Automation scripts are small, targeted pieces of code that can be authored, saved and instantly activated in a Tpae-based product environment to extend the product. Automation scripts were first introduced with the 7.5 release of Tpae. Since this release, the capability has been welcomed and adapted by clients and implementers as an accelerated approach to implementing the desired solution.
This web page will serve as a landing page to all there is to learn and experiment with automation scripting. Links will be added to other sources of automation script information that may be published by IBM or the broader user community. Examples of scripting will be listed here over time.
Understanding Automation Scripting
There are several concepts that should be well understood before embarking on an automation script journey. Knowing the concepts will enable you to more easily determine how a customer requirement for product extension can be met and whether scripting should be exploited when implementing a particular requirement.
Maximo Scripting: Script compilation and caching: Learn how automation scripts are compiled into Java byte-code and cached to reduce execution overheads.
Scripting Examples
The following examples illustrate the exploitation of scripting in various contexts. These examples were derived from actual customer use cases.
Maximo Scripting: Date Dizziness--Part 1: Learn how to use scripts to calculate elapsed time based on date and time measurements in Maximo business objects and how to present that information in the user interface.
Maximo Scripting: Date Dizziness--Part 2: Learn a Java-based approach to calculating dates through a scenario in which an escalation executes a scripted action.
Maximo Scripting: Date Dizziness--Part 3: Learn how to implement a JavaScript-based script to calculate dates.
Executing reports using scripts: Learn how existing reporting capabilities can be leveraged through scripting; this example leverages the reporting framework's scheduling functionality
Extending email listener with scripting: Learn how action-based scripts can be implemented to process incoming emails and act upon business objects; this example updates a work order based on an email message.
Using scripts to turn off a business rule: Learn how scripts can override standard product behavior; this example turns off a business rule implemented in Work Order Tracking application.
Resources
Scripts are pieces of code. Tpae 7.5-based products ship Jython and JavaScript engines in support of automation scripting. The ability to use the right syntax and develop programming logic is a pre-requisite to exploiting automation scripting. These links provide significant details and examples on basic programming with Jython and JavaScript.
Jython Tutorial
Rhino JavaScript documentation
Automation scripting is built on top of the Java JSR-223 standard for using scripting languages in a JVM. This link provides the specification details for the JSR-223 standard.
JSR-223 specification