RE: Communicating with COM objects from iSeries via Java?

Aaron,

 My initial thought was that installing a Java/COM bridge would minimize the
number of customized processes: both WinFax and our distribution system are
known entities so the only new thing to deal with would be the Java/COM
bridge.

 On the other hand, styling it as a web service might be a long-term
improvement. I'll need to think how that would fit in. Thanks for that!

JK

> -----Original Message-----
> From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of albartell
> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 7:26 PM
> To: 'RPG programming on the AS400 / iSeries'
> Subject: RE: Communicating with COM objects from iSeries via Java?
> 
> I don't know if I would go the route of Java talking COM if it is already
> a
> batch process (meaning it doesn't have to be synchronous communication).
> I
> would get a .NET programmer to access an iSeries table (using DB2.NET)
> storing the fax records waiting to be sent and then create a "web service"
> on the iSeries that will stream to you the appropriate files needing to be
> faxed. This web service could be an RPG CGI program that all it does is
> reads a url variable named 'filename' and streams back the file specified.
> You could also map a drive to an IFS folder, but those only seem to work
> about half the time for me.
> 
> With the above approach there is a clean separation of responsibility and
> it
> will be easier to debug/test (IMO). And actually, if you wanted to go
> completely web service centric you could make an RPG web service to return
> an xml list of documents needing to be faxed instead of making a database
> call, though there will be some bloat to that with XML in the mix and all.
> .NET likes web services :-)
> 
> HTH,
> Aaron Bartell
> http://mowyourlawn.com
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of johnking@xxxxxxx
> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 5:42 PM
> To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Communicating with COM objects from iSeries via Java?
> 
> 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.
> 
>  Note: If this discussions happens to get technical I suppose it should be
> moved to Java400-L or PCTECH, but at this point I hope it is still
> appropriate for Midrange-L.
> 
>  Many thanks, JK