SID-01112: Defining User Variables in One Topic

Status:	Answered	TWiki version:	5.0.1	Perl version:	5.8
Category:	CategoryAutomation	Server OS:	RedHat Linux 7.4, kernel 2.4.21	Last update:	14 years ago

How can I construct a topic that sets user variables for a list of users that would, in plain language, say: "Set LOCALID for BrentEaton to VcTemple."

I am setting up a demonstration project in which users will have a "home page" that is focused on their clinical discipline, not their location:

• BrentEaton is a chaplain in Temple. His LOCALID = VcTemple
• JohnDoe is a chaplain in Austin. His LOCALID = VcAustin
• JohnSmith is a chaplain in Dallas. His LOCALID = VcDallas

I want their local directors to be able to show headlines for local topics on the discipline's home page. For instance, the Dallas chaplain would have a generic chaplain home page, but Temple site news would be visible to that chaplain. I would have an INCLUDE on the home page that called the variable to match part of the name of the topic containing the local headline, like this:

%INCLUDE{SomeWeb.Subweb.%LOCALID%sitenews}%

I can make this work easily if I write * Set LOCALID = VcTemple on the Temple chaplain's user page, but that is tedious when dealing with a large group of users in many locations.

If implemented, I will probably get a spreadsheet of usernames/passwords with disciplines, locations and other attirbutes and would need to construct formulas to transform the cell contents in to variable statements. I just don't know if I can "set" these user variables in another topic.

Any suggestions?

-- BrentEaton - 2011-02-18

Discussion and Answer

Personally I would delegate the selection of the LOCALID to the users. You could define a new form field called LOCALID in the Main.UserForm with as selector for the local ID. Send an e-mail to your users asking to edit their profile page and select the LOCALID in the form. With this setup, write the following in the TWiki homepage:

%INCLUDE{
 "SomeWeb.Subweb.%FORMFIELD{ "LOCALID" topic="%WIKIUSERNAME%" }%SiteNews"
 warn="Please edit your homepage at %WIKIUSERNAME% and select the LOCALID in the form to see site news relevant to your location."
}%

An alternative is to define the user to LOCALID relationship in a TWiki table and use a FormattedSearch to query the right LOCALID. Here are some hints:

   * LOCALID of BrentEaton: VcTemple
   * LOCALID of JohnDoe: VcAustin
   * LOCALID of JohnSmith: VcDallas

Do a multiple="on" SEARCH that identifies just the bullet of the logged in user, and apply a pattern to pull the ID. Untested:

%SEARCH{
 "\* LOCALID of"
 type="regex"
 topic="UserToLOCALID"
 multiple="on"
 format="$pattern(.* LOCALID of %WIKIUSERNAME%:[^A-Z]*([A-Z-a-z]*).*)"
 nonoise="on"
 limit="1"
}%

If the search is done as intended it will return=VcDallas= for JohnSmith. Details in VarSEARCH and FormattedSearch.

Now you can embed the SEARCH in your INCLUDE to show the proper site news.

-- PeterThoeny - 2011-05-02

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