Macros in action

1. Macros in action Martin Hejtmanek CTO, Kentico software s.r.o.

2. Agenda • History of macros • Macro types • Macro parameters • Examples, tips and tricks • Custom macros • Nested macros • Future of macros

3. What is a macro? • Macro in Kentico CMS: • “Abstraction of the code that can be replaced by dynamic or context specific value on-the-fly without compilation.” • Reasons: • Security – Limited set of data, read only • Practical – Injecting dynamic values into plain text without coding • Conclusion: • “Each day, the macros prove that they are the right way to go” • “Macros have future”

4. History of macros • V 1.x • Only ASPX templates, everything dynamic done via CodeBehind • Only hardcoded macros in queries or e-mail templates ##WHERE##, {%useremail%} • V 2.0 • Portal engine – How to dynamically populate web part parameters without giving the user access to the code? • V 2.3 • MacroResolver + first macro types (localization, data & context, query string, cookie) • Allowed parametrization of where conditions (text properties) from query string or context e.g. “NewsID = {?newsid?}”

5. History of macros • V 3.0 • Path & Custom macros, Path expressions • Dynamic context-based paths, custom logic • V 4.0 • Change to the UI • Dynamic non-text properties • Macro parameters {?username|(equals)administrator?}, {?newsid|(toint)?} • V 5.5 • Macro debug, more parameters

6. Macro types • Data & Context – {%DocumentName%} • QueryString – {?myvalue?} • Localization – {$resourcekey$} • In-place localization – {$=Hello|cs-cz=Ahoj$} • Path – {&/{0}/Teaser&} • Cookie – {@cookiename@} • Custom – {#expression#}

7. Macro parameters • Syntax – {%expression|(param1)value1|(param2)value2%} • Modification or evaluation of the macro result • Ensuring type safety – {?newsid|(toint)?} • Boolean expressions – {%UserName|(equals)administrator%} • Mathematical functions – {%SKUPrice|(multiply)0.8%} • Processing flags – {%CurrentUser.FullName|(encode)true%}

8. Examples • Dynamically populated texts • Localization • Controlling the visibility of a web part • Where conditions based on query string • Providing dynamic CSS styles (color profiles)

9. Custom macros • {#expression#} • Most powerful ones • Your own code • ~/App_Code/Global/CMS/CMSCustom.cs public static string ResolveCustomMacro(sender, expression, out match) { // Your code }

10. Nested macros • Macros may be recursive (not query string, not cookies) • Recursion is applied on the result • {?name|(equals){%UserName%}?} – Not possible (yet) • Request.QueryString[“name”] == “{%UserName%}” • Same types of macros nested • {%UserName|(equals)admin|(truevalue)Admin|(falsevalue){%FullName%}%} • Is the end of the macro first %}or second? • Paired • {(1)%UserName|(equals)admin|(truevalue)Admin|(falsevalue){(2)%FullName%(2)}%(1)} • The end has the same number as the start

11. Future of macros • V 6.0 ?? • Unification • {%QueryString.MyParam%}, {%Cookies.MyCookie%}, … • Structured values (object hierarchy) • {%CurrentDocument.Parent.Owner.FullName%} • Collections • {%CurrentDocument.Children[2].DocumentName%} • C# like expressions in macros • {% (UserName == “administrator”) && (QueryString.NewsID == 123) %} • {% CurrentDocument.GetImage(“MyField”) %}

12. Summary • History of macros • Macro types • Macro parameters • Examples, tips and tricks • Custom macros • Nested macros • Future of macros

13. Sources of information • Kentico CMS 5.5 Macro reference (poster) • Developer’s guide • http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/index.html?appendix_a___macro_expressions.htm • Blog • http://devnet.kentico.com/Blogs/Martin-Hejtmanek/June-2010/New-in-5-5--Macro-parameters.aspx • E-mail • support@kentico.com • martinh@kentico.com