Previewing Output

Some HTML editors have a feature that enables you to preview the Web page that you are creating. Depending upon the implementation of the preview feature, you might be able to also preview Design-Time Control output in a preview window. If you attempt to use a preview window and do not see Design-Time Control output, then check the source code for the page.

1. Verify that the control actually creates some output.

2. Determine the processing mode of the control. Open the Properties dialog and select the Connection tab. In the Perform SAS processing field (the MDDB Report Control does not have this field), you should see one of the following options:

   • once when building this page
   • when Java Server Page is invoked
   • when Active Server Page is invoked.

   The first option specifies a static processing mode and generates static HTML. The generated output does not require a connection to SAS when the page is served up to a Web browser. The second and third options specify dynamic processing modes. With dynamic processing, the generated output is either Java code or VBScript that is run on the Web server. When the Web server serves the page, this code is executed and a connection to SAS is made. A connection to SAS is required in order to view output that is generated in dynamic mode.

   Because most HTML editors do not utilize the Web server for previewing a page. you cannot run dynamic code and therefore will probably not be able to preview your output. In order to ensure the ability to preview your file, use the static processing option while you are constructing your page and then switch to a dynamic option after you finish creating the page. The visual appearance of the page should be the same for both the static and dynamic processing modes.

3. If your control generates either Java applets or ActiveX controls, then you must specify values for the Codebase and Archive fields on the Applet tab in the Properties dialog. Java applets and ActiveX controls require codebase and archive values. The Critical Success Factor Control and Thin Client Graphics Control output either Java applets or ActiveX controls.

   The SAS Design-Time Controls installation suggests a default value of /sasweb/graph for the Codebase field. This value is a relative path that points to a folder on your Web server. If you are using the preview feature of your HTML editor, then this relative path might not point to the correct download location for the applet because the preview feature probably does not view the Web page as served from your Web server. Your options are to either

   • specify a fully-qualified codebase path, such as http://myserver/sasweb/graph

   • or view the Web page in your Web browser and make sure that the page is being viewed from its location on your Web server. To verify that the page is being served from your Web server and not as a local file, examine the URL in the Web browser and make sure that it begins with http.

In addition to a built-in preview feature, most HTML editors have an option that enables you to preview in the Web browser. Selecting this option invokes your Web browser and views the page as you last saved it. If you can set up your editing environment so that the preview-in-browser feature displays a Web page URL that starts with http, then this is probably the best technique for viewing the pages that you create. A Web page with a URL that starts with http is served by your Web server; therefore, relative paths such as /sasweb/graph can be used and both static and dynamic output can be viewed.