Sharing and reusing component definitions

Host On-Demand allows users to save the following component definitions into separate files on their local machines and use the definitions in host sessions without having to import them into the session configuration itself:

• macro
• keyboard
• toolbar
• popup keypad
• file transfer list

Users

Users can define macro, keyboard, toolbar, popup keypad, and file transfer list definitions and save them into separate files. These separate files are then immediately available to other sessions. Users no longer need to configure the identical component again for the new session or import the file. If the user subsequently updates any of these macro, keyboard, toolbar, popup keypad, or file transfer list definitions files, other sessions that use those external files will automatically get the updates.

The ability of the session to use external definitions is available for the HTML, Configuration server-based, and Combined models. You can disable this ability for macros, keyboard, toolbars, popup keypad and file transfer lists.

By default, the macro, keyboard, toolbar, popup keypad and file transfer list component files that users create are stored on their local machines in the HODObjs subdirectory. The complete path for the HODObjs subdirectory is a writable location unique to the user, and the exact path depends on the platform, browser, and JVM level. A typical path on a Windows machine using Internet Explorer, for example, might be Documents and Settings\username\HODObjs\. If you have configured the Save HTML parameter, the HODObjs subdirectory will use the Save path that you specify.

Macro

All of the session windows that list available macros, such as the Play Macro window, allow you to select a macro location. Possible locations include the following:

• Current Session, which lists the macros embedded in the session
• Personal Library, which lists the macros in the HODObjs subdirectory
• Server Library, either a Web or shared drive server macro library, if one has been configured (HTML model only). Refer to Creating and deploying server macro libraries in the Planning, Installing, and Configuring Host On-Demand guide for more information.
• User-defined libraries, which list the macros at any network location specified by the user

When users record new macros or update existing ones, they have the option to save them to the current session, their personal library or to any network location for which they have write access. Also, on the Available Macros window, which is accessed from the drop-down menu on the Macro Manager toolbar, users can copy and paste any number of macros from one macro location to another.

Keyboard

The Open button on the keyboard window allows users to change the current keyboard definition being used by the session. At any given time, there is only one keyboard definition associated with an active session, but users can open a different one whenever the need arises. The Open button launches a window that allows users to choose either the legacy keyboard defined internally in the session (the Current Session option) or an external file. Users can open a keyboard definition file from any location on their system, but the default location is the HODObjs subdirectory. Regardless of which keyboard definition the user opens, the selected definition becomes the current one used by the Host On-Demand session. Any updates that the user makes to the keyboard using the Save button are saved back to the location from which the keyboard was loaded (either the current session or the particular file). The next time the user launches the session, the same keyboard is automatically loaded from either the current session or the file.

The Save As button on the keyboard window allows users to save the current keyboard definition to a different location or file than is currently being used by the session. When the user selects Save As, the newly-saved keyboard becomes the current one for the session. This means that the saved keyboard will be the one loaded the next time the user launches the session.

Toolbar

Like the keyboard, the toolbar offers Open and Save As options. These options are available by clicking Edit > Preferences > Toolbar in a host session or by right-clicking the toolbar itself.

Popup Keypad

Like the keyboard, the popup keypad offers Open and Save As options. These options are found on the Customize Popup Keypad window, which is available by clicking Edit > Preferences > Popup Keypad > Customize in a host session or Edit > Customize in a popup keypad.

File transfer list

All of the session windows that allow users to select or specify a file transfer list also allow them to select a file transfer list location. Possible locations include the following:

• Current Session, which lists the file transfer lists embedded in the session
• Personal Library, which lists the file transfer lists in the HODObjs subdirectory
• User-defined libraries, which list the file transfer lists at any network location specified by the user

Users can work with file transfer lists using either Host File Transfer or FTP/sftp, depending on the type of session they are running.

Administrators

The fact that macros, keyboard, toolbar, popup keypad and file transfer list definitions can exist as separate files makes it easier for you to reuse components when you are configuring sessions for your users. However, you should understand that these sessions should not normally point to file components, since the files are not distributed to your users along with the session definitions. Generally, any macro, keyboard, toolbar, popup keypad or file transfer list definition that you want to make available to your users should be saved in the current session.

You can configure sessions from either the Deployment Wizard (for the HTML model) or the Host On-Demand Administration Utility (for the Configuration server-based and Combined models) In either case, you can start the sessions you wish to configure, and from the launched sessions, you will have access to all the user functions relating to macro, keyboard, toolbar, popup keypad and file transfer list definitions that are discussed above.

The following examples demonstrate the steps you need to follow to use the file components in a session that you are configuring for your users:

Macro: An administrator is configuring an HTML file in the Deployment Wizard and starts one of the sessions. After configuring three macros, he realizes that these macros might be useful for other sessions as well. He copies the macros from the current session to his personal library, using the copy/paste feature of the Available Macros window. Later, when configuring a different HTML file in the Deployment Wizard, he decides to use those same three macros for one of the new sessions. He starts the new session and copies the three macros from his personal library to the current session, again using the copy/paste feature.
• Toolbar: An administrator is configuring a group session in the Host On-Demand Administration Utility. He wishes to incorporate a toolbar definition that one of his users sent to him in an e-mail. He saves the toolbar file onto his machine, and then starts the session that he wants to configure in the Host On-Demand Administration Utility. He right-clicks the toolbar and selects Open. Next, he selects File and browses to the toolbar file on his local machine. He clicks OK. At this point, the toolbar settings change to the settings in the toolbar file. Next, he right-clicks the toolbar and selects Save As. He selects Current Session and then clicks OK.

  He must follow the Save As step to save the toolbar definition into the session and make it available to his users. If he does not follow the Save As step, then when the user starts the session, Host On-Demand will search for the file on the user's local machine, and it will not find it.

• Keyboard: Refer to the Toolbar example above. Follow the same steps, except with the keyboard file.
• Popup Keypad: Refer to the Toolbar example above. Follow the same steps, except with the popup keypad file.
• File transfer list: One of your power users has created a file transfer list using Host On-Demand V8 or earlier, and you would like to make that list available to the rest of the users in your department. Since the file transfer list is currently part of the session definition, you ask your power user to save it to an external file. You then send that file to all the users who are interested in that file transfer list. The specific steps that you take depend on whether you are using Host File Transfer or FTP/sftp:

  The steps for Host File Transfer include the following:

  1. The power user opens the file transfer list from the current session.
  2. The power user gives the list a name and saves it to his personal library (the HODObjs subdirectory).
  3. The power user sends the new file via e-mail to the other users in your department.
  4. The users receive the new file and save it to their own personal libraries (HODObjs subdirectory) on their local machines.
  5. While in an open session, the users select the new file transfer list from their personal libraries and use it to transfer files.

  The steps for FTP/sftp include the following:

  1. The power user uses the drop-down button on the Transfer List Manager toolbar to select the file transfer list from the current session. This causes that file transfer list to become active.
  2. The power user selects a file name and uses the 'Copy Current Transfer List' button to copy the list to his personal library.
  3. The power user sends the new file via e-mail to the other users in your department.
  4. The users receive the new file and save it to their own personal libraries (HODObjs subdirectory) on their local machines.
  5. While in an open session, the users select the new file transfer list from their personal libraries and use it to transfer files.

Additional enhancements for the administrator (HTML model only)

• Host On-Demand offers an import (and export) capability for keyboard, toolbar, and popup keypad definitions in the Deployment Wizard. These functions are available from the Configure menu on the Host Sessions window and give administrators an easier way to incorporate keyboard, toolbar, or popup keypad component files into the session they are configuring for their users.
• When you import a keyboard, toolbar, or popup keypad definition into the session definition (as described in the first enhancement above), Host On-Demand uses that definition any time users reset their current keyboard, toolbar, or popup keypad to its default value. For example, if you import a keyboard definition into a session for your users, then any time that a user is editing keyboard settings, and selects Reset All, his current keyboard will be restored to the imported keyboard values. If you have not imported a keyboard, toolbar, or popup keypad definition into the session, and users click Reset All, the values become the default ones provided with Host On-Demand.
• You can now create and deploy server macro libraries and make the macros in these libraries available on the server for specified sessions. The individual macros from the library are only downloaded to the user's machine when and if the user requests them. You can control which macros are available to which sessions. You can also update the macros in the library at any time, and the changes will be available for users the next time they access the macro.

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