Data Source Path Syntax Reference

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Data source path syntax allows you to refer to a data source that exists on the current page or on any other page in a page stacking structure.

The page where you use the syntax is the current page. Previous pages are pages higher in the page stacking tree structure. They are either embedding pages or pages navigated from. Subpages are embedded pages lower in the page stacking tree structure. Each data source is at the next lower level relative to the page it is in. You have read-only access to data sources on previous pages (if any) and full read-write access to data sources on the current page including its embedded pages (if any).

You can refer from the current page to a data source by using an XPath-style notation based on the following syntax elements:

Syntax element

Meaning

<name>

Page or data source

.

Current page

..

Previous page at the next higher level

/<name>

Page or data source on a subpage at the next lower level

//<name>

Page or data source on a subpage at any lower level

The name strings represented in this table by <name> :

are made up of alphanumerical characters.

are case-sensitive.

may NOT be surrounded by single or double quotes.

must appear EXACTLY as they appear in the Web Designer object tree views.

Every data source path ends in a name string. This rightmost name string represents a data source name. Any other name strings in the path represent page names.

Spaces are allowed inside a name string (i.e., surrounded by alphanumeric characters). In this position they are a meaningful part of the name. Spaces are allowed, but meaningless, between delimiters (ie. forward slashes and full stops) on the one hand, and names on the other.

The table below lists some examples of common syntax:

Syntax example

Meaning

$.udb("DataSource1")

DataSource1 on the current page

$.udb("Page1/DataSource1")

DataSource1 on subpage Page1, or on the current page named Page1

$.udb("Page1/Page2/DataSource1")

DataSource1 on Page2 which is a subpage of subpage Page1 or on the current page named Page1

$.udb("./DataSource1")

DataSource1 on the current page

$.udb(".//DataSource1")

DataSource1 on any subpage at any lower level

$.udb("//DataSource1")

DataSource1 either on the current page or on any subpage at any lower level

$.udb("//Page1/DataSource1")

DataSource1 either on any subpage named Page1 at any lower level

$.udb("Page1//DataSource1")

DataSource1 either on the current page or on any subpage named Page1 at any lower level

$.udb("../DataSource1")

DataSource1 on the previous page or embedding page

$.udb("../Page1/DataSource1")

DataSource1 on subpage Page1 of the previous page or embedding page (where Page1 may be the name of the current page)

$.udb("..//DataSource1")

DataSource1 on any subpage at any lower level relative to the previous page or embedding page

$.udb("..//Page1/DataSource1")

DataSource1 on a subpage Page1 at any lower level relative to the previous page or embedding page (where Page1 may be the name of the current page or one of its subpages)

 

See Also

Page Stacking

Data Source Path Syntax