Using the Java Wrapper

Generating Java Sources

Select an IDL File

To generate a Java source, select an IDL file and, using the context menu, choose Other > Generate Java > RPC Client, RPC Client (Bean compliant), RPC Server or RPC Tester.

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In addition to the standard commands of Eclipse, the context menu of a Java file contains a group of commands for the Java Wrapper.

Command Description
RPC Client Generates a Java client class.
RPC Client (Bean compliant) Generates Java (client) classes instead of inner classes. There is one client class generated for each library in the Software AG IDL file.
RPC Server Generates a Java server class and a server skeleton for your own implementation.
RPC Tester Generates a client test program.

Important:
If the IDL file is in a Java project, the Java Wrapper uses the project to compile the Java files. If the IDL file is in a simple project, the Java files are generated, but not compiled.

Preferences

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In general, the preferences of the Java Wrapper are used to set the Customization Class and the package name for the RPC client and the RPC server. The package for the client is also used for the tester. If you want to generate a tester, the RPC client class must be public. The Superclass field is used to specify an extension class for all Bean-compliant generated classes apart from the actual client interface object.

To set the broker ID and the server address for all new IDL files in the workspace, use the preference page "EntireX".

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Properties

For the settings of an individual IDL file, use the properties of this file. The property pages include the same fields to set as the preference pages. In addition, the property page of the Java Wrapper includes the project-specific setting of the source folder. This is the package root of the generated files.

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Starting the IDL Tester

There are two alternatives for starting the EntireX IDL Tester:

  • From the Context Menu
    This is the preferred method. In the context menu of the IDL file, choose Software AG IDL Tester.... A dialog appears for choosing the program to test.

    The IDL Tester is generated and launched as a separate Java Application. See EntireX IDL Tester for more details.

  • From Generated Test Program
    To start the IDL Tester, select the generated test program in the Navigator or Package Explorer and choose Run from the context menu or toolbar.

    The IDL Tester is started as a separate application. See Using the IDL Tester.

Generating a Java Client Interface Object

Start of instruction setTo generate a Java client interface object

  1. In the Navigator view or in the Package Explorer, select the Software AG IDL file.

  2. From the context menu, choose Generate Java from Software AG IDL > RPC Client.

    This starts the generation of the Java source. The Java source files are written to the source folder of the IDL file. The source folder is set in the properties of the IDL file.

This starts the generation and compiles the generated Java sources. The Java source files and the class files are written to the directory of the IDL file.

File Description
<Library name>.java The Java source code of the generated client interface object. The library name is used to build the file name and the class name. Do not change this file.

If more than one library is defined in the IDL file, separate client interface object files will be generated for each library.

Generating a Java Client Interface Object without inner Classes (Bean-compliant)

When using the Java Wrapper to generate an RPC client (Bean-compliant), the resulting client interface object contains no inner classes. Instead, there will be separate classes generated for each structure within the IDL file.

Note:
A superclass to be extended by all the newly generated classes can be specified in the setup menus for Preferences and Properties.

Start of instruction setTo generate a Java client interface object (Bean-compliant)

  1. Select an IDL file.

  2. From the context menu, choose Generate Java from Software AG IDL > RPC Client (Bean-compliant).

    As a result, the generation of the Java source is started. The Java source files are written to the source folder of the IDL file and the generated Java sources are compiled.

    Note:
    The source folder can be specified in the setup menu for Properties.

The Java source files and class files are written to the directory of the IDL file. The following table gives a short description:

File Description
<Library name>.java The Java source code of the generated client interface object. The library name is used to build the file name and the class name. Do not change this file.
<Structure name>.java A Java class is generated for each structure and group within the input IDL file(s).

Note:
If more than one library is defined in the IDL file, separate client interface object files will be generated for each library.

Generating a Java Server Interface Object

Start of instruction setTo generate a Java server interface object

  1. In the Navigator view or the Package Explorer, select the Software AG IDL file.

  2. From the Context menu, choose Generate Java from Software AG IDL > RPC Server.

The Java Wrapper produces the following files for the server interface object in the source folder of the IDL file.

File Description
<Library name>Stub.java The Java source code of the generated server interface object. The library name followed by Interface Object is used to build the file name. Do not change this file.
<Library name>Server.java A Java source file that contains a server skeleton. This is a complete Java class that can be compiled. It contains all methods the server has to implement. Add your application-specific coding in the places marked with the // insert your application specific code here comment. The library name followed by "Server" is used to build the file name. If this file exists, it will not be generated.
Abstract<Library name>Server.java A Java source file that contains the generated part of the server as an abstract class. The server skeleton <Library name>Server.java extends this class and contains the application-specific code. Separating the generated code and the application-specific code simplifies re-generation of the RPC server.

If more than one library is defined in the IDL file, separate server interface object files will be generated for each library. The server package name is used as the package name in the generated server files. The server package is part of the Java Wrapper properties of the IDL file. At runtime, configure the server packages in the Java RPC Server configuration. The Java RPC Server uses the library name (which is part of the RPC request from the client) to dynamically load a class named <Library name>Stub.class. The RPC server searches for this server interface object class as well as the server class using the actual classpath.

Using the IDL Tester

The client test program is an easy-to-use utility to check whether the remote call works. The client test program supports most of the data types and features of the IDL.

If there is no client interface object already defined, the IDL Tester will generate a Bean-compliant client interface object. However, if there is a previously generated client interface object, it will not be overwritten, regardless if it is Bean-compliant or not.

There are two alternatives for generating and running the standard client test program:

  • From the context menu of an IDL file. This is the preferred method. See EntireX IDL Tester in the EntireX Workbench documentation.

  • Using Generate Java... > RPC Tester. See below.

This section covers the following topics:

Calling the IDL Tester using Generate Java ... > RPC Tester

  1. In the Navigator view or in the Package Explorer, select the Software AG IDL file.

  2. From the context menu, choose Generate Java from Software AG IDL > RPC Tester. For each program in the IDL file, one class with the name <Library name>T<program name>.java is generated. The class <Library name>T<program name> can be started as a standalone Java application.

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  3. In the Navigator view or the Package Explorer, select the file <Library name>T<program name>.java and choose Run As from the context menu or Run... from the Run menu. This creates a launch configuration and starts the tester. See also Running the Delivered Examples.

See EntireX IDL Tester in the EntireX Workbench documentation for more information.

Using the IDL Tester in Batch Mode

Start of instruction setTo start the Tester in Batch mode

  • Enter the following command 

    java -classpath <your classpath> <library>T<program> -batch
    where <your classpath> contains the class of the RPC tester and the file entirex.jar.
    <library> is the name of the library and
    <program> is the name of the program.

For the delivered example.idl, the following RPC testers are provided: ExampleTcalc, ExampleThello, ExampleTpower.

An RPC is executed with the default values.

If you add -both instead of -batch, the GUI of the tester is opened, but the messages and parameter values are written to SYSOUT, too.

To change the broker ID, use -b <broker id>. To change the server address, use -s <class/server/service>, for example: 

java ExampleTcalc -b localhost:1971 -s RPC/SRV1/CALLNAT + 3 5

Start of instruction setTo modify the default values

  • In the command line add the parameters to the commands.

They will be assigned to the input values one after the other. Enter, for example java ExampleTcalc + 3 5 to calculate 8.