XML elements and attributes for defining tools

Use these XML elements and attributes to define URL tools and tools that open reports.

The following table describes the XML elements and attributes used to define URL tools and tools that open reports.

Table 1. Elements and Attributes used to define URL tools and tools that open reports
Element or attribute	Type	Description
`context`	Attribute	Specifies the context filters for the tool.
excludeBaseContext	Attribute	Determines if the default base context should be excluded, but retains the protocol server port portion of the base URI. For example, to exclude the `/ibm/console` from the base URI, set the value to `true`. The default value is `false`.
excludeBaseURI	Attribute	Determines if the default base URI should be excluded, which includes everything up to and including `https://server:port/ibm/console`. The default value is `false`.
`id`	Attribute	Contains an alphanumeric identifier for this tool.
`key`	Attribute	Used as a lookup into the $NMGUI_HOME/profile/etc/tnm/locale/`ncp_tools(_xx_XX).properties` file. This attribute allows you to specify translations of the tool label for users with different locale settings.
`label`	Attribute	Contains the actual text of the menu option for this tool that appears in the menu.
`name`	Attribute	Specify a name to be used for the parameter.
`ncp_tool`	Element	Introduces the definition of a tool.
`omitDefaultParameters`	Attribute	As an attribute of the `<url>` element, prevents any default parameters from being added to the URL if it is set to `true`. Set this attribute to true if your tool has no `<parameter>` tags and you do not want any default parameters added. If your tools has some `<parameter>` tags, this attribute has no effect.
`omitDuplicateParameterValues`	Attribute	If set to `true` as an attribute of the `url` element, omits duplicate parameters from the URL. When a right-click tool is launched from a selection of multiple devices, each device can contribute the same parameters to the URL. If these parameters have the same value, they can be removed by enabling this feature. Removing duplicate parameters can make very long URLs shorter. If you change this attribute, log out of the GUI and log back in again to see the change. If you do not see the change, restart the Dashboard Application Services Hub. If the `omitDuplicateParameterValues` element is not specified, it defaults to `false`. To change the default to `true`, set `tnm.tools.menu.omit.duplicate.parameter.values.default` to `true` in the tnm.properties file.
`parameter`	Element	Specifies parameters to pass to the URL. You can configure multiple parameters using the following parameter types. Each of these parameter types is formulated using a different `valueType` attribute: Value of an NCIM topology database field. The data retrieved must be associated with an entity. Name of the Network Manager domain containing the device or devices against which the tool is executing. Name of the Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Web GUI data source mapped to the Network Manager domain containing the device or devices against which the tool is executing. Value of a Web browser cookie. Plain text. Use this parameter type to specify tool-specific parameters, such as the number of hops to pass to the tool that launches the Hop View, or the number of retries.
`runforeach`	Attribute	If set to the value `true`, then this tool is run once for each selected node.
`runonlist`	Attribute	If set to the value `true`, then this tool is run once only. The selected nodes are passed to the tool as a comma-separated list.
`security`	Attribute	Specified the security filters for the tool.
`type`	Attribute	The following types of tool are supported: `url`: use this option to define a URL tool.
`target`	Attribute	This attribute is standard HTML syntax and specifies the name of the window to open the tool into. Possible values include: `_blank`: Opens the tool in a new window `_self`: Opens the tool in the current window You can also specify a window name.
`url`	Element	Specifies the URL to open when a user selects this tool.
`value`	Attribute	Specifies the value of the URL for the `<url>` element. You can use variables here that you have defined in the $NMGUI_HOME/profile/etc/tnm/`tnm.properties` file. For example, you could reference two variables called tnm.myserveraddress and tnm.myserverport using a URL similar to the following: `url="https://{%prop:tnm.myserveraddress}:{%prop:tnm.myserverport}/rest_of_url"`
`valueType`	Attribute	Indicates how the Network Manager Web application from which the tool is called obtains the value of the parameter. This attribute can take the following values: `domainName`: obtains the name of the Network Manager domain containing the device or devices against which the tool is executing. `webtopDataSource`: obtains the name of the Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Web GUI data source mapped to the Network Manager domain containing the device or devices against which the tool is executing. `ncim`: retrieves the value of a field in the NCIM topology database. Use the `table` and `column` parameters to specify the topology database field. Set the `runOnMainNode` attribute to `true` in order to use the `entityId` field associated with the main node containing a selected interface. `cookie`: obtains the value of the cookie specified using the `cookieName` attribute. `text`: specified text attribute is added as a parameter value.