EXCEL as a REST application

MS Excel works as a specialized browser for the m-server.
Page layout is done in pure excel at the stage of project preparation. In the process, ONLY data is transmitted to the client, without design elements.
REST is ideally suited for such solutions.

But there are some technological features of the use of REST.
Data is not transmitted immediately from IRIS to excel, but previously transferred to a ‘virtual excel’ deployed inside the m-server.
One of the reasons is that the tables in preliminary markup in excel are indicated by one line.
After all, we do not know in advance how many rows and columns will actually be.
Virtual excel is built by globals and there are no problems with insertion.
After the tables are structured in virtual, the server sends the excel client a command to transform the real sheet to the actual size of the tables and then the virtual sheet is simply copied to the real one in a split second.
This can be seen in the example of the CRUD EXCEL.

Everything is controlled by m-commands in cells. Programs on the server only provide virtual excel and do not change depending on the task.
In the session, the excel client is interactively connected with the virtual excel.
Of course, mumps-commands are executed in virtual cells. In real excel, native excel formulas work in real cells.
Results are mixed and displayed in both directions.
Interactive work is clearly visible in the game SEA BATTLE.

For testing, if MS Excel (Windows) and the IRIS-2020 server both are on the same computer:

• Unzip MX to folder C:\MX (or other) then start IRIS terminal and create the application ‘MX’:

• USER> do ^%REST ; Enter an application name or (L)ist all REST applications (L):MX .. and further all answers by default

• USER> do $System.OBJ.ImportDir(“c:\mx”,”vmx.ro”,”ck”,,1)

• USER> do $System.OBJ.ImportDir("c:\mx","rest.xml","ck",,1)

• Start MX_REST.XLSB and click button [ 66..USER WIN-52774-IRIS-2020 ]

For testing, if IRIS on LINUX, MS Excel (client) on other computer with Windows:

• Unzip MX to any folder /path/to/mymx

• $ docker run --name myiris -p 52773:52773 –p 5264:5264 -v /path/to/mymx:/mx -d store/intersystems/iris-community:2020.1.0.202.0

• $ docker exec -it myiris iris session iris

• USER> do ^%REST ; Enter an application name or (L)ist all REST applications (L):MX .. and further all answers by default

• USER> do $System.OBJ.ImportDir(“/mx”,”vmx.ro”,”ck”,,1)

• USER> do $System.OBJ.ImportDir("/mx","rest.xml","ck",,1)

On other computer with Windows:

• Unzip MX to folder C:\MX (or other) and change the cell [ e65 ] sheet [ connections ] book MX_CONFI.XLSB to address of the LINUX-server, f.e. 192.168.1.106

• start MX_REST.XLSB and click button [ 65..USER LINUX-52773-IRIS ]

Username/Password=admin/SYS (or your)

If the server does not respond, cancel excel ctrl+alt+delete.

You can change m-commands in cells and test variations of your page.

To do this, click the ‘design’ icon on the top control panel of MX. A sheet with formulas opens.

Change the m-command in cells. Be careful with infinite loops.

Click the ‘design’ for save.

Below are sample pages.

Tested on IRIS for Windows (x86-64) 2020.1 (Build 215U) Mon Mar 30 2020 20:14:44 EDT