Allen,
I've done the same thing. Here are a couple pointers -
Check out http://www.unige.ch/hotjava/ it's source code TN3270 so if you
have IP and TN3270 this works like a charm..I've been using some stuff from
OpenConnect and the java code is about 500% faster. $5K and you get the
source..just a thought.
Another thing you should consider is following the thread that has been
going on in the advanced java list on Object Pools...same as a JDBC
connection pool, only for the TN3270 connections (or even your 3rd party
objects).
Connecting to a host and getting to the correct region in a pool prior to
handing a 'connection' to a client cut at least 3 seconds off each request
in my case.
Ideally, the process would go like this:
Before any request is made a pool of connections are opened, connected to
the correct region, sitting at the signon screen.
The pool handles the connections - doesn't allow one that's checked out to
be used by another client. There are lots of variations re: max/mins,
daemon threads that clean up bad connections, etc.
Client makes a request
Store necessary info (userid/pass etc.) in a session variable
Client checks out a connection from the pool
Client signs in
Client runs as many transactions as they need to for this form submit
Client checks in the connection to the pool (which handles getting the
connection back to a signon screen)
A new HTML form submit would invoke the steps again.
You don't have to worry about session management (you're not storing a host
connection in the session) and you get the same benefits (speed).
How you navigate from screen to screen is specific to which product you're
using to connect to the host.
Do a post instead of a get in your form and the fields won't show in the url
line.
Let me know if you have further questions.
Scott Deboy
SAIF Corporation
> ----------
> From: Schmidt, Allen J.[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: March 30, 1999 5:21 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: New to Servlets (and JAVA) and this list...
>
> I have just started using JAVA and have decided on the servlet approach
> for
> several reasons. I am developing servlets to put a new face on our
> existing
> CICS mainframe transactions with the help a third-party JAVA toolkit. So
> far
> so good. I finally got interaction between the html forms and the
> mainframe
> transactions.
>
> Session management and servlet life span will be some of the big issues I
> can see so far. I guess I have not worked with it enough to know how to
> handle the situations yet. When a user enters form parameters and submits
> the page, the servlet runs, connects to the mainframe, starts the CICS
> transaction, fills in the fields and returns the results. But what happens
> then? Is the servlet still running "somewhere"? For how long? What if I
> want
> to pass more info to the next CICS screen that appears? Or move from CICS
> screen to screen getting data from the html form and proceeding to the
> next
> html page? I need to make sure another user running the same transaction
> doesn't "jump in" and the screens get mixed up.
>
> Also, is there a way to pass parameters to the servlets without them
> appearing on the URL address line? I can get this to happen with a CGI
> type
> of program I am using to access and update ODBC databases so I know the
> process is generally possible but not sure about servlets.
>
> I hope these questions are appropriate for this forum. Please let me know
> if
> not.
>
> Thank you
>
> Allen Schmidt
> Northern VA Community College
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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