The dsj.properties file contains settings for the both
the DSJ client and the DSJ server. All properties have unique names and
are case-sensitive. All client properties start with the letters
"DSJ". If only the client is running, the server settings are
ignored. The properties may appear in any order.
The install program creates a file named dsj.defaults,
which contains the default settings. It then makes a copy of that file
named dsj.properties, which is the file that is actually
used by the DSJ client and/or server. If you want to revert to the
default settings, you can copy dsj.defaults over
dsj.properties. Remember that the client requires a minimum
configuration as detailed on Minimum
client configuration. The client software also has the same defaults
hard-coded into it, in case any of the properties are missing from the
dsj.properties file.
You may specify an alternate properties file using the command line
option DSJpropertyfile. For example:
dsjclient /DSJpropertyfile=c:\somedir\someotherfile
All the options in the properties file may be overridden by using the corresponding command line option when starting the DSJ client. See Command line arguments for details.
In the file, all leading whitespace (spaces and tabs) is ignored. Lines that begin with a semicolon are considered comments and ignored.
Each property is followed by the equal sign (=) and its value, if any, on a single line. Spaces around the equal sign are ignored.
By default, subdirectories are designated using the dot to reference the current directory, for example:
.\somedir
This is equivalent to just simply:
somedir
You may use either notation.
The following properties are recognized by the DSJ client:
(For information on the DSJ server properties, see dsj.properties Server Reference.)
Specifies the base directory for external files that are transmitted by the DSJ server. If a Java application uses external files, the DSJ server can be configured to send those files, either to a specific fully pathed location on the client, or to a relative path location. This property acts as the base directory for relatively-pathed files.
You may specify a full path or relative path for this property. Relative paths are based on the DSJBaseDirectory property. The named directory will be created if necessary at runtime.
The default DSJAppBaseDirectory is the current directory, denoted by a single dot.
Suppose you want to store any external files in the
\Extra subdirectory of the DSJ client directory. Use the
following properties:
DSJAppBaseDirectory=.\Extra DSJBaseDirectory=.
This make the definition portable if you move the DSJ client (and its subdirectories) to another drive or directory. You could also specify the full path, like this:
DSJAppBaseDirectory=c:\dsj\Extra
The name of the application to run when the DSJ client starts. Application names are case-sensitive.
This property is normally designated on the command line, so that you
can run different applications as desired. But it can be hard-coded into
the dsj.properties file so that either:
If an application name is specified, the user will never see the Available Applications dialog box.
By default, no application is specified; the user will get the Available Applications dialog box.
Suppose you usually run the InspectionStatus application. You could
put that in the dsj.properties file:
DSJApplication=InspectionStatus
and whenever you want to run a different application, you specify it
on the command line to override the dsj.properties file
setting. For example, to run the MontlyStats application instead:
dsjclient MonthlyStats
If an application name is specified in the
dsj.properties file, you may also designate the desired
application version number. If you leave this property blank, the latest
version is executed.
This property is ignored when you specify an application on the command line, or choose an application from the Available Applications dialog box.
By default, no application version is specified; the user will get the latest version of the application installed on the primary DSJ server.
Continuing the DSJApplication example, if the developers are
testing the new 13.5 version of the InspectionStatus application, but
you want to run the older, proven 13.4 version for now, you can specify
that in the dsj.properties file:
DSJApplicationVersion=13.4
Once the newer version is finished, you can clear the DSJApplicationVersion setting to get the latest version.
Designates the base directory for the DSJAppBaseDirectory and DSJCacheLocation properties. If one of those properties uses a relative directory, it is relative to the DSJBaseDirectory property.
This property is resolved to a full path at startup.
The default DSJBaseDirectory is the current directory, denoted by a single dot. The current directory is:
If you execute the dsjclient.bat (or other) batch file
from the Windows Explorer, it runs in the directory that contains the
batch file.
If you place dsjclient.bat on your path so that it can
be run from any directory, you should hard-code the DSJ client directory
as the DSJBaseDirectory. For example, if installed in
c:\dsj:
DSJBaseDirectory=c:\dsj
This property controls how the client caches classes. It may have one of the following values:
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| none | Do not write any classes received to the cache. Ignore the cache file for the application if it exits. |
| use | Use the cache if it exists. Download classes from the server as needed, and cache them. |
| preload | Download and cache all the packages used in the application before running the application. |
Note that preload downloads entire packages, not the specific classes that are used, because there is no way to know in advance which classes those will be. Even if you exercise all the functions in an application, the actual classes used may be a relatively small percentage of all the classes in the all the packages. However, downloading entire packages is more efficient (more bytes per second) than downloading individual classes, but with the increased size, it may or may not be faster.
By using preload, you incur the delay of downloading the classes up-front; there will never be a delay when running the application. With use, there may be delays as you use different parts of the application for the first time; then those classes will be cached, so there is no delay the next time. Either way, you must still be able to connect to the server for authentication purposes.
The default cache setting is use.
Before visiting the Antarctica field office, which only has a 2400
baud modem to connect to the Internet, you want to download your
applications off the DSJ server onto your laptop. You change the
dsj.properties file:
DSJCache=preload
You then start all your applications, one after another, to preload their caches.
The directory that contains the class cache files for each application. The named directory will be created if necessary at runtime.
You may delete any of the cache files (when the application is not running). If their contents are needed again in the future, they will be fetched from the server.
Note that if you attempt to run two different versions of the same application at the same time, there will be a cache conflict, because the cache file names will be the same. You must override the DSJCacheLocation on the command line for one (or both) of the versions so that each version is cached in a different directory.
The default DSJCacheLocation is the current directory, denoted by a single dot.
Suppose you want to store your cache files in the \Cache
subdirectory of the DSJ client directory. Use the following properties:
DSJCacheLocation=.\Cache DSJBaseDirectory=.
This make the definition portable if you move the DSJ client (and its subdirectories) to another drive or directory. You could also specify the full path, like this:
DSJCacheLocation=c:\dsj\Cache
The .zip or .jar file that contains the DSJ
client classes. This file is automatically overwritten when the DSJ
server updates the client.
Do not change this property, except on the specific instructions of the DSJ server administrator.
The default client class file is dsjclient1.0.jar
DSJDebug is a true/false property
that controls whether the client displays trace messages in the console
as it works. The trace messages can help diagnose problems.
If you run the DSJ client without a command prompt window, as you might when running the application with a shortcut, you will not see the messages.
By default DSJDebug is false; no messages are
displayed.
Suppose you are a Java developer testing your application over DSJ to verify that it works correctly. You turn on the trace messages to monitor what the DSJ client is doing:
DSJDebug=true
If you specify a user name in the dsj.properties file,
you can include the password. This allows you to have an authenticated
user name, without having to type in your password every time.
However, because the password is stored in plain or "clear" text, anyone who can see the properties file can see your password. This is not secure, especially if you tend to use the same or similar passwords in different places. Even if the DSJ applications youÆre running arenÆt particularly sensitive, if someone sees your password, they might be able to get unauthorized access to something that is important.
If you have specified a Username and the Password is blank, you will get the Enter Password dialog box when you start the DSJ client. The Password property is ignored if you specify a user name on the command line.
Your user name and password are assigned and controlled by the DSJ server administrator.
By default, the password is blank
DSJProgress is a true/false
property that controls whether the client displays a progress indicator
in the console as it downloads classes and other resources from the
server. By using a progress indicator, you can tell that DSJ is working,
and has not hanged.
Dots are displayed in the console window during download. If you run the DSJ client without a command prompt window, as you might when running the application with a shortcut, you will not see the dots.
By default DSJProgess is true; dots are
displayed.
Suppose the dots lull you to sleep. You can turn them off:
DSJProgress=false
The hostname or IP address of your primary DSJ server.
Hostnames require either a working DNS (Domain Name Server) or
mapping in the hosts file. In Windows 95, there is a sample
file named hosts.sam in the \Windows directory
that you can rename to hosts. In Windows NT, the
hosts file is in the \System32\drivers\etc
subdirectory.
This property is usually configured during installation. If you do
not specify a server in the properties file or the command line, the DSJ
client uses localhost as the default server.
The localhost machine is the default server.
The primary DSJ server at your company, whose domain is
mycompany.com, is jserver1, so you use the
following entry in the dsj.properties file:
DSJServer=jserver1.mycompany.com
The TCP/IP port number through which the client sends its requests. The DSJ server listens for DSJ client requests on a specific port number. These numbers must match.
Do not change this property, except on the specific instructions of the DSJ server administrator.
The default port number is 707.
The user name you want to use for contacting the DSJ server. The user name is used to determine which applications are available to you (possibly in combination with the IP address of the client machine, so that only certain users can access a particular application from certain machines), and is used for logging access to applications.
Your user name and password are assigned and controlled by the DSJ server administrator.
If you have a user name, it is recommended that you set Username property, but leave the Password property blank. This will cause the Enter Password dialog box to appear whenever you start the DSJ client. This is more secure than hard-coding your password in the properties file, although less convenient.
By default, there is no user name; you are an anonymous user.
Your user name is Bob, so you use the following entry in the
dsj.properties file:
DSJUsername=Bob