Description of SERVEPDF

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From Rob van der Heij

Version 1.0.2

The SERVEPDF program shows a PDF file from your CMS session in the web browser.

Pass the name of the PDF file as argument to the program. It is practical to invoke SERVEPDF from the FILELIST environment.

SERVEPDF briefly opens a port on the TCP/IP stack and displays the URL of the document. Use copy and paste to put the URL in the address field of the web browser. Depending on browser settings, the PDF viewer will be started or the document is shown in the browser window. When the document is transferred, the program terminates and the CMS session is free again.

The browser continues to show the document until the window or the PDF viewer is closed. This is convenient to view the PDF while working on CMS.

Notes:

  • You will need a pretty recent level of CMS Pipelines 1.1.11.
  • When using IBM Personal Communications, double click on the start of the URL in the display will invoke the web browser to visit that page (use Edit ↠ Preferences ↠ Hotspots Setup ↠ Execute URL to enable the feature).
  • To avoid the need for authentication, the miniature web server only responds to a request from the workstation that also runs the TN3270 client used for the CMS session. This means it will not work when disconnected.
  • The browser must be able to reach an arbitrary high port on the VM system. Some installations block all access to the VM system except for a few specific ports. In that case the program can not be used.
  • Apprentice plumbers may want to read the code and learn some new tricks to improve their CMS Pipelines skills.

Changes:

  • 19 Feb 2016 RMH Change resource name to single word only
  • 2 Mar 2016 RMH Added check on minimum level required