[Info-vax] Restful API w/JSON client package or library on OpenVMS

[Dave Froble]

On 3/13/2024 8:39 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 3/13/2024 6:34 PM, Richard Jordan wrote:
>> One of our customers currently on VSI VMS on Integrity has been using the
>> GSOAP kit from HP as a client to communicate with a third party app on windows
>> server.  The company making that product is dropping SOAP/GSOAP and moving to
>> only support JSON-based Restful API.
>>
>> I see several items that purport to provide a Restful API for 'server' side
>> use on VMS, like WSIT from VSI.  Client mentions seem to be relegated to other
>> platforms.  Other options seem to be the same; server only.
>>
>> Are there any packages, callable libraries, "Netlib" like options, etc that
>> would allow VMS programs to access restful API servers?  Whether its
>> encapsulation like the GSOAP kits, or just linking in a callable library of
>> routines?
>>
>> Major props if it can be called from BASIC without intervening C or other
>> language.
>>
>> Is VMS Python an option since it looks like Restful API is supported by recent
>> versions of that language on VMS?  I assume we'd have to get BASIC to talk to
>> Python to do the communications in that case...
>
> I know of some options for client for RESTful web services:
> * Java with any HTTP client including builtin HttpURLConnection
>   and any JSON library including GSon
> * Python with request and json modules
> * PHP with curl extension and json_encode/json_decode
> * native code with plain sockets and some JSON library
>   like cJSON
>
> There are code examples for client in Java, Groovy, Python,
> PHP, C and Pascal here:
>   https://www.vajhoej.dk/arne/articles/vmsipc.html#rest
>
> I guess I could come up with a Basic example similar to
> the Pascal example.
>
> But else:
>
> Basic program--(binary/socket)--Java/Groovy/Python gateway
> program--(JSON/HTTP)-->web service
>
> should not be that bad.
>
> Arne
>
>

I have some code that does an HTTPS POST written in Basic.  Also have some code 
that does a DNS lookup from VMS.  Available to whoever asks.

Note, the code uses some code written in C.  Some things I don't know how to do 
from Basic.

As for Restful, I have no experience.  But if you do the POST, you then have the 
reply which can be parsed and used.

Never seen any reason to use a bunch of overhead to do a simple operation.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
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