CE SDK's - Java vs. CSP

[jedownsjr]

I have been working with the CE SDK using CSP or VB to publish reports, etc. There is also a Java SDK for CE which I have not used. I'm trying to figure out when to choose which one to use and whether they are basically the same? I'm not sure how to relate what I already know from the CSP SDK to the Java SDK to get a jump-start. Are the objects and properties the same, but I would need to use Java or JSP to access them? And I would be accessing Java Packages instead of COM objects? Would I need to install something new on my CE server or are the Java "objects" installed along side my COM CE objects?
Thanks for any pointers you can give me to get me started, including any links to documentation.

 

[sharinad]

since you have been using csp like me, can you give some suggestions about getting data out of property bags? I tried exactly what it said in the sdk but it doesn't print.
response.write " test " 'this works
response.write InfoObj.Properties("SI_NAME") 'this works
response.write InfoObj.Properties("SI_PATH").PROPERTIES("SI_FOLDER_NAME1").Value 'this doesnot
response.write InfoObj("SI_PATH").PROPERTIES("SI_FOLDER_NAME1") 'this doesnot

In my select I have:
Query = "Select * From CI_INFOOBJECTS Where SI_INSTANCE_OBJECT = 1 AND SI_UISTATUS=3"

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jedownsjr]

Hi. I find that it takes a lot of patience to work with the SDK! ;-)

Could you post a little more detail about what you are trying to do? Are you trying to get information about a specific report? Folder? Recurring instance (schedule)? Historical instance?

 

[sharinad]

Trying to get more information about failed instances, like email addresses sent to, printername, and/or error message.
Thanks!

 

[mdwyer]

Coupla things:

When I run this query in the CE9 query builder, I do not get any field named SI_FOLDER_NAME1.

Your syntax may be correct as there are alternate ways of identifying a property, but try Properties.Item("SI_PATH").

Case-sensitivity may be biting you. Use 'Properties' instead of 'PROPERTIES'.

The '.Value' may also be unncessary.

The closest examples I could find in my code for a listing of instances, run times, statuses, and users look like this:
MyInstance.Properties.Item("SI_UISTATUS")
where MyInstance = MyInstancesCol.item(i)
and MyInstancesCol = MyInfoStore.Query(MyQuery)
so you can relate it to your InfoObj.

 

[jedownsjr]

Sorry to take so long to reply. The SI_PATH is a bit tricky. I first thought that I could get this value for a report or schedule, since that is what I really wanted. I figured out that you can only get the path from a folder, not from a report or instance, which makes sense since it relates to a folder primarily. So, when you look up the folder that your report or instance lives in, get the path for that folder.

The best way to understand it is if you use the CSP Query Builder and just retrieve all of your folders (select * from ci_infoobjects where progid='CrystalEnterprise.Folder'). Take a look at the SI_PATH property in your results page for a folder that is on down in your structure. It tells you how many folders are above the current folder, and it lists their names in reverse order. You can build code to loop through all of that, something like:

FolderInPath = InfoObjects(1).Properties.Item("SI_PATH").Properties.Item(x+1)

where x is equal to SI_NUM_FOLDERS and you increment backward (step -1).

Study it for a while and it will make more sense, 'cause they didn't make it too easy for us. This one definitely took me some intense homework to figure out. Good luck! ;-)

 

[chaz7]

I have been working with the CE SDK using CSP or VB to publish reports, etc. There is also a Java SDK for CE which I have not used. I'm trying to figure out when to choose which one to use and whether they are basically the same? I'm not sure how to relate what I already know from the CSP SDK to the Java SDK to get a jump-start. Are the objects and properties the same, but I would need to use Java or JSP to access them? And I would be accessing Java Packages instead of COM objects? Would I need to install something new on my CE server or are the Java "objects" installed along side my COM CE objects?
Thanks for any pointers you can give me to get me started, including any links to documentation."

Just want to get this thread back to the original issue before it went off on a tangent -- did you ever learn more from anyone about your original question posted above?

 

[jedownsjr]

Thanks, Chaz7!

No, unfortunately I didn't ever get a reply on my original topic. I have become familiar enough with the CE COM SDK to use it with ASP & Visual Basic to do some things, primarily administrative tasks. However, I recently had some involvement in a project that centered around a Java application, which I am guessing uses the Jave SDK to interface with Crystal Enterprise. I am mostly trying to get a high-level understanding of how the Java SDK works along with any similarities and differences between the Java SDK and the COM SDK. I'm not sure if both are installed by default when CE is installed. I've never had to do anything special to get the COM SDK to work ... it seems to just be installed by default, not sure about the Java SDK.

I'm not a Java programmer, but I assume that you use it with Java programs and maybe JSP scripts instead of ASP and VB?

I also wanted to know if the same object model exists in the Java SDK as in the COM SDK. I would imagine that the syntax might be different to conform to Java syntax, but I wondered if the same objects, methods & properties exist so that it would be easy to pick up on if you know the same ones in the COM SDK (such as SI_ID, SI_NAME, plugins, interfaces, etc.).

Thanks in advance if you can answer any of that and also maybe point to any sample code or documents on the Java SDK.

 

[OzWolf]

A little old but I thought I'd add my observations.

I originally built a complete custom remake of ePortfolio using the CE COM SDK (with ASP). Within the last 6 months, I have undertaken Java training (a must) and have begun building CE tools using the Java SDK. So far, Java wins hands down. The entire Java IDE is much better suited to assisting you and the use of Java beans and servlets gives you a much more structured approach to building the interface (that's if you want to build something to run on a Tomcat-like Java server). If you want to stay using the CE web server provided, then JSP is still a good choice, because you can build the JSPs using a Java IDE such as Netbeans.

I am looking forward to rebuilding our custom ePortfolio using Java this year.