Automatically refreshing the Smart Connection panel

The Smart Connection panel is the main panel for users to locate the files they need to work on. It works by choosing one of various modes after which the results are shown in the panel. In certain scenarios, these results are displayed automatically; for others, users need to refresh the panel manually.

The panel is automatically refreshed for the following scenarios:

• When an essential action is performed
• When a file undergoes a specific action
• When Browse mode or a Named Query containing parameters is used and auto-refresh is enabled

To make this work, configuration steps are required. These are explained in this article.

Essential actions

Also known as the 'Live Update' method, this method refreshes the panel only for the most essential actions such as when a new file is added, a file is routed to a user, the Workflow Status of a file is changed, and so on.

Note: The panel is only automatically refreshed when it is viewed in List View mode.

Configure this as follows:

• File: configserver.php file (recommended: config_overrule.php file)
• Name of option: EventPort
• Location: SERVERFEATURES list
• Example:

new Feature( 'EventPort', 8093 )

Note: You are free to change the Event Port number. If you are using more than one Enterprise system on a single network, the port must differ or else clients will send and receive messages through databases that the user is not making use of.

Specific file actions

Also known as the 'View Update' method, this method refreshes the panel for each action, including when a file is opened, a version is saved, checked-in, and so on.

Configure this as follows:

• File: WWSettings.xml file
• Name of option: ViewUpdate
• Location: anywhere between the <Settings> </Settings> tags
• Example:

<SCEnt:ViewUpdate/>

Important: Make sure to validate the WWSettings.xml file for correct content. See Validating the WWSettings.xml file.

Using Browse mode or a Named Query

When using the Smart Connection panel in Browse mode, the panel is only automatically refreshed when a choice is made from the Status list. To refresh the panel at other times, the Refresh button needs to be clicked.

The same applies to selecting one of the lists of a Named Query: updating the panel needs to be done manually.

This behavior is intentional because it means that the panel is loaded only once instead of multiple times. This prevents users from having to wait long periods of time, especially when large number of files need to be retrieved from the server.

In case the panel needs to be refreshed each time a choice is made from any of the available lists when in Browse Mode or when a Named Query¹ is selected, enable the following option:

¹ Requires Smart Connection 14.3.1 and only applies to Named Queries that contain parameters.

• File: WWSettings.xml file
• Name of option: AutoRefreshPanel
• Location: anywhere between the <Settings> </Settings> tags
• Example:

<SCEnt:AutoRefreshPanel/>

Important: Make sure to validate the WWSettings.xml file for correct content. See Validating the WWSettings.xml file.