Using custom parameters

Starting in Version 5.2, the Web-to-Host Wizard allows for custom, or unknown, parameters in the launch pages. In previous versions, the Wizard removed and discarded unknown parameters. You can now add custom parameters to the launch pages and they are not removed, with one exception that is detailed below.

  1. On the web server, navigate to the site and template folder that you want to change. For example:
    C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\MySite\template
  2. Make a copy of the launch_x.htm and launch_j.htm files in case you must go back to the original files.
    The launch_x.htm and launch_j.htm files are the templates for all the web pages that are created by the Web-to-Host Wizard.
  3. Add your custom parameter(s) to the object tags in the launch_x.htm and launch_j.htm files. For example:
    <PARAM NAME="MyCustomParameter" VALUE="foo" />

Propagating the parameters

  • Any custom parameter added to the launch_x.htm <object> tag is propagated to the launch_j.htm <object> tag and vice versa. If you want to remove a parameter, you must remove them from both <object> tags in the launch_x.htm and launch_j.htm files.
  • There are a total of three (3) launch tags: <object> in launch_x.htm; and <object> and <embed> in launch_j.htm.
  • There is a master/slave relationship between the launch_J.htm <object> and the launch_J.htm <embed>. The <embed> tag mirrors the <object> tag and cannot contain values that are not contained in the master <object>. The <embed> tag contains all values found in the master <object>.
Examples
  • If you add a parameter to launch_X.htm <object> tag, it propagates to launch_J.htm <object> and launch_J.htm <embed>.
  • If you add a parameter to launch_J.htm <object>, it propagates to launch_J.htm <embed>, and to launch_X.htm <object>.
  • If you remove a parameter from the launch_J.htm <object>, but not from the launch_X.htm <object>, then it is found in the launch_X.htm file and propagated back into the launch_J.htm file. The converse is also true.
  • If you add an attribute to the launch_J.htm <embed> (and not the enclosing <erobject>), the attribute is discarded due to the master/slave relationship between the launch_J.htm <object> and <embed>.
Exception

If you remove a parameter from the launch_J.htm <object>, it is removed from the launch_J.htm <embed> due to the master/slave relationship.