is retrieved from the property
descriptor.
PropertyNameLabel Renders the name of a property (as shown in the following figure).
By specifying the name property, it shows either the displayable
name or real name of the property according to the setting. This
bean can be used along with other beans that display the property
value.

PropertyNameLabel
Properties:
property
Specifies the property name presented by the bean.
displayableName
Indicates whether the displayable name or real name is used.
colon
Indicates whether or not a colon is displayed after the name.
PropertyObjectLink This bean renders reference type properties. A shortcut menu is
provided for users to modify the value (as shown in the following
figure). If the value is not modifiable, the shortcut menu is not
available. When the link is clicked, the system displays a dialog
box with properties of this reference component.

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JavaBean Description

PropertyObjectLink
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the shortcut
menu is not available.
PropertyPanel This bean is a generic container that allows the integrator to control
how property values are stored and displayed. You must override
the load and save methods to implement this standard behavior.
You can combine one or more UI components within JPanel to
provide custom behavior.
For example, if a property in a form called status is an integer
and is either 1 or 2 meaning Running or Stopped, you may
want two toggle buttons with radio behavior to represent this
property. To accomplish this, use the PropertyPanel bean with
two JToggleButtons contained within.
You must override the load and save methods of the PropertyPanel
to determine the selection state from the two buttons. The
PropertyPanel is designed for special behavior beyond the scope
of the other property beans described in this manual.

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JavaBean Description
PropertyRadioButton The usage of this bean is same as that of the PropertyCheckbox
bean; however, rather than using JCheckBox, JRadioButton
is used. The following figure illustrates an implementation of the
PropertyRadioButton bean.

PropertyRadioButton
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean. When a component
is provided, the button is selected if the property value is the
same as the selected value.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the button
is disabled.
selectedValue
Specifies the value used for saving when the button is selected.
deselectedVaue
Specifies the value to use for saving when the button is
deselected.
saveOnlyWhenSelected
Indicates to save only when the button is selected or to always
save.
PropertyRadioButton Same as the PropertyCheckboxOptionLov bean, except it uses
OptionLov buttons (as shown in the following figure).

PropertyRadioButtonOptionLov

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JavaBean Description
PropertySlider Renders any numeric type property. For double or float types, the
value is cast to an integer. For string or note types, the value is
converted to an integer if possible. Upon save, the value set on
the slider is converted to the corresponding property type and
saved. The following figure illustrates an implementation of the
PropertySlider bean.

PropertySlider
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean. When a component
is provided, the slider value is set according to the property
value.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the slider is
disabled.
PropertyTextArea Renders any nonarray type property except reference/relation
type. This bean wraps the rendering of the given POM property
into the JTextArea, and is generally used for longer text (as shown
in the following figure). Upon saving, it attempts to convert the
string to the corresponding type. If it cannot convert the string to
the required type, an exception is thrown.

PropertyTextArea
Properties:
property
Specifies the property name presented by the bean. When a
component is provide, the property value is displayed inside
the text area.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not modifiable,
the text area cannot be edited.

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JavaBean Description
PropetryTextField Renders any nonarray type property, except reference/relation type
properties (as shown in the following figure). This bean wraps the
rendering of the given POM property into JTextField. Upon saving,
the bean attempts to convert the string to the corresponding
property type. If it cannot convert the string to the required type,
an exception is thrown.

PropertyTextField
Properties:
property
Specifies the property name presented by the bean. When a
component is provided, the property value is displayed inside
the box.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not modifiable,
the text box cannot be edited.
PropertyToggleButton The usage of this bean is the same as the PropertyCheckbox
bean; however, this bean uses JToggleButton rather than
JCheckBox. The following figure illustrates an implementation of
the PropertyToggleButton bean.

PropertyToggleButton
Properties:
property
The property name presented by the bean. When a component
is provided, the button is selected if the property value is the
same as the selected value.
modifiable
Indicates whether the property is modifiable. If not, the button
is disabled.
selectedValue
Specifies the value used for saving when the button is selected.

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JavaBean Description

deselectedVaue
Specifies the value to use for saving when the button is
deselected.
saveOnlyWhenSelected
Indicates to save only when the button is selected or to always
save.
PropertyToggleButton Same as PropertyCheckboxOptionLov, except it uses buttons
OptionLov (as shown in the following figure).

PropertyToggleButtonOptionLov
TitledPropertyArray Displays the property name above the property array (as shown in
the following figure) and is similar to the PropertyArray bean.

TitledPropertyArray

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JavaBean Description

bordered
Specifies whether a border is drawn around the panel.

In addition, you can apply the properties of the PropertyArray

bean.
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the check box (as shown in the
Checkbox following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyCheckbox
bean and actually contains two beans: PropertyNameLabel and
PropertyCheckbox.

TitledPropertyCheckbox
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the check box.

In addition, you can apply the properties of the PropertyCheckbox

bean.
TitledPropertyCheckbox Displays the property name above the check boxes (as
OptionLov shown in the following figure). This bean is similar to the
PropertyCheckboxOptionLov bean.

TitledPropertyCheckboxOptionLov
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the check boxes.
In addition, you can apply the properties of the
PropertyCheckboxOptionLov bean.

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JavaBean Description
TitledPropertyLabel Displays the property name above the label (as shown in the
following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyLabel bean,
and it actually contains two beans: PropertyNameLabel and
PropertyLabel.

TitledPropertyLabel
Properties:
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the label.

In addition, you can apply the properties of the PropertyLabel

bean.
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the box (as shown in the
LogicalPanel following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyLogicalPanel
bean.

TitledPropertyLogicalPanel
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the text area.
In addition, you can apply the properties of the
PropertyLongText bean.

Note

For Boolean properties, if neither true or false are selected,

the value of the property is NULL.

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JavaBean Description
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the long text panel (as shown in
LongText the following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyLongText
bean.

TitledPropertyLongText
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the text area.
In addition, you can apply the properties of the
PropertyLongText bean.
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the LOV button (as shown in the
LOVButton following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyLOVButton
bean and actually contains two beans: PropertyNameLabel and
Caution
PropertyLOVButton.
As of Teamcenter 10.1,
this bean is deprecated
and is replaced by the
TitledPropertyLOVDisplayer
bean.

TitledPropertyLOVButton
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the LOV popup
button.

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JavaBean Description

In addition, you can apply the properties of the PropertyLOVButton

bean.
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the LOV combo box (as
LOVCombobox shown in the following figure). This bean is similar to the
PropertyLOVCombobox bean.
Caution

As of Teamcenter 10.1,
this bean is deprecated
and is replaced by the
TitledPropertyLOVDisplayer
bean.
TitledPropertyLOVCombobox
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the LOV combo
box.
In addition, you can apply the properties of the
PropertyLOVCombobox bean.
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the link (as shown in the
ObjectLink following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyObjectLink
bean.

TitledPropertyObjectLink
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the link.
In addition, you can apply the properties of the
PropertyObjectLink bean.
TitledPropertyPanel Displays the property name above the panel. This is the same as
the PropertyPanel bean.

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JavaBean Description
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the button (as shown in the
RadioButton following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyRadioButton
bean.

TitledPropertyRadioButton
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the button.

In addition, you can apply the properties of the

PropertyRadioButton bean.
TitledPropertyRadio Displays the property name above the buttons (as shown
ButtonOptionLov in the following figure). This bean is similar to the
PropertyRadioButtonOptionLov bean.

TitledPropertyRadioButtonOptionLov
TitledPropertySlider Displays the property name above the slider (as shown in the
following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertySlider bean,
and it actually contains two beans: PropertyNameLabel and
PropertySlider.

TitledPropertySlider
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the slider.

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JavaBean Description

In addition, you can apply the properties of the PropertySlider

bean.
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the text area (as shown in the
TextArea following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyTextArea
bean and actually contains two beans: PropertyNameLabel and
PropertyTextArea.

TitledPropertyTextArea
Properties:
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the text area.

In addition, you can apply the properties of the PropertyTextArea

bean.
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the text box (as shown in the
TextField following figure). This bean is similar to the PropertyTextField
bean and actually contains two beans: PropertyNameLabel and
PropertyTextField.

TitledPropertyTextField
Properties:
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the text box.

In addition, you can apply the properties of the PropertyTextField

bean.

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JavaBean Description
TitledProperty Displays the property name above the button. This bean is similar
ToggleButton to the PropertyToggleButton bean. The following figure illustrates
an implementation of the TitledPropertyToggleButton bean.

TitledPropertyToggleButton
bordered
Indicates whether a border is drawn around the button.

In addition, you can apply the properties of the

PropertyToggleButton bean.
TitledPropertyToggle Displays the property name above the buttons (as shown
ButtonOptionLov in the following figure). This bean is similar to the
PropertyToggleButtonOptionLov bean.

TitledPropertyToggleButtonOptionLov

Related topics

• Setting property behavior with property constants

Rich client Javadoc

User interface components documented in Javadoc

Teamcenter provides user interface components you can use in your rich client customizations. The
Javadoc documentation for these rich client components can be found in the JavaDoc.zip file within
the Teamcenter-version_pub.zip file provided on the Teamcenter installation source. After unzipping
the JavaDoc.zip file, look at the Javadoc found in the following packages:
• javadoc\com.teamcenter.rac.common\index.html

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customization

Contains user interface components you can use in your rich client customizations.
For a listing of APIs, see User interface components in the com.teamcenter.rac.common
package. (The list in this section is not a complete list. These are merely some of the components
available for use. For the complete list, see the Javadoc.)

• javadoc\com.teamcenter.rac.util\index.html
Contains generic components, layout managers, and JavaBeans.
For a listing of APIs, see User interface components in the com.teamcenter.rac.util package. (The
list in this section is not a complete list. These are merely some of the components available for
use. For the complete list, see the Javadoc.)

Use SWT instead of Swing

Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user interface toolkit and moving away from AWT
and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace
components. Siemens PLM Software will discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.
Following are Swing classes. Siemens PLM Software discourages their use and encourages the use
of SWT/JFace:
AbstractUINode
AIFTree
ButtonLayout
GenericTableModel
GraphPanel
HorizontalLayout
InterfaceUINodeLayout
LOVComboBox
LOVDialog
LOVPanel
LOVPopupButton
PropertyLayout
ReferencerUINode
SplitPane
TCComponentUINode
TCTable
TCTableCellRenderer
TCTableLine
TCTableModel
TCTableSelectionAdapter
TCTree
TCTreeCellRenderer
TCTreeNode
TCTreeOpenEvent
TCTreeOpenListener
TCTypeRenderer
VerticalLayout

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Related topics

• Introduction to SWT

User interface components in the com.teamcenter.rac.common package

AbstractProgessDialog

This class contains the definition for the AbstractProgressDialog class, which displays the progress
of multiple components individually, as they are processed. The AbstractProgressDialog class
has the following features:
• The status of the operation, such as in-progress, successful completion, or failure of completion,
is indicated for each component on the dialog box in the following figure.

• If an operation fails, the tooltip on the error symbol describes the error.

• If the error symbol is clicked, the system displays a detailed error message.

• If confirmation is required before the operation can proceed, the AbstractProgressDialog

component can display the confirmation flag.

• If confirmation is not required, the operation processes the first component as soon as the dialog
box is displayed.

• When an operation is in progress, a Stop button displays on the dialog box and can be used
to stop the operation. When the delete operation is aborted, the operation in progress on a
component cannot be stopped; however, the operation is stopped before the next component
is deleted.

The following figures show the behavior of the delete operation.

Delete dialog

1 Click Yes to initiate Delete operation.

2 Click More to see components to be deleted.

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Expanded Delete dialog

1 Components to be deleted.
2 Click Yes to initiate Delete operation.

Progress indicators

1 Overall progress indicator.

2 Hourglasses indicate components in the midst of being deleted.
3 If Stop is clicked, the components being processed are deleted and the operation is stopped.

Completion indicators

1 Indicates unsuccessful completion of the operation.

2 Indicates successful completion of the operation.

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The following Teamcenter commands subclass from the AbstractProgressDialog class:

• Cut

• Copy

• Paste

• Delete

• Check-In

• Check-Out

• Transfer Check-Out

• Publish

• Unpublish

The following code shows how the AbstractProgressDialog class is used to display the components
and execute the delete operation. The dialog box calls the initializeDialog method in its constructor.
The initializeDialog method sets the display parameters for the components.
public class DeleteDialog extends AbstractProgressDialog
{
//The Constructor calls the initializeDialog method
initializeDialog(targets);
//The initialize Dialog sets the methods for the display in the AbstractProgressDialog
public void initializeDialog (AIFComponentContext[] targets)
{
try
{
// set the title for the dialog
setDialogTitle(r.getString("command.TITLE"));
//display the components that are successfully processed
setDisplaySuccessComponents(true);
//Set the icon to be displayed on the dialog
setCommandIcon(r.getImageIcon("delete.ICON"));
//Set the icon that needs to be set if the components is successfully processed
setSuccessIcon(r.getImageIcon("delete.ICON"));
//set the confirmation to true. The user has to press the Yes button
//to initiate the operation.
setConfirmationText(r.getString("confirmationText"));
// for delete, don't need to show parent
setShowParentFlag(false);
// display objects that needs to be cut and their parents on dialog
setTCComponents(targets);
}
catch ( Exception ex )
{
//Show the messageBox and return
}
}
// ask user's confirmation before starting operation
setConfirmationFlag(true);
}
//The abstract method to be implemented to execute the selected operation
protected void getOperations ( AIFComponentContext compContext )
{
// In here the developer has to use addOperation method to add the
// operation.
addOperation ( new DeleteOperation( compContext ) );
}
// There's also an overloaded getOperations() method which can be used by the developers.
protected void getOperations ( TCComponent parentComp, AIFComponentContext[] ctxts )
{
// Create whatever operation you want to based on the parent component
// and the contexts.
// Then use the addOperation() method to add the operation.
addOperation ( createdOperation );
}

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The startOperation() method is called when you click the Yes button. This method
builds the DeleteOperation class, which in turn calls the startProcess() method from the
AbstractProgressDialog class. The startProcess() method sets the focus on the first displayed
component, sets the in-progress icon against the component, and calls the getOperations() method,
which is an abstract method that the subclass must implement. The getOperations() method in the
DeleteDialog class calls the DeleteOperation class on the first component.
The methods implemented by the subclass are shown in the following code:
setDialogTitle(r.getString("command.TITLE"));
setDisplaySuccessComponents(true);
setCommandIcon(r.getImageIcon("delete.ICON"));
setSuccessIcon(r.getImageIcon("delete.ICON"));
setConfirmationText(r.getString("confirmationText"));
setShowParentFlag(false);
setTCComponents(targets);
setConfirmationFlag(true);
public void run()
public void execute( AIFComponentContext compContext ) throws Exception
(This method builds the appropriate operation on the component)
public void startOperation()
(This method calls the startProcess() method from the AbstractProgressDialog

ExpansionRule
The ExpansionRule component gets the specific components of related types that are attached to a
component. Users can set the relations for specific types of components and use the getChildren()
method to get the required children. The ExpansionRule component also provides the ability to
filter out unwanted children.

GroupPanel
The GroupPanel reusable component extends the JPanel component and can be used by any
application to display group information (as shown in the following figure).

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Group panel in the Organization Selection dialog box

The GroupPanel component can be constructed and added to the dialog box for display (as shown in
the following code example):
GroupPanel groupPanel = new GroupPanel (grpComponent);;
mainSplitPane.setRightComponent (groupPanel);

Lists of values (LOVs)

Lists of values (LOVs) are lists in property boxes in the user interface. In the end-user client
applications, the format of the LOV box appears as a table rather than a simple list (except for
hierarchical and range LOVs). This allows for the display of columns that show the value's description
and other properties. The LOVDisplayer Java class is the primary class used to define the list of
values display.

List of values display

The list of values table format allows users to:
• Sort the values in the columns.

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• Scroll the list of values using a scroll bar.

• Resize the box containing the list of values.

• Type in the LOV box to narrow the choices when there are many values to choose from. You can
even use an asterisk (*) for wildcard searching.
Note

If end users type text when looking for a value in the format of an integer, double, or date,
they must type the exact value.

Following are the list of values Java classes:

com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.common.ILOVConstants
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.common.ILOVDataService
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.common.LOVColumnInfo
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.common.LOVPropertyKey
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.common.LOVPropertyValue
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.common.LOVRow
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.components.LOVDataDisplayView
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.components.LOVDisplayer
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.components.LOVSelectionDisplayView
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.components.LOVTreeTable
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.components.LOVWindowResizer
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.controls.LOVDataDisplayView
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.controls.LOVDisplayer
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.view.controls.LOVSelectionDisplayView
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.viewmodel.LOVDataDisplayProperties
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.viewmodel.LOVDataServiceImpl
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.viewmodel.LOVSelectionDisplayProperties
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.viewmodel.LOVViewModel

Note

As of Temcenter 10.1, the following list of values Java classes are deprecated:
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.InterDependentLOVPanel
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.LOVUIComponent
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.LOVPanel
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.LOVPopupButton
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.LOVDialog
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.LOVComboBox
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.HierarchicalLOVComponent
com.teamcenter.rac.common.lov.LOVHierarchyPanel
com.teamcenter.rac.common.controls.SWTLovPopupButton
com.teamcenter.rac.common.controls.SWTLovPopupDialog
com.teamcenter.rac.common.controls.LOVUIComponent
com.teamcenter.rac.common.controls.LOVComboBox

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Note

In rich client forms, the Tab key moves focus from field to field, except for lists of values. To
move focus between lists of values, users can press Ctrl+Tab.

MRUButton

The MRUButton component is used by applications to maintain a list of previously referenced

InterfaceAIFComponent objects. It is generic and works with any AIF application within the AIF
framework. When one of the objects is clicked, the open method for the application is invoked
with the component.
The MRUButton component maintains a list of components supplied by the application. The
application must populate the components to the MRUButton component and determine the
number of objects to place inside the component. Different behaviors can be associated with the
use of the MRUButton component in different applications. A purge limit is commonly associated
with the MRU button; however, the MRUButton component shown in the following figure does not
employ a purge limit.
The code in the following example constructs the MRUButton component:
mruButton = new MRUButton ( explorerApp );
mruButton.setSuggestedVerticalAlignment(MRUButton.TOP);
mruButton.loadMRUEntries();

OpenByNameButton

The OpenByNameButton component allows an application to open new objects that can be
manipulated. It also allows users to issue queries and view properties of the objects located by
the query.
The objects that are found by the query are loaded into the table. Instead of loading all objects, only
the first set is loaded. To load the next set, click the Load Next button. To load all objects, click the
Load All button. The Load Previous button loads the previous set and appends it to the current
selection. Once the object is located, double-click the object to open it in the application.
Objects can be selected in the table and copied to the clipboard. The Copy button is active only when
an item has been selected.
The OpenByNameButton component enforces the limitation that a query can only be performed
on a single object type, for example, item revisions or folders. This is usually acceptable, as most
applications can only support one root object type. Examples of this are My Teamcenter, which
only supports folders as root objects, and Structure Manager, which only supports occurrences
as root objects.
The OpenByNameButton component is subclassed from the AbstractPopupButton class, which
allows it to be inserted into the user interface where it is treated like any other Java button.
This composition allows you to add things to uniquely identify the button and its purpose, such
as tooltips and icons.
The following code shows how to construct the OpenByNameButton component for the My
Teamcenter application, which only searches on folders:
OpenByNameButton openByNameButton = new OpenByNameButton(explorerApp, "Folder");

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OrgSelectionDialog

The OrgSelectionDialog reusable component displays the organization chart in tree form. The
root of the chart is a root group, and nodes in the tree represent groups, roles, and users. The
tree displays hierarchies within the organization.
This dialog box consists of a vertical split pane. The left pane displays the tree, and the right pane
displays information about the selected role, group, or user node.
The dialog box shown in the following figure displays information about a fictional organization. The
first-level nodes in the tree represent groups. Groups can be expanded to display the hierarchical
groups or roles contained within the group. Roles can be expanded to display the users assigned
to the role.

OrgSelectionDialog component
In addition, the dialog box provides the ability to search for a specific group, role, or user within the
organization (as shown in the following figure). If you click the Reload button, the tree displays all
top-level groups in the organization. Both figures show the features of the OrgSelectionDialog
component.

Organization dialog box search feature

The Access dialog box presents the OrgSelectionDialog component as a separate dialog box. The
OrgSelectionDialog component handles its own events and display; therefore, dialog boxes that use

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this dialog component must invoke the OrgSelectionDialog component. The code in the following
example shows the OrgSelectionDialog component constructed from the AccessDialog component:
JButton selectUserButton = new JButton(appReg.getImageIcon("selectUser.ICON"));
selectUserButton.addActionListener ( new ActionListener()
{
public void actionPerformed (ActionEvent e)
{
//Create the OrgSelectionDialog
orgSelectionDialog = new OrgSelectionDialog(parent, target);
orgSelectionDialog.addPropertyChangeListener(AccessDialog.this);
orgSelectionDialog.setVisible(true);
}
});

The OrgSelectionDialog component is constructed and added as a propertyChangeListener to the

AccessDialog component, and the visibility of the dialog component is set to true. The Organization
Selection displays when you click the Select User button in the Access dialog box.

ReferencersPanel

The ReferencersPanel component displays where-used and where-referenced diagrams. An object

can be sent to the Referencers panel, where the user can double-click it to search for where the
object is used or referenced.
When a component is sent to the Referencers panel, whether it defaults to the where-referenced
or where-used display depends on the component type. Users can define which components to
display in the panel.

Referencers panel
The Referencers panel can display the nodes in reverse horizontal style, vertical style, or tree-look
style. Three layout managers are used to accomplish this:
• ReferencersReverseHorizontalNodeLayout
Displays the nodes in reverse horizontal order where the structure is expanded from right to
left horizontally and can display where-referenced and where-used information in different
colors. The ReferencersReverseHorizontalNodeLayout layout manager extends from the
ReverseHorizontalNodeLayout component.

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Referencers reverse horizontal node layout

• ReferencersTreeLookNodeLayout
Displays the nodes in a JTree manner and can display where-referenced and where-used
information in different colors. The ReferencersTreeLookNodeLayout layout manager extends
from the TreeLookNodeLayout component.

Referencers tree look node layout

• ReferencersVerticalNodeLayout
Displays the nodes in vertical order expanded from top to bottom and can display
different where-referenced and where-used information in different colors. The
ReferencersVerticalNodeLayout layout manager extends from the VerticalNodeLayout
component.

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Referencers vertical node layout

ReferencerUINode
The ReferencerUINode component is an extension of the TCComponentUINode component. It
adds an attribute that tells if a where-used or where-referenced expansion is associated with the node.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

This example shows how to construct a ReferencersPanel component and set a component in it:
referencersPanel = new ReferencersPanel(explorerApp, false, false, false, false);
referencersPanel.setComponent ( c );

RolePanel
The RolePanel reusable component extends the JPanel component and can be used by any
application to display role information (as shown in the following figure).

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Role panel in the Organization Selection dialog box

The following code shows how the RolePanel component is constructed and added to the dialog box.
RolePanel rolePanel = new RolePanel (roleComponent);
mainSplitPane.setRightComponent (rolePanel);

TCComponentUINode
The TCComponentUINode component is an extension of the AbstractUINode class, and creates a
UI node based on an TCComponent object.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

The UI node is presented with the TCComponent object name and rendered icon (as shown in
the following figure).

Item revision UI component

The following code shows the code used to create an TCComponentUINode component as the
root in a GraphPane panel.

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// myFolder is an TCComponent
TCComponentUINode node = new TCComponentUINode ( myFolder );
GraphPane panel = new GraphPane ( new VerticalNodeLayout() );
// add the UI node to the panel and set it as the root
panel.setRoot ( node );

TCConstants
The TCConstants class contains constants used across Teamcenter and its related packages. Use
the static variables defined in this class rather than hard-coding strings.

TCTypeRenderer
The TCTypeRenderer class is an implementation of a renderer that returns an icon based on either
the Teamcenter object type or an object property. Many Teamcenter components use this render
class.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

Usage of the TCTypeRenderer class

The following code example shows how to obtain the icon for an TCComponent object using the
TCTypeRenderer class:
String text;
if ( comp instanceof TCComponent )
{
TCComponent ic = (TCComponent)comp;

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text = ic.toString();
JButton bt = new JButton();
bt.setText ( text );
bt.setIcon ( TCTypeRenderer.getIcon ( ic, false ) );
}

UserPanel
The UserPanel reusable component extends the JPanel component and can be used by any
application to display group information (as shown in the following figure).

User panel in the Organization Selection dialog box

The UserPanel component can be constructed and added to the dialog box for display (as shown in
the following code example).
UserPanel userPanel = new UserPanel (roleComponent);
mainSplitPane.setRightComponent (userPanel);

User interface components in the com.teamcenter.rac.util package

AbstractDialog
The AbstractDialog component enhances the functionality of the JDialog component, allowing you
to instantiate the dialog box from a nonvisible application and keep it modal. The AbstractDialog
component also provides centerToScreen methods.
The AbstractDialog class must be inherited by another class in order to work. For example, the
StringViewerDialog component extends the AbstractDialog class, as follows:

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public class StringViewerDialog extends AbstractDialog

{
// Class implementation here.
};

AbstractPopupButton
The AbstractPopupButton class creates a custom popup window from a button. This allows a small
UI component to display a larger window that functions like a dialog box.
The AbstractPopupButton component works like a JComboBox component. It initially displays
as a button (as shown in the following figure).

Initial state of an AbstractPopupButton component

It displays a popup window when the button is clicked (as shown in the following figure). Classes that
extend from the AbstractPopupButton class must implement the UI for the popup window.

AbstractPopupButton component popup window

The following example adds three check boxes and a button to the popup window. When you click
the OK button, the popup window closes.
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.*;
public class PopupButtonTest extends AbstractPopupButton
{
PopupButtonTest (String txt)
{
super(txt);
}
public void initPopupWindow()
{
// get the panel for popup window
JPanel popupWin = getPanel();
JPanel main = new JPanel ( true );
main.setLayout ( new VerticalLayout(2,4,4,4,4) );
JCheckBox op1 = new JCheckBox ( "option 1" );
JCheckBox op2 = new JCheckBox ( "option 2" );
JCheckBox op3 = new JCheckBox ( "option 3" );

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JButton okButton = new JButton ( "OK" );

okButton.addActionListener( new ActionListener()
{
public void actionPerformed ( ActionEvent e )
{
// post down the popup window
postDown();
}
});
main.add ( "top", op1 );
main.add ( "top", op2 );
main.add ( "top", op3 );
main.add ( "top", okButton );
// add the created panel to the popup window
popupWin.add ( "Center", main );
}
public static void main(String s[])
{
WindowListener l = new WindowAdapter()
{
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {System.exit(0);}
};
Frame f = new Frame("PopupButton Test");
f.addWindowListener(l);
f.add("Center", new PopupButtonTest ("Click Me"));
f.pack();
f.setSize(new Dimension(350,350));
f.show();
}
}

GenericTableModel

The GenericTableModel class is an implementation of a custom TableModel component that stores

and caches the strings it manages.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

The following example shows code used to create a GenericTableModel component:

//Create the Table to show the history
columnNames.addElement(appReg.getString("date"));
columnNames.addElement(appReg.getString("user"));
columnNames.addElement(appReg.getString("activity"));
columnNames.addElement(appReg.getString("changeId"));
columnNames.addElement(appReg.getString("comments"));
dataModel = new GenericTableModel(columnNames, 0);
dataModel.markColumnEditable(0, true);
JTable historyTable = new JTable (dataModel);
…………

The following figure shows a table created with the GenericTableModel component.

Table created using GenericTableModel component

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iTextArea

The iTextArea component is a subclass of the JTextArea class and displays all the same behaviors.
Use this component to achieve a consistent look and feel across the system. The goal is to use this
component across the entire commercial Teamcenter interface, so that when standards change or are
enhanced the changes can be placed in this class and be inherited by all implementing components.
Using the iTextArea subclass provides the following benefits over using the JTextArea class:
• Field selection when focus is gained
Data is automatically selected when the focus is gained within the text area.

• Improved focus traversal

The up arrow and down arrow keys provide next and previous focus traversal abilities.

• Require signaling
You no longer must override the paint method to implement the paint, as required. Instead,
invoke the setRequired(Boolean state) method.

iTextField

The iTextField component is a subclass of the JTextField class and displays all the same behaviors.
Use this component to achieve a consistent look and feel across the system. The goal is to use this
component across the entire commercial Teamcenter interface, so that when standards change or are
enhanced the changes can be placed in this class and be inherited by all implementing components.
Using the iTextField subclass provides the following benefits over using the JTextfield class:
• Field selection when focus is gained
Data is automatically selected when the focus is gained within the text field.

• Improved focus traversal

The up arrow and down arrow keys provide next and previous focus traversal abilities.

• Require signaling
You no longer must override the paint method to implement the paint, as required. Instead,
invoke the setRequired(Boolean state) method.

Layout manager

ButtonLayout

Horizontal ButtonLayout layout manager examples

The following figure shows the ButtonLayout layout manager with horizontal orientation and center
alignment.

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Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

Horizontal button layout with center alignment

The constructor is called, as follows:
buttonPanel.setLayout (new ButtonLayout(ButtonLayout.HORIZONTAL,
ButtonLayout.CENTER)

Buttons are added in the order in which they are displayed. In the previous figure, the sequence
is OK, Apply and Cancel.
The following figure shows the dialog box when it is resized. The components maintain their
orientation and alignment.

Results of resizing the dialog box

The following figure shows the ButtonLayout layout manager with horizontal orientation, left
alignment, and a 20-unit gap between the buttons.

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Horizontal button layout with left alignment and a 20-unit gap

The constructor is called, as follows:
buttonPanel.setLayout (new ButtonLayout(ButtonLayout.HORIZONTAL,
ButtonLayout.LEFT, 20);

Since the alignment is set to LEFT, the first button added is aligned to the left corner of the dialog box
and the remaining buttons are placed to the right of the first, with a 20-unit gap between buttons. The
following figure shows the dialog box when it is resized.

Results of resizing the dialog box

The following figure shows the ButtonLayout layout manager with horizontal orientation, right
alignment, and a 20-unit gap between the buttons.

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Horizontal button layout with right alignment and a 20-unit gap

The constructor is called, as follows:
buttonPanel.setLayout (new Buttonlayout(ButtonLayout.HORIZONTAL,
ButtonLayout.RIGHT, 20);

Since the alignment is set to RIGHT, the first button added is aligned to the right corner of the dialog
box and the remaining buttons are placed to the left of the first, with a 20-unit gap between buttons.
The following figure shows the dialog box when it is resized.

Results of resizing the dialog box

The following example shows the code used to create the previous examples:
public class testlayout extends JDialog

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{
protected JButton one, two, three;
protected JPanel buttonPanel;
public testlayout ( Frame parent, String title )
{
super ( parent, title, false );
// Create a new panel with a ButtonLayout Manager
buttonPanel = new Jpanel();
buttonPanel.setlayout ( new ButtonLayout(ButtonLayout.HORIZONTAL));
// Create three buttons
one = new JButton ( "OK" );
two = new JButton ( "Apply" );
three = new JButton ( "Cancel" );
// Add the buttons to the Panel created
buttonPanel.add (one );
buttonPanel.add (two);
buttonPanel.add (three);
this.add (buttonPanel);
this.pack ();
}
}

The buttonPanel panel is created. The panel uses the ButtonLayout layout manager and assumes
the default values for its parameters. Three buttons are created and added to the panel. The buttons
are positioned horizontally, in the center of the panel, with a 10-unit gap between buttons. The
buttons are not resized when the panel is resized. The position of the buttons in relation to the
edges of the panel also remains unchanged.

Vertical ButtonLayout layout manager examples

The following figure shows the ButtonLayout layout manager with vertical orientation and center
alignment.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

Vertical button layout with center alignment

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The constructor is called, as follows:

buttonPanel.setLayout (new Buttonlayout(ButtonLayout.VERTICAL,
ButtonLayout.CENTER);

When the panel is resized, the buttons maintain their size and alignment in relation to the dialog box.
The buttons are placed in the sequence in which they are added to the panel.
The following figure shows the ButtonLayout layout manager with vertical orientation and top
alignment.

Vertical button layout with top alignment

The constructor is called, as follows:
buttonPanel.setLayout (new ButtonLayout(ButtonLayout.VERTICAL,
ButtonLayout.TOP);

The following figure shows the ButtonLayout layout manager with vertical orientation and bottom
alignment.

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Vertical button layout with bottom alignment

The constructor is called, as follows:
buttonPanel.setLayout (new Buttonlayout(ButtonLayout.VERTICAL,
ButtonLayout.BOTTOM);

The following figure shows the code used to create the previous examples:
public class testlayout extends JDialog
{
protected JButton one, two, three;
protected JPanel buttonPanel;
public testlayout ( Frame parent, String title )
{
super ( parent, title, false );
// Create a new panel with a ButtonLayout Manager
buttonPanel = new JPanel();
buttonPanel.setlayout ( new ButtonLayout(ButtonLayout.HORIZONTAL));
// Create three buttons
one = new JButton ( "OK" );
two = new JButton ( "Apply" );
three = new JButton ( "Cancel" );
// Add the buttons to the Panel created
buttonPanel.add (one );
buttonPanel.add (two);
buttonPanel.add (three);
this.add (buttonPanel);
this.pack ();
}
}

The buttonPanel panel is created. The panel uses the ButtonLayout layout manager and assumes
default values for its parameters. Three buttons are created and added to the panel. The buttons
are positioned horizontally in the center of the panel with a 10-unit gap between buttons. Resizing
a ButtonLayout panel does not resize the buttons. The position of the buttons relative to the four
edges of the panel also remains unchanged.

HorizontalLayout

The HorizontalLayout layout manager positions children and attachments horizontally in the
container object.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

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When a component is added to the container object, the position of the component is determined
by the parameters passed in the name field. These parameters are {Attachment, bind,
HorizontalAlignment, VerticalAlignment}. The default positioning for a component added without
correct formatting in the name field is (left.bind.center.center). bind and nobind indicate that
the component will be resized or maintained based on the space available. Top components are
positioned first, followed by bottom components and unbound components. If you do not call the add
function with a name string in the argument, an exception occurs.
The following figure shows the use of the HorizontalLayout layout manager.

Horizontal layout with center alignment

The following figure shows the results when the dialog box is resized.

Results of resizing the dialog box

When the dialog box is resized, the Left and Right buttons maintain their shape, size, and alignment
in relation to the edges of the dialog box because they are added with a nobind parameter. The
Unbound button is resized when the dialog box is resized because it is added to the dialog box
using a bind parameter.
The following figure shows the dialog box when the placement of the components is changed
according to the parameters indicated in the figure. The behavior of the dialog boxes when resized is
also shown.

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Horizontal layout with components added

When you resize dialog boxes, components added with the bind parameter are resized.
In the following figure, the Left and Unbound buttons are added with a bind parameter and the Right
button is added with a nobind parameter. When the dialog box is resized, the Left and Unbound
buttons are resized, but the Right button maintains its size and alignment.

Horizontal layout with components added

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In addition to controlling the placement of the components within the dialog box, the LayoutManager
component controls the spacing of the components relative to the edges of the dialog box by passing
the parameters into the constructor for the LayoutManager component. The order in which the
parameters are passed into the constructor is important. The constructor is as follows:
new HorizontalLayout ( vgap, lm, rm, tm, bm);

vgap indicates the distance between the components in the dialog box. lm indicates the left margin,
rm indicates the right margin, tm indicates the top margin, and bm indicates the bottom margin. All
parameters are expressed in integers and measured in pixels.
The following figure shows the dialog box that results when the following parameters are passed to
the constructor:
new HorizontalLayout (25, 10, 10, 25, 25);

The following figure also shows the behavior when the dialog box is resized. The margins and
spacing between components are maintained.

Horizontal layout with parameters

The following example shows the code used to create the previous examples:
public class testlayout extends JDialog
{
protected JButton one, two, three;
protected JPanel buttonPanel;
public testlayout( Frame parent, String title )
{
super ( parent, title, false );
buttonPanel = new JPanel();
buttonPanel.setLayout ( new HorizontalLayout(10,2,2,2,0));
one = new JButton ( "Left" );
two = new JButton ( "Right" );
three = new JButton ( "UnBound" );
buttonPanel.add ( "left.nobind.center.center", one );
buttonPanel.add ( "unbound.nobind.center.center", three );
buttonPanel.add ( "right.nobind.center.center", two );
this.add (buttonPanel);
this.pack ();
}
public static main void ( String [] args){
{
Frame f = new Frame ( "Horizontal Layout Test" );
f.resize ( 100,100 );
f.show();
testlayout d = new teslayout ( f, "AWT Layout Manager: Horizontal Layout" );
d.show();
}
}

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The buttonPanel panel is created. The HorizontalLayout layout manager is used and three buttons
are created and added to the panel. The placement of the buttons in each of the examples is
determined by the parameters passed in the name field.

PropertyLayout

The PropertyLayout layout manager positions children and attachments vertically within the
container object.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

When a component is added to the container object, its position is determined by a mask passed
through the name field that describes how to position the component and whether resizing of the
component is desired. The parameters are Row, Column, HorizontalAlignment, VerticalAlignment,
HorizontalAttachment, and VerticalAttachment. The default positioning for a component added
without correct formatting in the name field is 1.1.center.center.preferred.preferred.
The following figure shows the use of the PropertyLayout layout manager with default parameters
for each of the components.

Property layout with components added

The code creates a buttonPanel panel using the PropertyLayout layout manager. Three buttons
are created and added to the panel in three separate columns. When resized, the placement and size
of the components remain unchanged (as shown in the following figure). The default positioning of
the components in the dialog box is 1.1.center.center.preferred.preferred. Because the horizontal
alignment and vertical alignment parameters are set to preferred, the components are not resized
along with the dialog box.

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Results of resizing the dialog box

The following figure shows the layout of a dialog box using the PropertyLayout layout manager.
The components are placed according to the parameters indicated in the figure. Note that the
HorizontalAttachment and VerticalAttachment parameters are set to resizable.

Property layout with components added

The following figure shows the behavior when the dialog box is resized. All components are resized
except the component placed in the column 1, row 1 position. The other components in the dialog
box are resized both horizontally and vertically.

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Results of resizing the dialog box

In addition to controlling the placement of components in the dialog box, the LayoutManager
component controls the spacing of the components relative to the edges of the dialog box. This is
achieved by the parameters passed into the constructor. The order in which the parameters are
passed into the constructor is important. The constructor is as follows:
new PropertyLayout ( hgap, vgap, lm, rm, tm, bm);

hgap indicates the horizontal distance between components in the dialog box. vgap indicates the
vertical distance between components in the dialog box. lm indicates the left margin, rm indicates
the right margin, tm indicates the top margin, and bm indicates the bottom margin. All parameters
are expressed in integers and measured in pixels. The components are added to the dialog box
horizontally, that is, they are placed on the dialog box in the same row but in different columns.
The following figure shows the dialog box that results from passing the following parameters to
the constructor:
new PropertyLayout (10, 20, 10, 10, 40, 40);

The following figure also shows the behavior when the dialog box is resized. Only the left and top
margins and spacing between components are maintained when the dialog box is resized.

PropertyLayout Manager with margin setup

The following figure shows a dialog box in which the components are only resizable vertically. The
HorizontalAttachment parameter is set to preferred. The buttons in the figure do not seem aligned
due to the positions selected for their placement.

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Results of resizing the dialog box

The following figure shows a dialog box in which the components are only resizable vertically. The
HorizontalAttachment parameter is set to preferred.

Results of resizing the dialog box

The following example shows the code used to create the previous examples:
public class testlayout extends JDialog
{
protected JButton one, two, three;
protected JPanel buttonPanel;
public testlayout( Frame parent, String title )
{
super ( parent, title, false );
buttonPanel = new JPanel();
buttonPanel.setLayout ( new PropertyLayout());
one = new JButton ( "Top" );
two = new JButton ( "Bottom" );
three = new JButton ( "UnBound" );
buttonPanel.add ( "1.1 ", one );
buttonPanel.add ( "1.2", two );
buttonPanel.add ( "1.3", three );
this.getContentPane().add (buttonPanel);
this.pack ();
}
public static void main ( String[] args ){
{
Frame f = new Frame ( "Vertical Layout Test" );
f.show();
testlayout d = new testlayout ( f, "AWT Layout Manager: Vertical Layout" );

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d.show();
}
}

VerticalLayout

The VerticalLayout layout manager positions children and attachments vertically in the container
object.
Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

When a component is added to the container object, the position of the component
is determined by the parameters passed in the name field. These parameters are
{Attachment.Binding.HorizontalAlignment.VerticalAlignment}. The default positioning for a
component added without correct formatting in the name field is (top.center.center.bind). Top
components are positioned first, followed by bottom components and unbound components. If you do
not call the add function with a name string in the argument, an exception occurs.
The following figure shows the use of a VerticalLayout layout manager. The placement of the
components within the dialog box is determined by the parameters passed into the name field.

Vertical layout with components added

The following figure shows the results of resizing the dialog box.

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Results of resizing the dialog box

The code creates a new buttonPanel panel. The layout in the panel is set to VerticalLayout with
default parameters. Three buttons are created and added to the panel. The top components are
positioned first, followed by the bottom components and unbound components. All the buttons are
added to the panel with a nobind parameter and placed in the center of the dialog box. When the
dialog box is resized, the Unbound button is resized, but the Top and Bottom components are not.
The following figure shows the layout of the components added with a bind parameter. The Top
and Unbound components are added with a bind parameter. The Bottom component is added with
a nobind parameter.

Horizontal layout with components added

The following figure shows the resizing behavior of the components added with a bind parameter.

Results of resizing the dialog box

Upon resizing the dialog box, the unbound component is resized. The top component, which
is added with a bind parameter, remains attached to the edges of the dialog box. The bottom
component, added with a nobind parameter, does not change.

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The following figure shows the behavior of the dialog box when resized.

Results of resizing the dialog box

The following figure shows the layout of the dialog boxes when the components are added with the
parameters indicated in the figure.

Vertical layout with components added

In addition to controlling the placement of components in the dialog box, the LayoutManager
component also controls the spacing of the components relative to the edges of the dialog box. This
is achieved by the parameters passed into the LayoutManager constructor. The order in which the
parameters are passed into the constructor is important. The constructor is:
new VerticalLayout ( vgap, lm, rm, tm, bm);

vgap indicates the distance between the components in the dialog box. lm indicates the left margin,
rm indicates the right margin, tm indicates the top margin, and bm indicates the bottom margin. All
parameters are expressed in integers and measured in pixels.
The following figure shows the dialog box layout when the following parameters are passed to the
constructor:
new VerticalLayout (25, 10, 10, 25, 25);

The behavior of the dialog box when resized is also shown in the following figure. The dialog box
maintains the margins and the spacing between the components when resized.

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Vertical layout with margin setup

The following figure shows the code used to create the previous examples:
public class testlayout extends JDialog
{
protected JButton one, two, three;
protected JPanel buttonPanel;
public testlayout( Frame parent, String title )
{
super ( parent, title, false );
buttonPanel = new JPanel();
buttonPanel.setLayout ( new VerticalLayout(10,2,2,2,0));
one = new JButton ( "Top" );
two = new JButton ( "UnBound" );
three = new JButton ( "Bottom" );
buttonPanel.add ( "top.nobind.center.center", one );
buttonPanel.add ( "unbound.nobind.center.center", two );
buttonPanel.add ( "bottom.nobind.center.center", three);
this.add (buttonPanel);
this.pack ();
}
public static void main ( String[] args ){
{
Frame f = new Frame ( "Vertical Layout Test" );
f.resize ( 100,100 );
f.show();
testlayout d = new testlayout ( f, "AWT Layout Manager: Vertical Layout" );
d.show();
}
}

MessageBox

The MessageBox class communicates informational, warning, working, and error messages to the
user (as shown in the following figure).

MessageBox

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The MessageBox class is a specialized JDialog class that provides the ability to create and display
a wide variety of message boxes to the user. Examples of the information that appears in message
boxes include help, detailed messages, and general messages with icons that are set based on
the type of MessageBox component.
The following example shows code used to create a MessageBox component:
JFrame frm = new JFrame();
JPanel displayPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
JButton invokeButton = new JButton("Invoke MessageBox");
final MessageBox msgBox = new MessageBox(frm, "Some Message", "Title", MessageBox.ERROR);
displayPanel.add("Center", invokeButton);
frm.getContentPane().add(displayPanel);
invokeButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener()
{
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
{
msgBox.setVisible(true);
}
} );
frm.addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter()
{
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e)
{
System.exit(0);
}
} );
frm.pack();
frm.validate();
frm.setVisible(true);

The following figure shows the message box produced by the code.

MessageBox produced from sample code

MLabel

The MLabel component displays text on multiple lines (as shown in the following figure). The current
AWT label and JLabel components are only capable of displaying one line of text. The backslash and
n character (\n) delimit the lines of text.

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MLabel component
The code in the following example constructs an MLabel component:
int fontSize = getFont().getSize();
Font fontText = new Font("TimesRoman", Font.PLAIN, fontSize+4);
Font f2 = new Font("TimesRoman", Font.BOLD, fontSize+32);
MLabel labelBanner = new MLabel(“TC Portal\nDesktop”);
labelBanner.setFont(f2);
labelBanner.setTextAlignment(MLabel.CENTER);
MLabel labelVersion = new MLabel(“Version 6.0\nUpdate version: 0”);
labelVersion.setFont(fontText);
labelVersion.setTextAlignment(MLabel.CENTER);

The following figure shows the results of the code.

MLabel component produced from sample code

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Registry
The Registry class contains registry information and provides a means of obtaining information stored
in a resource bundle, extending the functionality of the resource bundle by way of encapsulation.
This class provides the ability to native data types and instance classes via key registry entries. The
registry files must match the package name.
The following code shows an example of a registry file.
# comments
import=com.teamcenter.rac.util
myLabel=My Label:
myIcon=images\myIcon.gif
ok=OK
ok.MNEMONIC=O
cancel=Cancel
cancel.MNEMONIC=C

The import statement in the preceding figure imports another registry file. It can also import multiple
files using a comma delimiter. The following figure shows the hierarchy of the registry files in the
com.teamcenter.rac.util package.

Hierarchy of the com.teamcenter.rac.util package

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The keys and values inside the util_user.properties file override those defined in the
util_locale.properties and util.properties files. The locale version property files are provided for
localization and the user property files are provided so that users can define their own values. If no
user version is defined, the default values in the util.properties file are used.
References to Registry objects are obtained by the getRegistry() static methods provided in this
class (as shown in the following code example):
Registry reg = Registry.getRegistry ( this );
String label = reg.getString ( “myLabel” );
ImageIcon myIcon = reg.getImageIcon ( “myIcon” );
The following is the corresponding registry file read by the above code:
# comments
import=com.teamcenter.rac.util
myLabel=My Label:
myIcon=images\myIcon.gif
ok=OK
ok.MNEMONIC=O
cancel=Cancel
cancel.MNEMONIC=C

Separator
The Separator component visually separates user interface components (as shown in the following
figure). Separators can be oriented either horizontally or vertically.

Separator in New Item dialog box

1 Separator used to separate dialog box header from the body

2 Separator used to separate dialog box footer from the body

The code in the following example uses the Separator component:

import java.awt.*;

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import java.awt.event.*;
import java.util.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import com.teamcenter.rac.util.*;
public class SepartorTest extends JPanel
{
SepartorTest ()
{
this.setLayout ( new VerticalLayout(10,4,4,4,4) );
JLabel label = new JLabel ( "Test" );
JTextArea text = new JTextArea ( 10, 3 );
JButton okButton = new JButton ( "OK" );
this.add ("top.nobind.left.top", label);
this.add ("top.bind", new Separator());
this.add ("bottom.nobind.center.center", okButton);
this.add ("bottom.bind", new Separator());
this.add ("unbound.bind", text);
}
public static void main(String s[])
{
WindowListener l = new WindowAdapter()
{
public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e) {System.exit(0);}
};
Frame f = new Frame("Separator Test");
f.addWindowListener(l);
f.add("Center", new SepartorTest());
f.pack();
f.setSize(new Dimension(350,350));
f.show();
}
}

The following figure shows the results of the code.

Separator produced from sample code

SplitPane

The SplitPane component is similar to the JSplitPane component. It extends from the JPanel
component and creates a split pane with two panels: either left and right, or top and bottom.

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Note

This component is a Swing class. Teamcenter is moving toward SWT/JFace as the user
interface toolkit and moving away from AWT and Swing. Siemens PLM Software encourages
you to customize Teamcenter using SWT/JFace components. Siemens PLM Software will
discontinue Swing/AWT support in a future version.

The code in the following example creates the SplitPane component. It adds two components, one
for the left pane and one for right. The divider is set at 45 percent of the total size of the SplitPane
component.
SplitPane splitPane = new SplitPane ( SplitPane.HORIZONTAL_SPLIT );
JPanel leftPanel = new JPanel ();
JPanel rightPanel = new JPanel ();
// add components to splitPane
splitPane.setLeftComponent ( leftPanel );
splitPane.setRightComponent ( rightPanel );
splitPane.setDividerLocation(0.45);
splitPane.setDividerSize(2);

The following figure shows the pane produced by the code.

SplitPane component used in a dialog box

StringViewerDialog

The StringViewerDialog class loads a string array and displays text in a scrollable format. This
class extends from the AbstractDialog class. The dialog box allows you to save and print the
string array text and can also act as a simple text editor. In the following figure, the entire panel is
a StringViewerDialog component.

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StringViewerDialog component
The code in the following example creates a StringViewerDialog component.
StringViewerDialog dlg = new StringViewerDialog (file);
dlg.setVisible(true);

StringViewerPanel

The StringViewerPanel component displays a text file or string array using a JTextArea component
to store and render the text. A scroll pane ID handles text scrolling. The StringViewerPanel
component serves as both a simple text editor and a file viewer and supports print and saving files.
The following figure shows the Validation report, constructed using the StringViewerPanel
component.

Validation report
The code in the following example creates a StringViewerPanel component:
private StringViewerPanel stringViewerPanel = null;
stringViewerPanel = new StringViewerPanel(file);
parentPanel.add ( "unbound.bind.center.top", stringViewerPanel );

Common Teamcenter command IDs

Teamcenter command IDs have many uses. The most common being to add a command to a rich
client menu or toolbar, or adding a command to a page or objectSet using an XML style sheet.

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Note

• The preferred method to locate commandIDs is to use the rich client command-line
utility DumpCMSConfigInfo. It will generate a CSV file containing an accurate listing of
command IDs for your specific rich client configuration, as well as one for your view IDs,
and one for your application context IDs as well.
teamcenter -application com.teamcenter.rac.util.DumpCMSConfigInfo

• When a command to create a new object is added within the objectSet tag, only
commands for New Item, New Dataset, New Part, and New Other actions paste the new
object with the relation specified in the <objectSet source="relation.business-object">
tag. All other new object types use the default paste relation.
The following code example shows creating a new object with the
com.teamcenter.rac.newDesign command ID. However, the default paste relation is
used instead of the IMAN_specification relation in the objectSet source tag:
<objectSet source = "IMAN_specification.Design Revision "
defaultdisplay = "tableDisplay" sortby = "object_string" sortdirection = "ascending">
.
.
.
<command actionKey = "newDesignAction" commandId = "com.teamcenter.rac.NewDesign"
renderingHint = "commandbutton"/>

The following tables show a few common examples of a menu command, and their associated
command Ids.

My Teamcenter File→New menu commands

Menu command Command ID
File→New→Item com.teamcenter.rac.newItem
File→New→Folder com.teamcenter.rac.newFolder

My Teamcenter Edit menu commands

Menu command Command ID
Edit→Cut org.eclipse.ui.edit.cut
Edit→Copy org.eclipse.ui.edit.copy
Edit→Paste org.eclipse.ui.edit.paste

Plug-in locations of perspectives

The following table lists plug-ins that define perspectives in the rich client. If you want to customize
rich client perspectives, look for these plug-ins in the TC_ROOT\portal\plugins directory. The
perspectives are declared in the plug-ins with the org.eclipse.ui.perspectiveExtensions extension
point in the plugin.xml file.
To hide perspectives, you can use the HiddenPerspectives preference.

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Plug-in locations of perspectives

Perspective Plug-in
Access Manager com.teamcenter.rac.accessmanager
ADA License com.teamcenter.rac.adalicense
Appearance Configuration com.teamcenter.rac.appearanceconfiguration
As-Built Manager com.teamcenter.rac.asbuiltmanager
Audit Manager com.teamcenter.rac.auditmanager
Authorization com.teamcenter.rac.authorization
CAE Manager com.teamcenter.rac.caese
com.teamcenter.rac.smb
Change Manager com.teamcenter.rac.cm
Classification com.teamcenter.rac.classification.icm
Classification Admin com.teamcenter.rac.classification.icadmin
CM Viewer (Classic) com.teamcenter.rac.ecmanagement
Command Suppression com.teamcenter.rac.commandsupporession
Database Utilities com.teamcenter.rac.databaseutilities
DesignContext com.teamcenter.rac.designcontext
DPV Measurements com.teamcenter.rac.dpv
Getting Started com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
Issue Manager com.teamcenter.rac.issuemanager
Launch Pad com.teamcenter.rac.launchpad
Lifecycle Viewer com.teamcenter.rac.vis
Manufacturing Process com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mpp
Planner
Multi-Structure Manager com.teamcenter.rac.cme.collaborationcontext
My Teamcenter com.teamcenter.rac.ui
Organization com.teamcenter.rac.organization
Part Planner com.teamcenter.rac.cme.pmp
Plant Designer com.teamcenter.rac.cme.fse
Platform Designer com.teamcenter.rac.architecturemodeler
PLM XML/TC XML Export com.teamcenter.rac.plmxmlexportimportadministration
Import Administration
Project com.teamcenter.rac.project
Query Builder com.teamcenter.rac.querybuilder
Registry Editor com.teamcenter.rac.aif.registryeditor
Relation Browser com.teamcenter.rac.tcgrb
Report Builder com.teamcenter.rac.crf

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Plug-in locations of perspectives

Perspective Plug-in
Report Generator com.teamcenter.rac.cme.cmereport
Systems Engineering com.teamcenter.rac.requirementsmanager.win.embeddedword
Resource Manager com.teamcenter.rac.cme.mrm
Schedule Manager com.teamcenter.rac.schedule
Service Manager com.teamcenter.rac.servicemanager
Service Planner com.teamcenter.rac.serviceplanner
Setup Wizard com.teamcenter.rac.setupwizard
Structure Manager com.teamcenter.rac.pse
Subscription Monitor com.teamcenter.rac.subscriptionmonitor
Systems Engineering com.teamcenter.rac.se.ui
Validation Manager com.teamcenter.rac.validation
Volume Management com.teamcenter.rac.vm
Web Browser com.teamcenter.rac.aifrcp
Workflow Designer com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.processdesigner
Workflow Viewer com.teamcenter.rac.workflow.processviewer

Application Integration Framework (AIF)

AIF customization and development

In versions prior to Teamcenter 2007, the rich client ran on its own Application Integration Framework
(AIF). The AIF and rich client were both written using Java. The rich client used Swing for its user
interface and all customization mechanisms were Teamcenter-developed.
In versions prior to Teamcenter 2007, the Application Integration Framework (AIF) was an integration
framework that enabled developers and customers to build custom interfaces to applications
for Teamcenter, NX, and personal use. This framework provided the foundation through which
applications could be launched and executed in a standard manner. It also provided the basic design
for applications, the base classes and methods, and a methodology for creating and handling events
generated by the user interface. In addition, the AIF provided tools to handled the registration of
components, represented by JavaBeans, as well as a mechanism for locating and passing messages
to those components.
This framework allowed products to be built using a standard interface and methodology. It was
modular and dynamic with regard to how applications were registered and launched, allowing
applications to be written in a plug-and-play manner and to be released independently of the
framework. Applications could be independent of both Teamcenter and NX, but the framework
provided simple mechanisms to use Teamcenter as the primary data management system. The
AIFDesktop component provided the main window users interacted with during the course of their
session.
In Teamcenter 2007, the rich client was hosted within the Eclipse rich client platform (RCP) framework.
The RCP is a general purpose application framework that provides strong support for modular and

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extensible component-based development through the use of plug-ins. The rich client took limited
advantage of the Eclipse framework. There was a single Teamcenter perspective that all Teamcenter
applications used. The user interface was mostly Swing running with the aid of the SWT_AWT bridge.
Starting with Teamcenter 8, the rich client took advantage of many Eclipse features and introduced
many SWT-based controls. Some of the rich client changes include:
• Each application became its own perspective.

• Menus were declarative.

• Eclipse OSGi services were used.

• Many Teamcenter extension points, services, and SWT controls were added.
Note

Teamcenter still supports the AIF in the Eclipse RCP. However, you should make every effort to
migrate your customization to use the Eclipse RCP menu, toolbar, and status bar functionality.

Integrating the Application Integration Framework (AIF) desktop with the Eclipse workbench
If you have older AIF desktop customizations, you can integrate them with the newer Eclipse RCP.
However, although Teamcenter still supports the AIF in the Eclipse RCP, you should make every effort
to migrate your customization to use the Eclipse RCP menu, toolbar, and status bar functionality.
In the rich client, the main integration point is an application. The active application defines what is
showing and its layout in the main pane area. The current application controls the contents of the
main menu bar and toolbar. The navigation pane is always on and helps you to select the current
application. In the rich client, there is a main banner that identifies the current application and how to
switch between active applications. The main mechanism for defining the set of applications has
been the portal.properties file. This file is still supported and is augmented by the aif_application
extension point. The extension point supports three different types of scenarios:
• Adding new traditional or legacy-based applications without modifying the portal.properties file.

• Adding new pure SWT-based applications.

For more information about how pure SWT user interface components work together in a
workbench, see the following Web site:

http://www.eclipse.org/articles/Article-UI-Workbench/workbench.html

• Adding hybrid applications or defining existing legacy applications to be hybrid to allow

Swing-based user interface components from within an Eclipse perspective that can also manage
pure SWT-based user interface components simultaneously. Though these components can
co-exist, there is no additional infrastructure for these different user interface components
to collaborate.

The rich client desktop is built on top of the Eclipse RCP workbench, including the menubar, toolbar,
and status bar. The RCP workbench is augmented with additional shell trim that defines the main
application switcher/banner bar and the navigation pane. The remaining area is the current active
Eclipse perspective. By default, there is a simple Teamcenter perspective that simply holds a tabbed
stack of views. Each rich client application is forced to be associated with an Eclipse perspective.

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Whenever a rich client application is activated, the associated Eclipse perspective is made active.
By default, an application is associated with the Teamcenter perspective so legacy applications are
not forced to define a perspective to be associated with. If any application also contains a non-null
main Swing JPanel, that panel is wrapped in an AWT_SWT bridge view and placed in the stack of
views. Since each rich client application is associated with an Eclipse perspective, you might want to
read more about what an Eclipse perspective is.
For more information, see the following Web site:
http://www.eclipse.org/articles/using-perspectives/PerspectiveArticle.html

AIF context sensitivity

Introduction to AIF context sensitivity

The Application Integration Framework (AIF) supports the concept of context sensitivity for all
UI components. Context sensitivity is controlling the availability of UI components when certain
conditions or states exist. In some cases, context sensitivity can be confusing to the user because
he or she may not know what to do to activate an option. One of the techniques currently used to
solve this is to change the tooltip text.
The model for the context sensitivity system is tied to the application where the action appears. There
is a selection listener associated with the application such that when something is selected within
the application, the application notifies all listeners that a selection is changed. The idea behind this
model is that the application fires the event to all listeners and each UI component has an associated
handler that knows the UI component it is working for. The handler contains the logic that determines
the validity of the UI component with which it is associated. In basic terms, the handler typically sets a
component to disabled (setEnabled (false)). However, the handler is flexible and is designed to
allow any action to be taken upon the associated UI component. For example, instead of disabling a
component you may want to write a handler that sets a UI component visibility based upon a certain
state. The handler interrogates the application for the state, and based on the result invokes the UI
components setVisible() method. The handler simply implements one method. That method is
responsible for making the verdict and applying the appropriate action to the UI component.

Context Sensitivity object model

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AIF context sensitivity registration

The registration process is where the application, handler, and UI component are bound together
based on the context sensitivity object model. Each application maintains a list of handlers (listeners)
that are notified whenever a selection is made within the application.
To register a handler (listener) with an application, invoke the following:
// c is an instance of a Component
MyHandler h = new MyHandler ( c );
app.addSelectionListener ( h );

This is typically done within the menu bar and toolbar construction. This can also be done within
the application panel construction for components located there.
There is a special implementation for Teamcenter applications that utilizes the action system for the
menu bar and toolbar. Register your handler within the actions.properties file, and it is automatically
used with the associated command. Therefore, to register the simple RequiredSelectionHandler
handler, which is prepackaged for use, add it to your action definition within the actions.properties
file, as follows:
<yourCommand>.SELECTION_HANDLER=
com.teamcenter.rac.aif.common.contextsensitivity.RequiredSelectionHandler

No other registration is required for the command. When the selections change within the application,
your command is available only when something is selected. If nothing is selected, it is not available.
If you want to keep components within the toolbar and menu bar synchronized like a state selection,
you can use this mechanism by manually triggering the selection event and having your handlers
refer to a class variable within the application for the state. The system is written generically so
that it can handle a variety of cases.

Write a handler for AIF context sensitivity

Base AIF provides the framework for context sensitivity as well as one implemented handler,
RequiredSelectionHandler. The RequiredSelectionHandler handler looks at the given application,
and if one or more components are selected, the associated components are enabled. Otherwise,
the component is disabled. This is enabled for many actions that currently appear within the menu
bar and toolbar, more notably the cut, copy, and paste actions.
Use the following steps to write your own handler:
1. Write a class that subclasses the AbstractAIFContextSensitivityHandler class.

2. Provide the implementation method within the class public void componentSelected
(SelectionEvent e). The implementation of the componentSelection() class interrogates the
application to get the desired data and takes the appropriate action, such as checking the number
of components selected within the application and setting the state of the component. The
following code shows the source for the RequiredSelectionHandler handler:
public class RequiredSelectionHandler extends
AbstractAIFContextSensitivityHandler
implements AIFComponentSelectionListener
{
public RequiredSelectionHandler ( Component cmp )
{
super ( cmp );
}
public void componentSelected ( AIFComponentSelectionEvent e )
{
AbstractAIFUIApplication a = e.getApplication();
Component c = getComponent();
if ( a.getTargetContexts() != null )
{
c.setEnabled ( true );

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}
else
{
c.setEnabled (false );
}
}
}

3. Register your handler with the action by either adding to the registry or manually registering it
within the UI parent in which it is contained (menu bar, toolbar, panel).

To manually initiate the firing of a selection event, invoke the fireSelectionEvent() method within the
application (a.fireSelectionEvent()).

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Introduction to thin client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Customizing navigation pane and menu entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Modifying browser behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Generating a thin client page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Process for generating a thin client page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Choosing the menu command and displaying the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Submitting the data and submitting the Web request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Processing on the Teamcenter server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Receiving the response and displaying feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Basic thin client customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Thin client customization recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Top-level pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Directory structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Deploying thin client customization changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Thin client preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Cascading style sheets (CSS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Thin client menu system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Orientation to the thin client menu system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Modifying menu commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Customizing menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Change the business objects displayed in the New menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Adding and modifying business object icons in the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Configuration settings in the user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

Customizing forms for the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19

Methods of customizing forms for the thin client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Altering form content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21
Thin client custom form override mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Thin client custom form override example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Customize property names in the user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27

Customizing the thin client with TcScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27

Write TcScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
TcScript values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
System constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Reserved variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
TcScript operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32

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 String operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Integer operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
TcScript array operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
LENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
REVERSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
SORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
SPLICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Accessing Teamcenter data with TcScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Calling ITK with TcScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Writing specialized ITKs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
LOG function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Work with the user exits sample file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
TcScript Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
if . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
include . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
def/enddef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
TcScript error handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
TcScript try/catch error handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
TcScript syntax errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
TcScript error function calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Property error table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
TcScript helper functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Location of TcScript helper functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
contains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
ErrorStack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
HTMLDefaultHeader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
HTMLErrorStack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
imanText . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
quote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
quoteImanText . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
removeArrayElement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
replaceArrayElement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
replaceChar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
replaceString . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
startsWith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44
throwIfErrorNot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44
throwIfErrorNotArray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45
tokenize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45
XMLDefaultHeader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45

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Chapter 4: Thin client customization

Introduction to thin client customization

The Teamcenter thin client is based on a client-server architecture. Both the client and server layers
can be customized. The client is the user interface (UI) layer and can be customized using JavaScript
and other methods. The server layer can be customized using many methods, including TcScript,
the Integration Toolkit (ITK), and the C++ programming language.
To fully understand the inner workings of the thin client for large-scale customizations, you should
explore the code. The standard, mainstream methods and paradigms employed by the thin client are
covered in this guide, but there are many exception cases where one or more standard practices have
been substituted with an alternate approach to achieve an alternate result. If the standard interfaces
documented here do not cover your special case, your knowledge of the existing user interface is
invaluable. Try identifying a similar special case in the user interface and tracing how it works.

Customizing navigation pane and menu entries

The thin client presents functionality via a navigation pane and menus that can change dynamically
according to the application in use. Three basic types of actions are performed within this interface:
• Navigate to a new URL, replacing the current page, for example, navigating from your worklist
to your home folder.

• Open a dialog box within the current page, for example, opening the New Item dialog box using
the New→Item command.

• Perform an action within the current page, for example, cut or copy an object from or to another
object.

A menu command that requires an object to be selected before the command can be performed
is called a context-sensitive menu command. A menu command that is not dependent on
object selection is called a context-insensitive menu command. Determining placement of menu
names and commands is often decided based upon desired placement of context-sensitive and
context-insensitive commands.
Menu names, commands, and behavior can be configured using XML files stored in the following
directory:
TC_ROOT/web/htdocs/tc
The tc directory contains the following subdirectories:
en directory
Defines all English menu entries, subentries, and tools. If your site has localized Teamcenter
for another language, an additional directory is added in parallel. For example, if your site has

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localized the product for French, a directory named fr is added on the same level as the en
directory.
This configuration places all context sensitive commands in the menu bar and all context
insensitive commands in the navigation pane. Thus, all navigation commands behave
consistently regardless of the object selected.
The configuration defined by the XML files in this directory is the default configuration.
loose directory
Defines an alternative menu and navigation pane configuration. In this configuration, the
Structure Manager, Referencers, and Create actions are located in the navigation pane, rather
than displayed as menu commands. Thus, the navigation pane contains commands which are
context sensitive (for example, the Structure Manager command only opens Structure Manager
if an item or item revision containing a BOMView is selected) and context insensitive (for example,
clicking Open Inbox always opens the user's inbox, regardless of what object is selected.
strict directory
Defines an alternative menu and navigation pane configuration similar to the default configuration
defined by the XML menu files defined in the en directory. The primary difference is that the new
menu type is replaced by the create menu type. The resulting Create menu is available from
every page in the interface and the create functionality is context insensitive. In other words,
the create action does not depend upon the current selection context, rather it always inserts
new objects into the user's Newstuff folder.

To implement the alternative configurations offered in the loose and strict directories, you must
complete the following steps:
1. Copy the webstrings.xml file from the en directory to the relevant alternative directory.

2. Create a backup copy of the en directory and replace it with the relevant alternative directory.
Name this directory en.

3. Alternatively, instead of renaming the relevant alternative directory, change the text server's
web_char_encoding key in the weblocal.xml file. By default, the key is named en. Rename the
key to the name of the relevant alternative directory.
If you use this method, you must copy the webstrings.xml file from the en directory to the
relevant alternative directory.

Use the configurations defined by the XML files in the en, loose and strict directories to optimize
the thin client configuration at your site. Menu and navigation commands can be added or removed
site-wide.
User-based, group-based, or role-based customization of the XML menu files is not supported.
However, this level of customization is available using menu entry suppression.
For information about configuring menu and toolbar commands, see the Application Administration.

Modifying browser behavior

You can control whether a menu command launches a new browser or updates a specific browser.
For example, the toolbar.xml file configures online help to open in a new browser by default. When

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users click on Web Collection in the navigation pane, the online help launches in a second window.
Click Web Collection again and a third window opens.
To prevent this behavior, modify the toolbar subentry, defining the target value with a specific
browser to be used. For example:
tool title="Help" image="/tc/images/lhn_help.gif”
subentry title="Web Collection" url="/cgi-bin/tc?TC_file=
redirs/tcwebhelp" target="tchelp"/
subentry title="General Collection"
url="/cgi-bin/tc?TC_file=redirs/tcwebhelp&core=y" target="tchelp"/
subentry title="About Teamcenter..." url="javascript:popupAboutDialog();" /
/tool

In this example, the target value is set to tchelp.

The target attribute is valid only on the menuentry, subentry, and tool entries. The attribute only
takes effect when its respective menu entry is listed in the WEB_menu_entry_new_window
preference; otherwise, it is ignored.

Generating a thin client page

Process for generating a thin client page
This detailed process shows the end-to-end flow of a typical request/response transaction in the
Teamcenter thin client:
1. The user chooses a menu command.
For more information, see Choosing the menu command and displaying the dialog box.

2. A dialog box is instantiated for user input.

3. The user enters data in the dialog box and submits it by clicking either the OK or Apply button.
For more information, see Submitting the data and submitting the Web request.

4. A server-side request is initiated.

For more information, see Processing on the Teamcenter server.

5. The selected action is performed.

6. The results are displayed as feedback to the user.

For more information, see Receiving the response and displaying feedback.

For example, if the user creates a new folder, the process is:
1. The user chooses New→Folder in My Teamcenter.

2. The New Folder dialog box appears.

3. The user types a name and a description for the folder, selects a type from the list, and clicks OK.

4. A request to the server is generated that includes the data from the dialog box and the appropriate
insertion point.

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5. The new folder is created on the server and attached using ITK.

6. An XML response is returned from the server with either the data to insert the new folder in the
user interface or an error message.

If you review the flow of this typical example, it helps you understand how the thin client works.
You can follow this example in detail to see how the infrastructure components work together
to implement this behavior.

Choosing the menu command and displaying the dialog box

To see the association between the menu entry and the JavaScript, see the following example:
<menuentry title="Folder..." key="newFolderAction"
url="javascript:popupNewFolderDialog();"
image="teamcenter/dhtml/icons/folder.png">
</menuentry>

Note that menu commands can execute arbitrary JavaScript. The menu XML is delivered
to the client and rendered as HTML with the JavaScript action attached. In this case, the
popupNewFolderDialog() function is called when the user chooses the New→Folder menu
command.
Note

Most menu entries are defined in the XML files, but the New menu
entries are the exception. The New menu items are read from the
WEB_displayed_new_menu_objects preference, as shown by the following
code in the line in the staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\
intl\language\wsomenu.xml file:
<menu type="new" title="New">
<menu type="NewmenuPlaceHolder" desc="Placeholder for menu entries of
WEB_displayed_new_menu_objects preference"></menu>

The menu XML is delivered to the client and rendered as HTML with a JavaScript action
attached. In this case, the popupNewFolderDialog() function is called when the user chooses
the New→Folder menu command.

The popupNewFolderDialog() function is based on a standard dialog box invocation

template function that is used in many places. It maintains a single dialog box instance;
it is not useful to have more than one open New Folder dialog box at a time. In the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\apps\dialogs\new.js file (shown in the following
code sample), a global variable tracks the existence of the New Folder dialog box.
// new folder dialog is a singleton
var globalNewFolderDialog = null;

function popupNewFolderDialog( context )

{
var selcon = checkSelCon( context );
var form;
var browserName=getBrowserName();

if( checkDialogReset( selcon, globalNewFolderDialog ) )

{
if(browserName == "IE")
{
form = newfolderform.XMLDocument.documentElement;

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}
else if(browserName == "Netscape")
{
form=getFormByName(getString("web_newfolder_title"));
}

globalNewFolderDialog = createActionDialog( form,

"common/actions/newfolder.xml",
selcon, // take selection?
true ); // have apply button
}
globalNewFolderDialog.popup();
}

If the dialog box already exists, the code displays it instead of creating a new one. The dialog box is
implemented using Teamcenter actionDialog code. The actionDialog code generates a generically
abstracted dialog box that incorporates behaviors used by many Teamcenter dialog boxes, so the
code needed to create an instance of the dialog box is terse.
The description of the form itself is in the form renderer XML format required for the actionDialog
code. The XML data is held within a data island in the HTML page structure. Many dialogs boxes
take a server trip to assemble the appropriate form (dynamic dialog boxes as opposed to static). This
occurs if performance is an issue (for example, the User Settings dialog box), or if Teamcenter
suggests values based on the selected object (for example, the New Process dialog box).
The following sample shows the generated XML form code:
<form name="New Folder">
<field name="name" displayname="Name" required="true" />
<field name="description" displayname="Description" />
</form>

The createActionDialog method takes this XML code as input and renders it as HTML. The
popupNewFolderDialog() function calls the popup method on the dialog box instance. This displays
the dialog box to the user.

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New Folder dialog box

Submitting the data and submitting the Web request

After the user fills in the form and clicks OK, the actionCall function in the generic actionDialog code
is executed using the DHTML onclick event attached to the OK button. The actionCall function
builds a request URL based on the associated action (the newfolder.xml file), the form input
values, and the currently selected object from the tree. The associated action was an argument
to the actionDialog code earlier; the form values are collected by the buildURL() method in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\formrenderer.js file, and the currently
selected object from the tree is taken using an interface to the treeRenderer code. The request
URL arguments look like the following:
tc_file=actions/newfolder.xml&_name=example&_description=&_type=Folder&parent_uid=
wcysT3taAAAMeC

The associated action argument specifies a given script to execute on the server. To compare it to a
function call, the newfolder.xml argument is similar to the API function name; the rest of the URL is
similar to the argument list. This creates a request object suitable for submission to the XML loader.
Up to this point, all operations are on the client side. The XML loader is the module that submits
requests to the server. Teamcenter allows only a single logical request to be active at a time with a
blocking and queuing mechanism because Web users prefer to avoid multiple requests, even though
JavaScript is inherently threaded and the Teamcenter pool manager can queue multiple requests
and serialize them on the server side.

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Processing on the Teamcenter server

The HTTP server transmits a request to the Teamcenter pool manager. The pool manager then
queues the query until an available TcScript process is ready to accept it. For more detailed
information, see Getting Started with Customization.

The tcserver process executes the newfolder.xml script, calling ITK as appropriate, to create
the new folder and to attach it to its specified parent. There are several ITK functions needed to
create and save a folder, including the FL_create function. You can see the actual script in the
TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\actions\newfolder.xml file. If an error occurs during the
script processing, an exception is thrown and a POM rollback occurs to maintain the all-or-nothing
transactionality.

Depending on the result, the script outputs either an XML refresh message or an XML error stack to
the client. When creating a folder, the refresh message format is refresh this parent object and insert
this new folder. The first message ensures that the last modified dates and users are synchronized.
The following code sample shows a typical success response:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<update>
<refresh>
<line tag="wcysT3taAAAMeC " name="Home" link="/tc/webclient/wcysT3taAAAMeC" type="Folder"
class="Folder">
<prop name="actions"/>
<prop name="object_type">Folder</prop>
<prop name="owning_user" link="/tc/webclient/Q_wsTuYwAAAMeC" class="User">phin</prop>
<prop name="owning_group" link="/tc/webclient/Qc9YS80iAAAMeC" class="Group">
MyLocation.MyDepartment.TC.P&O.MyCompany</prop>
<prop name="last_mod_date">02-Nov-2008 11:13</prop>
<prop name="checked_out"></prop>
<prop name="release_status_list"></prop>
<children type="Folder" link="/tc/webclient/ wcysT3taAAAMeC?TC_file=data/wsochildren.xml"/>
<children type="WhereReferenced" link="/tc/webclient/ wcysT3taAAAMeC?
TC_file=data/wherereferenced.xml"/>
</line>
</refresh>
<insert parent_uid="wcysT3taAAAMeC">
<line tag="A6$segTGAAAMeC" name="example" link="/tc/webclient/A6$segTGAAAMeC" type="Folder"
class="Folder">
<prop name="actions"/>
<prop name="object_type">Folder</prop>
<prop name="relation"/><prop name="object_desc"></prop>
<prop name="owning_user" link="/tc/webclient/Q_wsTuYwAAAMeC" class="User">phin</prop>
<prop name="owning_group" link="/tc/webclient/Qc9YS80iAAAMeC" class="Group">
MyLocation.MyDepartment.TC.P&O.MyCompany</prop>
<prop name="last_mod_date">02-Nov-2008 11:13</prop>
<prop name="checked_out"></prop>
<prop name="release_status_list"></prop>
<children type="GRM" link="/tc/webclient/A6$segTGAAAMeC?TC_file=data/wsochildren.xml"/>
<children type="WhereUsed" link="/tc/webclient/A6$segTGAAAMeC?TC_file=data/whereused.xml"/>
<children type="WhereReferenced" link="/tc/webclient/A6$segTGAAAMeC?TC_file=
data/wherereferenced.xml"/>
</line>
</insert>
</update>

If the new folder cannot be created, an errorstack message is returned with the XML code of the
error stack.

After the message is sent, the server script completes and the TcScript process signals its availability
to perform another query.

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Receiving the response and displaying feedback

When the message is received, a generic update callback specified by the actionDialog code
processes the XML, updates the parent folder, and dynamically inserts the new folder into the DOM.
For details, see the staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\update.js file. For
each type of update message, the appropriate action is performed. In the new folder example, an
insert message containing details of the new folder is received. The new folder is inserted into the
tree below the appropriate parent. In addition, a refresh message is received that updates the parent
line with any new data. If the creation of the new folder fails, an errorstack message is received.
This is interpreted by the refresh callback, and an HTML alert dialog box is displayed to the user
with the errors.
If the user clicks OK, the dialog box closes on success. If there is an error, the dialog box remains
open so the user can correct the error. If the user clicks Apply, the dialog box remains open.

Basic thin client customization

Thin client customization recommendations

Basic thin client customization tasks include customizing the menus, style sheets, and icons.
When customizing Teamcenter, put as much of your customization into the core code and as little into
the user interface as possible. If your installation uses multiple interfaces, this minimizes duplication.
Also, use simpler configuration and tailoring techniques before using custom code.
Whenever possible, avoid making changes to existing source files. Instead,
create new custom JavaScript files for implementing new functionality under
the staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\custom directory. When
including custom JavaScript files (for example, custom_form1.js), add them to the
TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\custom\custom_head.ish file (shown in following code sample) instead
of the head.ish file:
print '<script type="text/javascript"
src="teamcenter/dhtml/custom/custom_form1.js"></script>' + NL

If you do this, you do not need to merge the old and new head.ish files when you apply a maintenance
patch or upgrade to a new version.
Tip

A free Firefox add-on called Firebug is especially useful. The three most useful features are:
• Net
View the HTTP requests and responses.

• Console
View the in-page XMLHTTPRequest (XHR) calls and the XML responses.

• Script
Debug your JavaScript.

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Top-level pages
Top-level pages are Teamcenter Web requests that are returned within an HTML wrapper. Every
Teamcenter Web application, such as My Teamcenter and Structure Manager, has a top-level page
that initializes the client. Most actions do not depend on how the browser achieves this initial state.
After the top-level page loads, subsequent actions within the page, such as tree expansions and
dialog box instantiations, result in requests for XML that are handled within the page. The initial
HTML returned consists of the following:
• JavaScript files to cache on the client (client-side components)

• Small XML data islands

• Menu string data (user/group/role/version)

• Menu entry suppression data

• Special search menu data

• In-page JavaScript for rendering the current page from the Teamcenter data XML

• XML menus

• A large XML data island containing the Teamcenter data to be rendered

• A small amount of HTML code to create the basic page structure

• Another data island containing the XML description of the static forms worth caching on the client

To see the HTML code, view the browser source for one of the pages. Most HTML
code is generated by the TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\head.ish file. If you need
to include common HTML elements across the entire HTML layout, add them to the
TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\custom\custom_head.ish file. The in-page JavaScript contains an
onLoad() function initiated by the browser onLoad event. This function renders the Teamcenter
XML data island as displayable HTML code.

Directory structure
There are two kinds of files: static and dynamic.
Static files are consumed directly and cached by the browser. These include .js files, image files (.gif,
.jpg, and .png), some static .xml files for menus (all in the intl directory), and .css files. You choose
the thin client staging directory (staging_location) during the J2EE Web tier installation.
For more information, see the Windows Server Installation. You can find JavaScript files in the
subdirectories of the staging_location\webapp_root directory.
For example, the formrender.js file is located in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common directory. The following table shows the
directories that contain the various types of static files.

File type Directory

Style sheets webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\css

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File type Directory

Common components (for example, webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common
the renderers)
Common dialog code webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\apps\dialogs
Internationalized files and menus webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\intl\
language
Teamcenter type icons webapp_root\typeicons
Teamcenter icons webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\icons
Images webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\images
Custom JavaScript files webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\custom

Dynamic files are written in the TcScript language and interpreted at run time by the tcserver process.
They have .xml, .isx, .ish, .html, and .is extensions and reside in the TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc
directory. The directory for dynamic files is created when Teamcenter is installed. The following table
shows the directories that contain the various types of dynamic files.

File type Directory

Application files TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc subdirectories such as
workspace, inbox, and pse
Common XML data retrieval scripts TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\data
Common XML action scripts TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\actions
Application-specific XML data retrieval TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\application\data
scripts
Application-specific XML action scripts TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\application\actions
Redirection scripts TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\redirs

Deploying thin client customization changes

In the thin client, files are either static or dynamic:
• Static files
Static files are deployed in the Web tier and are consumed directly and cached by the browser.
These files include JavaScript (.js), images (.png, .gif, .jpg), a few static XMLs for menus under
the intl directory, and cascading style sheets (.css).
To deploy static file changes to the thin client, regenerate the tc.ear file using the Web Application
Manager, and deploy the updated file to your Web application server.

1. Change the .js files in the staging_location\webapp_root directory.

2. Regenerate the tc.ear file and deploy in the application server domain.

3. Clear your browser cache so the new version can be loaded.

• Dynamic files

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Dynamic files are written in TcScript, used only on the server, and interpreted at run time by the
tcserver process. These files have .xml, .isx, .ish, .html, and .is extensions.
To deploy dynamic file changes, restart your tcserver process to pick up changes:

1. Change the .xml, .isx, or .ish files in the TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc directory.

2. Restart your tcserver process to pick up changes. Either restart the pool manager or log off
Teamcenter and log on again. You can avoid this step by setting the TC_WEB_NO_CACHE
environment variable to TRUE.
For more information, see Write TcScript.

Thin client preferences

Many preferences affect the behavior of the Teamcenter thin client. The details are documented in
the official help collection. The most useful of these options can be set directly in the thin client with
the Edit→Options menu command. Set the site options before end users start modifying their
personal options. Teamcenter sets default options out-of-the-box, but you can change them to
more appropriate settings for your site.
For more information about setting and scoping preferences, see the Preferences and Environment
Variables Reference.
Note

Most Web-specific options begin with WEB_.

The following table contains important preferences that affect the thin client.

Preference Definition
CR_allow_alternate_procedures Determines if only assigned processes are
permitted.
EPM_adhoc_signoffs Enables or disables ad hoc signoff.
WEB_auto_assign_ds_id Determines if dataset IDs are auto-assigned.
WEB_core_help_server Sets the URL location of the general Teamcenter
help collection; it is used to create the
Help→General Collection menu command.
WEB_dataset_shown_relations Controls the contents displayed on the Dataset
page (for example, show reference objects and
show multiple file versions).
WEB_dataset_upload_mode Sets the default dataset upload mode for the site.
Set to 0 if the dataset does not need to be checked
out to upload a file to it (auto-checkout). Set to
1 if the dataset must be checked out explicitly to
upload a file to it.
WEB_default_site_server Specifies the address of the Web server; set this to
generate visualization bookmarks.
WEB_displayed_new_menu_objects Defines the list of items in the New menu.

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Preference Definition
WEB_help_server Defines the URL location of the Teamcenter Web
help collection; it is used to create the Help→Web
Collection menu command.
WEB_max_search_results Sets the maximum number of results to show in
the search page.
WEB_processes Defines the EPM processes to be listed from the
Web (if not set, processes are not filtered).
WEB_protocol Sets the protocol used by the Web server (default
is http:\\).

WEB_title_contents Defines the title bar formula.

WEB_type-name_default_relation Customizes the default paste relation by type.

The following table contains important preference that affect visualization in the thin client.

Preference Definition
SecondaryVMUDatasets Lists the non-VMU dataset types that could contain VMU
datasets.
VMU_Datasets Visualization dataset types that should be launched using
VMU.
VMU_FileSearchOrder Defines the valid named reference types for VMU
datasets.

Cascading style sheets (CSS)

CSS is a W3C standard used to separate stylistic elements from data and other display logic. The
thin client uses CSS to package the display and style information in one place. Changes to the style
sheet are reflected across the entire application. This makes applying a custom style to the thin client
much easier and more portable. You should become familiar with CSS basics.
Use cascading style sheets to design the thin client user interface (HTML
pages, dialog boxes, and forms). The files related to CSS are located in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\css directory.
If you create other style sheets, the WEB_style_sheet preference determines which one is
used, and the WEB_style_sheet_list and WEB_style_sheet_list_names preferences define
the available style sheets. To change the style sheet being used in the thin client, choose
Edit→Options→Advanced→Style Sheet, click the arrow in the Style Sheet box, and select the
style sheet, such as Teamcenter Default. The Teamcenter Default style sheet corresponds to the
tc.css style sheet file specified in the WEB_style_sheet preference. To create a custom style sheet,
modify the tc.css file and save it with a different name.
There are three additional style sheets you can use to change the look of the thin client user interface:
• siemens/skin.css
Defines the Siemens PLM Software look for the user interface.

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• ui-core.css
Defines core widget styles, including styles for page header, layout, and multicolumn support.

• yui-core.css
Defines core widget styles for fonts, grids, containers, resize components, data tables, menus,
layout manager, tab views, and tree views.

Common changes such as font sizes, colors, and background colors are achieved by modifying the
skin.css file. For example, the default style for the top menu bar menus defined in the following
code examples from the skin.css file:
.siemens-skin .yuimenuitemlabel {
color: #000000;
cursor: default;
font-size: 85%;
padding: 0 15px 0 7px;
text-decoration: none;

And:
.siemens-skin .yuimenu .bd
background-color: #EFEFEF;
border: 1px solid #808080;

The following figure shows the menu using the CSS in the previous code examples.

Default menu
To change the background color of the menu to red and to change the font, set the style in CSS as
shown in the following code examples:
.siemens-skin .yuimenuitemlabel {
color: #000000;
cursor: default;
font-size: 100%; // font size increased
font-weight: bold; //added style for bolder text
padding: 0 15px 0 7px;
text-decoration: none;

And:

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.siemens-skin .yuimenu .bd

background-color: #DD6464; // changed to reddish
border: 1px solid #000000; //changed to black

Customized menu

Thin client menu system

Orientation to the thin client menu system

The menus and left-hand navigation (LHN) toolbar are configured using static XML from the Web
tier. The top menus retain the contextual actions (application or selection context specific). There
is one menu for each application or top-level page. The LHN provides a consistent location for a
simple set of context-free actions. The LHN is consistent throughout the applications. There are
three basic types of actions:

• Navigate to a new URL, either replacing the current page or opening a new browser (for example,
go to the Home folder).

• Open a dialog box (for example, create a new item).

• Execute an action within the current page (for example, clipboard actions).

The behavior of all three types may depend on the current selection within the tree,
though the default LHN actions generally do not. The menu XML files are in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\intl\language directory. There is
one LHN definition file (toolbar.xml) and one top-level menu definitions file for each application
(applicationmenu.xml). For example, the following code from the wsomenu.xml file renders the
menu in the following figure:
<menu type="Connection" title="Connection">
<menuentry ID="Revisable" title="Revisable..." key="newPSConnectionAction"
url="javascript:popupNewBusinessObject('PSConnection', true, false);"
image="teamcenter/dhtml/icons/PSConnection.png"/>
<menuentry ID="Non-Revisable" title="Non-Revisable..."
key="newGDELinkAction" url="javascript:popupNewBusinessObject('GeneralDesignElementLink',
true, true);" image="teamcenter/dhtml/icons/GeneralDesignElementLink.png"/>
</menu>

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New Connection menu

The menuentry attributes are:
• title
Specifies the localized display name for the entry.

• key
Specifies the name used for menu entry suppression configuration.

• url
Specifies the URL or arbitrary section of JavaScript.
Note

The menu style is controlled by a CSS style sheet. The LHN uses different tags with similar
attributes in the toolbar.xml file.
For more information, see Cascading style sheets (CSS).
To deploy menu changes, regenerate the .ear or .war files.
For more information, see Deploying thin client customization changes.

Modifying menu commands

To make changes across an entire site, you can manually add, remove,
or modify menu commands by editing the *menu.xml files in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\intl\language directory.
The WEB_menu_entry_new_window preference controls which menu commands are targeted to
open in new browsers. You can further tune this setting using the target attribute to target specific
browsers rather than always opening a new one.
For example, the help pages are configured by default to open in a new browser using the
WEB_menu_entry_new_window preference. If you choose the Help→Web Collection menu
command to open the documentation from your Home folder, it opens in a new browser. If the

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target attribute is not set, and you return to the browser displaying your Home folder and choose
Help→Web Collection again, another browser opens even though one is already open. However,
the target attribute is set by default to use a specific browser as seen in the commonmenus.xml file:
<menuentry title="Web Collection" key="applicationHelpAction" url="webclient?
TC_file=redirs/tcwebhelp" target="tchelp" ></menuentry>

With the target attribute set, if you return to the browser displaying your Home folder and choose
Help→Web Collection again, the already opened help browser is displayed. The target attribute
is used only if the menu command is listed in the WEB_menu_entry_new_window preference;
otherwise it is ignored.

Customizing menus

To add common menus commands to all applications, add the

menu details in the custom_menu_additions.xml file found in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\intl\language directory.
Custom menu files are defined for each application. For example, the standard menu file for the My
Teamcenter application is wsomenu.xml, and the custom menu file is wsomenu_custom.xml. If
you add menu commands to the wsomenu_custom.xml file, those menu commands are rendered.
The action attribute in the menu node of the XML code defines the behavior. If the action attribute
value is replace, the entire menu is replaced. If the value is add or the attribute is not defined, the
menu commands are added to the existing menu.
To add custom menu commands in all applications, define the commands in the
custom_menu_additions.xml file. Custom static menu files take precedence over standard static
menu files.
Note

To deploy the changes, regenerate the .ear or .war files.

For more information, see Deploying thin client customization changes.

Change the business objects displayed in the New menu

You can change the business objects displayed in the New menu by changing the
WEB_displayed_new_menu_objects preference. Use this preference to add, remove, or change
ordering of the business objects in the menu.
For example, you can use this preference to add a custom business object to the New menu:
1. Create a custom business object using the Business Modeler IDE and install it to the server.
For more information, see the Business Modeler IDE.

2. Add the custom business object to the WEB_displayed_new_menu_objects preference.

3. Add an icon for the business object.

For more information, see the Business Modeler IDE.

4. Regenerate the tc.ear file using the Web Application Manager, and deploy the updated file to
your Web application server.

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When you open the New menu, the custom business object is displayed.

Custom business object on the New menu

Note

When you create a business object using the New menu, the business object type is added to
the New→Recent menu. The number of business objects added to this menu is defined by
the Create_WorkspaceObject_mru_max preference.

Adding and modifying business object icons in the thin client

Business object icons are named and displayed by business object. You can modify them in the
staging_location\webapp_root\typeicons directory.
If you add a custom business object to Teamcenter, add a business object icon for it in both the thin
client and the rich client. You must name the business object icon using the exact, case-sensitive
business object name. If the business object has spaces in its name, you must use an underscore in
the icon name for each space. You can reuse copies of the same icon for different business objects.
If Teamcenter cannot find the business object icon, it silently loads the class icon. However, this
prevents caching, which slows performance and should be avoided.
Note

When you add a new business object icon, add it in the PNG format.

For instructions about changing business object icons in the rich client, see the Business Modeler IDE.

Configuration settings in the user interface

The following figure shows some of the important configuration settings that control the user interface.

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Configuration settings in the user interface

1 WEB_title_contents Preference that specifies what appears in the browser

title bar.

2 wsomenu.xml File that specifies what appears in the

thin client menu bar. Find this file in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\
dhtml\common\intl\language directory.
3 appbar_title_contents Preference that specifies the title string that appears in
the application bar.
4 toolbar.xml File that specifies what appears in the
navigation pane. Find this file in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\
dhtml\common\intl\language directory.

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Customizing forms for the thin client

Methods of customizing forms for the thin client

Forms can be customized in the following ways:
• XML rendering template (XRT)
For more information, see Introduction to style sheets.

• Altering of form contents

For more information, see Altering form content.

• Custom form override mechanism

For more information, see Thin client custom form override mechanism.

You can customize Teamcenter forms in many ways. A general strategy is to put as much of your
customization into the core and as little into the user interface as possible. If your site uses multiple
interfaces, as most do, you minimize duplicated effort. Some custom forms can be done completely
in the core and are inherently supported by all Teamcenter interfaces. Other customizations require
user interface effort, particularly forms with specialized display or interaction requirements.
Forms are used to store information. You can create a class with the required attributes and create
a form based on the class. When you click a form object in the thin client, a request is sent to the
Teamcenter server to retrieve the form object attributes, fields, and their values. Response XML code
is sent to the client with the details. The XML is parsed to get the field details and render them as
various components.
The following are the data types and components supported by forms:

Data types and

components Example
String – text field

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Data types and

components Example
Large strings (strings
of defined database
length greater than 60
characters) – text area

Date – calendar

Boolean – check box

Multiple choices – buttons

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Data types and

components Example
List of values (LOVs
can be exhaustive or
suggestive. In case of
suggestive LOVs, the user
can enter a value in the
LOV field) – list box

Altering form content

The form customization techniques change the client-side presentation of the existing form data, but
they do not affect the XML form data coming from the server. To add new or alter existing fields, you
can write custom XML nodes under the <custom> tag. This technique can be used along with
any other customization technique.
• The standard TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\data\form.isx file is typically used for
retrieving the XML code on the server side.

• The form.isx file includes the TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\custom\data\custom_forms_data.xml

file. You can add extra attributes and their values to the form XML as needed. This XML code
can also include attributes that need to be overridden.

• On the client, the XML code is transformed by removing the custom nodes and integrating with
the standard form XML.

• While rendering, the attributes in <custom> field nodes are given preference when the same
set of nodes exist in the standard form XML.

The resulting XML code looks like the following on the server side:
<form>
<field name=attr1 …></field>
<field name=attr2 …></field>
<field name=attr3 …></field>
<custom>
<field name=attr3 ….><lov>values…</lov></field>
<field name=attr4 ….></field>
</custom>
</form>

After transformation on the client, the XML looks like the following:
<form>

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<field name=attr1 …></field>

<field name=attr2 …></field>
<field name=attr3 ….><lov>values…</lov></field>
<field name=attr4 ….></field>
</form>

Thin client custom form override mechanism

If you cannot customize the Web user interface form with the preferred techniques, you can use
the form override mechanism to customize most of them. This mechanism provides a unified and
abstract interface to the most useful form characteristics. These characteristics can then be special
cased by form type. It is especially useful because you can have a complete form customization in
one file rather than placing hooks in several places, so you can port customizations more easily from
one version of Teamcenter to another.
Several characteristics summarize Teamcenter dialog boxes. These characteristics are
factored and parameterized as arguments to the createActionDialog() function in the
staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\common\actiondialog.js file. The arguments
are:
• actionCall

• actionScript

• applyButton

• formNode

• numCols

• renderer

• resizable

• takeSelection

You can override these inputs based on your dialog box type using the customization mechanism in
the staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\custom\customform.js file. You can override
one, none, or all of these parameters based on the form type.
In this context, a form is a subtype of dialog box. This information applies to all dialog boxes,
but is most commonly used with forms. By default, forms have the required XML type box, but
other dialog boxes do not. All dialog boxes use the XML <form> node and are created using the
createActionDialog function.

Parameter Definition and default value

actionCall Specifies the JavaScript function called to parse your arguments and
calls your action script. See the genericActionCall() function in the
actiondialog.js file. This parameter should be the actual function
handle (the name without quotation marks), not a string. The default is
genericActionCall.

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Parameter Definition and default value

actionScript Specifies the TcScript action or file to execute when you click
the OK or Apply button. The form default is found in the
TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\actions\
formmodify.xml file; other dialog boxes have different defaults.
applyButton Specifies whether or not to add an Apply button to the form in addition
to the OK and Cancel buttons. Values are either true or false. The
form default is true; other dialog boxes have different defaults.
formNode Specifies the DOM reference to the first XML node describing your
dialog box. Do not change this parameter—it must not be overridden.
numCols Specifies the number of columns in the dialog box. You must use
2 or 3 unless you are substituting your own renderer and argument
parser in the actionCall parameter. The form default is 2. Some dialog
boxes (such as Route task perform, Time task, and Out of office)
explicitly pass in 3.
renderer Specifies the JavaScript function called to render your XML into your
dialog table. This must be a string literal (quoted), not a function handle
like in the actionCall parameter. The default is "processFORM" for
both forms and dialogs.
resizable Specifies whether the dialog box is dynamically resized or static. The
default is false (in other words, static). Set to any non-null value to
turn resizing on.
takeSelection Specifies whether or not to pass the current tree selection to your
action script. It is either true or false. The form default is false; other
dialog boxes have different defaults.

These parameters are not listed in the order they are used. To better understand their usage, think
about them in the order they are used. The formNode, applyButton, resizable, numCols, and
renderer parameters are used for creating the form. Then, on submission, the actionCall function is
called, which uses the takeSelection parameter and makes a request to the server file, actionScript.
You can override these parameters by initializing new values in a special multidimensional associative
array called globalCustomDialogType. Additionally in this file, you must define any new functions
you mention in the renderer or actionCall parameters.
You do not need to initialize parameters to their default values; you only need to set the ones you
want to override.
In section 1 of the customform.js file, add a new parameter array to globalCustomDialogType,
keyed by the type name. For each parameter you want to override, add the value to the parameter
array, keyed by the parameter name. An example is shown in the following figure.
In section 2, if you are overriding renderer or actionCall, define your new functions. Your new
renderer is passed two parameters automatically: the DOM reference to the XML dialog node and
the DOM reference to the div table the dialog box is created in. Therefore, your renderer should
accept two inputs. Your new actionCall does not take any arguments. An example is shown in
the following code example:
/ SECTION 1 //
// create and initialize associative arrays

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// associative area of custom dialog types and renderers

var globalCustomDialogType = new Array(); //instantiate global array

// instantiate inner arrays for any dialog types you want to override here...
// remark form example:
globalCustomDialogType[ "remark form" ] = new Array();
// parameter array for "remark form" type

// custom form example:

globalCustomDialogType[ "custom form" ] = new Array();
// parameter array for "custom form" type

// override 2 remark form parameters:

globalCustomDialogType[ "remark form" ][ "renderer" ] = "processREMARKFORM";
//note quotes

globalCustomDialogType[ "remark form" ][ "actionCall" ] = mightyMightyActionCall;

//note no quotes

// override everything on custom form type

globalCustomDialogType[ "custom form" ][ "renderer" ] = "processREMARKFORM";
//note quotes

globalCustomDialogType[ "custom form" ][ "actionCall" ] = mightyMightyActionCall;

//note NO quotes

globalCustomDialogType[ "custom form" ][ "actionScript" ] = "myspecialcustomscript.xml";

// note that this tcscript file must be placed in the actions directory

globalCustomDialogType[ "custom form" ][ "takeSelection" ] = true;

//pass selected line to actionScript

globalCustomDialogType[ "custom form" ][ "applyButton" ] = false;

//OK/cancel only

globalCustomDialogType[ "custom form" ][ "numCols" ] = 7;

// 7 column dialog

// SECTION 2 //
// define your renderer here
// example:
// Of course calling processFORM is exactly what you do not want to
// actually do because this renders your form XML using our default renderer.
// But you could use this skeleton to test that you have hooked everything
// up properly.

function processREMARKFORM( customFormNode, table )

{
alert( "Success!" );
processFORM( customFormNode, table );
}

function mightyMightyActionCall()
{
alert( "Call successful" );
}

Thin client custom form override example

This example creates a custom item revision master form. Copy the code and paste it in the
customform.js file in the staging_location\webapp_root\teamcenter\dhtml\custom directory.
The customized form has a second column. The original form has only one column.
var globalCustomDialogType = new Array();

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globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ] = new Array();

// override everything on itemrevision master form type

globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ][ "renderer" ] = "processIRMFORM";
//note quotes
globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ][ "actionCall" ] = irmActionCall;
//note NO quotes
globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ][ "actionScript" ] = "common/actions
/formmodify.xml";
// note that this tcscript file must be placed in the actions directory
globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ][ "takeSelection" ] = true;
//pass selected line to actionScript
globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ][ "applyButton" ] = false; //OK/cancel only
globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ][ "numCols" ] = 4; //4 column dialog
globalCustomDialogType[ "ItemRevision Master" ][ "resizable" ] = true; //resizable dialog

function processIRMFORM( irmFormNode, table )

{
initializeForm( irmFormNode, table );
var dialog = getDialog( table );
var tbody = table.firstChild;
var fieldNode = irmFormNode.firstChild;
var row;

// create the dialog box title and also the header rows within the tbody
// table thead tr
row = dialog.headtable.firstChild.firstChild;
row.firstChild.innerHTML = irmFormNode.getAttribute( "name" );
row = document.createElement( "tr" );
tbody.appendChild( row );
var column1 = document.createElement( "td" );
var column2 = document.createElement( "td" );
var column3 = document.createElement( "td" );
var column4 = document.createElement( "td" );

row.appendChild( column1 );
row.appendChild( column2 );
row.appendChild( column3 );
row.appendChild( column4 );

row.modifiable = true;
column1.innerHTML = irmFormNode.firstChild.getAttribute("displayname");
column1.name = irmFormNode.firstChild.getAttribute( "name" );
var input = document.createElement( "input" );
input.type = "text";
input.value = irmFormNode.firstChild.getAttribute( "value" );
column2.appendChild( input );

column3.innerHTML = irmFormNode.firstChild.nextSibling.getAttribute("displayname");
column3.name = irmFormNode.firstChild.nextSibling.getAttribute( "name" );

input = document.createElement( "input" );

input.type = "text";
input.value = irmFormNode.firstChild.nextSibling.getAttribute( "value" );
column4.appendChild( input );
dialog.popup();
}
function irmActionCall(table, popDownOnSuccess)
{
doRequest( new irmAction( table, popDownOnSuccess ) );
}

function irmAction( table, popDownOnSuccess )

{
var actionScript = table.getAttribute("actionScript");
if(actionScript == null)

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{
actionScript = table.actionScript;
}

var request = "webclient?TC_file=" + actionScript;

request += buildIrmURL( table );

if ( table.takeSelection )
{
if( table.takeSelection == 'top' )
{
request += "&parent_uid=" + getTopLine().iman_parent_uid;
}
else
{
request += "&parent_uid=" + firstSelectedRowOrTopLine().iman_parent_uid;
if( table.takeSelection == 'lhn' )
{
request += "&lhn=true";
}
}
}

this.url = request;

this.dialog = getDialog(table);
this.callback = updateCallback;
this.popDownOnSuccess = popDownOnSuccess;
}

function buildIrmURL( table )

{
// go through the table body
// for each row
// if it's a row with two columns
// add the QUOTED string _row.fieldName=rightCell.input thing.value.somewhere

var URL = "";

// add object tag
if ( table.tc_object )
{
URL += "&object=" + table.tc_object;
}

var dialog = getDialog(table);

var tbody = dialog.getTBodyFromTable( table );

if( tbody == null )

{
alert("Cannot handle null. NULL tbody pointer.\n");
}
var row = tbody.firstChild;
while ( row )
{
// certain fields use this to indicate an unset value should not be submitted
if( row.modifiable )
{
var nameCell = row.firstChild; // 1st td
if ( nameCell )
{
var valueCell = nameCell.nextSibling; // 2nd td
if ( valueCell )
{
URL = URL + "&_" + fromUnicode( nameCell.name )
+ "=" + fromUnicode( queryInputValue( valueCell ) );
}

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}
// second set of inputs
nameCell = row.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling; // 3rd td
if ( nameCell )
{
var valueCell = nameCell.nextSibling; // 2nd td
if ( valueCell )
{
URL += URL + "&_" + fromUnicode( nameCell.name )
+ "=" + fromUnicode( queryInputValue( valueCell ) );
}
}
}
row = row.nextSibling;
}
return URL;
}

Customize property names in the user interface

You may want to change how a property name appears in the user interface. For example, you
have a property named my_prop but want it displayed as My Property. Use the Business Modeler
IDE to define the display names of properties.
For more information, see the Business Modeler IDE.

Customizing the thin client with TcScript

Write TcScript
TcScript is a proprietary server-side scripting language used to access Teamcenter. Typically the data
retrieved is used to create Web pages. The data generated can be potentially in any format. In the
out-of-the-box Teamcenter thin client, HTTP requests come in and XML is returned.
You may need to write server-side TcScript to satisfy your customization requirements. By making
modifications to existing TcScript, you can alter the data returned to the client. By writing your own
TcScript, you can implement new functionality.
The thin client optimizes performance by caching TcScript parse trees. You do not see changes made
to TcScript code until your tcserver process is restarted by either restarting the pool manager, killing
your tcserver process, or logging off and logging on again. You can avoid restarting the tcserver
process by setting the TC_WEB_NO_CACHE environment variable to TRUE so you can see your
TcScript changes immediately. Once you complete your modifications, set the variable back to
FALSE for improved performance.
TcScript has its own structure and command syntax, but its most important characteristic is that it has
a binding layer to Teamcenter ITK. You must be familiar with ITK to develop TcScript. For further
information and examples using TcScript, see the existing code. One broad end-to-end example is
described in Process for generating a thin client page.
TcScript sections of pages are interpreted by the thin client. To identify these sections, you must
enclose TcScript in <script> tags. In this particular example, the entire file is written in TcScript.
1. Begin with the following line:
<script type="text/IMAN">

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2. Include useful TcScript helper functions using paths relative to the htdoc root directory:
include 'common/basic.isx'
include 'actions/relations.isx'
include 'actions/update.isx'

3. Print an XML document header:

print XMLDefaultHeader()

The XMLDefaultHeader function is defined in the TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\basic.isx

file. The print statement is used to output data. Anything printed is sent to the requesting browser.

4. Make the first ITK call. Most ITK functions are available in TcScript.
POM_place_markpoint( 'mymark' )

This function places a mark point in the database that you can roll back to if anything goes wrong.

5. Add a try call:

try

TcScript supports try/catch blocks. This makes error handling much simpler. Instead of checking
the return value of each ITK function, wrap anything that could potentially fail in a try block and
handle the potential error in the catch block.

6. Add the first comment. Use the hash (#) character to denote TcScript comments.
# Must have a name....

7. You cannot create an item without a name, so use a conditional statement to evaluate the
&_name input parameter. All arguments passed in the requesting URL are available in TcScript.
If you look at the URL requesting the page in the access log, you should see &_name=xxx in
the argument section of the URL. This URL can also be found in the TcScript syslog and the
client Temporary Internet Files address field.
if _name == ''
then
# You must supply a name for an Item(Revison)
EMH_store_error( 1, 63065 )
throw 'error'
endif

Note that the quotation marks are single quotation marks. Always use single quotation marks
in TcScript to denote string literals. If no name is supplied, an error is stored on the stack and
thrown directly to the catch, skipping the lines in between.

8. Split the parent_uid argument in two. This parent_uid is the Teamcenter UID (or tag) of the line
selected as the insertion point for the new item concatenated with the relation type UID (tag). Thin
client UIDs are Web-safe versions of tag_t. The UID and tag_t are essentially the same, because
the conversions are handled in the bindings to the ITK. Therefore, they are referred to as tags.
The ITK output parameters are passed as literals. This is synonymous with passing a pointer.
WEB_decompose_double_tag( parent_uid, 'parent', 'relation' )

9. Initialize the rest of the input arguments:

item_id = _id
rev_id = _revid

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10. Call ITK to validate or create them, and then handle the response.
USER_validate_item_rev_id (item_id, rev_id, _type, 'modified_item_id',
'modified_rev_id', 'status')
# USER_invalid_id -- reject
# USER_valid_id -- create as given
# USER_override_id -- create as modified (silent change, for example,
# for case conversion)
# USER_modified_id -- may create as given, has returned a better version
if status == 'USER_invalid_id'
then
# Failed to create item -- invalid id supplied
EMH_store_error( 1, 63080 )
throw 'error'
elif status == 'USER_override_id'
then
if modified_item_id != ''
then
item_id = modified_item_id
endif
if modified_rev_id != ''
then
rev_id = modified_rev_id
endif

11. Call the ITK to create the item. The newItem and newRev tags are set as output.
# create the item with default rev id
ITEM_create_item( item_id, _name, _type, rev_id, 'newItem', 'newRev' )

12. Set the description for the item and revision and save them.
WSOM_set_description( newItem, _description )
WSOM_set_description( newRev, _description )
AOM_save( newRev )
AOM_save( newItem )
AOM_refresh( newRev, 0 )
AOM_refresh( newItem, 0 )

13. Link it to the appropriate place:

parent_uid = MakeRelation( parent_uid, newItem )

14. If there are no ITK errors or a thrown error, you can assume success and can send an XML
message to the browser asking for the parent line to be refreshed (in case any displayed
properties have changed) and for the new item to be inserted into the tree.
This message is discussed in more detail in Processing on the Teamcenter server.
print '<update>'
+ RefreshUpdate( WSOLine( parent ) )
+ InsertUpdate( parent_uid, WSOLine( newItem ) )
+ '</update>'

15. Delete the mark point because yo do not need to roll back.
POM_forget_markpoint( mymark )

If a thrown error was caught, you roll back to preserve the all-or-nothing nature of the transaction.

16. Add a contextual error message to the stack and print the XML error stack. This function is
defined in the basic.isx file.
catch error
POM_roll_to_markpoint( mymark, 'stateChanged' )

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EMH_store_error( 1, 63009 )
print ErrorStack( '' ) + NL

17. Close the try block with an endtry statement and close the script tag. This concludes the script.
The XML message sent to the client is interpreted.
endtry
</script>

TcScript values

Types

TcScript values can have one of the following types:

Type Definition
Array Array of TcScript values of any type
Date Teamcenter date
Integer Integer number
Logical Logical or Boolean value (TRUE or FALSE)
Object Teamcenter object (in other words, a Teamcenter tag)
String Literal text string

In most cases, the value type is not relevant to the author of a Teamcenter Web page because
TcScript automatically converts values to a suitable type in the ITK bindings. There is one exception:
the string to integer conversion. All HTTP arguments are strings, so if you have &index=22 in your
URL, the variable index is set to the string 22 in your TcScript environment. If you then need this value
as an integer to pass to ITK, you must explicitly convert it using the WEB_string_to_int ITK function.

Strings

String literals are enclosed by single quotation marks. All whitespace (including new lines) between
the quotes is included verbatim in the string. For example:

String Description
'hello world' Literal text string
" Empty string
' New line character
'
'<table> Literal segment of HTML
<tr>
<td>NW</td>
<td>NE</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SW</td>
<td>SE</td>
</tr>
</table>'

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System constants

The following constants are defined in TcScript.

Constants Definition
EMPTYARRAY Empty array
FALSE Logical value false
NL Literal new line
NULLTAG Object value representing a Teamcenter NULLTAG
TRUE Logical value true

Variables

Values can be assigned to a variable. For example:

id = IMAN_user.user_id

The variable id is created automatically if it does not exist before the assignment. The variable can
then be used or reassigned throughout the rest of the page.
Array variables can be assigned in requests as follows:
selection[0]=a&selection[1]=b

This creates an array selection with two elements in it. This array notation is only valid in requests.
TcScript does not have a mechanism for dereferencing particular elements of an array. Instead,
arrays are generally looped through incrementally. In TcScript, arrays can be formed using the ::
concatenation operator. For example:
selection = a :: b

Reserved variables

The following metavariables are defined by TcScript. Their values are set appropriately immediately
before each page is processed:

Metavariable Definition
IMAN_user Current user's tag
IMAN_role Current user's role tag
IMAN_group Current user's group
IMAN_config_rule Current configuration rule tag
IMAN_site_name Name of the site
MANGLED_QUERY Query with standard mangling (to allow POST/GET)
QUERY Page query tag
TC_VERSION Teamcenter version string

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TcScript operators

String operators
The only string operator in TcScript is the concatenation operator (+). This operator converts its left
and right hand operands to strings and concatenates them.

Example code Result

'hello' + 'world' 'helloworld'
'hello' + ' ' + 'world' 'hello world'
name = 'hello' 'hello world'
id = 'world'
name + ' ' + id

Integer operators
TcScript does not implement any mathematical functions directly. To perform addition, subtraction,
multiplication, or division of TcScript integers, call the WEB_arithmetic ITK function:
WEB_arithmetic( num_left, op, num_right, output )

num_left and num_right are integers, op is an operator character, and output is the mathematical
result. The operator character can be:
• +

• –

• *

• \

For example:
index = 0
WEB_arithmetic( index, '+', 1, 'index' )

This code adds 1 to the value of index.

TcScript array operators

LENGTH
The LENGTH function returns the number of elements in an array. For example:

Example Result
LENGTH( animals ) '3'

LENGTH( EMPTYARRAY ) '0'

REVERSE
The REVERSE function reverses a list. For example:

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Example Result
REVERSE( dates ) { '17-Jun-1998', '23-Nov-1997', '05-Apr-1998' }

REVERSE( EMPTYARRAY ) EMPTYARRAY

SORT

The SORT function sorts a list by a specified property. The syntax is:
SORT( array, criterion )

The criterion argument is a string value giving the name of the property by which to sort the array:
For example:

Example Result
SORT( birthdates, { { 'henry hamster', '23-Nov-1997' },
{ 'laura lion', '05-Apr-1998' },
'individual' ) { 'vicky vicuna' , '17-Jun-1998' } }

SPLICE

The SPLICE function splices two lists together, returning a single array of objects. The syntax is:
SPLICE( list1, name1, list2, name2 )

The list1 and list2 arguments have equal lengths. The nth object in the returned array is a pair of the
nth element of the first list, and the nth element of the second list. The first and second elements of
each pair can then be accessed by the name1 and name2 field names, respectively. This provides a
mechanism for constructing a multi-dimensional array from HTTP name/values pairs. The SPLICE
function is rarely used but allows simultaneous iteration over two arrays. Note that several of the
data functions such as FORM and QUERYFIELDS effectively return SPLICE lists. The following
example shows iterating over a SPLICE array. Let birthdates be SPLICE( animals, 'individual',
dates, 'day' ). The value of birthdates can be represented as:
{ { 'laura lion', '05-Apr-1998' },
{ 'henry hamster', '23-Nov-1997' },
{ 'vicky vicuna' , '17-Jun-1998' } }

The following code lists out the animals and their birthdays:
for birthday in birthdates

print birthday.individual + ' was born on ' + birthday.day

print <br>

next

The SPLICE3 function is similar to the SPLICE function. It splices three lists together, returning a
single array of objects. The syntax is:
SPLICE3( list1, name1, list2, name2, list3, name3 )

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Accessing Teamcenter data with TcScript

Calling ITK with TcScript

Data can be retrieved using functions or properties. There are three kinds of functions available
in TcScript:

• Bound ITK

• Specialized TcScript

• Helper functions

Helper functions are written in TcScript and access Teamcenter data using one of the standard
methods, so they are not described. They are used only to conveniently wrap these methods behind
a layer of abstraction. Additionally, Teamcenter data can be accessed using properties.

ITK is the preferred method for accessing Teamcenter data in TcScript. Most ITK functions can be
called from TcScript. The function returns a logical value TRUE or FALSE depending on whether it
succeeded or not; errors must be handled by examining the error stack.

For simplicity in this create folder example, the return value is checked explicitly. The try/catch
block is preferred.
name = 'my folder'
if( FL_create( name, 'my generic description', 'newFolder' ) )
then
AOM_save( newFolder )
endif

You can pass the string, object, array of objects, integer, date, and logical input arguments directly
into the ITK function. Input arguments, if defined earlier, should be referred to in the ITK call without
quotation marks. You can also pass an input argument as a value; in the case of a string, use
single quotation marks as shown in this example. Output arguments are returned by passing the
name of a variable as a string; when the function completes, the output value is set to this variable.
In this example, the newFolder variable is not defined yet and therefore mentioned as a string
within single quotation marks. When the function completes, the newFolder variable is set to the
value of the folder tag.

All memory management issues involving output arguments are handled automatically by TcScript.
Most enum values can be passed in as literal strings. ITK structure types are not supported.

Properties

Given a Teamcenter object in TcScript, you can access any property of the object (including any
user-defined properties) with the . operator. The syntax is:
objectName[.attr]+

This allows property accesses to be chained together. For example:

item.object_name
rev.structure_revisions
namedRef.ref.object_type

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Writing specialized ITKs

Functions beginning with the WEB_ prefix are a special class of ITK implemented to perform specific
functions for the thin client. They are treated exactly like standard ITK. They should only be used
in cases where standard ITK functions do not provide the needed capability. The string functions
can be used with only a small amount of data.

Function Description
WEB_arithmetic Performs mathematical operations like +, –, *, and \.
WEB_compare Used to compare numbers.
WEB_string_to_int Converts a string to an integer.

LOG function
The LOG function is a useful debugging tool to keep data and debugging separate. For example:
my_val = 'blue'
LOG( 'the sky is ' + my_val + NL )

This writes the sky is blue\n to the tcserverpid.syslog file.

Work with the user exits sample file

User exits are places in the server where you can add additional behavior by attaching an
extension. Examples of user exits for thin client customization using TcScript can be found in the
TC_ROOT\sample\examples\user_web.c sample file.
For more information about user exits and extensions, see the Business Modeler IDE.
1. Install sample files:
a. Start Teamcenter Environment Manager (TEM).

b. In the Maintenance panel, select Configuration Manager and click Next.

c. In the Configuration Maintenance panel, select Perform maintenance on an existing

configuration and click Next.

d. In the Configuration Selection panel, select the configuration from which the corporate
server was installed. Click Next.

e. In the Feature Maintenance panel, under the Teamcenter section, select Add/Remove
Features. Click Next.

f. In the Features panel, under Server Enhancements, select Sample Files.

g. Click Next.

h. In the Confirm Selections panel, click Next.

The sample files are placed at the following location:

TC_ROOT\sample

2. Locate the user_web.c file in the following directory:

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TC_ROOT\sample\examples

3. Open the user_web.c file and follow the directions in the commented text.

TcScript Statements

for
The for statement is used to iterate over an array. The syntax is:
for variable in array
# body
# do something with each variable
next

Each value in an array is assigned to variable in turn, and body is processed for each value.

if
The syntax of the if statement is:
if cond
then
# body
[ elif cond then body] *
[ else body ]
endif

The body segment can be any arbitrary set of TcScript statements, and cond is a logical expression.
Logical expressions can contain logical variables, logical operators, and parentheses.
The binary logical operators are of the form: lvalue op rvalue, where op is one of the following:
• and
True if lvalue and rvalue are both true.

• or
True if lvalue or rvalue is true.

• ==
True if lvalue is equal to rvalue.

• !=
True if lvalue is not equal to rvalue.

• isa
True if lvalue is an instance of the class defined by rvalue.

• hasa
True if rvalue is the name of a valid property of the object defined by lvalue.

The and and or operators use short circuit evaluation; that is, rvalue is not evaluated if the final value
of the expression can be established by only evaluating lvalue.

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The only unary logical operator is not, which negates the value of its argument. The precedence of
the operators in decreasing order is:
1. ==, !=, isa, hasa

2. not

3. and

4. or
Note

The optional elif keyword often simplifies complex if statements.

include
The syntax of the include statement is:
include 'filename'

The filename argument is the full file name of another thin client page relative to the document root.
The included page is interpreted in line, as if it were textually inserted into the including page. This
means that the included page must not have <script> tags.

def/enddef
This statement is used to define your own functions in TcScript. The syntax is:
def saveWorld( world )
# do stuff here
saveWorld = TRUE
enddef

Note that enddef has two ds. Also note that a value can be retuned by setting it equal to the function
name, as illustrated in the syntax.

TcScript error handling

TcScript try/catch error handling

The easiest way to manage error handling in TcScript is to use try/catch statements. The syntax for
a typical case looks like the following:
# print my header (document type, encoding)
print XMLDefaultHeader()
# potentially place a DB mark point
POM_place_markpoint( 'mymark' )
try
output = ...
# perform some ITK functions
...
output += ...
...
print output
catch error
# potentially rollback to markpoint
POM_roll_to_markpoint( mymark, 'stateChanged' )
# potentially add contextual error to stack
EMH_store_error( 1, 63xxx )

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# print error stack

print ErrorStack( '' ) + NL
endtry

This format is convenient because you do not have to check every return code at every potential
point of failure. Instead, a block that includes n points of failure can be wrapped between the try
and catch statements. Any error within that block halts execution of the try block statements and
jumps to the catch block. If ITK fails, it puts its own error on the stack; it is still useful to add your
own error for context. Another important point is that no output is printed to the client until the last
point of failure is passed. This is done by building up the response as a variable (output in this
case). This allows two possible responses: success (in the form of some XML to be rendered), or
failure (in the form of an XML error stack to be rendered). You generally do not want to mix the two
responses. If you are building an HTML response, this is not as important because most browsers
are tolerant of broken HTML. However, if you are building an XML response, it is important because
XML parsers are not tolerant of broken XML. Therefore, in the thin client interface, most requests
return either success or failure and nothing in between.

TcScript syntax errors

Any errors encountered while parsing a TcScript page are reported within the page and list the line
number and context of the error. The TcScript parser uses recursive descent parsing. If there are
multiple error messages, the later messages may be meaningless. When debugging, focus on the
first syntax error. Some of the most common errors committed by TcScript programmers are:
• Misspelling enddef.

• Using an if statement without a then statement.

• Attempting simple arithmetic, which is not supported, or trying to pass a string to an ITK function
expecting an integer.

TcScript error function calls

Teamcenter errors can be caused by property access, saved query execution, or any TcScript or
ITK function call.
Use the following TcScript function calls to identify Teamcenter errors:
• ERRORS
The ERRORS function returns an array representing the current state of the Teamcenter
error stack. The information is returned as an array of errors, where each error has three
pseudo-properties: the ifail integer, the error text message, and the severity integer. The
syntax is:
ERRORS()

More conveniently, you can call the TcScript helper functions that wrap this call, defined in the
TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\basic.isx file. The most common is:
ErrorStack( text )

It takes a contextual text message as input and returns the error stack as XML. The contextual
message is displayed to the user, but it is not added to the Teamcenter error stack. If you opt
to add a contextual error to the stack before displaying the error, you would typically pass an
empty string as input.

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Two similar functions of limited use are alertErrorStack(text) and HTMLErrorStack(text).

The alertErrorStack function wraps the error stack with some alert display logic, while the
HTMLErrorStack function returns the stack in displayable HTML. This is used with top-level page
errors where there is no guarantee that the error stack rendered is available on the client side.

• CLEARERRORS
The CLEARERRORS procedure clears the Teamcenter error stack. The syntax is:
CLEARERRORS()

This procedure is useful if there are specific errors you want to handle. If you know a particular
ITK function may return an error you can recover from or handle non-fatally, wrap that function in
its own try block. This usually means that you have nested try statements. In the catch section
of the inner try statement, you attempt to handle the error. If successful, call CLEARERRORS
and continue. If unsuccessful, use the throw statement to jump to your outer catch section.
Another useful helper function in this case is throwIfErrorNotArray (see the basic.isx file).

Property error table

If you run the thin client with the IMAN_SDL_MAGIC environment variable set, any error generated
while accessing an object property dumps a property table into the output page. This table shows
the name type and value of each valid property of the relevant object. Do not use this facility in
production. The Type Browser is another useful property interrogation tool and can be found in
the system administrator Web pages.

TcScript helper functions

Location of TcScript helper functions

Helper functions are defined in the TC_ROOT\web\htdocs\tc\common\basic.isx file. Any TcScript
file that includes the basic.isx file can use these functions.

car

DESCRIPTION
Returns the first element of an array.
SYNTAX
car( list )
ARGUMENTS
• list
Array.

RETURN
VALUE
Returns the first element of the array.

Class

DESCRIPTION
Returns the name of the Teamcenter class of an object.

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SYNTAX
Class( object )
ARGUMENTS
• object
Teamcenter object tag.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns the Teamcenter class of your input object.

contains

DESCRIPTION
Checks whether list contains value.
SYNTAX
contains( list, value )
ARGUMENTS
• list
Array that may have the specified value.

• value
Value to look for.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns either true or false.

ErrorStack

DESCRIPTION
Returns the error stack details in XML format.
SYNTAX
ErrorStack( text )
ARGUMENTS
• text
Contextual text message.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns the error stack as XML.

HTMLDefaultHeader

DESCRIPTION
Returns a header appropriate to an HTML document including a localized encoding
string. Encoding string comes from the UID string table.
SYNTAX
HTMLDefaultHeader()

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ARGUMENTS
None.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns an HTML header string.

HTMLErrorStack

Description
Returns XML with the error messages; used for potential top-level page errors.

Syntax
HTMLErrorStack( text )

Arguments
• text
Contextual text message.

Return value
Returns the error stack as XML.

imanText

DESCRIPTION
Returns a localized Teamcenter string from the UID table.
SYNTAX
imanText( key )
ARGUMENTS
• key
Teamcenter key string.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns the localized Teamcenter string from the UID table.

Message

DESCRIPTION
Returns the message in XML format. The Teamcenter Web renderer knows how to
renderer this XML format into a user message.
SYNTAX
Message( text )
ARGUMENTS
• text
Message string to be displayed.

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RETURN
VALUE
Returns an XML-formatted message.

quote

DESCRIPTION
Escapes special XML characters within a string.
SYNTAX
quote( unquoted )
ARGUMENTS
• unquoted
String to be quoted.

RETURN
VALUE
Returns the XML-safe representation of the string.

quoteImanText

DESCRIPTION
Returns a localized Teamcenter string from the UID table encased in quotation marks.
SYNTAX
quoteImanText( key )
ARGUMENTS
• key
Teamcenter key string.

RETURN
VALUE
Returns a localized and quoted Teamcenter string from the UID table.

removeArrayElement

DESCRIPTION
Removes the given element from the array.
SYNTAX
removeArrayElement( element, list )
ARGUMENTS
• element
Element to remove.

• list
Array that contains the element.

RETURN
VALUE
Returns the modified array.

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replaceArrayElement

DESCRIPTION
Replaces the specified element of an array with the new element.
SYNTAX
replaceArrayElement( oldElement, newElement, list )
ARGUMENTS
• oldElement
Existing element of the input array.

• newElement
New element to replace the existing element.

• list
Array with element to be replaced.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns the modified array.

replaceChar

DESCRIPTION
Replaces a character in the string with another character.
SYNTAX
replaceChar( string, oldchar, newchar, front )
ARGUMENTS
• string
Input string.

• oldchar
Existing character in the input string.

• newchar
New character to replace existing character.

• front
Empty string as ''.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns the modified string.

replaceString

DESCRIPTION
Replaces a substring in the string with another substring.

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SYNTAX
replaceString( string, oldstring, newstring )
ARGUMENTS
• string
Input string.

• oldstring
Existing string in the input string.

• newstring
New string to replace existing string.

RETURN
VALUE
Returns the modified string.

startsWith

DESCRIPTION
Checks if a string starts with a substring.
SYNTAX
startsWith( str, subStr )
ARGUMENTS
• str
Input string.

• subStr
Substring to check.

RETURN
VALUE
Returns either TRUE or FALSE.

throwIfErrorNot

DESCRIPTION
Either rethrows your error or clears it depending on whether or not it is in your
expectedValues array.
SYNTAX
throwIfErrorNot( caughtError, expectedValue )
ARGUMENTS
• caughtError
Input to the catch block.

• expectedValue
Value to compare with caughtError.

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RETURN
VALUE
Returns an error if caughtError is not the expectedValue.

throwIfErrorNotArray

DESCRIPTION
Either rethrows your error or clears it depending on whether or not it is in your
expectedValues array.
SYNTAX
throwIfErrorNotArray( caughtError, expectedValues )
ARGUMENTS
• caughtError
Input to the catch block.

• expectedValues
Array of error codes to suppress.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns an error if caughtError is not in the expectedValues array.

tokenize

DESCRIPTION
Divides the input string into tokens using separator.
SYNTAX
tokenize( input, separator )
ARGUMENTS
• input
Input string.

• separator
Character to use as a separator.
RETURN
VALUE
Returns an array of tokens.

XMLDefaultHeader

DESCRIPTION
Adds a header appropriate to an XML document. The encoding string comes from
the UID string table.
SYNTAX
XMLDefaultHeader( )
ARGUMENTS
None.

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RETURN
VALUE
Returns a header appropriate to an XML document including a localized encoding
string.

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Appendix A: Glossary

AIF
See Application Integration Framework (AIF).

Application Integration Framework (AIF)

Integration framework that enables developers to build custom interfaces to applications for
Teamcenter and NX. This framework provides the foundation through which applications can be
launched and executed in a standard manner. It also provides the basic design for applications, the
base classes and methods, and a methodology for creating and handling events generated by the user
interface. In addition, the AIF provides tools to handle the registration of components, represented by
Java beans, and a mechanism for locating and passing messages to those components.

class
Set of objects that share the same list of attributes but distinguishable by the value the attributes
acquire for specific objects. For example, the Automobile class can be defined by the brand, color,
and price, but each car associated to the Automobile class has a different brand, color, and price
combination.

class hierarchy
Structure defining subclasses that inherit the attributes of their superclasses, also called their
parents or ancestors.

Client
Role played by a software component of a system when it requests particular services be performed
on its behalf by another entity, a server. See also server.

client tier
Teamcenter architectural tier that comprises the Teamcenter clients, Teamcenter integrations with
third-party applications, and the third-party applications associated with the integrations.

corporate server
Host computer at the center of a Teamcenter network. This host contains the Teamcenter application
root directory, Teamcenter data directory, licensing, File Management System (FMS), and volumes.
For installations that include the web tier (four-tier architecture), the corporate server also contains the
Teamcenter server manager. Multiple application clients can map to or mount the corporate server.

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 Appendix
Appendix A: A: Glossary
Glossary

form
Teamcenter workspace object used to display product information (properties) in a predefined
template. Forms are often used to create an electronic facsimile of a hardcopy form in Teamcenter.
See also master form.

four-tier architecture
Teamcenter architecture that includes four tiers: resource tier, client tier, web tier, and enterprise tier.
Contrast with two-tier architecture.

master form
Teamcenter workspace object used to display product information (properties) in a predefined
template. Master forms are used to display product information in a standardized format.

My Teamcenter
In the Teamcenter rich client and thin client, application that is the main access point for managing
product information. My Teamcenter provides the functionality for creating objects in the Teamcenter
database, querying the database for objects, checking in and checking out objects, and managing
tasks. Users can also open objects, automatically launching the related application.
Each user has a personal My Teamcenter window that displays product information as graphical
objects. Although users share product information across the enterprise, they organize this
information individually in personal workspaces.

navigation pane
Rich client framework component that displays buttons of the applications available for use in the rich
client. Clicking the application button launches the application.

preference
Configuration variable stored in a Teamcenter database and read when a Teamcenter session is
initiated. Preferences allow administrators and users to configure many aspects of a session, such as
user logon names and the columns displayed by default in a properties table.

Registry Editor
Teamcenter application that enables editing Teamcenter rich client registry files. This application is
used only for editing registry files that are used for internationalization, dynamic class invocation,
and configuration in the rich client framework.

registry file
Properties (.properties) file that contains the user-defined configuration settings (keys and values)
that are relative to how the application displays and performs in the Teamcenter rich client. Each
application registered in the rich client has a .properties file known as a registry file.

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 Glossary

rich client
Java-based user interface to Teamcenter installed on user workstations. The rich client accesses
Teamcenter databases using a remote or local server. Compare to thin client.

rich client framework

Component of the rich client that integrates and runs various applications from a common platform.
These applications can be off-the-shelf applications such as NX CAD/CAM/CAE, Microsoft Office,
custom applications, and Java plug-ins.

server
System software component that performs a specifically defined set of software services on behalf of
one or more clients. In a typical Teamcenter installation, servers are centralized on dedicated hosts
that support a large number of clients. Clients are distributed on hosts connected to the servers via
various networking techniques. See also Client.

Teamcenter Application Registry

Independent web-based service that allows a Teamcenter product to look up other available
Teamcenter products for launching a linked object. Administrators can register and unregister
installed instances of a Teamcenter product in the registry.

thin client
Teamcenter user interface that provides a streamlined browser-based view of product information
stored in a Teamcenter database. The thin client is configured in the web tier, which creates and
serves its web pages to the client. Compare to rich client.

two-tier architecture
Teamcenter architecture that includes a resource tier and a client tier. The resource tier comprises
the database server and database. The client tier comprises the Teamcenter rich client, third-party
applications that integrate with the rich client, and a local server. This architecture supports only the
Teamcenter rich client. Contrast with four-tier architecture.

Web Browser
Teamcenter application that provides access to Internet Web pages from within the rich client
framework. The Web browser is a rich client window that acts as a Web browser, enabling you to
navigate and view Web pages within the rich client rather than switching to a separate Web browser.
The Web browser also provides the ability to access MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension)
file types and to view files created in other applications, such as Microsoft Word and Excel, through
the Web browser.

PLM00075 11.2 Client Customization A-3

Siemens Industry Software

Headquarters
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About Siemens PLM Software

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