RE: flexfax: Design for a portable Java hylafax clients: i want your opinions, please!

["Bernd Proissl" <news@proissl.de>]

....
> >
> My comments come from the point of view of someone who only worries
> about Win95 clients...
>
> I prefer b. currently, but it's probably just because there's something
> with Delphi source (respond) out there that I can modify (and am
> currently doing so).  No print drivers to have to write.
In fact you can replace respond very easily with something else.

> Not sure what a2. would do.
direct communication with hylafax server goes over eMail as transport layer
and
not over native hylafax protocoll.

> I can see a lot of advantage to an open-source a1.-type client.
>
> But:
>
> (1) Can you do a print monitor or driver in pure Java?
no. on win9x/NT there is redmon to do this.
redmon is freely available, captures printing output from apps and then
starts
an application to process the output.

> (2) Someone apparently is already working on or has one, in Java(?)
yes. Steffen Pingel, link is on www.hylafax.org/links.html
AFAIK it is in a comparable unfinished state as mine.
each has adavantages and disadvatages (you may call it "feature")

> (3) Java's pretty bulky, relatively inefficient (correct me if I'm
> wrong)
yes and no. compared to compiled delphi code: i think yes.
if you have less then 64MB RAM yes, less than P200 maybe also.
In particular the startup of the VM is slow on these machines.
But on a PIII 450 there is no problem with the startup time any more.

One reason for me doing it in java is that i want to learn the language
better.
it is *really* nice OO language and bulkyness will not be a problem in one
year
onemore. if you PC can run W2K then it can run Java also.

> What I'd truly like to see is something written in some more
> close-to-the-metal language, like C++ or Delphi.  Delphi would be best,
> if you *could* do a print monitor in it.  You'd have to get the DDK and
> try to figure out how to translate its C-based instructions into Delphi
> terms.
>
> But doubtless you hate Pascal.  ;-)
Really, i would not say "hate" but i never got warm with it, this is true!
I know that delphi is more than pascal but still did not have to do
something
with it. And ofter knowing java it is farer away than ever.

> Another idea for you:  I'd see added utility in interfacing with or
> easily adding the option to interface with Outlook's address book.
> That's one thing I'm tacking on to Respond.  Sorry if this goes against
> the grain, but people like to run it.  At least until "ILOVEYOU" hits
> it.  :-)
i apologise for it: i use outlook! it's really nice!
yes, there will be a Phonebook service provider interface that everybody can
implement another fax number source. (jdbc, textfile, xml, ldap, outlook...)

one thing with outlook ist that MS does not have to use open standards.
AFAIK you cannot use ODBC to get your contacts, correct me if i am wrong!
If you could you just would have to use the jdbc-odbc bridge and your fax
numbers
where available.

from within delphi you should be able to use ole automation with outlook to
get
the data and then pass them to whfc for faxing.

another pure windows and not open source way would be to take winfax and dig
into the
hardware abstraction layer it uses. there is a development kit on the web an
(i think)
on every CD.


> Good luck.
Thanks, also to you

Bernd