DEVELOPING
Intranet Applications
with Java
by Jerry Ablan
C O N T E N T S
Introduction
I
Planning an Intranet
Chapter 1 Intranets and Java
What Is an Intranet?
●
Using Web Services on Your Intranet
●
Why Build an Intranet?
Intranets Are Affordable
❍
Intranets Save Money
❍
Intranets Are Highly Efficient
❍
●
Java in Brief
Java: The Early Days
❍
Java Gets the Official Stamp of Approval
❍
●
CONTENTS
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Java in Action
❍

●
Creating Applications
More Options with Applications
❍
Applications Have a Different Structure
❍
Applications Have Different Security Considerations
❍
●
Running Applications and Applets
●
Summary
●
Chapter 3 Planning Your Intranet Environment
Building Blocks for Creating a Perfect Intranet
Managing Expectations
❍
Managing Perceptions
❍
Managing Strategies
❍
Managing Goals
❍
Managing Rules
❍
Managing Behavior
❍
●
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II
Development Concepts and Environments
Chapter 4 Java Development Environments
Introduction
●
Selecting an IDE
GUI Development Tools
❍
Portability of Code
❍
IDE Experience
❍
Multiple Language Development
❍
The Bottom Line
❍
●
Symantec Café
System Requirements
❍
Overview
❍
Pricing and Additional Information
❍
●
SunSoft Java WorkShop
System Requirements
❍
●
CONTENTS

Summary
❍
●
Chapter 5 Intranet Security
Introduction
●
Why Security?
What Are the Security Features of an Intranet?
❍
It's Your Call
❍
●
Security on Your Web Server
Controlling Access Globally and Locally
❍
Username/Password Authentication
❍
Authentication Based on Network Hostname or Address
❍
Combined Authentication
❍
●
Secure/Encrypted Transactions
Secure HTTP (S-HTTP)
❍
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
❍
●
The Common Gateway Interface (CGI) and Intranet Security
●

●
Databases and Java
Access via Web Server
❍
Access via Proprietary Server
❍
Network Access
❍
Direct Access
❍
JDBC
❍
JDBC Goals
❍
JDBC Overview
❍
JDBC Vendor Support
❍
●
Summary
●
III
Extending Java for Intranets
Chapter 7 A Model Intranet Application
Introduction
●
A Quick Overview of Intranet Applications
Configuration File Processing
❍
Logging to Disk or Screen

Timer Operations
❍
Callbacks
❍
Event Timers
❍
Why Have Two Timers?
❍
●
Java Extensions
Extending Java's Date Class
❍
Application Configuration Parameters
❍
●
Summary
●
Chapter 9 Logging Classes
Introduction
●
The Log
The Log Entry
❍
The Log Interface
❍
●
The Logging Classes
DiskLog
❍
ScreenLog

●
The Classes
The DBConnector Class
❍
OracleSequence
❍
●
Summary
●
Chapter 11 User Interface Classes
Introduction
●
3-D Effects
The Effects Interface
❍
●
The JifPanel Class
JifPanel Design
❍
Constructing a JifPanel
❍
Smoke and Mirrors
❍
Drawing 3-D Borders
❍
Tabbing Between Components
❍
●
SQL Generation
●

Java Source Code Files
❍
Have You Got the Package?
❍
Making Java Packages
❍
●
Introducing the Java Intranet Framework
Packaging the JIF Classes
❍
●
Extending the Framework
Java Applets
❍
Making JIF Easy to Use
❍
●
The JifApplication Interface
●
The Jiflet Class
Instance Variables
❍
Constructors
❍
Methods
❍
Wrapping Up Jiflets
❍
●
Programming with Jiflets

❍
●
Programming Considerations
●
Summary
●
Chapter 14 Human Resources: Benefits
Maintenance
Introduction
●
Application Design
●
Database Design
●
Implementation
User Interface
❍
Database Access
❍
●
Programming Considerations
●
Summary
●
Chapter 15 Conference Room Scheduling
Introduction
●
Application Design
●
Database Design

❍
Database Access
❍
A Refresh Timer
❍
●
Programming Considerations
●
Summary
●
Chapter 17 Online Employee Phonebook
Introduction
●
Application Design
●
Database Design
●
Implementation
User Interface
❍
Database Access
❍
●
Programming Considerations
●
Summary
●
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Chapter 18 News & Announcements

User Interface
❍
The Product Pick List
❍
Database Access
❍
●
Programming Considerations
●
Summary
●
Chapter 20 Customer Support Maintenance
Introduction
●
Application Design
●
Database Design
●
Implementation
Building the User Interface
❍
Database Access
❍
Retrieving the Product and Problem Lists
❍
●
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Product and Problem Selection Changes
❍

Benefits Maintenance
❍
Conference Room Scheduling
❍
News and Announcements
❍
●
Summary
●
appendixes
appendix A Java Resources
Sun's Java Sites
●
Java Information Collection Sites
●
Java Discussion Forums
●
Notable Individual Java Webs
●
Java Index Sites
●
Object-Oriented Information
●
Java Players and Licensees
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appendix B JDK Tools Reference
JDK Tools Reference
●

❍
Options
❍
●
javap-The Java Class File Disassembler
Synopsis
❍
Description
❍
Options
❍
●
javadoc-The Java API Documentation Generator
Synopsis
❍
Description
❍
Options
❍
●
appletviewer-The Java Applet Viewer
Synopsis
❍
Description
❍
Options
❍
●
CONTENTS
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❍
Classes
❍
●
java.util
Interfaces
❍
Classes
❍
●
java.io
Interfaces
❍
Classes
❍
●
java.net
Interfaces
❍
Classes
❍
●
java.awt
Interfaces
❍
Classes
❍
●
java.awt.image
●

●
Automatic Coercions
●
Variable Arguments
●
Command-Line Arguments
●
appendix F Java Intranet Framework Reference
jif.awt
CalendarPanel
❍
Effects
❍
ImagePanel
❍
JifCheckbox
❍
JifDialog
❍
JifLabel
❍
JifPanel
❍
JifPanePanel
❍
JifTabPanel
❍
JifTabSelector
❍
JifTextArea

❍
ScreenLog
❍
●
jif.sql
CodeLookerUpper
❍
Connector
❍
DBConnector
❍
DBRecord
❍
MSQLConnector
❍
MSSQLServerConnector
❍
ODBcconnector
❍
OracleConnector
❍
OracleSequence
❍
SequenceGenerator
❍
SQLFactory
❍
SybaseConnector
❍
●

●
About Shareware
●
Credits
To Kathryn. A dedication haiku:
"Love is a great thing, like puddles after the rain, or a stroll with you." -Jerry
Ablan
Copyright © 1996 by Sams.net Publishing
FIRST EDITION
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from
the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein.
Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume
no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the
use of the information contained herein. For information, address Sams.net Publishing, 201 W. 103rd St.,
Indianapolis, IN 46290.
International Standard Book Number: 1-57521-166-1
HTML conversion by :
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e-mail : [email protected]
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Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately
capitalized. Sams.net Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this
book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
President, Sams Publishing Richard K. Swadley
Publishing Manager Mark Taber

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the good work!
Thanks to all my friends at work who helped and encouraged me, especially Eric Reiner and Nick Athanas.
Thanks also to Maureen Smith for putting up with me while I did this again!
I'd also like to thank my close friends. With their support, I was able to hide in my office at home and write.
I missed many good Friday evenings at George and Alex's because of this book. So thanks to Tom and
Nancy Lynch, Tom and Karen Kenny, George Walker, Alex Weismantel, and Jim Burck. (Have I been
more sociable lately, Alex?)
I'd like to thank my animals for staying out of my hair: Grendl (Great Dane), Cecil (Dachshund), Buttons
(Calico Cat), T.C. (Tabby Cat), and Kato (Tabby Cat).
Lastly, I'd like to thank my wife. Without her support, an endeavor such as this would not be possible.
Thanks, Kathryn!
Jeen Velly
& nbsp; ; &nb
sp; & nbsp; -Jerry Ablan
About the Author
Jerry Ablan ([email protected]) is best described as a computer nut. Jerry has been involved in
computers since 1982. He has worked on and owned a variety of microcomputers including several that are
no longer manufactured. He has programmed in many languages, including several that are not cool (such
as RPG II). Jerry is a Senior Software Engineer at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. There he creates
client/server systems for IBM, HP, and microcomputer platforms. He (and his wife) can't believe that
people pay him money to program computers!
Jerry is a member of TeamJava (http://www.teamjava.com), the Java Developer's Organization
(http://www.jade.org), and the Illinois Java User's Group
(http://www.xnet.com/~rudman/java.html). The Chicago Java User's Group was a little too
snooty for him.
Jerry lives in a Chicago suburb with his wife Kathryn, their two dogs (Grendl and Cecil), three cats (Uncle
Pat, T.C., and Kato), and a tank full of fish. When not working, writing, or otherwise cavorting, Jerry and
his brother Dan ([email protected]) operate NetGeeks (http://www.netgeeks.com), an Internet

As the team leader of the group that created this book, I welcome your comments. You can fax, e-mail, or
write me directly to let me know what you did or didn't like about this book-as well as what we can do to
make our books stronger. Here's the information:
Fax: (317) 581-4669
E-mail:
[email protected]
Mail: Mark Taber
Comments Department
Sams Publishing
201 W. 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290
Introduction
Welcome
Hello, and welcome to Developing Intranet Applications with Java. I hope you enjoy this book as much as
I enjoyed writing it. This is a book that represents a lot of work in the area of Java application programming
and design. It is designed to hold your hand while you journey through the hills and valleys of Java
application programming. You needn't be creating Intranet applications specifically to use this book. It
does, however, focus on corporate and Intranet application development. More importantly, its focus is
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Java application programming. Even though the applications might not be your cup of tea (or coffee!), the
concepts and source code presented in this book will be of value.
After reading this book, you should have a good understanding of programming Java applications and how
to apply that toward creating applications of your own, Intranet-specific or not. This knowledge will help
you at work or at play, but most of all it will help you be a better Java programmer and provide you with a
rich source code base to use as your coding foundation.
Who Should Read This Book
Although this book is geared toward experienced programmers, beginning programmers will find it useful
as well. However, you should have some experience with C, C++, or Java. It would help if you had some
database programming experience as well.

This part introduces you to an application framework for building intranet applications. This
framework is called JIF. JIF stands for Java Intranet Framework. JIF is a made up of several
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Java packages and is included on the CD-ROM. You can use JIF to create your own
applications, or you can modify it for your own needs. It's up to you!
This section covers the foundations of a framework and builds upon it. Before any classes are
discussed, however, a model intranet application is presented. This application becomes the
driving force of the class creation for the rest of this section. It is also the model used for the
sample applications in the next section.
Part IV: Applications Development with JIF
This section presents eight sample intranet applications. These applications are real-world
examples of using Java to create database-aware intranet applications. The applications
presented are
Employee files
●
Benefits maintenance
●
Conference room scheduling
●
Online in/out board
●
Online employee phonebook
●
News and announcements
●
Product maintenance
●
Customer support maintenance
●

program.
Some say that an object is only an instantiation of a class. However, I
feel that a class is an object in any stage of life. So, don't be too mad.
Also, you will see the terms method and function used to refer to the
same thing, as well as member and instance variable. They all mean
the same things; however, different books call them different things. I
have no idea what you, the reader, call them, so I'm trying to please
everyone.
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Chapter 1
Intranets and Java
CONTENTS
What Is an Intranet?
●
Using Web Services on Your Intranet
●
Why Build an Intranet?
Intranets Are Affordable
❍
Intranets Save Money
❍
Intranets Are Highly Efficient
❍
●
Java in Brief
Java: The Early Days
❍
Java Gets the Official Stamp of Approval
❍

language-like how Java can enhance an intranet.
What Is an Intranet?
Millions of people browse the World Wide Web and if you are reading this book, odds are you are one of
them. The Web is a networked information system based on hypertext. Hypertext allows you to navigate
through networked resources at the click of a button. Using a client application called a browser, you can
select highlighted keywords or specified hot areas within a document to quickly and automatically
navigate to a new document. Browsers are in fact your window to everything the World Wide Web has
to offer. Using Web technologies, you have instant access to anything your company publishes and it is
this information-on-demand feature that makes the Web such a hot commodity.
Beneath the system of hypertext documents and the wonderful graphical interface that makes it all work
is a complex network-the Internet. The Internet is a global network of millions of computers. Many
different technologies are used on the Internet to find, send, and retrieve information:
E-mail is used to send electronic mail.
●
Gopher, Archie, and Veronica can be used to find information.
●
FTP is used to send and retrieve files.
●
Telnet is used to log into remote hosts.
●
The Web is used to browse hypertext resources.
●
Trillions of research dollars went into developing the Internet and the tools that make it work. Since
some of it was paid for with your tax dollars, wouldn't it be nice to put this technology to work for you
and your company? This is where intranets come in.
An intranet is a network within an organization-an internal network-that adapts Internet technologies for
use in its information infrastructure. Worldwide, the most common Internet technology put to use within
organizations is the Web's hypertext system. For this reason, many developers associate Web publishing
on an internal network with intranets.
Using your intranet as a publishing solution, employees throughout your organization can quickly find