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Zot-Dispatch: Macro Variables

Macro Variables are groups of name=value pairs that have a symbolic name associated with them. By placing the symbolic name of a Macro Variable in the extra path information of a URL that accesses Zot-Dispatch, the associated name=value pairs will be loaded as if they had been entered from the accessing form itself and loaded prior to any other name=value pairs that may come from a form.

This version of Zot-Dispatch allows Macro Variables to be set only in the configuration file. An example of setting a Macro Variable is (a more detailed description of setting Macro Variables can be found in the configuration file document):

  <macro test-macro-1>
    ZD-Method = "ZD-Reflect;;$template#"
    template = "body:This is the template body."
  </macro>

Here, the symbolic name "test-macro-1" is associated with the two name=value pairs listed. An example of using this Macro Variable might be:

 <A HREF="http://www.oac.uci.edu/cgi-bin/zd-2.0.cgi/test-macro-1">
   Test Macro</A>

Go ahead and try it out: http://www.oac.uci.edu/cgi-bin/zd-2.0.cgi/test-macro-1

It could also be used directly in a <FORM> tag, as follows:

  <FORM METHOD=POST
  ACTION="http://www.oac.uci.edu/cgi-bin/zd-2.0.cgi/test-macro-1">
    <INPUT TYPE=text NAME="value1">
    <INPUT TYPE=submit>
  </FORM>

As stated previously, all name=value pairs that are loaded from the Macro Variable are done so prior to the loading of those directly from the form itself. This allows the values from the form to override those from the Macro Variable.

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Zot-Dispatch 2.0
Written by Leonard Megliola III (lmegliol@uci.edu)
Last Revised 31 August 1995