PxPlus Web Services

Location

Method

From the PxPlus IDE Main Launcher (Windows)

Expand the Web Deployment category and select Web Services Maintenance.

From the PxPlus Web IDE

Select Web Deployment > Web Services Maintenance.

Settings

Menu bar option that displays the following:

Service ID

Enter a unique alpha-numeric ID. Maximum length is 20 characters. When creating a record, type a new Service ID.

To select an existing record, click the Query button (binoculars), use the browse buttons, or type the ID.

Copy Web Service

(Available when an existing Web Service ID is selected)

Button used to create a new Web Service ID by copying the settings from an existing Web Service ID. Once it is created, the new Web Service ID must be saved, as the Copy process does not do this.

(The Copy Web Service button was added in PxPlus 2020.)

Service Type

Select the type of Web service. This field is available when creating a new Service ID record. For an existing record, it can only be viewed. If the Service Type needs to be modified for an existing record, you will need to delete that record using the Delete button and then create a new record.

Select from the list of available Service Types:

Note:
The Service Type determines the parameters that are loaded into the grid. See Parameter.

(The File Access service type was added in PxPlus 2022.)

Select Chart

(Available when Service Type is Chart)

When creating or editing a Web Service ID record with a Chart Service Type, select this button to invoke the Select a Chart Definition window. This window presents a tree-view structure that lists all of the public query AutoChart definitions that exist at the current display level and lower, arranged by directory, screen library, query and chart definition.

When a chart definition is selected, the values for the Title, Dir, Lib, Qry and Chart parameters on the Web Services Maintenance window are automatically populated. Alternatively, a chart can be selected by manually entering the values for these parameters.

(The Select Chart button was added in PxPlus 2020.)

Parameter

Lists the standard parameters to be supplied to the Web service, based on the Service Type selected. Not all of the parameters are mandatory. Hover the mouse pointer over a parameter in the grid to display a tooltip with a brief description of that parameter.

A description of each parameter and the Service Type(s) to which it applies is provided below.

To define a parameter as an expression, enter the value beginning with "=" (equals sign).

User-defined parameters, such as parameters defined for a report, can be added in the blank row(s) at the bottom of the grid.

Note:
User-defined parameters cannot be named the same as the standard parameters that exist for any of the service types (i.e. Title, Dir, Lib, Dict, Table, Type, etc.).

Value

Specify the parameter value by clicking the Browse button (where applicable) to locate the directory/file or by selecting from the drop-down list. Quotes are not required around pathnames.

When creating a new record, the Value cells for all the parameters, except Title, are initially locked. As each parameter value is entered in grid row sequence, the following row becomes available for entry. When modifying an existing record, changing a parameter value resets and clears one or more other parameter values.

Example:

For a Maintenance Service, changing the Table value clears the Key_Field value, while changing the Dict value clears the Table and Key_Field values.

URL Order

Specify the order in which the URL sections of the request will be interpreted:

     "http://localhost:8080/do/service_name/URL_Order_1/URL_Order_2/URL_Order_3/ ..."

Example:

Suppose that a file access Web service is being defined with the Function set to Read. The Table parameter may be defined as URL Order 1, a user-defined parameter (e.g. kno) as URL Order 2, and the Key parameter as URL Order 3. This order will be reflected in the URL when it is created:

     "http://localhost:8080/do/service_name/table/kno/key"

See Examples - File Access Web Service.

(URL Order was added in PxPlus 2022.)

Allow Override?

When selected, the parameter can be overridden by modifying the URL. For details on modifying the URL, see Adding and Maintaining a Widget.

When unchecked (default), the parameter is not overridden, even if a different value is entered in the URL.

Example:

     id=tasks type=pdf

Using this example, the Web Service ID is tasks, and the pdf output type overrides the default output type defined for this record only if Allow Override is selected. If Allow Override is not selected, the pdf output type will not override the default output type. An HTML error will display when a widget for this Web service is in the Dashboard or when this Web service is run as a URL on a browser. The HTML error will indicate that this Web Service ID does not allow the override of the specified parameter(s).

Note:
Other parameters can be overridden in the same manner.

Add as an Option in JSON file

Select this check box to add the current Web Service ID to the JSON file. Specify the JSON file in the input control by clicking the Query button or typing the full pathname.

When the Web Service ID record is written, the JSON file is updated, and a backup file is created. The new Web service record is added to the "options" section of the JSON file. This information is used to load the Contents drop box for adding and maintaining a Dashboard widget. See Adding and Maintaining a Widget.

Note:
Resetting the Dashboard (see Dashboard Settings) reverts to the settings in the JSON file.

Test

(Available only when the Web service record is written to file)

Button used to test the Web service record. If the Web service record has been defined correctly, the output displays on a separate test panel, using the default EZWeb Server settings.

When the Test button is selected, EZWeb Server will automatically start (if not already running), using the default port and secure (HTTPS) settings specified in the Launch EZWeb Server window. If no default port has been assigned, a message will prompt you to define it. If you choose to define it, the Launch EZWeb Server window displays for entering a port. If you choose not to define it, you are returned to the Web Service Maintenance window with the current record still displayed.

(The ability to enable secure TLS/SSL mode for the EZWeb server was added in PxPlus 2022.)

If any of the settings is changed on an existing record, selecting the Test button automatically updates the record prior to displaying the test panel. This ensures that you are testing with the latest changes.

Note:
The Test button is not applicable when running WindX.

(The Test button was added in PxPlus 2017.)

Write

Updates the current record. If the Add as an Option in JSON file check box is selected and a JSON file is entered, the JSON file is updated. The previous version of the JSON file is retained with a .bak extension.

Delete

Removes the current record. If this record was previously updated to a JSON file, a warning message displays, and you are asked to confirm the deletion. If the record is deleted, you should also edit the JSON file to remove the record's information.

To edit a JSON file, select Configure Dashboard from the Web Deployment menu on the PxPlus Web IDE or from the Web Deployment category on the IDE Main Launcher (Windows). Select the file to edit from the list of JSON files stored in the *web/services/dashboard directory.

Clear

Clears the current record and does not exit the program.

Exit

Cancels any changes to the current record and exits the program.