ASNA WingsRPG™ Reference Manual

Display File Dataset Debugging

By default, when creating a Wings application the Master Page will include a convenient link at the bottom, labelled Show display file data (See Figure 1).

Figure 1 – First Display File shown on browser. Note the debugging link: Show display file data.

Developers of applications that need to modify the Display File Dataset directly from code-behind (the presentation-logic), will find this link very useful.

The link opens a new page which shows the full contents of the Display File Dataset, including the value of the Option and Response indicators. The Display File Dataset shows the active record formats with the value of the fields at the moment the record was written.

For example, in the Sign-On page (see Figure 1), if the developer taps (or clicks) on the link at the bottom of the page, a new page would open showing the Display File Dataset visible in Figure 2.

Figure 2 – Display File Dataset showing active record format "RSIGNON".

Notice that there is only one active record format, with fields: SYSTEM, PORT, USER, PASSWORD, MENU, LIBRARY and MESSAGE (the fields with asterisks are system fields). If you want to know the details of the state of the Option indicators, you can tap (or click) on the cell that shows the contents of the system field *Indicators (see Figure 3).

Figure 3 – Detailed display of the Option indicators for record RSIGNON.

If the record had hidden fields, those would be shown in the Display File Dataset (and you would see them in the "Show display file data", but would never be sent to the Browser (they would not appear in the Sign-On Browser Page).

Removing Link Before Deployment

The "Show display file data" link should always be removed from the Master Page before the Wings application is deployed. Leaving it in place may allow end-users access to private fields that will render the application insecure.

To remove the link, follow these steps:

  1. Locate the MasterPage.master file using the Solution Explorer. By default it will be in the "Themes/Current" folder, which should branch from the root of your website.
  2. Open the file in the editor. Right-click on File and select the menu option View Markup.
  3. The MasterPage.master markup should now be open in the editor (see Figure 4).
  4. Remove the div element with the id="diagnostics" (the highlighted section of Figure 4).
  5. Save your changes.
  6. The next time any Display File is shown in the browser, the Show display file data link will be absent.

Figure 4 – MasterPage.master markup.