[Best practice] How to call a service from custom Java code

Question

Hi all,
I'm wondering what the best method is to call a standard service from custom Java code?
In a specific situation iDoc script is extended with custom functions with a custom component. There's Java code mapping to these functions that is executing these functions. The iDoc script functions are called from a workflow entry script.
In the Java code that runs when the custom iDoc functions are called, I want to call a standard Content Server service. I don't think that the m_service variable is available, so filling the binder and using m_service.executeService() probably isn't possible.
Also, if it were possible (that is, if I want to call a standard service from my own custom service Java code), what would then be the best method to do so?
Regards, Stijn

Answer 1

Hi Sapan,
Let me explain a bit further.
I'm an UCM consultant trying to solve a problem that occured at a client when they installed the CS10gR35CoreUpdateBundle.
Content items are entered into a Workflow when they are checked in. Part of one of the entry scripts of the a workflow step is that related content to the content item in the workflow is (re)submitted for conversion.
To achive this, a custom component provides an iDoc script extension. This iDoc function (resubmitForConversion) is implemented in Java (the class extends ScriptExtensionsAdaptor).
In this Java method, first the related content items are fetched. Then the service RESUBMIT_FOR_CONVERSION should be called for all dID's in of the related content.
Thus, at a certain point in the custom Java code, a native Content Server service must be called. Of course the class of this Java code does not extend the Service class, so the m_service object isn't available.
The thing is: before installed the 10gR35CoreUpdateBundle everything worked OK. This code was used to execute the service:
        Workspace workspace = CommonUtils.getSystemWorkspace();
        String cmd = binder.getLocal("IdcService");
        if (cmd == null) throw new DataException("!csIdcServiceMissing");
        ServiceData serviceData = ServiceManager.getFullService(cmd);
        if (serviceData == null) throw new DataException(LocaleUtils.encodeMessage("!csNoServiceDefined", null, cmd));
        Service service = ServiceManager.createService(serviceData.m_classID, workspace, null, binder, serviceData);
        UserData fullUserData = CommonUtils.getFullUserData(userName, service);
        service.setUserData(fullUserData);
        binder.m_environment.put("REMOTE_USER", userName);
        ServiceException error = null;
        try {
            service.setSendFlags(true, true);
            service.initDelegatedObjects();
            service.globalSecurityCheck();
            service.preActions();
            service.doActions();
            service.postActions();
            service.updateSubjectInformation(true);
            service.updateTopicInformation(binder);
        } catch (ServiceException e) {
            error = e;
        } finally {
            service.cleanUp(true);
            if (!CommonUtils.isWorkspaceConnectionInTransaction(workspace)) {
                 workspace.releaseConnection();
        }the first problem was that the CS began to complain that a transaction was started within another transaction. So I suspect that the 10gR35 update wrapped a transaction around a workflow script entry.
With some decompiling I figured out how a service is called from iDoc with the <$executeService()$> command. So I replaced the code above with:
              String cmd = binder.getLocal("IdcService");
            ServiceData serviceData = ServiceManager.getFullService(cmd);
            if (serviceData == null) throw new DataException(LocaleUtils.encodeMessage("!csNoServiceDefined", null, cmd));
            Workspace workspace = CommonUtils.getSystemWorkspace();
            Service service = ServiceManager.createService(serviceData.m_classID, workspace, null, binder, serviceData);
            UserData fullUserData = CommonUtils.getFullUserData(userName, service);
            service.setUserData(fullUserData);
            binder.m_environment.put("REMOTE_USER", userName);
            service.initDelegatedObjects();
            service.executeSafeServiceInNewContext(cmd, true);This solved the transaction problem but introduces another problem: !csUnableToResubmitItem,(null)!csIllegalScriptAccess,RESUBMIT_FOR_CONVERSION
The Service Reference Guide says that the access level for RESUBMIT_FOR_CONVERION is 33 (Read, Scriptable). However, in shared/config/resources/std_services.htm the access level is specified as 2 (write).
Thus, my question still is:
What is the best method to call a standard Content Server service from any Java code (so without extending the Service class, or having the m_service object available)?