Using the Host Access Toolkit (HAT) for Host On-Demand (HOD)

Introduction
Host Access Toolkit is a comprehensive set of application programming interfaces (APIs) for programmers to develop custom applications that run with HOD.
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The Host Access Toolkit consists of the following APIs -

• Host Access Class Library API
• Host Access Beans for Java™ API
• Host On-Demand Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) Connector API

    A.     Host Access Class Library (HACL) APIs

The Host Access Class Library (HACL) provides a comprehensive set of classes and methods that facilitates the developer community to build platform-independent applications that can access host information without using a graphical user interface.
(a) Advantages:
      i)    platform independent.
     ii)    downloadable and executable on client workstations using standard Java technology                   and web technology.
    iii)    support for coding java applets that operates on data from the data stream of 3270,                     5250 and VT hosts without the need of local applets that resides on the users’ machines.
    iv)    a significant improvement over traditional emulator programming interfaces.


    B.     Host Access Beans for Java™ API

The Host Access Beans for Java   supplies emulator functions as a set of JavaBeans. JavaBeans components contain properties of configuration, communication and can be manipulated in visual development environments. The Host Access Beans can be used by programmers to develop custom applications that deliver the specific functionalities in their host access applications.

    C.      Host On-Demand Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) Connector API

J2EE Connector architecture provides a set of APIs that allows programmers to connect and integrate their applications with any backend EIS and to any application server that comply with J2EE Connector architecture.
In applications where programmers need to explore and implement the complete functionality of Host On-Demand, HACL and JavaBeans APIs should be used.

Download Options
Host Access Toolkit can be downloaded from the following location –

​https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/options?selectionBean.selectedTab=find&selection=ibm%2fRational%3bibm%2fRational%2fIBM+Host+On-Demand
 
The download page looks like as below:-

Install using IBM Installation Manager

​Save the downloaded file in a location in your computer and select the repository in IBM Installation Manager.

Then Click on the Install option
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On the next screen select the package to install
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Accept all default values by clicking “Next” until you get the “Install” option
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To verify the installation, go to the below location and check if Host Access Toolkit is installed in C:\Program Files\IBM\HostAccessToolkit

This toolkit contains the APIs, its detailed description and sample programs for the help of developers.

​We are presenting a sample program to show how HACL and Beans APIs can  be used to create a host session in the below example.

Figure2: A program to create session using HACL and Host Access Beans APIs

Figure3: Output of program given in figure2

Host Access Toolkit  is a trademark of IBM Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions, and are used under license.

Anikjit Mitra
Technical Lead – IBM HACP & HATS
anikjit.m@hcl.com