
Welcome to Damian's Java VMS Mail interface demo


Reading Vaxmail from a Java Applet



My first little Java program


This is the result of a couple of days programming, half on the server 
(playing with the Vaxmail CLI) , and half in the Java Applet. 
This is *NOT* production quality code! 

What is it?


There are two parts - a Server running on the OpenVMS machine, and a 
Java Applet Client running inside your Web Browser. The Java Applet 
talks TCP/IP to the server. The server uses the mail callable interface, 
and returns information back to the Java Applet, which in turn displays 
it. 
In order for the Java Applet to talk to the OpenVMS Server, it needs to 
know the tcp/ip address of the server machine, and it needs to know the 
tcp/ip port number that the server is listening on. 
The Applet can only talk to the machine from which it was loaded 
(security restriction), so that part is easy, but you need to tell it 
which port to use. Read on to find out how... 

What you need to do to try it out


Get a Web server running on your VMS Machine 
Create a web accessible subdirectory, and copy into it the vms server 
source code, the java applet, and this html file (use Save As in your 
browser) - you might like to use this zipped file which has the lot in 
it. 
You will probably be also interested in the Applet source code 
Once you have copied them all, build the server: 
$ cc server
$ link server,sys$library:ucx$ipc/lib,SYS$LIBRARY:VAXCRTL/lib


Run the server, and when it asks you for a port, pick a number, perhaps 
in the 2000 to 3000 range. 
Use your web client to go to your copy of this html page (on your VMS 
machine), and you should get the Java program running. You'll see the 
same applet as below. Enter the port number you used when you ran the 
server, and you should see the list of folders, mail messages, etc. 

BEWARE!


This code has only had minor testing, I will be doing more work on it 
when I have the time. There is minimal security - if someone can guess 
the port number that you have used then they can read all your mail. 
This is intended more as a technology demo than anything else. That said 
.... enjoy ;-). 
Damian Mehers 

The Java Applet:


