Understanding CSS styles

Cascading Style Sheets operate as an inheritance hierarchy, so the order that they are applied to HTML markup is significant. For example, if an earlier style sheet defines a H1 HTML element as with the style font-size:12pt; but a later style sheet overrides this with font-size:18pt; the H1 element appears with 18 point type.

At runtime, Process Commander extracts static style sheet files (CSS files) from text file rules and saves them in directories below the relative directory /webwb. As with other rules the subdirectory reflects a hash code for a RuleSet list.

Some standard text file rules containing standard styles are marked as final rules — and so your application cannot override them. However, your application's style sheets (following the naming conventions described here) can override one or more style definitions contained in the final rules.

The specific standard sheet style sheets applied at runtime depend on the Type field in the Skins tab on the portal rule.

• When this field is set to User, the system sends a smaller set to the user's browser, reducing memory and processor demand on the workstation.
• When this field is set to Developer, a larger set of style sheets is sent, to support rule forms and additional portal facilities.

Styles for reports in an application are defined in the CSS identified in the Report field of the Styles tab of the Skin rule.

By convention, the middle key part of this text file rule is named reports_zzzz, where zzzz is arbitrary. Styles that are auto-generated by the Application Skin wizard follow this naming convention.

At runtime, Process Commander applies report styles in this order:

The presentation of a list view report reflects the combined result of CSS styles determined in up to four locations:

• A baseline CSS file for the portal, a final rule in the Pega-WB RuleSet. For example, the text file rule named webwb.desktopdeveloper.css is included in all HTML output for the Developer portal.
• A secondary CSS file referenced in the Reports field the skin rule (Rule-PortalSkin rule type) in force. The skin rule in turn is referenced in the portal rule (Rule-Portal rule type), referenced in your access group.
• Optionally, another CSS file identified in the Style Name field on the Format tab.
• Optionally, styles for a report row identified dynamically through conditions in the Row Format array on the Format tab.

You can supplement or override standard styles for a single list view display, or — through a skin rule referenced in a portal rule — supplement or override standard styles for all list view and summary view rules executed by users associated with a portal rule. The Application Skin wizard provides a guided approach to creating and maintaining such application- wide styles.

The standard text file rules named webwb.reports.css and webwb.reportsbaseuser.css contain style definitions used in most reports, including:

• ViewHeaderStyle — For table headers
• ViewRowSelectedStyle and ViewRowUnselectedStyle — For rows
• CategoryStyle — For groupings
• listTableRowStyle, listTableRowShadedStyle — For rows

This example reflects the effect of changing those six styles:

The work object forms in your application can use the standard styles, styles from a skin (such as produced by the Application Skin wizard), and in-line styles.

To override default styles for all the work object forms in an application, identify a custom style sheet in the Work field of the Styles tab of the Skin rule. By convention, choose workform_zzzz as the middle key part of the text file rule containing your application styles, where zzzz is arbitrary. (Styles that are auto-generated by the Application Skin wizard always follow this naming convention.)

At runtime, Process Commander applies work object form styles in this order:

Each work processing form contains multiple functional areas, with different styles. To apply the right style to the HTML display element you want, review the structure of the form and terms used. Use the wireframe format of the Layout tab of the harness rule to see the structure.

Most forms consist of five to fifteen sections and a flow action area. Sections are referenced in the harness rule and defined by section rules. Section rules may reference other section rules.

For example, this entry form uses a New harness containing three sections, copied from Work-.NewHeaderSample, Work-.BodySample, and Work-.StatusSample. (Review the Layout tab of a harness rule in wireframe mode ( visible) or enable the Rules Inspector tool to identify the section names and other components.)

The image below identifies styles that apply to areas of the form produced by the harness rule and section rules. These include the title bar, data areas, groups, and subgroups. (The style names in this Classic example are the same as in the newer Standard CSS.)

The appearance of property values on flow action forms, whether input fields or output fields, is typically controlled by the HTML Property rule referenced in the property rule or identified in the Cell Properties panel, rather than by style-sheet styles.

The example below identifies common styles referenced in a flow action:

To override default styles for the entire portal window, identify a style sheet in the Desktop field of the Styles tab of a Skin rule. By convention, choose desktop_zzzz as the middle key part of the text file rule containing your application styles, where zzzz is arbitrary. (Styles that are auto-generated by the Application Skin wizard always follow this naming convention.)

At runtime, Process Commander applies portal styles in this order:

These tools are available to identify and modify styles:

• Application Skin wizard — Allows you to create and maintain a family of CSS styles for your application. Changes you make are automatically applied to text file rules. See About the Application Skin wizard.
• Previewing preference — Select a skin in the Run Process In area of the General preference group. This lets you experience the styles and behaviors defined by the skin rules as you develop harness, section, and flow action rules. See Developer portal basics — Setting preferences.
• Image Catalog — Allows you to search through the JPG, GIF, and PNG images stored as binary file rules. See About the Image Catalog tool.
• Style Discovery tool — Part of the Rules Inspector tool, this tool lets you identify styles in use, see the style definitions, and experiment with changes to styles, for work object forms. See About the Rules Inspector tool.
• Style Viewer — Helps you relate the name of a style to the resulting appearance, for portal styles and report styles as well as work object styles. See Using the Style Viewer.
• Inline Style Editor — Allows very local changes to the styles for the contents of a single cell. See below.

To apply a unique style to a single field or label or to accomplish special effects, you can type a style definition in the Inline Style field of the Label or Field panel.

For guided assistance in composing a style definition, click the magnifying glass icon () to open the Inline Style Editor. You can select from predefined lists or type a style definition directly, and preview the results.

Click  Save   to close the Inline Style Editor and record the style in the Inline Style field.

By default, the HTTP headers produced by Web servers supporting Process Commander indicate that static content such as CSS files are cached for 24 hours.

If you have updated or overridden an existing CSS file, the effect of the change may not be visible to other users unless they clear temporary files from their browser, or wait 24 hours. See More about Text File rules.