11 Configuring Links

11.1.1 Links on the Home Page

In RDC, the Links section on the Home page displays your customized links to other Web sites or applications. See Figure 11-1. The Home page supports an unlimited number of links. You can also change the title of the Links section.

Figure 11-1 Sample Customized Links on the Home Page

Description of ''Figure 11-1 Sample Customized Links on the Home Page''

11.1.2 Links on the Patient Summary Report

RDC lets you display a maximum of three patient links in the Links section of a Patient Summary Report. See Figure 11-2.

In a typical patient link, RDC passes parameters to a custom SQL program and opens a new browser window. The custom program queries the database for patient data and presents a custom report in the new browser window.

Figure 11-2 Links Displayed in the Patient Summary Report

Description of ''Figure 11-2 Links Displayed in the Patient Summary Report''

11.1.3 A Link for CRF Help

You can configure one link for the CRF Help icon in the toolbar in the Data Entry window. When the user clicks the icon, RDC opens a new browser window to the link's target location. RDC displays the CRF Help icon only if you define and enable a link in the Maintain Links form.

Figure 11-3 Customizing Help for the CRF

Description of ''Figure 11-3 Customizing Help for the CRF''

11.2.1 Ordering the Display of Links

Use the Seq# field to specify the order in which a link appears in its section in RDC. The value for each Seq# must be unique for all links that appear in RDC.

11.2.2 Defining the Link Text

Use the Link Text field to specify the text for the link label.

RDC uses this text when listing the links on the Home page and in the Patient Summary Report.

11.2.3 Specifying the URL or Function

Use the URL field to specify either the URL or the function name, depending on whether you are creating a static link or a dynamic link:

• For a static link, enter the URL of the target Web page. The URL must work when RDC appends the parameters listed in Table 11-2, even if you do not take advantage of the parameters.

• For a dynamic link, enter the specification for the function. The function must handle the parameters specified in Table 11-3.

11.2.4 Specifying the Type of Link

Use the Type field to specify the type of link you are creating. You can define two type of links for use in the RDC application:

• Static links

• Dynamic links

Both types of links support passing parameter values to a URL. Therefore, you can link to pages that are context-sensitive to a user's current RDC environment.

The two types of links differ in the way RDC generates the URLs.

For static links, RDC appends a parameter string of session information to the target URL you specified in the URL field. You must write a target URL page, such as a JavaServer page, that can process the parameters. Note that for a static link with a scope of None, RDC passes a URL without a parameter string.

For dynamic links, RDC derives the URL from the return value of the database function you specified in the URL field. The database function also takes parameters. You must create the target URL page. Dynamic links trigger your own functions to return URLs.

11.2.5 Specifying the Link Scope

The scope of a link determines two factors: where RDC displays the link and which parameter values RDC passes to either the URL or the function.

• Links of scope None, User, Study, and Site display in the Links section on the Home page. The Home page supports an unlimited number of links.

• Links of scope Patient display in the Links section of a Patient Summary Report. You can define a maximum of three links to display in a Patient Summary Report. In the Maintain Links form, you select the Use Pt/CRF Link in Onsite check box to mark up to three links to display in the Patient Summary Report.

• A link of scope CRF configures a link for the CRF Help icon in a Data Entry window. In the Maintain Links form, you select the Pt/CRF Link in Onsite check box for one link.

11.2.6 Enabling Patient Summary and CRF Help Links

The Use Pt/CRF Link in Onsite check box applies only to links of scope CRF or Patient.

RDC lets you display a maximum of three patient links in a Patient Summary Report. It lets you define one link for the CRF Help icon in a Data Entry window.

To specify which patient and CRF links appear in RDC, select the Use Pt/CRF Link in Onsite check box for the appropriate links.

11.3.1 Parameters for Static Links Based on Scope

Static links generate a URL from the target HTTP address defined in the Maintain Links form. Based on the scope of the link, RDC appends a subset of parameter values from the user's current session to your specified URL when the user clicks the link.

You create a target Web page that can resolve the parameter values that RDC appends to the URL. You do not have to use all of the parameters, but the target page must be able to open the URL.

Table 11-2 lists the parameter strings that RDC appends to static links, according to the scope of the link.

11.3.2 Parameters for Dynamic Links Based on Scope

Dynamic links derive an HTTP address from a function. You create a function that returns a URL.

Table 11-3 lists the parameters that RDC passes to a SQL function, according to the scope of the link. All parameters are VARCHAR2 except for the pStudyId and pSiteId parameters, which are NUMBER.

Create or replace FUNCTION sub-program name here(
    , pHeader        IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pScope         IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pUserId        IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pUserRole      IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pTestProd      IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pStudyId       IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pStudy         IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pSiteId        IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pSite          IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pPatientId     IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pPatient       IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pBookId        IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pBook          IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pDciId         IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pCpeId         IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pSubNo         IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , PPageDisplaySn IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
    , pPageNo        IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
)RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN sub-program logic here
END;

11.4.1 Defining a Link for the Home Page

To define a link for the Links section on the Home page: 

1. Log in to the RDC Administration application.

2. Select Maintain, and then select Links.

3. Insert or modify a row in the Maintain Links form to have these settings:

   • Seq# — Sequence the rows so they have the same sequence that you prefer in the Links section on the Home page.

   • Link Text — Enter the link label. RDC uses your specified text when listing the links in the Links section on the Home page.

     
     Description of the illustration ''links_label.gif''
     
     

   • URL — Enter the URL if you are defining a static link; enter the name of the function if you are defining a dynamic link.

   • Type — Select either Static or Dynamic. (See Section 11.2.4, "Specifying the Type of Link" for more information.)

   • Scope — Select None, User, Study, or Site. The scope determines which parameter values RDC passes to either the URL or the function.

   • Use PT/CRF Link in Onsite — Do not enable this setting. This setting applies only to links of scope CRF or Patient.

4. Save your changes.

5. Create a target Web page that can resolve the parameters RDC passes when the user invokes the link.

11.4.2 Parameters for Links with a Scope of None

Use scope type None to create a link with no parameter information from the user's session.

• For a static link of scope None, RDC does not append a parameter string to the URL.

• For a dynamic link of scope None, RDC passes the following parameter values to the function:

  pHeader, pScope

11.4.3 Parameters for Links with a Scope of User

Use scope type User to generate links targeted to user roles.

• For a static link of scope User, RDC appends the following parameter values from the user's session to the URL:

  ?user_role=user_role

• For a dynamic link of scope User, RDC passes the following parameter values from the user's session to the function:

  pHeader, pScope, pUserRole

See Table 11-1 for a description of each parameter.

11.4.4 Parameters for Links with a Scope of Study

Use scope type Study to generate links to study-specific content.

• For a static link of scope Study, RDC appends the following parameter values from the user's session to the URL:

  ?userid=userid&user_role=user_role&test_prod=test_prod
  &study_id=study_id&study=study

• For a dynamic link of scope Study, RDC passes the following parameter values from the user's session to the function:

  pHeader, pScope, pUserId, pUserRole, pTestProd, pStudyId, pStudy

See Table 11-1 for a description of each parameter.

11.4.5 Parameters for Links with a Scope of Site

Use scope type Site to generate links to site-specific content.

• For a static link of scope Site, RDC appends the following parameter parameter values from the user's session to the URL:

  ?userid=userid&user_role=user_role&test_prod=test_prod
  &study_id=study_id&study=study&site_id=site_id&site=site

• For a dynamic link of scope Site, RDC passes the following parameter values from the user's session to the function:

  pHeader, pScope, pUserId, pUserRole, pTestProd, pStudyId, pStudy, pSiteId, pSite

See Table 11-1 for a description of each parameter.

11.4.6 Customizing the Label for the Links Section

The Label for the Links Tab configuration setting lets you customize the title of the Links section on the Home page. For example, you may want to change the title to More Study Information or Helpful Web Sites.

For more information on customizing the label, see Section 3.3, "Configuration Settings for RDC."

11.5.1 Parameters for a Patient Link

Use scope type Patient to create links for the Patient Summary Report.

• For a static link of scope Patient, RDC appends the following parameter values from the user's session to the URL:

  ?userid=userid&user_role=user_role&test_prod=test_prod
  &study_id=study_id&study=study&site_id=site_id&site=site
  &patient_id=patient_id&patient=patient

• For a dynamic link of scope Patient, RDC passes the following parameter values from the user's session to the function:

  pHeader, pScope, pUserId, pUserRole, pTestProd, pStudyId, pStudy, pSiteId, pSite, pPatientId, pPatient

See Table 11-1 for a description of each parameter.

11.6.1 Parameters for a CRF Help Link

Use scope type CRF to create a link to the CRF Help.

• For a static link of scope CRF, RDC appends the following parameter values from the user's session to the URL:

  ?userid=userid&user_role=user_role&test_prod=test_prod
  &study_id=study_id&study=study&site_id=site_id&site=site
  &patient_id=patient_id&patient=patient&book_id=book_id
&book=book&dci_id=dci_id&cpe_id=cpe_id&subno=subno
&page_display_sn=page_display_sn&page_no=page_no

• For a dynamic link of scope CRF, RDC passes the following parameter values from the user's session to the function:

  pHeader, pScope, pUserId, pUserRole, pTestProd, pStudyId, pStudy, pSiteId, pSite, pPatientId, pPatient, pBookId, pBook, pDciId, pCpeId, pSubNo, pPageDisplaySn, pPageNo

See Table 11-1 for a description of each parameter.