3.6.1.2. XML-Descriptor

This is a legacy API. For the new API available since v.7.0, see Screen XML Descriptors.

XML-descriptor is a file in XML format describing datasources and screen layout.

XML schema is available at http://schemas.haulmont.com/cuba/7.2/window.xsd.

Descriptor has the following structure:

window − root element.

window attributes:

  • class − name of a controller class.

  • messagesPack − a default message pack for the screen. It is used to obtain localized messages in the controller using getMessage() method and in the XML descriptor using message key without specifying the pack.

  • caption − window caption, can contain a link to a message from the above mentioned pack, for example,

    caption="msg://credits"

  • focusComponent − identifier of a component which should get input focus when the screen is displayed.

  • lookupComponent – mandatory attribute for a lookup screen; defines the identifier of a visual component that the entity instance should be selected from. Supports the following types of components (and their subclasses):

    • Table

    • Tree

    • LookupField

    • PickerField

    • OptionsGroup

  • datasource – mandatory attribute for an edit screen which defines the identifier of the datasource containing the edited entity instance.

window elements:

  • metadataContext − the element initializing the views required for the screen. It is recommended to define all views in a single views.xml file, because all view descriptors are deployed into a common repository, so it is difficult to ensure unique names if the descriptors are scattered across multiple files.

  • dsContext − defines datasource for the screen.

  • dialogMode - defines the settings of geometry and behaviour of the screen when it is opened as a dialog.

    Attributes of dialogMode:

    • closeable - defines whether the dialog window has close button. Possible values: true, false.

    • closeOnClickOutside - defines if the dialog window should be closed by click on outside the window area, when the window has a modal mode. Possible values: true, false.

    • forceDialog - specifies that the screen should always be opened as a dialog regardless of what WindowManager.OpenType was selected in the calling code. Possible values: true, false.

    • height - sets the height of the dialog window.

    • maximized - if the true value is set, the dialog window will be maximized across the screen. Possible values: true, false.

    • modal - specifies the modal mode for the dialog window. Possible values: true, false.

    • positionX - sets the x position of the top-left corner of the dialog window.

    • positionY - sets the y position of the top-left corner of the dialog window.

    • resizable - defines whether the user can change the size of the dialog window. Possible values: true, false.

    • width - sets the width of the dialog window.

    For example:

    <dialogMode height="600"
            width="800"
            positionX="200"
            positionY="200"
            forceDialog="true"
            closeOnClickOutside="false"
            resizable="true"/>

  • actions – defines the list of actions for the screen.

  • timers – defines the list of timers for the screen.

  • companions – defines the list of companion classes for the screen controller.

    Elements of companions:

    • web – defines a companion implemented in the web module.

    • desktop – defines a companion implemented in the desktop module.

    Each of these elements contains class attribute defining the companion class.

  • layout − root element of the screen layout, a container with a vertical layout of components.