Using the ILux Server API
ILuxScript API Overview
The ILuxScript application programming interface (API) enables you to interact directly with the ILux server. It supports all of the most important functions available through the ILux client interface. For example, you can use the API to automate routine functions with scripts, or integrate ILux with other applications, such as e-commerce systems.
The API is not a programming interface in the classic sense, since programming is not necessarily involved. It consists of a series of text-based commands that are passed to the ILux server over a Telnet connection. This makes the API both language and platform independent.
In its simplest form, you can use the API to send commands to the ILux server using a command line Telnet client. In practice, this is not very useful since the same functions can be performed much more easily using the ILux client GUI. However, this technique is useful for testing and experimenting with the behavior of the API.
In a slightly more complex case, scripts can be used to automate the 'typing' of commands. Scripts can also provide variable substitution capability for the values of command parameters. Scripts can be created using anything from Windows BAT files, to Unix shell scripts, to powerful scripting languages such as Perl. We recommend Perl because of it's power and flexibility.
The API can also be used from within application programs. In this case the programmer would need to open a socket on the ILux port, send the appropriate commands, and process the information returned by ILux.
Obtaining Perl
Perl is the tool of choice for invoking Scripts through the ILux API. It is flexible, powerful, and available on multiple platforms.
| Select the platform on which you run Perl. | Unix | Windows NT/95 |
|---|---|---|
| Perl | The Perl Language Home Page | ActiveWare Home Page |
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