Using the Web Connector

Owned by David Russo
Last updated: Aug 16, 2023 by Jessica Tomkins
2 min read



Overview

The Web Connector allows you to define URLs on a Profound UI HTTP server instance which map to Universal Display File programs. This provides a simple way to produce HTTP output from an RPG program.

Configuring URL Mappings

URL mappings for the Web Connector are defined in file PUIMAPP in the Profound UI product installation library (default PROFOUNDUI). Starting with Profound UI Version 5, Fix Pack 10.0, you can use the Work with URL Mappings Tool to maintain your URL mappings. If you are using a later version of Profound UI, this file can be maintained using any database editing utility. 

The fields are used as follows:

  • URIMAP: The URI component to map to a program.

  • LIBRARY: The library of the program to call.

  • PROGRAM: The name of the program to call.

  • SIGNON: ‘Y’ to require HTTP authentication for this program.

Launching Programs

The URL mapping table will be checked when any URLs like the following are used on requests to the Profound UI HTTP server:

http://server:8080/profoundui/universal/*  (anonymous)

http://server:8080/profoundui/auth/universal/* (HTTP authentication)

For example, the following URL:

http://server:8080/profoundui/universal/myprogram

Can be configured to call a program MYLIB/MYPROGRAM by creating a PUIMAPP record as follows:

  • URIMAP = /myprogram

  • LIBRARY = MYLIB

  • PROGRAM = MYPROGRAM

  • SIGNON = [Blank]

*Note that the library name and program name must be capitalized in your PUIMAPP record.

Any URL starting with ‘/profoundui/universal/myprogram’ will result in MYLIB/MYPROGRAM being called. For example, the following URLs will also call the program:

http://server:8080/profoundui/universal/myprogram/action

http://server:8080/profoundui/universal/myprogram/action/add

This allows the program to take different actions based on the URL used, if desired. The URL used to call the program can be determined by checking the environment variable ‘PUI_UNIVERSAL_URI’.

Synchronizing User Identity and Library List to Profound UI / Genie Session

The Web Connector accepts a Profound UI / Genie session id as parameter ‘AUTH’ on the query string or POST data. The parameter name is case-sensitive. If this parameter is present, the Web Connector will automatically run the Universal Display File program as the user profile of the Profound UI / Genie session, and with the same library list. This happens regardless of whether/not HTTP authentication is used.

All calls to web resources from parameters like ‘choices url’, etc., in the Profound UI / Genie designers will pass the ‘AUTH’ parameter automatically.