WindX™ Thin-Client

PxPlus offers two auto-download features on WindX:

This facility is designed to be compatible with most of the recent WindX versions. See Compatibility.

Since WindX can be used by multiple applications, it is strongly recommended that you review and adhere to the Download Guidelines.

Dynamic Downloads

The dynamic auto-download feature of WindX is designed to simplify the distribution and access to images and programs. This feature solves the problem of maintaining current information and programs on WindX connected clients. It avoids having to make common directories accessible across the network. It offers the following capabilities:

• Images that are displayed or printed on the workstation using the 'PICTURE' mnemonic always need to be directly accessible to the workstation in order to be rendered. The auto-download feature makes sure that any image that does not reside on the workstation but does exist on the server will be made available to the workstation. The system accomplishes this by automatically downloading the files into a temporary directory (*plus/wdx/tmp) on the workstation and then routing all subsequent requests to the copy in this directory.
  
  Whenever WindX processes a 'PICTURE' mnemonic, the system will verify that the image exists on the WindX workstation. If so, then the workstation copy is used. If the image is not present, the system will check if it exists on the host and, if so, the host image will be downloaded. Before sending the host image to the workstation, the system checks to see if the workstation already has a copy in the "*plus/wdx/tmp" directory and will use it, if present.

• Often, it is desirable to have logic performed on the workstation as opposed to the host. To facilitate this, any program remotely CALLed that resides in the "*plus/wdx/usr" will be automatically downloaded, if required. Effectively, to run a program on the workstation, place it in the "*plus/wdx/usr" directory on the host then issue a CALL "[wdx]*plus/wdx/usr/...." and the system will automatically download and run it.

The auto-download system includes automatic version checking to make sure that the program and/or images residing on the workstation are the same version as the copies on the host. If the host version has a different last date modified, the host version will be re-downloaded onto the workstation. This guarantees all the images and programs at the workstation will be the most current at all times.

You can control the auto-download feature through the '+U' system parameter.

Clearing Temporary Download Directory

Files downloaded to the temporary download directory ("*plus/wdx/tmp") are automatically removed from the workstation if not accessed for 30 days. If desired, you can remove more recent files by calling:

CALL "[WDX]*plus/wdx/util;Clear_tmp", number_of_days

Where:

number_of_days contains how many days of images you wish to be left on the workstation. Specifying zero results in all files in the temporary download directory being removed.

Static Downloads

The static download facility allows the developer to define a series of directories on the host that will be downloaded to the workstation during the connect sequence.

When the workstation connects, the system will determine if the host static directories have changed and, if so, it will prompt the user to accept the changes. If the user accepts the upload request, all files changed on the host will be downloaded into their appropriate directory on the workstation.

If a file is busy, the current file will be renamed .BAK to allow the update to proceed. This allows the .EXE to be replaced

Static Download Configuration File

The definition of the static directories is controlled by the file "*plus/wdx/usr/sync.conf" on the host. This file contains a series of statements that define the various configuration parameters for the automatic synchronization of files between the host and a WindX workstation.

The logical target directories that are supported in the configuration file are:

Example:

/pxplus/wndxupd=[EXEC]

/pxplus/wndxupd/windx=[WINDX]

A ;Restart option can be added at the end of the line, which, if any files were copied, will force the user to exit WindX.

Example:

/pxplus/wndxupd=[EXEC];restart

In addition, the +RESTART= directive allows you to define the message text to display when the user is forced to exit/restart WindX. This message can be created in any language you choose.

Whenever you change the configuration file or make any changes to the files that are to be updated, you need to run "*plus/wdx/reload". This program will re-examine all the host directories and record the version information (date modified) for all files it finds. This version information will be compared to the version information kept on the workstation in a ".plusvers" file in each directory in order to determine which files need to be updated.

Defining Directories to Download

The configuration file specifies the names of the directories on the host that you want to transfer to the workstation. Each directory to transfer should be followed by an = (equals sign) and the target directory on the workstation. Each host directory must have a target directory assigned on the workstation. The format of the lines is:

hostpath=windxpath

The system will send all files from the host directory to the directory specified on the workstation. The target directory on the WindX client will be automatically created, if required. Only files that do not start with a period are downloaded. Sub-directories within a host directory are not processed. They should be defined individually.

Example:

/myapp/helpfiles=*user/helpfiles

This would cause the system to download all files found in /myapp/helpfiles to the workstation directory *user/helpfiles. The system will automatically create the target directories as needed.

One of the most common directories to be synced is the application "*bmp" directory, which would be specified as follows:

*bmp=*bmp

Configuration Parameters

In addition to directory definitions, the configuration file can also contain various parameters. All parameters start with a + (plus sign).

You may include "\n" within the +PROMPT or +RESTART value to indicate a new line is to be inserted, "\r" to insert a carriage return or "\t" to insert a tab character. If desired, you can also specify +PROMPT= (or +RESTART=) to append to the prompt, allowing you to define the message text on multiple lines in the configuration file.

Note:
The ability to change the prompt and title bar allows the use of different languages in the download process.

Comment Lines

Any line starting with an ! (exclamation point), ; (semi-colon) or # (pound sign) is considered a comment in the configuration file.

Note:
A sample configuration file is included with PxPlus in the file "*plus/wdx/sync.conf". It can be used as the basis for your application configuration file.

Compatibility

The auto-download capability is designed as such that most current versions of WindX on the workstation do not need to be updated to support this capability.

Download Guidelines

Since WindX can be used by a variety of applications and can be installed in a variety of locations on a workstation, it is strongly recommended that you adhere to the following guidelines:

Manual Transfers

The auto-download capability includes two special calls that provide on-the-fly upload and download capabilities for WindX clients. These are:

To send a file to the workstation:

CALL "*plus/wdx/util;Send_to_wdx", host_file$, windx_file$, asciiflg

To retrieve a file from the workstation:

CALL "*plus/wdx/util;Get_from_wdx", windx_file$, host_file$, asciiflg

Where:

Deactivating Auto Update

To stop the auto update from updating client workstations, rename the host.sync file in *plus/wdx.