• Running the Java Samples from a DOS Window.
• Running the Smalltalk Samples.
• Using the Application Controller.
• Using the Http Server

For executing the ULC sample applications we assume that the UI Engine and the applications are running on the same machine. However, this is not the intended way to run ULC applications. It is more common to run the applications on a server machine and have them present their user interface parts on a different machine. The distribution is handled transparently by ULC.

ULC applications can be started manually, from the Application Controller, or from a browser with the help of the ULC Http Server.

Known Problem: Due to a Swing bug, the first window of an application can initially appear behind other windows instead of in front.

To run the sample applications, the UI engine needs to be running. You can start the engine by executing UIEngine\bin\UlcUI.exe in a DOS window (see UlcUI Manual Page). The Java ULC samples are located in the Applications subdirectory. Each sample comes with the source code and a Readme file explaining their demonstrated features. All samples can be run from their own subdirectory (e.g., Dossier) by executing their run.bat.

The Smalltalk sample applications can be started from the Transcript Menu ULC/submenu Examples.

ULC provides a simple desktop application, the Application Controller,that allows you to launch and control applications visually. You can start the Application Controller like any other ULC application, e.g. from a DOS Window:

1. Start the application in server mode with expert option(this enables the launching feature)
   On a server machine (named serverhost), bring up a DOS prompt in folder Java\Applications\AppController. Note that the server and client can be the same machine. Start AppController on a desired port (here: 2222) by entering:

   runExpert -server 2222

   Note: 2222 is the default port for the AppController. The Experimental Java-Plug-In pages expect the AppController to be running on this port.

2. Start the UIEngine in client mode
   On a client machine, bring up a DOS prompt in folder UIEngine\bin. Start the engine with the Swing widget set and make it connect to the server by entering:

   ulcui -url ulc://serverhost:2222

The ULC Http Server enables users to connect to ULC applications from a Web browser. It parses any requested web pages with the extension .uhtml and .ulc and replaces the $WEBHOST token with the hostName of the machine running the Http server.

1. Make sure the installation steps for the ULC http Server have been completed
   see Setting up the ULC Http server

2. Start a Web browser
   The supported browsers are Netscape 3.0, Netscape 4.0, Internet Explorer 3.0, and Internet Explorer 4.0.

3. Start the ULC Http server
   The Ulc Http server is a custom HTTP server. By default it listens on port 80 for HTTP requests. The Http server is generally run on the application server machine. You can start it from a DOS prompt or by double-clicking HttpServer\bin\httpserver.bat from a file browser.

4. Retrieve the ULC Http server home page
   You retrieve the ULC Http server home page by following the URL to the Http server. If you started the Http server locally this URL is: http://localhost. If the Http server was started on a server machine (named serverhost) the address is: http://serverhost. This will return the configured Ulc Http Server home page.

   You now have three basic choices:

   • Connect to a running Application Controller
     The Application Controller can then be used to start and stop ULC application servers and request the UI Engine to make connections to them.In this case the UI Engine will be running as an Applet.
     (see Applet Implementation).
     

   • Connecting as an Applet using a custom web page.
     The UI Engine will be running as an Applet and in this case you need to start each application server manually before selecting the corresponding link.

   • Connecting as a helper using a custom web page
     The UI Engine will be running as a helper application and in this case you need to start each application server manually before selecting the corresponding link.

5. Connect to an application by either:
   

   Using the Connect button on the Application Controller.
   Clicking on one of the application icons on the custom web page sections.

NOTE: If for any reason the samples (when run as an Applet) do not run open the Java Console window of your browser and see if any security exceptions occur. A common error is if the DNS name of your machine does not match the name used to make the connection to the Http Server.

In addition RevaSoft ULC for Java integrates with IBM's award winning VisualAge for Java environment enabling full visual application builder support.