Ideas? How to add attachments to a container (eg. Pkzip) for download

HCL Domino Domino Forum
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How do I compose a PKZIP attachment made up of multiple attachments, and then attach it to a new Notes doc?

What I have:

  • a web view lists docs, each of which has an attachment

What I want to achieve:

  • the user selects one or more docs from the view, and presses a button “Create Pack”

  • This runs an agent that then adds the attachments in each of the selected docs to a container object (such as PKZIP), which it then attaches to a new document as an attachment.

Where I need help:

  • How do I get a server agent to add attachments to a container, such as PKZIP or similar?
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Subject: Ideas? How to add attachments to a container (eg. Pkzip) for download

I agree… your best bet is JAVA. I had similar requirements and it worked out great. I will add the requirement that my user(s) did not want to sit and watch an hourglass icon, wondering if and when the agent would complete (in some cases, the attachments were MEGS); so, JAVA also has a tool to provide a good progress bar. It tells the user just where you are in the process. If you want to get real fancy, your can even try to give them an estimate time remaining (though I opted not to).

Let me know if you need any help.

Jim

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Subject: RE: Ideas? How to add attachments to a container (eg. Pkzip) for download

Thanks for the quick response and the advice.

It’s a pity (for me) about the Java, as I’m a bit intimidated by it unless its basic functionality, (as I find that LS and formula meet almost all my needs and inertia has set it), but I’ll take your advice and give it a crack.

Any examples or pointers would be appreciated, else I’ll take you up on offers later when I get stuck. Many thanks

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Subject: RE: Ideas? How to add attachments to a container (eg. Pkzip) for download

  • There are plenty of examples both here and in help to get you started with Java, and support for that in R6+ is much better than before. Just don’t get discouraged!- Since you know LS, you’re already familiar with one of the main things about Java … objects. LS uses objects for each and every interaction with the Domino environment. Java does the same, and while you’ll find some differences (Session in Java vs NotesSession in LS), you shouldn’t be surprised to see the things you do are very similar to LS. Lotus did a good job in that regard.

  • One caveat: You don’t need to know this right off the bat, but you didn’t need to worry about Domino objects in LS. The system “cleans” them up for you so you may forget about them. This is NOT the case with Java. For a small Agent like I expect you’ll be writing, you shouldn’t have any worries. But this is something that can bite you in the posterior, so you should be aware of it. If you really want to know more about it, search here and you’ll find zillions of posts about it.

  • And DON’T GET DISCOURAGED! (wink)

  • Hope this helps…

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Subject: Ideas? How to add attachments to a container (eg. Pkzip) for download

  • Easiest way I know of to make a ZIP in an Agent is to write the Agent in Java. It has ZIP functionality built-in, plus it can access all of the normal Domino-things like LS.- Hope this helps…