Re: Communicating with COM objects from iSeries via Java?

On 12/12/05, johnking@xxxxxxx <johnking@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
>  We have a requirement to fax certain documents to users who do not have
> email. The iSeries fax products I've seen so far are primarily designed to
> translate and deliver spool files. We, on the other hand, need to push PDF
> and Excel files that happen to be stored on the IFS.
>
>   I'd like to investigate the feasibility of submitting documents to an
> existing WinFax server from the iSeries.
> 1) WinFax provides an SDK that describes how to submit faxes via its COM
> interface.
> 2) IBM Alphaworks has a "Development Tool for Java-COM Bridge" project
> that allows Java to manipulate COM objects. See:
> http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/dtjcb. The IBM website says this
> product falls under certain export-control rules, and I'm waiting to be
> "approved" before I can even view the FAQ.
> 3) This would be a batch process so there is no need for real-time
> interaction between the iSeries and WinFax - we just want to submit data
> from the iSeries to the WinFax process on the PC.
> 4) I have some small experience calling Java from RPG and on the surface
> it seems like this ought to work, but I lack all knowledge of PC-ish
> things like COM and am totally lost in Eclipse. There was a thread on
> Java400-L that referred to jintegra, jacob and jwin but that was in 2003 -
> aeons ago.
>
>  If anyone has had experience with this, or can even tell me whether the
> project is feasible, your comments are welcome.

Although I have no experience with it, I am sure it is feasible, but
it sure sounds like a lot of work, although it could be fun.  I would
get a handle on the number of items we are talking about.  If there
are only 2 or 3 a week, the cost per fax of even a day of work is
astronomical.  On the flip side, if the volume of non-emails is high,
an out-of-the box solution like FastFax might be justified.

Alternatively, join a service such as eFax, where you send the email
to 1112223333@xxxxxxxxxxx and it sends the fax.  It works essentially
just like WinFax.  No coding required ... type "email-to-fax" into
Google and get a pile of them.  They cost very little per month, and
often have free trials.

Another solution is to setup a "default" internal email address and
tweak the sending program to route blank emails to the default.  Then
have someone monitor the default mailbox and send them manually
(through WinFax!).

--
Tom Jedrzejewicz
tomjedrz@xxxxxxxxx