Build HCL Domino-Connected Web Apps in Servoy

Servoy is a rapid application development and deployment platform. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for HCL Domino, users can build HCL Domino-connected apps that work with live HCL Domino data. This article describes how to connect to HCL Domino from Servoy and build a simple web app to display and search HCL Domino data.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live HCL Domino data. When you issue complex SQL queries to HCL Domino, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to HCL Domino and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). Its built-in dynamic metadata querying lets you work with HCL Domino data using native data types.

Connect to HCL Domino in Servoy Developer

To build HCL Domino-connected apps, you need to first create a data provider in Servoy Developer using the CData JDBC Driver for HCL Domino.

1. Install the JDBC Driver.
2. Copy the JDBC Driver JAR file. (cdata.jdbc.domino.jar) to the /application_server/drivers/ directory in the installation directory for Servoy.
3. Open Servoy Developer.
4. In the Solution Explorer, right-click Database Server (under Resources) and choose "Connect to existing database" -> "empty."
   1. Name the server.
   2. Click to show the advanced server settings.

      • Set the URL, for example: jdbc:domino:Server=https://domino.corp.com;AuthScheme=OAuthPassword;User=my_domino_user;Password=my_domino_password;

        Built-In Connection String Designer

        For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the HCL Domino JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

        java -jar cdata.jdbc.domino.jar

        Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

        Connecting to Domino

        To connect to Domino data, set the following properties:

        • URL: The host name or IP of the server hosting the Domino database. Include the port of the server hosting the Domino database. For example: http://sampleserver:1234/
        • DatabaseScope: The name of a scope in the Domino Web UI. The driver exposes forms and views for the schema governed by the specified scope. In the Domino Admin UI, select the Scopes menu in the sidebar. Set this property to the name of an existing scope.

        Authenticating with Domino

        Domino supports authenticating via login credentials or an Azure Active Directory OAuth application:

        Login Credentials

        To authenticate with login credentials, set the following properties:

        • AuthScheme: Set this to "OAuthPassword"
        • User: The username of the authenticating Domino user
        • Password: The password associated with the authenticating Domino user

        The driver uses the login credentials to automatically perform an OAuth token exchange.

        AzureAD

        This authentication method uses Azure Active Directory as an IdP to obtain a JWT token. You need to create a custom OAuth application in Azure Active Directory and configure it as an IdP. To do so, follow the instructions in the Help documentation. Then set the following properties:

        • AuthScheme: Set this to "AzureAD"
        • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
        • OAuthClientId: The Client ID obtained when setting up the custom OAuth application.
        • OAuthClientSecret: The Client secret obtained when setting up the custom OAuth application.
        • CallbackURL: The redirect URI defined when you registered your app. For example: https://localhost:33333
        • AzureTenant: The Microsoft Online tenant being used to access data. Supply either a value in the form companyname.microsoft.com or the tenant ID.

          The tenant ID is the same as the directory ID shown in the Azure Portal's Azure Active Directory > Properties page.

      • Select the Driver class you just copied, for example, cdata.jdbc.domino.DominoDriver

Build a HCL Domino-Connected Web App

Once you have configured the connection to HCL Domino in the Servoy Developer resources, you are ready to build apps with access to live HCL Domino data.

Create a New Solution

1. In the Server Explorer, right-click "All solutions" and select "Create new solution."
2. Name the solution.
3. Select the checkbox to include the "search" module.
4. Click "Finish."

Create a New Form

Right-click "Forms" and select "Create new form."

1. Name the form.
2. Select a Datasource.
3. Set the type (e.g., Simple) and click "Finish."

Add a Data Grid to the Form

1. Drag a Data Grid component (from Servoy NG-Grids) onto the form.

2. Drag a column component onto the Data Grid and set the "dataprovider" property for each column component to a column from the HCL Domino "table" (e.g., Name from the ByName table).

   Continue adding columns as desired.

Add Searching to the App

Note that the "svySearch" extension is required to add search functionality (included by default when you create a new solution). If you did not add the extension when you created the solution or you are modifying an existing solution, you can add the search module by right-clicking Modules (in the solution) and selecting "Add Module." Select "svySearch" and click "OK."

1. Drag a Text Field component onto the Form.
2. Right-click the Form and select "Open in Script Editor."
3. Create a new variable (JavaScript) to hold the search value:

   var searchText = '';
   

4. Back on the Form, in the Text Field properties:
   1. Set the "dataprovider" property to the Form variable you just created.
   2. Double-click to add a method for the onAction event.
   3. Click to create the method in "Form," name the method (e.g., onEnter), and click "Create private."
   4. Click "OK & Show."
5. Add the following JavaScript to the JavaScript file to use the Servoy framework to implement searching bound data based on the text in the Text Field:

   var search = scopes.svySearch.createSimpleSearch(foundset).setSearchText(searchText);
   search.setSearchAllColumns();
   search.loadRecords(foundset);
   

Save and Launch the App

Save the form and JavaScript file, then click Run -> Launch NGClient to start the web app.

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for HCL Domino and start building HCL Domino-connected apps with Servoy. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.