peb.startScript() function

Author: ddmitov

README.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ These are the basic steps for building your first PEB-based application:
 
 * **4.** Connect your Perl scripts using a link to ``name-of-script-configuration-object.settings``.  
 
-PEB is created to work from any folder without installation and all your local HTML files and Perl scripts should be located inside the ``{PEB_binary_directory}/resources/app`` directory.  
+PEB is created to work from any folder without installation and all your local HTML files and Perl scripts should be located in the ``{PEB_binary_directory}/resources/app`` directory.  
 
 ## Design Objectives
 * **1. Fast, easy and beautiful graphical user interface for Perl 5 desktop applications**  
@@ -137,11 +137,7 @@ Sometimes it is important to minimize the size of the relocatable (or portable)
 ## Perl Scripts API
 Every Perl script run by PEB is called by clicking a link or submitting a form to a pseudo filename composed from the name of the JavaScript object with the settings of the Perl script and a ``.settings`` extension.  
 
-A minimal example of a Perl script settings object and a starting link:  
-
-```html
-<a href="perl_test.settings">Start Perl script</a>
-```
+A minimal example of a Perl script settings object:  
 
 ```javascript
 var perl_test = {};
@@ -152,6 +148,23 @@ perl_test.stdoutFunction = function (stdout) {
 }
 ```
 
+Three methods to start a local Perl script:  
+
+```html
+<a href="perl_test.settings">Start Perl script</a>
+```
+
+```html
+<form action="perl_test.settings">
+  <input type="text" name="input" id="test-script-input">
+  <input type="submit" value="Start Perl script">
+</form>
+```
+
+```javascript
+peb.startScript('perl_test.settings');
+```
+
 * ``scriptFullPath``  
   This is the path of the Perl script that is going to be executed.  
   The keyword ``{app}`` will be replaced by the the full path of the application directory.  

resources/app/index.html

@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
 
     <script>
       // PEB page settings:
-      // 'pebSettings' object name is hard-coded.
-      var pebSettings = {};
+      var pebSettings = {}; // 'pebSettings' object name is hard-coded.
       pebSettings.autoStartScripts = ['interactive_one', 'interactive_two'];
       pebSettings.cutLabel = '- Cut -';
       pebSettings.copyLabel = '- Copy -';
@@ -54,6 +53,20 @@
       interactive_two.scriptExitCommand = '_close_';
       interactive_two.scriptExitConfirmation = '_closed_';
 
+      var open_files = {};
+      open_files.scriptFullPath = '{app}/perl/open-files.pl';
+      open_files.requestMethod = 'POST';
+      open_files.stdoutFunction = function (stdout) {
+        displayTestResult(stdout);
+      }
+
+      var open_directory = {};
+      open_directory.scriptFullPath = '{app}/perl/open-directory.pl';
+      open_directory.requestMethod = 'POST';
+      open_directory.stdoutFunction = function (stdout) {
+        displayTestResult(stdout);
+      }
+
       var get_test = {};
       get_test.scriptFullPath = '{app}/perl/get-post-test.pl';
       get_test.stdoutFunction = function (stdout) {
@@ -82,42 +95,35 @@
         displayTestResult(stdout);
       }
 
-      // Filesystem dilog boxes configuration objects:
+      // Settings objects for the filesystem dialogs:
       var select_file = {};
       select_file.type = 'single-file';
       select_file.receiverFunction = function (fileName) {
-        clearTargetElement();
-        var pre = document.createElement("pre");
-        pre.innerHTML = 'Selected existing file: ' + fileName;
-        document.getElementById('tests').appendChild(pre);
+        open_files.inputData = fileName;
+        peb.startScript('open_files.settings');
       }
 
       var new_file_name = {};
       new_file_name.type = 'new-file-name';
       new_file_name.receiverFunction = function (fileName) {
         clearTargetElement();
         var pre = document.createElement("pre");
-        pre.innerHTML = 'Selected new file name: ' + fileName;
+        pre.innerHTML = 'New file name: ' + fileName;
         document.getElementById('tests').appendChild(pre);
       }
 
       var select_files = {};
       select_files.type = 'multiple-files';
       select_files.receiverFunction = function (fileNames) {
-        clearTargetElement();
-        var pre = document.createElement("pre");
-        fileNames = fileNames.replace(/;/g, "<br>");
-        pre.innerHTML = 'Selected files:<br>' + fileNames;
-        document.getElementById('tests').appendChild(pre);
+        open_files.inputData = fileNames;
+        peb.startScript('open_files.settings');
       }
 
       var select_directory = {};
       select_directory.type = 'directory';
       select_directory.receiverFunction = function (directoryName) {
-        clearTargetElement();
-        var pre = document.createElement("pre");
-        pre.innerHTML = 'Selected directory: ' + directoryName;
-        document.getElementById('tests').appendChild(pre);
+        open_directory.inputData = directoryName;
+        peb.startScript('open_directory.settings');
       }
 
       function clearTargetElement() {
@@ -180,37 +186,28 @@
     <div class="navbar navbar-inverse">
       <ul class="nav navbar-nav">
         <li>
-          <a id="filesystem-menu" role="button" data-toggle="dropdown" data-target="#">
-            Dialogs
+          <a id="local-tests" role="button" data-toggle="dropdown" data-target="#">
+            Local Tests
             <span class="caret"></span>
           </a>
 
           <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu">
             <li>
-              <a href="select_file.dialog">Select Existing File</a>
+              <a href="select_file.dialog">Open Existing File</a>
             </li>
 
             <li>
-              <a href="new_file_name.dialog">New File Name</a>
+              <a href="new_file_name.dialog">Enter New File Name</a>
             </li>
 
             <li>
-              <a href="select_files.dialog">Select Multiple Files</a>
+              <a href="select_files.dialog">Open Multiple Files</a>
             </li>
 
             <li>
-              <a href="select_directory.dialog">Select Directory</a>
+              <a href="select_directory.dialog">Open Directory</a>
             </li>
-          </ul>
-        </li>
 
-        <li>
-          <a id="local-tests" role="button" data-toggle="dropdown" data-target="#">
-            Local Tests
-            <span class="caret"></span>
-          </a>
-
-          <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu">
             <li>
               <a href="get_test.settings">GET Test</a>
             </li>
@@ -220,7 +217,7 @@
             </li>
 
             <li>
-              <a href="perl_info.settings">Perl Basic information</a>
+              <a href="perl_info.settings">Perl Basic Information</a>
             </li>
 
             <li>

resources/app/perl/open-directory.pl

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 traverse ($directory_name);
 
-print "Listing all files in the $directory_name directory:<br>";
+print "Listing all files in $directory_name:<br>";
 foreach my $file (@files) {
   print "$file<br>";
 }

resources/app/perl/open-file.pl

@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
 
 my $number_of_lines;
 
-print "Opening multiple files:<br>";
-
 foreach my $file (@files) {
   open my $filehandle, '<', $file or die "Unable to open file: $!";
   my @file_contents = <$filehandle>;

resources/app/perl/open-files.pl

@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ peb.getPageSettings = function() {
   }
 }
 
+peb.getDialogSettings = function(dialogObject) {
+  if (window[dialogObject] !== null) {
+    return JSON.stringify(dialogObject);
+  }
+}
+
 peb.getScriptSettings = function(scriptObject) {
   if (window[scriptObject] !== null) {
     if (typeof scriptObject.inputDataHarvester === 'function') {
@@ -16,10 +22,10 @@ peb.getScriptSettings = function(scriptObject) {
   }
 }
 
-peb.getDialogSettings = function(dialogObject) {
-  if (window[dialogObject] !== null) {
-    return JSON.stringify(dialogObject);
-  }
+peb.startScript = function(scriptObjectName) {
+  var form = document.createElement('form');
+  form.setAttribute('action', scriptObjectName);
+  form.submit();
 }
 
 peb.checkUserInputBeforeClose = function() {