Re: snd and rcv xml data -- MIDRANGE-L

Hi Jim,

depending on your budget and requirements there might be a really easysolutions you could try. I have implemented similar solutions using RPGand an application server that compiles RPG source code with extendedfunctions into native i5/OS applications that runs as fast as 5250applications; thus outperforming both Java and CGI applications. And itis really easy to learn and use if you already use ILE RPG (or Cobol).


AN EXAMPLE:

1) A customer needs to post some XML data (this example is basic XML
   but you could use SOAP messages or whatever you like) to your
   server.
2) Your server needs to do some calculation and send back an XML
   response to the customer.

Ad. 1)

The customer have a program (RPG, .Net, C/C++, Java or whatever) thatpost the following XML syntax to your server using fx. the followingURL: http://your-domain-name/webservice/postdata


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<record>
        <companyname>ACME Corporation</companyname>
        <transactions>
                <transaction id="AK3495" />
                <transaction id="AK8448" />
                <transaction id="AK4826" />
        </transactions>
</record>

Ad. 2)
Your RPG application will do the following:
    a) Parse the XML
    b) Get the company name
    c) Get the number of transactions
    d) Process each transaction
    e) Do some calculation or whatever you like
    f) Send back some XML

And the program to do all of this (please note the ASP-like syntax ofmixing standard ILE RPG and XML):


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

<%@ language="SQLRPGLE" options="COMMIT(*NONE)" %>
<%
D*Name++++++++++ETDsFrom+++To/L+++IDc.Keywords+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Comments++++++++++++
D COMPANY       e ds                  prefix (c_)
D TRANSACTIONS  e ds                  prefix (t_)

D XPath           s           1024    varying

D CompanyName     s             10  0
D NumberTransactions...
D                 s             10  0
D i               s             10  0
D ID              s             10  0

/free

SetContentType('text/xml; charset=utf-8');

CompanyName = reqXmlGetValue(
                  '/record/companyname' :
                  'N/A');                    /* Ad. b */

NumberTransactions = num(
              reqXmlGetValue(
                  '/record/transactions/transaction[ubound]' :
                  '0')
              );                             /* Ad. c */

for i = 0 to NumberTransactions - 1;         /* Ad. d */

    XPath = '/record/transactions/transaction[' +
                  %trim(%char(i)) +
                  ']';

    ID = reqXmlGetValue(
              XPath :
              'N/A');

    /exec sql
        ... your SQL here ...                /* Ad. e */
    /end-exec

endfor;

/* Ad. f */
%><?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<status>
    <CompanyName>
        <%= CompanyName %>
    </CompanyName>
    <NumberOfTransactions>
        <%= %char(NumberTransactions) %>
    </NumberOfTransactions>
</status>
<%

*inlr = *on;
return;
%>

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

If anyone needs more information about this specific application serverI'll be happy to answer your questions or connect you with the companythat created it. You might even get a trial version if you need to test it.


Best regards,
JohnF