Instant message alert

Question

Hello,
I am trying to create a HTML Db application which uses 'instant messaging'.
What I would like the database to do is when certain actions take place (e.g. A users submits a document or amends a document or deletes a document from a table), I would like to be able to send an alert out to certain groups of people (dependant on the action that has taken place). The recipients would see a popup box on their screen which would inform them of what has taken place and provide a link to the HTML Db application.
Is this possible in HTML Db?
Any help much appreciated.

Answer 1

Simon,
If I understand you right, you want to be able to send out an instant message instead of an email from HTMLDB. To send an email HTMLDB leverages the database SMTP client implementation and the SMTP protocol. Database exposes the SMTP client API to HTMLDB as a PL/SQL procedure (UTL_SMTP). There is no UTL_IM. So the solution to your problem lies in creating your own stored procedure in the database to send an IM.
I know each vendor had a proprietary protocol for instant messaging. You cannot add AOL or MSN messenger users into your yahoo messenger or vice versa !! (Pardon my ignorance if this is not true). Now a days I see third party instant messengers like ICQ that seem to work with MSN, yahoo, etc - I have not use one myself - which suggests that it is worth an effort to find more about the protocols. Once you have the information you can use UTL_TCP/external procedure/java procedure in the database to create a stored procedure to send IM.
Somebody had suggested using windows net send or unix wall. That can be implemented as external proc, saving you the time to research IM, but it will not work well in a mixed environment (unix servers and windows desktop).
In short HTMLDB email feature is a wrapper around database UTL_SMTP. Database does not have any IM client implementation. You will have to create your own.