Mental Notes, Inc. has recently released JavaSpeak 1.0, a set of efficient and productive Java class libraries specifically for Lotus Notes programmers. Although there are over sixty classes, they can generally be grouped under three headings: Web development, network programming, and general-purpose Notes Java programming.

Before thinking about what can be accomplished with JavaSpeak, you need to identify whether you're the kind of programmer that will benefit most from using it.

Domino Object Model

You don't need to be fully versed in Java before using JavaSpeak. But, because of the comprehensiveness of JavaSpeak, it can seem daunting to those who aren't steeped in Java. For example, not many Notes programmers are looking for ways to make their applications work with TCP/IP sockets.

Most of the JavaSpeak classes are specific to the Domino Object Model (DOM) and provide useful ways to manipulate the objects in a Domino database. Although programmers using JavaSpeak need to be familiar with DOM (using either LotusScript or Java), JavaSpeak extends their programming capability. Look at the three main categories of code JavaSpeak offers to the Notes programmer:

Web development

In the interaction between a Web browser and a Domino server, a context document is created. It's a little different than a regular Notes document because it contains information specific to the interaction between a Web server and a browser. For instance, the type of browser used, the HTTP port, any query strings, and the remote address are automatically created in the context document as fields.

JavaSpeak contains classes for working with the context document. The "isHTTPS()" method checks whether or not the connection has been secured through SSL. The "getQueryDecoded()" parses a URL query string containing multiple values into specific fields.

Network programming

One of the significant advantages of programming in Java is its networking capability. Java applications are expected to be networked and work with Internet technologies. By relying on the networking features of Java, it's possible for Notes applications to connect to a Web server, application and mail servers, and legacy and back-office systems. JavaSpeak packages its classes to make it easier to integrate networking functions. There's a set of client-server classes for networking over the Web. These classes let a remote host and server communicate over a TCP/IP socket (which can't be done with LotusScript). In addition, the tutorial provides a detailed example for creating a simple chat server.

Perhaps the most useful application of these networking classes is data integration through Java Database Connectivity (JDBC). JDBC is a collection of Java classes that abstract the creation of SQL applications. Notes programmers have been using LotusScript data object extensions to integrate with relational database management systems (RDBMSs), but these haven't proved to be robust enough for large sets of data. With Notes R5, there's some additional RDBMS integration with the introduction of Domino Enterprise Connectivity Services (DECS), and a new Lotus Connector Object. In both Notes 4.6 and R5, it's relatively straightforward to work with RDBMS using Java and a JDBC driver. From the client perspective, JDBC works simply to connect to the back-end database.

To make the JDBC work smoothly in a Notes environment, JavaSpeak has a "JDBCNotesConnector" class. Using a SQL query, the class creates a new Notes document. When you think about all the code you would normally have to write to make the connection, retrieve the data set, and then create a document, JavaSpeak starts to look like a bargain.

General-purpose Notes Java programming

Most of the time, Notes programmers don't create exciting Web applications that include JDBC access. Usually you're creating more mundane functions, and appreciate anything that can shorten the delivery timeline. JavaSpeak includes an entire range of classes that relieve some of the tedium involved in manipulating Notes documents and databases.

Here's a short list of examples:

• The JSDatabase class has a method that deletes all orphan response documents in a database.
• The searchByItem method retrieves a set of documents by a field value.
• The putDocsInFolderByKey method drops documents into a folder.
• The setAuthors method lets multiple authors be assigned to an Authors field.
• The getValueCount method returns the number of values in a multi-valued field.
• The removeValue method removes a single value from a multi-valued field.
• The JSSearcher class helps create a multi-threaded agent that searches documents on one thread, then joins the main thread when it's finished.
• The sort method alphabetizes an array of strings.