Optimizing the Guide download experience

* New for 9.5 *

There are various approaches you can use to optimize the download time for a Guide. Each approach targets a different usage scenario:

  • Guides that are used frequently

  • Guides that are used once

How downloads are optimized

The Guide runtime environment includes the Guide's runtime library and the Flash SDK library. To enable the Guide to be filled in the browser, these libraries must be downloaded to the user's computer. The Guide's runtime library is stored in the browser cache. However, depending on the version of the Flash SDK libraries that are used, the SDK libraries are stored either in the Flash Player cache or in the browser cache.

Each time the user clears the browser cache, the libraries stored in that cache must be downloaded again. The benefit of storing the Flash SDK library in the Flash Player cache is that the content of this cache is not cleared. To store the Flash SDK library in the Flash Player cache, use the Signed Runtime Shared Library (Signed RSL). The Signed RSL is slightly larger than the regular library by 200K bytes. However, for subsequent downloads, even if the browser cache has been cleared, there is a reduction of 550K bytes.

Frequently used Guides

Guides that are used frequently include time sheets or expense reports. In an environment where Guides are used frequently, use the Signed RSL version of the Flash SDK library.

Optimize all Guides

You can enable all Guides to use the Signed RSL version of the Flash SDK library.

Important: When you upgrade the LiveCycle server, repeat these steps.

  1. If you do not already have the Guides (system) application, get it from the server:

    • In Workbench, select File > Get Application.

    • Select the Guides (system) application and click OK.

  2. In the Applications view, open the Guides (system) > Guides (system)/1.0 > Processes folder.

  3. Check out the Render Guide process.

  4. Open the Render Guide process, and then select the Generate Desktop Guide step.

  5. In the Process Properties view, change the value of the Input variable Guide Runtime to:

    dccontainer_bundle-rsl.swf

  6. Save and check in the Render Guide process.

  7. Deploy the Guides (system)/1.0 application.

Optimize one Guide

You can enable only the current Guide to use the Signed RSL version of the Flash SDK library when used with a REST endpoint.

  1. In the Applications view, select the application you are working on, and then select File > New > Process.

  2. Rename the process and click Finish.

  3. Drag an Activity Picker on the process window.

  4. On the Define Activity dialog box, rename the activity.

  5. In the list of services, from the Guides (system) service, select the Render Guide - 1.0 operation, and then click OK.

  6. Set the standard Input variables: data, guidePath, and targetUrl. The guidePath variable is the path to the specific Guide you are rendering. It uses the format:

    /Applications/[ Application Name ]/[ Application Version ]/[ Guide Name ].guide

  7. Set the standard Output variable outputDocument by creating a variable of type document .

  8. In the Process Properties view, change the value of the Input variable Guide Runtime to:

    dccontainer_bundle-rsl.swf

  9. Save and check in the process.

  10. To allow access without login prompts, on the adminui page, set the Security properties as required.

Single-use Guides

In an environment where a user fills a Guide only once, such as a new bank account application, using the Signed RSL version of the Flash SDK library is disadvantageous. The suggested approach is to load the libraries in the background.

Load a Guide in the background

The time to download the libraries is hidden from the user by presenting an informational page containing a hidden 2x2 iframe to load the Guide. When the user opens the page containing the Guide, the download is complete and the Guide appears immediately.

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