CA Service Management

tks updated.

Hi Tiago,

The hyperlinks near the end of the "Functions" section appear to be mismatched.

For example, "get_gmt_date" points to "CA SDM::.SPEL::. get_background_server()".

Thanks, Kyle_R.

I've included several SPEL functions discovered in the "Functions" section. I will document them gradually. Some of them have not yet figured out the correct syntax.

Hi Tüker ,

Document updated.

Thank you for collaborating and improving this post. 

Regards

Tiago MACUL

Hi Tiago,

Can you add "uuid" datatype for hex-decimal id format for such as contact_uuid or organization_uuid datatypes to "Data Types" section of this document. This datatype is missing.

Regards,

Türker

Hi Daniel,

Thanks a lot for sharing these documents, I hope many will get benefited.

Regards,

Mohan

That's Great Collection and helpful indeed!

Ok. I will keep separated articles.

[ ]s

Daniel, thank you for sharing!!!

I would also suggest you to start separate document where you will keep all links to your documents.

Guys,

The first articles...

SPEL API: BOP Manual  Chapters

SPEL API: Overview

SPEL API: Lessons

SPEL API: BOP - Executables

SPEL API: BOP Interpretive C Language

SPEL API: BOP - Schema - Majic

SPEL API: Domain Server Public Messages

SPEL API: Domain Server - Attached Events

SPEL API: VBOP Detail Description

SPEL API: BOP TRIGGERS

SPEL API: WAND

Thats all!!!!

Enjoy.

Daniel, you are the best!

Guys,
I have good news to give to all of you.
I'll share here all OFFICIAL documentation SPEL I have. I got this documentation because I had the opportunity of CA professionals who participated in a SPEL development workshop.
This documentation is very rich and I'm sure will help many to improve their knowledge in the same way that I did.
Next Monday (13/06) will publish the 17 documentation files I have.
Await news.

TMACUL

Kyle_R

cdtj, Gutis,

simply want to add, that I haven't seen any code examples with break operator, but it works well.

example:

int i, j;

j = 0;

for (i=0;i<100;i++) {

    if (j++ == 30) {

        break;

    }

}

printf("j = %d\ni = %d\n", j, i);  // (j = 31, i = 30)

Found one more useful function :

set_ilimit(int) - changes amount of max operations per function (sorry for that description ),

example:

if you try to run macro like this:

int i, j;

while (i==0) {

logf(SIGNIFICANT, j);

j++;

}

it will crash with error: Spell interp failed at <MACRO>.spl:<LINE>:<METHOD>: limit exceeded,

to prevent it, you can increase operations limit via this func.

Warning! Long loops can cause performance issue!

I think overview needs to be revised. As per cdtj post SPEL: Register custom webengine OP spel code can be interpreted by webengine and spel files located in site/mods/www.

Sorry i am wrong, if you created this files manauly version control was not supressed on background server. Webscreen painter do this automaticaly on schema publish. So you need to do this manualy:

1. create your files

2. run pdm_server control -b on standby it will become background

3. run pdm_server_control -v on standby former background

4. run pdm_server control -b on standby former background it will become background

5. restart standby and application servers

Most probably you messed up the sequence and background server was synchronized with standby configuration

Hello guys,

I don't know if here is the right place to ask this, but here it go: I was doing some code for a SDM 14.1 instance in Advanced Availability. I placed both spl and mod files in site/mods/majic folder of Background server. When I restarted SDM Service (using pdm_server control -b in Standby Server and then in Background), the two files simply vanished! I noted that, for some reason, SDM deleted them when it was starting. Is there any explanation for this?

HI Kyle_R,

   Thank You for your contribution, we really need pay attention on our code. I  referred your comment on document.

Regards

Tiago

Hello Tiago,

Thank you for posting this. This is the best guide to SPL that I've seen.

I note that the opening text and content is identical to the Service Desk Uses site. Under fair use, I don't think we can't just lift whole sections from another site - not without obtaining permission anyway. However, if those sections exist within our documentation, we can reference and extract from them. For example, searching on the opening phrase "Spell is CA proprietary code used to script Service Desk core operations" against our documentation, I can't find that string. Unless it is in an obscure piece somewhere. I would urge you to check out whether we have permission to post this, as it is not simply an extract but the page of the site.

Hello Everyone,

As wonderful as it is to have more SPL code documentation, and as powerful and flexible as SPL code customisation can be, I'm going to put my "Support hat" on for a moment.

I have chosen my words carefully below, so heed them well before embarking on SPL customisation.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

! ! ! CAUTION ! ! !

Incorrect SPL code customisation can prevent your system from starting, running or introduce serious data integrity issues in the Service Desk Manager application.

Incorrect SPL code customisation failures may not be obvious, but introduce subtle yet serious issues only apparent after significant time has passed.

SPL code customisations and data recovery from SPL code customisations are not covered by CA Support.

For these reasons, if considering SPL code customisation, I would recommend that you:

• Have in-depth experience with Implementing and Administering a standard CA Service Desk Manager system.
• Have coding experience.
• Have the resources available for test environment, QA and on-going maintenance over the life-cycle of the system - including future upgrades.

You may engage a CA Business Partner or CA to perform customisation work rather than doing it in-house. Typically scenarios are offered:

• The customisation and documentation is provided as a "one off."
  The cheapest option. No on-going maintenance. Upgrades likely not included.
• Customisation provided with on-going support on the current release by the provider.
  No new features, but will debug and address if an event like a patch or new integration has an impact.
• Full service. The customisation is brought into the CA QA test cycle for ongoing future releases.
  Likely the most expensive, but it guarantees that the works is covered by CA and will work after upgrade.
  
  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hopefully these Communities can help you avoid some of those pitfalls, as SPL code is frankly the best tool for some jobs and you can achieve some wonderful things with it.

It is never to be taken lightly though.

Thanks, Kyle_R.

Hi Gutis, than you, increasing this document.

Hi, here are some functions that will allow to get some basic info about logged in user from the spell code. Since spel code from triggers is run under supervisor account this information allows to get security information (e.g. function acces level) and enforce constrains manually.

this will log information to log file:

logf(SIGNIFICANT, cnt::get_login_user_role_name());

logf(SIGNIFICANT, cnt::get_login_user_interface_type());

logf(SIGNIFICANT, cnt::get_login_user_grant_level());

logf(SIGNIFICANT, cnt::get_grant_level_string_val(cnt::get_login_user_grant_level()));

Thanks Gutis.

HI Gutis, thank you for contribution on improving this post.

To update multiple attributes in one call you can use the following construction:

uuid who;
send_wait(0,top_object(), "call_attr", "cnt", "current_user_id");
who=msg[0];

send_wait(0, top_object(), "call_attr", "api", "update_object_super", who, persistent_id, 0, "is_asset", "0", "is_ci", "1");

In this case all you need to know is the persistent_id of the object you want to modify. And then you can define multiple name-value pairs to update this object

Thanks for sharing this.

I have a dream, that someday CA will share some unencrypted .spl files from previous currently unsupported versions

PLEASE!!!

Hi cdtj,

   Thank You for add information.

   improving knowledge.

   DOC was uptated

Hi,

please add information about sleep(int delay) function,

a year ago i have lost a lot of time trying to get it work correctly...

here is code sample from macro_lock.frg

// checkout the spell macro so we can close it.

// keep trying every second until the checkout is successful.

int err_stat;

err_stat = 1;

while (err_stat) {

  send_wait(0, group_leader, "checkout", dob_ref);

  if (!msg_error()) {

    err_stat = 0;

  } else {

    sleep(1); // 1 second

  }

}

Also there is one unremembered helpful function - msg_length(), which returns length of msg array after send_wait usage.

Usage example:

for (i=0;i<msg_length();i++) {

    logf(SIGNIFICANT, "msg[%d]: '%s'", i, msg[i]);

}

Regards,

cdtj