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

[Dave Froble]

On 3/20/2024 12:05 AM, Richard Jordan wrote:
> On 3/13/24 5:34 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...
>>
>> Thanks for any suggestions or info.
>
> Thanks for the responses.  Got a little more info; where the current GSoap
> implementation is done to the vendor software running on a local server; the new
> one is cloud (O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!) so the connection is done to a
> public server with no reasonable option to set up a test account so we can
> create the software to talk to it on VMS.
>
> I may find something that can run as a generic server on one of the customer's
> pc servers so we can test doing 'generic' restful but we'll see. More likely
> we'll end up with some middleware on a local pc server talking to the vendor
> cloud, and relaying requests from VMS.

Well, not sure how much you want to get into things.  But, if you're going to 
implement something, why put some PC in the middle of things.  It's rather 
simple to do from VMS.

At the bottom of whatever is used is, wait for it, a socket.  Simple socket 
communications.  Add SSL/TLS for encryption.

I'm not looking at your requirements, but, I'd bet that HTTPS is used.  After 
that, it's just what happens to the data.

Isn't data manipulation what we do?

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