How To: Receive POST content

HCL Domino Domino Forum
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1

I've been trying to do this for a long time. I've read too much, tried too many things, and still was left wondering. Well, with a little directional help from Sjef Bosman, and a ton from ChapGPT, here's my solution for doing a POST of data in JSON format:

Sjef, thank you for pointing me in a direction that worked in the end. With the extensive help of ChatGPT, here's the solution that I hit upon. It both allows for a seeming unlimited POST amount, well, enough for what I need, and my end agent can process the POST as it needs it.

XPage, called “JSON”

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xp:view xmlns:xp="http://www.ibm.com/xsp/core" viewState="nostate">
<xp:this.beforePageLoad><![CDATA[#{javascript:
var externalContext = facesContext.getExternalContext();
var request = externalContext.getRequest();
var response = externalContext.getResponse();

if (request.getMethod().equalsIgnoreCase("POST")) {
var inputStream = request.getInputStream();
var reader = new java.io.BufferedReader(new java.io.InputStreamReader(inputStream));
var buffer = new java.lang.StringBuffer();
var line = null;

while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
buffer.append(line);
}
reader.close();

// Use the Java class to save the POST body as Rich Text
var postBody = buffer.toString();
var formName = "JSON"; // The form name you're using
var dbPath = database.getFilePath(); // The path to your database

var unid = richTextHandler.RichTextHandler.savePostBodyAsRichText(session, dbPath, formName, postBody);
var agentURL;

if (unid) {
agentURL = "/jsonapi.nsf/jsonpost?OpenAgent&UNID=" + unid;
} else {
agentURL = "/jsonapi.nsf/jsonpost?OpenAgent&UNID=ERROR";
}

externalContext.redirect(agentURL);
facesContext.responseComplete(); // Signal that the response is complete and no further rendering should occur
}
}]]></xp:this.beforePageLoad>
</xp:view>

Form, called “JSON”

It includes 1 rich text field called “POSTBODY”

Agent, called "(JSON API POST")"

%REM
Agent JSON API Test
Created
Description: Comments for Agent
%END REM

OPTIONS >>
Option Public
Option Declare

Use "JSON Library"

DECLARATIONS >>
Dim parser As JSONParser
Dim jsonObj As JSONObject
Dim jsonArr As JSONArray
Dim jsonString As String


Sub Initialize
Set session = New NotesSession
Dim db As NotesDatabase
Dim doc As NotesDocument
Dim rtItem As NotesRichTextItem
Dim docUNID As String, authKey As String, runStatus As String
Dim jsonString As String

On Error GoTo ErrorOut
runStatus = "Start:"

Set uidoc = session.DocumentContext
Set db = session.CurrentDatabase
Set cgidoc = CGI

runStatus = runStatus + "Set CGI Doc:"
REM Pull CGI variables into variables.
If Not(cgidoc Is Nothing) Then
If cgidoc.HasItem( "UNID" ) Then
docUNID = CStr(cgidoc.UNID(0))
End If
End If

runStatus = runStatus + "Set Doc:"
If docUNID <> "" Then
Set doc = db.Getdocumentbyunid(docUNID)
End If

runStatus = runStatus + "Get POSTBODY String:"
If doc.HasItem( "POSTBODY" ) Then
runStatus = runStatus + "Has the Field:"
Set rtItem = doc.GetFirstItem( "POSTBODY" )

runStatus = runStatus + "RTItem is OK (" + CStr(Not(rtItem Is Nothing)) + "):"
'jsonString = rtItem.GetUnformattedText

'Set parser = New JSONParser
'Set jsonObj = parser.parse(jsonString)

'If jsonObj.HasItem( "authkey" ) Then
' authKey = jsonObj.GetItem( "authkey" )
'End If
End If


REM Get the userID by username and password encrypted
' If jsonObj.HasItem( "username" ) Then
' uName = jsonObj.GetItem( "username" )
' End If
' If jsonObj.HasItem( "password" ) Then
' uPass = jsonObj.GetItem( "password" )
' End If

'authKey = CStr(uidoc.Path_Info(0))

REM Return JSON response.
Print |Content-type: text/plain|
Print "{"
Print " ""AuthKey"": """ + authKey + ""","
Print " ""RunStatus"": """ + CStr(runStatus) + ""","
Print " ""UNID"": """ + CStr(docUNID) + ""","

If (doc Is Nothing) Then
Print " ""STATUS"": ""Failure"""
Else
Print " ""STATUS"": ""Success"""
End If

Print "}"
Exit Sub

ErrorOut:
runStatus = runStatus + "An Error Occurred (" + Str(Err) + "): " + cstr(Error$)
Print |Content-type: text/plain|
Print "{"
Print " ""AuthKey"": """ + authKey + ""","
Print " ""RunStatus"": """ + CStr(runStatus) + ""","
Print " ""UNID"": """ + CStr(docUNID) + ""","
Print " ""STATUS"": ""Failure"""

Print "}"
End Sub

Script Library, called “JSON Library”.

It can be found at this location: https://www.openntf.org/main.nsf/project.xsp?r=project/JSON+LotusScript+Classes

JAVA Class, called “RichTextHandler”

package richTextHandler;

import lotus.domino.Database;
import lotus.domino.Document;
import lotus.domino.NotesException;
import lotus.domino.RichTextItem;
import lotus.domino.Session;

public class RichTextHandler {
public static String savePostBodyAsRichText(Session session, String dbPath, String formName, String postBody) {
Database db = null;
Document doc = null;
try {
db = session.getDatabase("", dbPath, false);
if (db != null) {
doc = db.createDocument();
doc.replaceItemValue("Form", formName);
RichTextItem rtItem = doc.createRichTextItem("POSTBODY");
rtItem.appendText(postBody);
if (doc.save(true, false)) {
return doc.getUniversalID();
}
}
} catch (NotesException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} finally {
try {
if (doc != null) doc.recycle();
if (db != null) db.recycle();
} catch (NotesException e) {
// Handle recycle exceptions if necessary
}
}
return null;
}
}

With all this in place you can now POST to a url: https://www.yourdomain.com/jsonapi.nsf/JSON.xsp and it will save the POST to a document. It then calls your JSON agent with the document UNID so you can process it and/or return a JSON result to the sending API.

2

Hi Tim,

your solution is too complicated concerning the actual abilities of Lotusscript. ChatGPT isn't always the best solution, because it is trained on possibly older data.

- Lotusscript has build in JSONNavigator to parse and build JSON (you don't need a third party library)

- you don't need a richtext Handler for this purpose

- if you use Lotusscript to handle the request, you don't need XPAGE

A fellow called Tom Van Aken has solved this exemplary (and it works for me):

https://vanakentom.wordpress.com/2019/01/15/rest-calls-and-json-parsing-in-lotusscript/

Cheers

Brian