RE: http_url_post_xml and REST

In response to these comments:

I've looked around for an example to follow that will post the XML from

the IFS and include some basic information on the actual POST.

and

the remaining XML file might be a bit much for most RPG fields at 32k.

DB2 for i 7.1 has a GET_BLOB_FROM_FILE function, and also a GET_XML_FILE
function that will return a locator that can refer to up to 2GB of data.
DB2 for i 7.1 also supports file reference host variables that you can use
embedded SQL & RPG.

In a recent fix pack, SQL functions were added to SYSTOOLS that can be used
to make HTTP requests as part of an SQL statement, such as the POST that
you describe.

These ideas can be combined fairly easily.

This white paper talks about the HTTP functions:
https://www-304.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/stg_ast_sys_wp_access_web_service_db2_i_udf
The paper talks about REST, header fields and SSL, it may help fill in the
blanks even you do not use these functions.

And this paper has examples of GET_XML_FILE and XML file reference
variables in C and RPG:
https://www-304.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/servlet/download/DownloadServlet?id=K
$63TzTFkZwiPCA
$cnt&attachmentName=Replacing_xml_extender.pdf&token=MTM3MzQwMDQzNjA3Nw==&locale=en_ALL_ZZ


(See also Dawn May's i Can blog:
http://ibmsystemsmag.blogs.com/i_can/xml/ )


These functions tend to be designed for use with the relational database,
rather than non-DB2 PHP, HTTP or RPG operations - but I know file reference
variables have been used in RPG before for non-DB2 reasons, if only to make
it easier to work with larger values.

Nick Lawrence
DB2 for IBM i


Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue
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