Passing values to sub-forms (Varaible scoping)

Question

I have a "parent" form that calls one of 6 subforms. I'm trying to figure out how to pass values derived in the parent to a sub form.
I am running IdM 8.1.0.9 in glassfish 2.1.1. I set up these test forms to work through this:
my Parent Form:
<Form name='parent' objectLocationID='objectType=UserForm&objectName=parent&objectPath=0&isBegin=true'>
  <Display class='EditForm'/>
    <Include>
      <ObjectRef id='#ID#UserForm:child1' type='UserForm' name='child1'/>
    </Include>
    <!-- This value needed in child 1 form -->
    <defvar name='myvalue'>
      <s>test123</s>
    </defvar>
    <Field name='myfield'>
      <Expansion>
        <ref>myvalue</ref>
      </Expansion>
    </Field>
<!--  My attempt at using <Variable>, IdM doesn't like this
    <Variable name='myextvar' external='true'>
      <ref>myvalue</ref>
    </Variable>
-->
    <FormRef name='child1'/>
</Form>
my Child1 Form:
        <Form name='child1' objectLocationID='objectType=UserForm&objectName=child1&objectPath=0&isBegin=true'>
            <Display class='EditForm'/>
<!--
           <Include>
                <ObjectRef type='UserForm' id='#ID#UserForm:parent' name='parent'/>
            </Include>
-->
            <Field name='subtext'>
                <Display class='Text'>
                    <Property name='title'>
                        <concat>
                          <s>pre1:</s>
<!--  
                           <FieldRef objectLocationID='objectType=UserForm&objectName=marty&objectPath=0&isBegin=true' name='myvalue'/>
-->
                           <ref>myvalue</ref>
                          <s>:1post</s>
                        </concat>
                    </Property>
                </Display>
            </Field>
        </Form>I was hoping that child forms would share the scope of the parent, and I could just use a <ref> tag in the child form, but that doesn't seem to work. So I started looking at FieldRef/FormRef but I'm not sure they are the right answer either.
When the include in the child form is uncommented, I get :
An unrecoverable error has occurred processing the request. Contact your system administrator.
Syslog ID = LG-0405-115539.
I'm guessing that this is because I include a form that includes this form, and created an endless include loop?
When the FieldRef is uncommented, I get this error:
Attruibute "objectLocationID" must be declared for element type "FieldRef".
The <Variable> tag (defined as external) looks promising, but I haven't run across a good example of how to use it.
When I try to add a <Variable> to my parent form, I get the error: Content of element type "Form" must match...
This doc: http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/820-5821/bvaex?a=view
says that <Variable> is a valid form element, but IdM disagrees.
Any suggestions on how to achieve the passing of values from one for to another would be greatly appreciated.
-mk
Edited by: mk152556 on Apr 5, 2010 6:27 AM

Answer 1

An advice I usually follow: Skip defvars and variables, and stick to fields, hidden, not using any Display class that is, if you just need to use the field as an variable. Field are a lot more practical IMHO.