Contents


Preface

Using the Documentation
About This Guide
What You Should Already Know
How This Guide Is Organized
Naming Conventions
Documentation Conventions
Related Information

Chapter 1 Introduction to Applications

About iPlanet Application Server Applications

Applications as Part of a Three-Tiered Environment
Example Three-Tiered Application

Introduction to the iPlanet Application Server Foundation Class Library
Introduction to Interfaces and COM

What Is COM?
Benefits of COM
How to Use COM
What Is an Interface?
Benefits of Using Interfaces

Chapter 2 Designing Applications

Parts of an iPlanet Application Server Application

AppLogic Objects
HTML Pages
Templates
Query Files
Other Code

Questions to Ask Before You Start
Designing the Components of the Application

User Interface Design
Combining or Splitting Application Components
Designing an AppLogic Base Class
Designing a Login AppLogic Object
Designing Local, Distributed, and Global AppLogic Objects

Chapter 3 Application Development Techniques

Your Development Environment
Accessing Libraries
Using Interfaces

How to Reference Objects Through Interfaces
How to Implement Interfaces
Getting Information About Interfaces

Instantiating Objects
Declaring and Defining Methods
Reference Counting
Working with Data

Managing Memory Buffers
Using Spin Locks
Using Critical Sections
Working with Strings
Working with IGXValList Objects
Working with GUIDs
Working with Binary Large Objects (BLOBs)
Working with Dates and Times

Exporting Classes
Using Events

The Application Events API
Creating a New Application Event
Using an Application Event

Using Cookies

Sending a Cookie
Referencing a Cookie

Chapter 4 Writing Server-Side Application Code

What Is An AppLogic Object?
Introduction to Writing AppLogic Objects

Parts of a Typical AppLogic Object

Steps for Writing AppLogic Objects

Header File
Source File

Performing the Main Task in an AppLogic Object
Calling an AppLogic From Code
Requests, AppLogic Names, and GUIDs
Passing Parameters to AppLogic Objects

Passing Parameters To AppLogic From An HTML Page
Passing Parameters to AppLogic From Code

Returning Results From an AppLogic Object

Types of Results
Using the Return Value of Execute( )
Returning HTML Results
Streaming Results
Returning Output Parameters in an IGXValList Object

Caching AppLogic Results to Improve Performance

How to Cache Results
Using Cache Criteria
How To Specify Caching Criteria
How to Change Caching Criteria
How to Remove Cached Results
How to Stop Caching

Chapter 5 Working with Databases

Introduction to Working with Databases

Supported Databases
Summary of Database Interaction

About Database Connections

Opening a Database Connection
Closing a Database Connection

Getting Information About Columns or Fields
Inserting Records in a Database
Updating Records in a Database
Deleting Records From a Database
Using Pass-Through Database Commands
Using Prepared Database Commands
Using Parameters in Database Commands

Parts of Syntax in Which Parameters are Not Allowed
Using Parameters in a Flat Query
Using Parameters in an INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE Command

Using Stored Procedures

Getting the Return Value of a Stored Function
Creating a Stored Procedure
Running a Stored Procedure
Supported Stored Procedure Operations
Sample Stored Procedure

Using Triggers

Creating a Trigger
Disabling and Enabling Triggers
Deleting a Trigger

Using Sequences

Creating a New Sequence
Using An Existing Sequence
Deleting a Sequence

Managing Database Transactions

Setting Up a Transaction
Committing a Transaction
Rolling Back aTransaction

Chapter 6 Querying a Database

Introduction to Queries

Types of Queries

Using Flat Queries

Writing Flat Queries
Running Flat Queries
Getting Data From a Flat Query's Result Set

Using Hierarchical Queries

Writing Hierarchical Queries
Running Hierarchical Queries
Getting Data From a Hierarchical Query's Result Set

Buffering Result Sets From Queries
Creating Database Reports

Types of Reports
Creating Tabular Reports
Creating Grouped Reports
Running Reports
Sample Reports

Working with Query Files

Writing a Flat Query in a Query File
Running a Flat Query in a Query File
Writing a Hierarchical Query In a Query File
Running a Hierarchical Query in a Query File

Running Asynchronous Queries

Chapter 7 Working with Templates

What are Templates?

What is a GXML Template?
What is an HTML Template?

How to Write a GXML Template

Converting HTML Templates to GXML Templates

How to Write an HTML Template
Calling an AppLogic Object From an HTML Page
GX Markup Tag Syntax

TextBlock
TagAttributes
Using the Cell Attribute in a GX Markup Tag
Using the Tile Attribute in a GX Markup Tag
Using the Replace Attribute in a GX Markup Tag
Using the Include Attribute in a GX Markup Tag
Creating a User-Defined Tag

Using a Template Map

Using Your Own Template Map Class for Special Processing

Constructing a Hierarchical Result Set with GXTemplateDataBasic

Improving Performance When Using GXTemplateDataBasic

Using Conditionals in an HTML Template
Example HTML Template
Example GXML Template

Chapter 8 Managing Session and State Information

What is a Session?

Why Use Sessions?
How Sessions Work

Starting a Session

Setting the Session's Visibility

Using an Existing Session
Removing a Session and Its Related Data
Example AppLogic Using Sessions
Using Custom Sessions

Assigning Your Own Session IDs

Viewing the Number of Active Sessions
Using the State Layer

Adding a Node to a State Tree
Storing Data in an Existing Node in a State Tree

Chapter 9 Writing Secure Applications

Introduction to iPlanet Application Server Security

About User Authentication
About Role Authentication
About Access Control List Authorization

Providing Application Security in Code
Secure Sessions

Starting a Secured Session
Checking a User's Authorization
Stopping a Secured Session

Writing a Login AppLogic Object

Prompting for ID and Password
Writing Login Attempts to the Event Log

Validating Input to AppLogic Objects
Secure Caching

Chapter 10 Integrating Applications with Email

Introduction to Email in iPlanet Application Server Applications

Security in Email

Receiving Email
Sending Email

Chapter 11 Running and Debugging Applications

Getting Ready to Run an Application

Compiling Applications
Placing Files on the iPlanet Application Server
Placing Files on the Web Server (HTML Client)
Registering Code And Security Information
Saving and Restoring Registry Configurations

Debugging with Third-Party Tools

Debugging with MSVC (Version 4.2 or Higher)

Chapter 12 Sample Code Walkthrough

About the Online Bank Sample Application

AppLogic Objects in Online Bank

The Online Bank Base AppLogic
// required calls to GXDllLockInc() and GXDllLockDec().
Detailed Walk Through of Funds Transfer Functionality

CustomerMenu.html
OBShowTransferPage AppLogic
Transfer.html
OBTransfer AppLogic
Other Code

Online Bank Registration File

Appendix A Implementation Tips

System Configuration Tips
Memory Management Tips
Database and Query Tips
HTML Tips
Session Tips
Tips for Calling an Applogic From Another Applogic
Streaming Tips

Glossary

Index