1.6 Using RES-Reach

    RES-Reach uses template files (*.NBT) that are created using an ordinary HTML editor or a text editor. For sample templates, see Chapter 5.

    RES-Reach adds a few extensions to the HTML language. These extensions are processed by the RES-Reach software and removed before the HTML code is transmitted to the Browser. (The Browser never sees these extensions.) All other text in the template is transmitted to the Browser unchanged, unless suppressed by the processing of RES-Reach tags. These HTML extensions consist of four tags (IF, DATA, RECORD, and SET) and a method for variable replacement.

    The following tags are processed by RES-Reach:

    IF performs conditional inclusion of RES-Reach and HTML code;
    DATA executes SQL queries, either selection or action queries;
    RECORD iterates through a set of records defined by a DATA tag, or the values of a multiple-valued field on a single form, or the values in a delimited string constant;
    SET allows you create and assign values to temporary, local variables and to public, global variables.

    RES-Reach allows you to embed variables into an HTML file. These variables are inserted by RES-Reach when the document is requested. These variables include:

      • temporary variables created within the template
      • variables global to the RES-Reach service
      • fields from forms
      • fields from database records
      • information about the Web server and the Web client
      • user authentication
      • RES-Reach profile variables defined in NETBASE.INI
      • strings from text files
      • any errors in processing

    The variables can be used anywhere in the HTML file, including within IF tags, within database queries, and within the forms and input tags.

    For more information on RES-Reach tags and variables, see Chapter 4, Reach Tags.