Domino Java integration useless?

HCL Domino Domino Forum
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Its probably no point of posting this question to these forums, since it seems like there is no real technical people reading these forums, but I’ll try anyway. (I have hope)

We have several projects, where we need to use a Java application server as the front-end to the clients because of different reasons. Lotus has talked much about how fantastic their domino tag library and their java-library is, and how easy it is to integrate Domino-data in i.e JSP-pages. But infact it is almost useless!! Most of the databases in our organisation and our customers organisation contains forms with RichText fields. But there is now way to display the information in these fields any other way than through Dominos HTTP-task (wich is extremly slow). I now I can get a plain text-representation through the tag-libraries, but that is far from good enough. What about images pasted into the RichText-fiels, or attached files? Through Dominos Java-library, I can’t get my hands on these! This means that much of the information inside the Domino-database can never be presentet to any client through for example a JSP page, witout using Dominos HTTP-task.

What is Lotus thinking around this? They must have seen the problem coming? Do they have any solutions? This Lotus RichText format is a real pain. How can they say customers can integrate Websphere with Domino? You can’t really. Using frames and so on, is a solution, but no one really uses frames anymore.

Does anyone know where I can get any information on this? Anyone inside Lotus or IBM who can give me some kind of answers? I can’t belive I am the only one with this problem. Or are we the only one trying to integrate these products? Don’t belive that either.

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Subject: Domino Java integration useless?

[Its probably no point of posting this question to these forums, since it
seems like there is no real technical people reading these forums, but I’ll try
anyway. (I have hope)]

This forum probably has a larger population of “real technical people” reading
it than any Domino forum on the planet. The Business Partner forum might have
more, but I doubt it.

[We have several projects, where we need to use a Java application server
as the front-end to the clients because of different reasons.]

Care to detail those for the “real technical people?”

[Lotus has talked much about how fantastic their domino tag library and
their java-library is, and how easy it is to integrate Domino-data in i.e
JSP-pages. But infact it is almost useless!! Most of the databases in our
organisation and our customers organisation contains forms with RichText
fields.]

It sounds like your Domino applications were poorly designed in the first
place. While RT is great for rich content, if you’re trying to extract
meta-data from inside it, you’re going to be jumping through a lot of hoops.

[ But there is now way to display the information in these fields any
other way than through Dominos HTTP-task (wich is extremly slow).]

How do you reach the conclusion that the Domino HTTP task is “extremely slow?”
Compared to what? Static pages? You can build caches of your Domino content
easily enough, even rendered through the HTTP task.

However, you don’t need to do this. Why not just use Java to retrieve the RT
data as a DXL (XML) representation? Then you can parse to your heart’s
content. It’ll be a lot more work, but then, if you’re building this with a
Java Application Server, you’ve already decided that a lot more work is what
you’re project is all about!

[I now I can get a plain text-representation through the tag-libraries,
but that is far from good enough.]

How about XML then?

[What about images pasted into the RichText-fiels, or attached files?]

Have you looked into the Java Object model for Domino? Have you read the
documentation for the embeddedObject class?

[Through Dominos Java-library, I can’t get my hands on these!]

Try again. RTFM.

[This means that much of the information inside the Domino-database can
never be presentet to any client through for example a JSP page, witout using
Dominos HTTP-task.]

If your original Domino designers threw everything into one big RT field,
you’re right – you’ll have a hard time doing anything else but parsing like
crazy. But that’s simply representative of bad Domino programmers (of which
there are many.)

[What is Lotus thinking around this? They must have seen the problem
coming? Do they have any solutions?]

DXL

[This Lotus RichText format is a real pain.]

No argument there.

[How can they say customers can integrate Websphere with Domino? You can’t
really. Using frames and so on, is a solution, but no one really uses frames
anymore.]

“No one uses frames anymore.” I love it when people throw stuff like that out.

How about an

3

Subject: RE: Domino Java integration useless?

Just one more, Nathan – attachments, he can get through the domtag library without actually getting his codemeister’s hands dirty. Arty Effem, Jr.

4

Subject: Re: Domino Java integration useless?

Wow, the arrogance here is overwhelming! Nathan I can’t believe you shared your valuable insights with someone who is so close-minded and self absorbed!

By the way Thomas, I have a question for you,… if RichText is so difficult to work with, and Domino is so useless, then why does your company use it so profusely?

As for your comments about, “I can’t believe I am the only one with this problem.” The irony here is that those technical people who “aren’t” posting to this forum are just going about their business, implementing these solutions, rather then whining about not understanding how to integrate the technologies required to accomplish it.

I’m sorry that Domino/JSP integration is so challenging for you, but I’m certain you would get more help if you asked nicely rather then insulting everyone on the forum.

-Mike

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Subject: Domino Java integration useless?

Well, you could certainly try being more pleasant and less condescending and would probably get a better response, but whatever works for you.

I did want you to know that one third party option for working with rich text is a product such as our @Midas Formulas, based on the popular Midas Rich Text LSX. It will let you access any part of your rich text from Java using the evaluate method. We are are also working on a Java tool that will expose the Midas Rich Text classes as Java classes, and you could see if that meets your needs. Both options would offer significantly more power than the ND6 rich text classes in LotusScript, and of course much more than the classes in Java. See http://www.GeniiSoft.com for details about Midas or contact me at Ben@GeniiSoft.com to ask any questions.