Expression Editor

The Expression Editor is a simple Expression Language (EL) editor. Use the Expression Editor when you want to formulate a dynamic computation for an otherwise unknown property value, such as the current user or the current page mode.

In the Expression Editor, you can select either:

• Choose a value, then select predefined values from the drop-down lists.

  The values are categorized according to the type of information an expression returns. Select a category from the first menu, and then select the type of value you want returned from the second menu.

  For example, rather than entering #{pageDocBean.createdBy}, you can click Choose a value, then select Page Info and then Created By.

• Type a value or expression, then enter your own value or an EL expression for the associated property. Use the following formats to enter values:

  • a literal number: #{123}

  • a literal string: #{'string'}

  • a literal Boolean: #{true}

  • a Java Bean called to return a value: #{generalSettings.preferredTimeStyle}

  Click the Test button to validate your EL syntax and evaluate the expression. Any non-EL value type you enter, such as plain text, HTML tags, or junk characters, is not validated. Validation checks the EL syntax and evaluates the expression. Expression values vary according to the context in which they are executed, so the resulting value of this test will likely differ from the value returned during actual use.