A document template that uses query macros enables documents to dynamically render links to a set of related documents. If new documents are added to the system that meet the query criteria, links to these documents are automatically added to the querying document. This feature is also called dynamic lists or automatic linking.
Dynamic linking allows to render links dependent on the context at request time. Request time is the time when a page is rendered for a reader in the web browser. Dynamic Linking refers to a list or table of links, which is called Dynamic List, or a single link, which is called a Dynamic Link.
Dynamic Lists & Tables
A dynamic list may be rendered as a list or as a table. Sometimes it is also called and automatic list, because the links are rendered dynamically and automatic at request time.
Each list item or table row represents information from one document that is member of the query result set. A query contains constraints to match all documents of a given document type and a couple of tags. When a user browses to a page with a dynamic list, the system executes the query and shows all pages that match that query at request time.
In the following screenshot you see a dynamic list, rendered in form of a table.
You specify queries like this:
SELECT PropertyOne, PropertyTwo, PropertyFour
WHERE PropertyOne = "Some String" AND
(PropertyTwo = "Another String" OR PropertyFive = "Something")
SORT BY PropertyOne, PropertyThree
Note that this is pseudo syntax. The values for SELECT
, WHERE
and SORT BY
are passed to the macros as parameters.
Dynamic lists is supported with
- Display List Macro
- Lists references to projectdoc documents in a list. List contain names and optional short descriptions.
- Display List Template Macro
- Lists references to projectdoc documents in a list. List items are defined by templates referencing properties.
- Display Table Macro
- Lists references to projectdoc documents in a table. Allows to select document properties for columns. Also non-list representations are provided.
- Index Card Macro
- Renders transcluded content fetched from documents of a result set.
- Index Entries Table Macro
- Renders a table of index entries.
- Transclude Documents Macro
- Renders transcluded content fetched from documents of a result set.
Dynamic Link
You may also want to render a single link to a document that may or may not exist. If it exists you have control over the rendering of the link. It may for instance be plain text or the label is not rendered at al. Use the Dynamic Document Link Macro and configure the rendering of the link with the Link Rendering Control parameter.
Resources
More information on this feature.