Net.Data Reference Guide

HTML Block

Purpose

The HTML block contains any HTML tags or text to be processed by the client's Web browser or any tool that understands HTML. The HTML block can also contain most Net.Data macro language statements, which get evaluated and executed at run time. Net.Data looks for Net.Data macro statements, and executes them, and assumes all other text is HTML and sends it to the client.

Syntax

                           +--------------------------+
                           V                          |
>>-%html---(--name--)---{----+-----------------------++--%}----><
                             +-exec_sql statement----+
                             +-variable reference----+
                             +-HTML if block---------+
                             +-function call---------+
                             +-HTML statement--------+
                             +-include statement-----+
                             +-include_url statement-+
 

Parameters

%html

The keyword that specifies the block that contains HTML tags and text to be displayed on the client's browser.

name

An alphabetic or numeric string that begins with an alphabetic character or underscore and contains any combination of alphabetic, numeric, or underscore characters.

exec_sql statement

A DB2WWW Release 1 language element supported for compatibility. See Appendix A. "DB2 WWW Connection" or DB2 World Wide Web Release 1 documentation.

variable reference

Returns the value of a previously defined variable and is specified with $ and (). For example: if VAR = 'abc', then $(VAR) returns the value 'abc'. See Variable Reference for syntax information.

HTML if block

The HTML IF block used in the HTML part of the Net.Data macro. Performs conditional string processing. Numeric values are treated as strings for comparisons. See HTML IF Statement for syntax and examples.

function call

Invokes one or more previously defined FUNCTION blocks with specified arguments. See Function call (@) for syntax and examples.

HTML statements

Includes any alphabetic or numeric characters, and HTML tags to be formatted for the client's browser.

include statement

The INCLUDE statement. Reads and incorporates a file into the Net.Data macro. See INCLUDE Statement for syntax and examples.

include_url statement

The INCLUDE_URL statement. Reads and incorporates another file into the Net.Data Web macro where the statement is specified. The specified file can exist on a local or remote server. See INCLUDE_URL Statement for syntax and examples.

Context

Must be a Net.Data block or statement and cannot be contained in any other Net.Data block or statement.

Can contain these elements:

• EXEC_SQL statement
• HTML IF block
• HTML statements
• INCLUDE statement
• INCLUDE_URL statement
• Variable references
• Function calls

Examples

Example 1:

%HTML(example1){
%INCLUDE(header.html)
<P>You can put <EM>any</EM> HTML in an HTML block.
An SQL function call is made like this:
@xmp1()
%INCLUDE(footer.html)
%}