How to create a URLConnection 'Server'?

I would like to have a server-based Xojo Console or Web App that receives communications via a URLConnection running on my Xojo desktop apps.

All the Xojo examples assume HTTP server is a running third-party service. How can I connect a URLConnection running on a Xojo desktop client with a URLConnection running on a Xojo app on my server?

I assume the answer is obvious, but I cannot see it!

Check out Aloe Express and the demos it has. Also consider purchasing the 2018 XDC videos from the Xojo store as several sessions dealt with providing REST services via Xojo. The videos are on sale for $99 USD until the 2019 XDC.

[quote=430340:@David Cox]I would like to have a server-based Xojo Console or Web App that receives communications via a URLConnection running on my Xojo desktop apps.

All the Xojo examples assume HTTP server is a running third-party service. How can I connect a URLConnection running on a Xojo desktop client with a URLConnection running on a Xojo app on my server?

I assume the answer is obvious, but I cannot see it![/quote]

The URLConnection is still buggy and feature limited to create a real HTTP server. For now, AloeExpress is the best option.

Xojo is not going to have a good increase in its cliet base as long as they keep charging to learn what xojo can do :frowning:

Last I checked, there are all kinds of books for sale for other languages at Amazon and other places. I haven’t found any language/platform that offers all of its training material for no cost.

I’m just saying…

[quote=430340:@David Cox]I would like to have a server-based Xojo Console or Web App that receives communications via a URLConnection running on my Xojo desktop apps.

All the Xojo examples assume HTTP server is a running third-party service. How can I connect a URLConnection running on a Xojo desktop client with a URLConnection running on a Xojo app on my server?

I assume the answer is obvious, but I cannot see it![/quote]
You don’t. URLConnection is for outgoing connections only.

Well, then your search is really limited. Cant really say names, but, the creators of windows even have a Virtual Academy with Free training, the creators of Android also have lot of free training material, Even the creators of the mac have learnig apps and fre training material. I can think on other dozen examples, but, with the big ones you have the idea.

And you can easily deploy Aloe Express without it. The website has demo projects, and even has the slides from a presentation at XDC. I was just pointing out that as of this writing, all the session videos are available for a relatively cheap price.

Lots of vendors run conferences, and most charge an admission. Or have a lottery to get the opportunity to attend. Doesn’t mean you can’t learn that product without attending. But even those that are free, one hotel night is probably going to cost you more than the current sale at Xojo. Not to mention other travel costs, etc.

Some people like to buy books; some like to go to conferences. Some like to only learn from manuals. Or example projects. Or experimentation. Which reminds me of this great reference in the Programming Humor 2 thread.

lets see … .133 mb of examples ships with the install of Xojo

  • the online & built in references
  • an entire textbook they commissioned

Plus those “other companies” like Apple, MS etc ALL have more money than they know what to do with
Hundreds of millions of extra $
We’d all love to see Xojo in that spot but its not there today

[quote=430390:@Norman Palardy]Plus those “other companies” like Apple, MS etc ALL have more money than they know what to do with
Hundreds of millions of extra $
We’d all love to see Xojo in that spot but its not there today[/quote]

Can you tell if they make an extra effort in offering something because they are big and have tons of money?, OR, They are big and have tons of money because they make an extra effort in offering something that the competitors dosnt?

Actually I´m saying this bucause I think xojo can do better. The money comes with more users, more users come with better tools and learning experience.

If a new customer finds an option that offers more free learning courses (not just sample code), and another that sells them, that can have a huge weight in the buying desition.

But that is just my opinion, maybe Xojo did extensive market analysis and determined that makes more money selling to existing users.

[quote=430394:@Ivan Tellez]Can you tell if they make an extra effort in offering something because they are big and have tons of money?, OR, They are big and have tons of money because they make an extra effort in offering something that the competitors dosnt?
[/quote]
Apple ? big and has tons of money and its current offering pale in comparison to many years ago
But then years ago you had to join the Apple Developer Program and PAID mightiliy for the privilege to BUY some great docs & discounted hardware. I recall getting the first set of Docs for QuickTime. It was measured in feet and probably weighed 20 pounds.
And we paid for it all. The dev program was tiered. I bought one personally and the company I worked for paid for several as well.

MS used to be the same. It was a paid program. Still is if you really want everything, An MSDN subscription.

Both NOW have tons of money for different reasons.
Apple because they sold a ton of iPods, iPads, iPhones & made a crap ton of money selling hardware - oh yeah that runs software but they sold the hardware not the software.

MS because they licensed everything to everyone and made a pile of money being dominant on the desktop. And still are.

Both have the money to give things away and NOT hurt the bottom line. Like Apples WWDC videos.
Those will never teach you how to be a great programmer - but they are nice to have as references.
I have no idea if WWDC is a money maker or break even proposition for Apple.
And it probably doesnt matter BECAUSE they do have so much income from other sources (hardware, software, services, app store, etc) Hell they make a pile from their invested income they havent done anything with.

MS isnt radically different

This is just me having watched these two in particular from the 1970’s to now
MS and Apple didnt start out giving everything away.
I paid for MS Macro Assembler way back when and it came with the barest of bones documentation.
Most of what I learned then came from various magazines and the technical documentation I had for the systems I had access to.
And I paid for all those too.

It may
There’s no guarantee that more / better docs or giving away the vides would drive more sales which would lead to more money
It may
You can geoff has sat down & looked at this to know

Not knowing what “can do better” means is tough though.
Give away the videos ? I dunno how much it cost to produce those but I dont think that is / was covered by anything other than purchases. Maybe when the costs are fully recovered they will give them away.
Not my dept. Never was. So I have no real insght there. I’m just damned glad they do them at all.

[quote=430394:@Ivan Tellez]If a new customer finds an option that offers more free learning courses (not just sample code), and another that sells them, that can have a huge weight in the buying desition.
[/quote]
Sure. That happens.
One way to expand that for Xojo is for US, members of the community, to not always say “Well Xojo should …”
If you want something then spend some time to create it and give it away
That gives you some perspective on what you’re asking them to do
It takes time. Effort.
And thats not “free” regardless

They really dont try to sell to just existing users - really
That I know for a fact

Xojo does give a bunch of stuff away already.
I’d guess its what they figure they can give away without it costing them a ton of money to give away.

Are they perfect ? No but then no company is
BUT I will say this, having been on both sides of the fence as a customer & a product engineer I have a LOT of sympathy for Xojo’s position. Its not easy

As Greg said, URLConnection is for outgoing connections. Aloe is a great option as others have said. Or you can roll your own using ServerSocket.

Since this is hijacking the thread, I’ll only give a quick reply since it seems warranted.

There are about 300 videos available for free on the Xojo YouTube channel. There are 400+ example projects that ship with Xojo. There are thousands of pages of docs. And a free book. Only the XDC videos are sold (about 70 videos altogether). Not to mention the 100s of open-source projects that are available.

But more is always better. We are happy to publish guest blog posts and have people do guest webinars, so if anyone would like to share some special Xojo knowledge they have, please get in touch: paul@xojo.com

[quote=430340:@David Cox]I would like to have a server-based Xojo Console or Web App that receives communications via a URLConnection running on my Xojo desktop apps.

All the Xojo examples assume HTTP server is a running third-party service. How can I connect a URLConnection running on a Xojo desktop client with a URLConnection running on a Xojo app on my server?

I assume the answer is obvious, but I cannot see it![/quote]

You use UrlConnection in your client-desktop app only in order to connect to a webapp, which you also can write with Xojo.

You can start a new project and then go to Examples -> Web -> WebService-HandleSpecialURL.xojo_binary_project.

Otherwise, I have another example for handleSpecialURL here:

Back in 2016 I wrote a little test app to see how HandleSpecialURL works, it includes a client desktop app and a webapp. It uses Xojo.Net.HttpSocket which should be easily replaceable with URLConnection.

https://osswald.com/koblenz16/myservice.zip