Models.ini

The models.ini is an ini file that is used by the executable RetrieveModels, which is called from the default implementation of the exit point ListModels. It contains folder names, model names and model descriptions. ListModels will pass these names and descriptions in the result XML data file. This mechanism allows you to enter descriptive names that will be easy to recognize for the user as well as to add descriptions for models. Such descriptions can be used to direct the user or provide him with additional information or help. The ITP/OnLine Server installation's folder Models and every folder it contains can have its own models.ini file. The ini file is a text file that can be created and edited with any text editor.

Content and syntax

Folder properties should be placed in an ini section with an empty name. Model properties should be placed in an ini section with the same name as the filename of the model. These sections may contain the following keys:

• Label, the screen name of the model. If not present, its filename (without the path) will be returned.
• Description, the description of the model. If not present, the description will be left empty. HTML tags may be used to markup the description. Note however that this markup gets output to the browser "as-is".
• Hide (Y/N, only for directories), determines whether the folder must be hidden.

Any other keys in the section are passed as key/value pairs into the result XML data file and can be processed by a custom installation of ITP/OnLine Server. In the example below the keys 'output' and 'redirect' are added to the XML. For instance for the Order model, the key 'output' is added with the value 'pdf' and the key 'redirect' is added with the value '..\ListOrders.itp'. The values are passed as CDATA in the XML and therefore should not contain the text "]]>".

; directory section
[]
label=Examples
hide=N

; what follows are the models sections
[Complaint_letter]
label=Complaint letter
description=Respond to a customer complaint
;custom labels follow
output=doc

[Letter_to_customer]
label=Letter to customer
description=General letter to a customer. Enter your own text blocks.

[Mailing_to_customers]
label=Mailing to customers
description=General mailing to customers. Enter your own text blocks.
;custom labels follow
output=pdf,e-mail

[Order]
label=Order
description=An overview from all customers with their orders.
;custom labels follow
output=pdf
redirect=..\ListOrders.itp

[Overview_of_customers]
label=Overview of all customers
description=Gives an overview of <b>all</b> customers in the database.
;custom labels follow
output=pdf

Note the empty [] name for the directory itself. The settings following it apply to the given directory. Note that every directory inside the Models directory of the ITP/OnLine Server installation also can have a models.ini file.