Version 2 of z/Web-Host splits the previous product into two parts. Many of the product’s facilities had more to do with supporting the execution environment than providing features of the product. The supporting functions that have to do with environment management, workflow management, communications management and operating system interfaces have been removed from the product code and a new facility called the z/Ware Common Infrastructure (ZWC) has been created. This infrastructure can be used to support multiple products and will make future product development faster and easier while simplifying the code of each product.
Script Enhancements
The concept of our previous Application Automation Facility (AAF) statements that could be coded in a Web Screen definition is being expanded into a more feature rich scripting language with enhanced capabilities. These executable statements are now referred to as scripts and they can be used in places other than just Web Screens. Many new facilities in version 2 use script statements to perform important functions. Many of the old statements such as IF and ASSIGN have been enhanced for use with the new facilities like comparing or extracting data in a COMMAREA buffer or a generated Document.
Execution of Named Scripts
One new version 2 facility that uses script statements is quite simply a stand alone script. Called Named Scripts, these are scripts that are not associated with any existing 3270 session. They may use any of the functions available to the scripting language to perform processing. The source statements are stored in a library member and are defined in the configuration file at start up or dynamically activated by command after start up. Named Scripts can be invoked by requests from an HTTP client such as a web page or user program. The request can also specify any desired data in the usual form of name=value parameters in a URL or generated from a web form or taken from an XML document. The specified parameters are assigned to user variables before the script begins execution so all specified information is available to the script.
Document Facility
The new Document facility can be invoked by script statements to create or delete named user documents. Documents can be created from templates stored as library members, using substitution of user variables to create dynamic custom documents containing any desired statement format. Documents may contain HTML, XML or any other format suitable for the intended purpose. User Documents can be returned to the requesting client program or placed into COMMAREA buffers. Data can be extracted from Documents using the ASSIGN script statement. There will be additional uses for Documents in future product releases.
Execution of CICS COMMAREA Programs
New script statements allow the creation of Named COMMAREA data buffers, mapping of the fields within a COMMAREA, updating of the COMMAREA storage with data items, extracting data from a COMMAREA and calling a specific CICS region to execute a CICS program passing a COMMAREA. The CICS EXCI interface is used to request program execution within the CICS environment. A 3270 session is not used for this facility. Data from the returned COMMAREA can be used in the creation of a user Document that is returned to the requesting program, or for any other needed purpose. Typically this facility is used by a web user or client program requesting execution of a Named Script but it can be used any scripting environment such as within a Web Screen script that is driven by a 3270 session.
CICS COMMAREA Events
Another use of CICS programs and COMMAREAs is COMMAREA Events. These events are processed much like a Web Screen definition is for 3270 sessions but they are not associated with a 3270 connection at all. This facility allows a user CICS program to pass a COMMAREA to the z/Web-Host Server to trigger the execution of a script. The script is coded within a ::COMMAREA:: section of the configuration file, along with data strings that are used to uniquely identify a passed COMMAREA. When the Server receives a COMMAREA from a CICS region, the COMMAREA data is matched against the list of active COMMAREA Events. When a matching definition is found, the script within the definition is executed. The script can make use of any desired scripting functions to process data passed in the COMMAREA and update the COMMAREA which is returned to the calling CICS program. Future releases of z/Web-Host will make this facility very useful.
XML & Web Services Support
With version 2 of z/Web-Host the product can process requests from clients in the form of XML documents as well as HTML. Templates used to create response documents can also contain XML. In addition, the ZWC Web Server accepts Web Service requests and generates Web Service responses (SOAP envelopes). This facility effectively replaces the z/XML-Host product. Web Screen definitions can be used with 3270 sessions to gather data and generate the response. Named Scripts could also be used to execute CICS programs and return XML documents.
