Simple formats

Display the value of a property

To display the value of a Single Value property on the primary page:

<pega:reference name=".myProperty" />

To display the value of a property on another page:

<pega:reference name="myPage.myProperty" />

If the property has a mode of Value List or Value Group, use an index (subscript) to identify one element in the list or group. The index may be a constant value or a property reference:

<pega:reference name="myPage.myProperty(83)" />
	<pega:reference name="myPage.myProperty(California)" />
	<pega:reference name="myPage.myProperty(.pyState)" />

Let a user enter a value

To allow a user to update or enter the value for a Single Value property, use the mode attribute and input keyword.

<pega:reference name="myProperty" mode="input" />

Insert the value of an activity parameter

Use the Param keyword to identify an activity parameter value.

<pega:reference name="Param.myParameter" />

Set the value of the $this-value keyword

Each use of the reference tag updates the activity property — the value of the $this-value keyword.

Complete syntax

In the syntax presentations below:

• Square bracket characters [ and ] define optional parts of the tag. Do not type the brackets.
• JSP delimiters <pega: and /> mark the start and end of the tag.
• Replace any text in italics with your choice of value of that type.

The name attribute is required. The format and mode options are optional. The param element is used only in special cases, described below.

<pega:reference name="[propertyref]" [format="option"]
	[mode="mode"] >
	[ <pega:param name="paramname" value="paramvalue" ref="propref" >
</pega:reference >

name="param.zzzzzz"

<pega:param name="name" value="value >

Even when the mode is display, you cannot present an entire Value List or Value Group property, only a single element of an aggregate property.

Values for the mode attribute

The optional mode attribute can have one of six keyword values. If you omit the mode attribute, the display value is defaulted.

var result="<pega:reference name=".MyProperty" mode="javascript" />";

var result = "This is a \"demo\"";

When you save a stream rule that includes a reference tag with this mode, you may receive a security warning message:

>>Warning>> Using mode=literal can expose the system to cross-site scripting attacks - use with caution.

Consider richtext mode as a more secure alternative.

In all modes other than literal, the angle brackets are converted to HTML entities (<, >), invalidating the JavaScript code.

In rare situations, your application may require mode="literal" in stream rules. For example, the JavaScript target of a button, executed with the onClick= attribute, may be dynamic. Design and test such cases with extreme care.

In addition, the system replaces each newline character and <BR> with a space. It also performs the conversions listed for the normal keyword, so that the exact value of the property appears, even if it includes characters that are usually interpreted as HTML elements.

When you specify normal, stream processing does not place any space characters before and after the value (unlike the processing for the display keyword).

Mode examples

Property INFO has the value "Not <i>italic</i> or <b>bold</b>". The table shows the display that results from various modes, using an underscore to show added space characters.

_Not <i>italic</i> or <b>bold</b>_

_Not <i>italic</i> or <b>bold</b>_

Not <i>italic</i> or <b>bold</b>

Not <i>italic</i> or <b>bold</b>

                  Not
                  italic
                  or
                  bold

Parameters for non-auto-generated control rules

The optional embedded <pega:param... > elements typically appear in system-generated HTML code for harnesses and flow actions. However, they can be handcrafted. These elements supplies parameter values stored on a parameter page for the property. (This page is similar to but distinct from the parameter pages of activities.)

The <pega:param... > element is used only when the reference JSP tag references a property that uses a non-auto-generated control rule that accepts parameters.

Typically, the name and data type of each parameter is recorded on the Parameters tab of the rule.

The <pega:param...> element requires the name attribute and either the value or ref attribute (not both).

For example, the standard control rule named Decimal accepts three parameters named ThousandsSeparator, Precision, and Locale. A reference JSP tag can supply constant parameters using this syntax:

<pega:reference name=".LoanAmount" mode="display" format="Decimal">
	<pega:param name="ThousandsSeparator" value="-1" />
	<pega:param name="Precision" value="3" />
	<pega:param name="Locale" value="en-us" />
</pega:reference>

The following examples illustrate setting the value of complex parameters:

<pega:reference name=".GameResults" >
	<pega:param name=".ListElement(4)" value="Boston"/>
	<pega:param name=".GroupElement(NYC)" value="Yankees" />
	<pega:param name=".Embedded(4).Embedded(MA).Size" value="3.14" />
	<pega:param name=".MyList(<append>)" value="Maine" />
</pega:reference>