Net.Data Administration and Programming Guide for OS/400

Developing Net.Data Macros

A Net.Data macro is a text file consisting of a series of Net.Data macro language constructs that:

• Specify the layout of Web pages

• Define variables and functions

• Call functions that are built-in to Net.Data or defined in the macro file

• Format the processing output and return it to the Web browser for display

The Net.Data macro contains two organizational parts: the declaration part and the presentation part, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Macro File Structure

• The declaration part contains the definitions of variables and functions in the macro file.

• The presentation part contains HTML blocks that specify the layout of the Web page. The HTML blocks are made up of text presentation statements that are supported by your Web browser, such as HTML and JavaScript.

You can use these parts multiple times and in any order. See Net.Data Reference for syntax of the macro file parts and constructs.

Authorization Tip: Ensure that the Web server has access rights to this file. See Granting Access Rights to Objects Accessed by Net.Data for more information.

This chapter examines the different blocks that make up a Net.Data macro file and methods you can use for writing the macro file.

• Anatomy of a Net.Data Macro File

• Net.Data Macro Variables

• Net.Data Functions

• Generating Web Pages in a Macro

• Conditional Logic and Looping in a Macro File