Quick Start Guide for the GAS

This guide provides you with an easy-to-follow path for exploring the potential of (and delivering an application with) the Genero Application Server

For this quick start, you must have the Genero product suite installed locally. You must have Genero Studio installed (which by default includes the Genero Business Development Language, Genero Application Server, and Genero Desktop Client, which are also required). We will be using the standalone Genero Application Server (httpdispatch); you do not need to include the fglccgi or isapi extension. By restricting this quick start to a completely local install, we remove possible networking or remote setup issues.

Refer to the Genero Installation Guide for installation guidance.

The goal of this quick start is to provide you with some basic experience in using the Genero Application Server, providing the configuration information needed to allow the Genero Application Server to start an application,

Start the Genero Application Server. Go to Programs >> Genero Studio >> Tools >> Genero Application Server (Standalone). If you need to start the standalone dispatcher from the command line, see Dispatcher: httpdispatch. The application server (the httpdispatch dispatcher) is started. When you start the standalone Genero Application Server, you bypass the need for a Web server. The standalone Genero Application Server is for development and testing only; a Web server is required for a production environment.
From a browser, enter http://localhost:6394/demos.html. By default, access to the demos is restricted to localhost, due to the <ACCESS_CONTROL> tag setting. See ACCESS_CONTROL. The Genero Application Server responds, and the Genero Application Server welcome page displays. The dispatcher is working.
Examine the demo application, delivered by the Genero Application Server to two clients.
1. To view the demo application displayed using the Genero Web Client for HTML5, click on the Genero demos link. Alternatively, you can enter the address http://localhost:6394/wa/r/gwc-demo. The application displays in the browser.
2. To view the demo application displayed using the Genero Desktop Client for HTTP, enter the address http://localhost:6394/da/r/gdc-demo in a new browser tab. If asked, elect to Open gdc-demo.gdc. The Demos application opens in the Genero Desktop Client.
Examine the Web services demo applications.
1. Enter the address http://localhost:6394/wa/r/gwc-demo.
2. In the Topic tree, navigate to WebServices >> Calcualtor >> Server. Double-click on the demo Standalone Soap 1.1 and 1.2 Calculator Service. A new tab opens in the browser, and the Calculator service is started. After a series of messages, the Calculator service dialog displays the message No request....
3. Return to the Demos tab. In the Topic tree, navigate to WebServices >> Calcualtor >> Client. Double-click on the demo Calculator Soap 1.2. The Web Services URL dialog appears, with the URL stating (Standalone) http://localhost:8091/Calculator.
4. In the Web Services URL dialog, click OK. The Soap 1.2 Web Services calculator demo application displays.
5. Test the client application, and verify the Web service returns the expected values.
Launch an application from Genero Studio.
1. If your standalone dispatcher is still running, close your open applications and shut down the dispatcher. You do not need to start the GAS dispatcher if you are launching an application from within Studio. To shut down the standalone dispatcher, select the console window handling the httpdispatch process and press Ctrl-C.
2. In Genero Studio, the combobox in the bottom right corner of the main window displays the currently active configuration. Select the Web (HTML5) configuration.
3. Select the HelloWorld application from the Tutorials & Samples tab. If the application is not listed in your Recent Projects list, find it within your My Genero Files folder: ...\Documents\My Genero Files\samples\HelloWorld\HelloWorld.4pw. The Hellow World project opens in the Projects panel.
4. Execute the application. Select Debug >> Execute. The application opens in a browser.
  Two application configuration files are created to run the application; their names (and the file location) are listed in the Output tab. Review the configuration file without "_studio" in its name. In addition, the URL used to launch the application is listed. The URL includes the OutputMap parameter specifying the HTML5 theme (DUA_HTML5).
Create a custom configuration file. Use it to launch an application using the Genero Web Client for HTML5.
1. Create a minimal configuration file for your Hello World application.
```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<APPLICATION Parent="defaultgwc"
 xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
 xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation=
 "http://www.4js.com/ns/gas/2.50/cfextwa.xsd">
 <EXECUTION>
  <PATH>C:\Users\username\Documents\
    My Genero Files\samples\HelloWorld</PATH>
  <MODULE>HelloWorld.42r</MODULE>
 </EXECUTION>
</APPLICATION>
```
2. Save it in the directory ...\ProgramData\vendor\gas\version\app\. This is the same directory that Genero Studio placed its application configuration files at the end of 5. The _default directory is set in the Genero Application Server configuration file (after interpreting the resource):
```
<GROUP Id="_default">$(res.path.app)</GROUP> 
```
3. In a browser, enter the application address: http://localhost:6394/wa/r/myHelloWorld. The application launches. You have created an application configuration file.
  When you start organizing your individual application configuration files, you will likely create groups, which allow you to organize your application configuration files across various directories. And while the application configuration file for your Hello World application was minimal, you will likely find that you need to specify additional information: database settings, environment variables, and so on. Compare your minimal applicaiton configuration file with the file created by Genero Studio to run the same application over the Web.
Launch the same application using the Genero Desktop Client for HTTP. With the standalone dispatcher still running, enter the application address in a browser: http://localhost:6394/da/r/myHelloWorld. The application launches within the Genero Desktop Client. The same application configuration file used for the Genero Web Client was also used to launch the application using the Genero Desktop Client for HTTP.
Create a Genero archive for deployment of your Web application.
1. Place all files, including the configuration file, in the directory with the application source.
2. In the same directory, create a MANIFEST file.
```
<MANIFEST>
  <DESCRIPTION></DESCRIPTION>
  <APPLICATION name="myhelloworld" xcf="myHelloWorld.xcf" />
</MANIFEST>
```
3. Open the Genero Workplace Window. Go to Programs >> Genero Studio >> Tools >> Genero Workplace Window. The Genero Workplace Window is the command-line interface provided under the Tools folder in the Genero Studio installation. By accessing the command line via this application, the environment is set for you.
4. From the command line, navigate to the directory that contains the application source AND the MANIFEST file.
5. Enter the command: fglgar --gar. A Genero archive file is created. The name of the archive is the name of the current directory. With this archive, you can deploy your application to other hosts. For more information, see Deploying with Genero Archive.