The ESNDDTAQ API command is used to send PDF file path to data queue which is being listened to by client programs. The command has the parameters as below:

The ESNDDTAQ command parameters:

• Key: A unique key defined by user. Each Window client should have a unique key for it to differentiate with other clients. This value can be user ID of that machine or PC ID
• Data: This field contains the IFS qualified path of PDF file that server wants to open on client machine
• Data Queue: The data queue is used to communicate between server and client. This data queue is monitored by client programs.

For example, open PDF file /home/user/myfile.pdf to user USER01 in certain Window machine:

ESNDDTAQ KEY(USER01) DATA(‘/home/user/myfile.pdf’) DATAQ(QGPL/IFDCLIENT)

The client program is a .JAR file developed in Java language to connect to iSeries and monitor a data queue by a unique key for PDF file. Once the data in data queue is found, client program will download the PDF file to temporary folder in Windows and invoke the PDF reader (configured in parameter) to show PDF file on the Window machine.

The compressed file contains 2 files:

• IFDCLIENT.JAR: the JAR file that will be monitoring data queue on iSeries for PDF file
• IFDCLIENT.BAT: contains the MS-DOS batch commands to invoke IFDCLIENT.JAR program.

The program can be started in 2 modes: with and without user interface (UI).

• In UI mode: a logon dialog will be prompting to input the IBM i credential and other configuration.
• In non-UI mode: user can call the program and pass the input parameters.

User can execute file ifdclient.bat, at the first time when program is executed, a dialog is shown as below:

As seen on the black screen behind the logon screen that it searched for an existing PDF reader in your computer. The user can modify the search and the associated parameters by clicking to button Settings.

When user clicks OK, a folder named IFDClient is created into C:\Program Files (x86)\inFORM Decisions\IFDClient (or your Program Files folder), and this folder contains 2 files:

• ifdclient.cfg: save the program’s configuration
• log.txt: save the logging messages

IFDCLIENT.JAR is started with the following parameters:

• print: Optional. Print the parameters
• help: Optional. Print the parameters
• server: Mandatory. IP address of host name of iSeries
• logonuser: Mandatory. The iSeries user ID that is used to connect to server
• logonpassword: Mandatory. iSeries password of user ID in parameter logonuser
• dataqueue: Optional. Qualified name of data queue that JAR program will monitor. The format of data queue name is <10 characters of data queue name><10 characters of data queue library name>, for example: ‘IFDCLIENT QGPL’. If this parameter is ignored, the data queue IFDCLIENT in QGPL is used.
• user: Optional. The key that JAR program is used to fetch data from data queue. If this parameter is ignored, the current user ID of Window machine is used.
• multifiles: yes or no. Optional. Default value is yes. If it’s yes, then the PDF reader will open next PDF in data queue entry after the PDF file being opened is closed. If it’s no then the PDF reader continues to open the PDF files those are pushed into data queue.
• pdfreaderdir: Optional. Put the Window folder path of PDF reader into this parameter. If this parameter is ignored, the program will search it from Program Files folder in Windows.
• pdfreadername: Optional. Contains the PDF reader name. If this parameter is ignored, AcroRd32.exe is used.

Pass them as parameters into the java command, for example:

  C:\>java -jar ifdclient.jar -server 172.16.1.54 -logonuser my_user -logonpassword my_password -user USER01 

Notes:
Please remember that if the .JAR program is setup as a Window service then when PDF is sent from server, the PDF reader may open it into session 0 which is invisible to current logon user of Window.