Using Message Macros

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Message macros are designed to allow flexible ways to configure message views throughout your conversations, and also to allow access to properties of messages in a variety of locations. These macros are fully supported in templates used for editing and viewing messages in the discussion group, in bound URL pages, and also are current supported in the message templates of Full Thread Page and Advanced Query Page types.

There are two ways of using Message Macros: in the context of message rendering, and as stand alone macros. A message macro must know what message number to use to access the information it should return.

• When using message macros "in context", a message number is assumed, based on the context of the current page being rendered. For example, if you are viewing a message in the discussion group ( http://yoursite/[msgnum] ), or you are viewing a bound URL page in your site, there is a single message number attached to that entire page rendering, and it will be assumed to be the message number you wish to use in the macros.
• In Page Types that support Message Macros, there can multiple contexts in the same page, such as each message item returned in a query result.

You can also override the "in context" message number used by the macros, by using the "msgNum=[number]" attribute in the macro. This will cause the macro to return the appropriate property of that specific message.

When rendering "in context", you can also override the assumed message number with several special values that that select a message relative to the message that's in context. These special values are:

• next - returns the property for next higher valid message number
• prev - returns the property for the next lower valid message number
• nextThread - returns the property for the top level message of the next thread
• prevThread - returns the property for the top level message of the previous thread
• top - returns the property for the top level message of the current thread
• inresponseto - returns the property for the message the current message is responding to

Available Message Macros