IdcoScript vs Javascript

I'd like to explain the difference between IdocScript and Javascript because it is an important step for template pages in Oracle Content Server.

IdocScript is a server scripting language created for Oracle Content Server (formally Stellent Content Server) template pages. It consists of the basic functionality you need to create pages that display content or execute services. We should note IdocScript is designed only for the content server.

Javascript is a client side scripting language, that is executed by the client browsers. Javascript is used for form validations, and for making dynamic display of HTML elements. Javascript. Javascript cannot execute a service or retrieve results from the content server.

The idea is we use IdocScript for executing services and core functionality whether by standard functions, or by custom functions which are a java methods. Which means separating business logic. While Javascript is for the user interface, by Javascript we create functions for validating input data, and creating user friendly user interface. Which means separating user interface design from business logic.

<$i=1$>
<$loop tempResultSet$>
<tr>
<td><b><$i$></b></td>
<$i=i+1$>
<td><$col1$></td>
<td><$col2$></td>
<td>
<input type="button" value="click me" onClick="alert('<$col3$>');window.close()">
</td>
</tr>
<$endloop$>

Here in this code I have a result set called tempResultSet which consists of three columns (col1, col2, and col3), and I loop on this result set to display its values by just getting columns values <$col1$> and <$col2$>, but I need one more thing I need to have a button when it will be clicked, a pop up message with 'col3' value appear which is a Javascript functionality and cannot be done using IdocScript where Javascript can put event listener functions or code to HTML form elements like what we did above onClcik="alert('<$col3$>');", but in the alert method we need to display col3 value, so we just add IdocScript code that return col3 value.

How that thing is done, when I user requests the page contains that code, the request is passed to the web server, and the web server requests that page from the content server, the content server finds the template page which contains IdocScript code and Javascript code, in that point the content server executes the IdocScript code only which returns either HTML code or Javascript code, then the page is sent to the web server which will send it to the client with no Javascript code.

I think that explain gives you a complete picture about what happen, but I need to explain it more.

When The content server searches for the template page, it will find it like

<$i=1$>
<$loop tempResultSet$>
<tr>
<td><b><$i$></b></td>
<$i=i+1$>
<td><$col1$></td>
<td><$col2$></td>
<td>
<input type="button" value="click me" onClick="alert('<$col3$>');window.close()">
</td>
</tr>
<$endloop$>

Then the content server execute the IdocScript code before sending it the webserver, the above code will be changed to

<tr>
<td><b>1</b></td>
<td>value 1-1</td>
<td>value 1-2</td>
<td>
<input type="button" value=""click me onClick="alert('value 1-3');window.close()">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>2</b></td>
<td>value 2-1</td>
<td>value 2-2</td>
<td>
<input type="button" value="click me" onClick="alert('value 2-3');window.close()">
</td>
</tr>

and also the client will get the same result.

I wish this helps you in understanding the interaction and the isolation between IdocScript and Javascript.