This appendix describes macros that can be used within the Kentico CMS system. Macros are strings that are automatically resolved into their value equivalents and they represent a powerful option that often eliminates writing custom .NET code.

 

Types of macros

 

The macro type is determined by the character at the beginning and end of the macro. Macros look like:

 

{<type><expression><parameters><type>}

 

Where type character can be one of:

 

 

Macros of the same type can be nested using the "index parentheses" syntax, e.g. {(1)%FullName|(default){(2)%Username%(2)}%(1)}.

 

Coverage of macros

 

The following table shows where the macros can be used:

 

 

Entering macros

 

Macros can either be entered manually, or you can use the macro selector dialog, which facilitates entering of macro expressions and offers a complete range of macros to be entered.

 

In web part properties, it can be accessed by clicking the little black arrow icon next to fields in web part properties, as you can see in the screenshot below. The expression can be selected by the highlighted drop-down lists, inserted into the field above using the Insert button and finally added to the property using the Save button.

 

 

The same drop-downs are also available when creating or editing:

 

 

 

Localization macros

 

There are two types of locatization macros:

 

Basic – In format “{$string.key$}” uses the ResHelper.GetString(“string.key”) and replaces the macro with the resource string.

 

Example: “The weather is {$General.OK$}” will be resolved as “The weather is OK”

 

In-place locatization – String and its localized equivalents are stored within the macro specification. The macro is in format “{$=Default string|cs-cz=Czech string|de-de=German string$}”. It uses localized string in case it is available or default (the first string) if not.

 

Example:

 

“The weather is {$=OK|cs-cz=dobre|de-de=gut$}” will be resolved into:

“The weather is dobre” in Czech culture

“The weather is gut” in German culture

“The weather is OK” in any other culture

 

These macros are usually used on multilingual websites to help localize the system strings.        

 

Context (data) macros

 

This type of macros evaluates the data of current context. The format of the macro is “{%ColumnName%}” and the value is replaced with the appropriate data from the context.

 

You can use all the column names from current site data, current user data and current document data.

 

Example: “Welcome {%FullName%}” will be resolved as “Welcome Global administrator” when administrator is logged in.

 

These macros can be used for example to parametrize the web parts parameters with current document or user values.

 

There are also data macros with selectors to precisely identify the source of the data, these macros look like:

“{%CurrentDocument.DocumentName%}” and can be used for accurate determination of the data source. Availability of the selectors depends on the context where the macros are evaluated.

 

QueryString macros

 

These macros evaluate the query parameters information. The macro is in format “{?querystringkey?}” and it is replaced by the query parameter value.

 

Example: “Current node ID: {?nodeid?}” will be resolved as “Current node ID: 10” with URL like “default.aspx?nodeid=10”

 

These macros can be used for example to dynamically parametrize the controls by the querystring parameters.

 

Cookie macros

 

These macros evaluate the cookie values. The macro is in format “{@CookieName@}” and it is replaced by the cookie value.

 

Example: “Current style: {@StyleCookie@}” will be resolved as “Current style: Red” if StyleCookie value is set to “Red”

 

These macros can be used for example to parametrize the web parts with client-based persistent values like styles or user options.

 

Custom macros

 

These macros can be used to define your own macro. The macro is in format “{#Expression#}” and when the macro is needed to be resolved, it will call the method ResolveCustomMacro located in the class ~/App_Code/Global/CMS/CMSCustom.cs

 

Example: “Current time: {#CurrentTime#}” will be resolved to “Current time: 1/1/2008 10:30“ with following custom macro handler:

 

 

Control macros

 

These macros can be used to resolve parts of the text to the inline controls. The macro is in format ”{^BizFormControl^}” and can (usually must) contain parameters for the control in a standard way of parametrized macros, such as “{^BizFormControl|(FormName)ContactForm^}”. It will be resolved to inline control which will get those parameters to initialize itself.

 

Path macros

 

These macros can be used to resolve current document Alias path the same way like in the Path property of the controls. Macro is replaced by the resolved path.

 

Example: WhereCondition: “NodeAliasPath LIKE {&../%&}” The macro will be resolved as parent document path and will result in selecting all the siblings of current document and their child documents.

 

This macro is intended mostly for including the document structure context into the controls WHERE condition, but can be used for many more purposes.

 

Macro parameters

 

From version 4.0 there is possibility to create macros with parameters to get better or specific functionality, especially for the data (context) macros. Each parameter of the macro is separated with the “|” character located after the macro expression. You can use multiple macro parameters.

 

Examples: {%SKUPrice|(culture)en-us%}, {%SKUPrice|(culture)en-us|(format){0:f1}%}

 

The "|" character can be escaped using the "\|" sequence, e.g. {%SKUPrice|(default)N\|A%} will display "N|A", i.e. the "|A" sequence will not be interpreted as a new parameter.

 

Currently available parameters are:

 

e.g. {%SKUPrice|(culture)en-us%} writes the product price in an English culture formatting

 

 

e.g. {%SKUPrice|N/A%} writes product price or N/A if the document is not a product

 

e.g. {%DocumentName|(encode)true%} or {%DocumentName|(encode)%} writes the HTML encoded document name, such as Black &amp; white. The default encoding settings can be enabled, in that case, the settings may be |(encode)false to disable it.

 

e.g. {%DocumentName|(urlencode)true%} or {%DocumentName|(urlencode)%} writes the URL encoded document name, such as All%20items. The default encoding settings can be enabled, in that case, the settings may be |(urlencode)false to disable it

 

e.g. {%DocumentName|(tolower)true%} or {%DocumentName|(tolower)%} writes black & white.

 

e.g. {%DocumentName|(toupper)true%} or {%DocumentName|(toupper)%} writes BLACK & WHITE.

 

e.g. {?tagid|(toint)0?} writes the valid tagid from querystring or 0 if not valid

 

e.g. {?onlyvalid|(tobool)true?} writes false if onlyvalid querystring parameter is false, else returns true.

 

e.g. {?userguid|(toguid)?} converts the userguid query parameter to Guid or Guid.Empty

 

e.g. {?price|(todouble)10.2?} converts the price query parameter to double or 10.2

 

e.g. {?targettime|(todatetime)?} converts the targettime query parameter to date time or DateTime.MinValue

 

e.g. {%MessageText|(resolvebbcode)true%} or {%MessageText|(resolvebbcode)%} writes the resolved BB code such as conversion of [url]… to <a href="…

 

e.g. {%UserName|(equals)administrator%} writes true if the user is administrator

 

e.g. {%UserName|(notequals)administrator%} – Writes false if the user is administrator

 

e.g. {%UserName|(equals)administrator|(truevalue)Yes|(falsevalue)No%} writes Yes if the user is administrator

 

e.g. {%UserName|(equals)administrator|(truevalue)Yes|(falsevalue)No%} writes No if the user is not administrator

 

API methods for evaluating macros

 

There is an easy way to resolve the macros in the .NET code. To resolve all the macros (recommended), use static method:

 

 

To resolve just the localization macros use static method:

 

 

Page url: http://devnet.kentico.com/docs/devguide/index.html?appendix_a___macro_expressions.htm