Java(TM) Communications API for OS/2, Version 2.0.1 is supported on the following OS/2 products:

• OS/2 Warp 4 with FixPak 5 or higher for single-byte character set (SBCS) countries
  or FixPak FX00505 for double-byte character set (DBCS) countries
• OS/2 Warp Server for e-business
• WorkSpace On-Demand clients releases 2.0 and 3.0

Note:  For information on the Double Byte Character Set (DBCS) FixPak equivalents, see the FixPaks section.

Contents

1.0 OVERVIEW

Java Communications API for OS/2 enables Java applications to have a platform-independent way of performing serial and parallel port communications for technologies such as voice mail, fax, and smartcards. After writing serial or parallel port communications for your application, you can then include those files with your application. You can also include Java Communications API for OS/2 with your application for redistribution.

Java Communications API for OS/2 supports EIA232 (RS232) serial ports and IEEE 1284 parallel ports and is supported on systems with the Runtime Environment that is a part of the IBM(R) OS/2(R) Warp Developer Kit, Java(TM) 2 Technology Edition, 1.3.0.

Using Java Communications API for OS/2, you can:

• List ports on a system.
• Open and claim ownership of ports.
• Resolve port ownership contention between applications.
• Perform asynchronous and synchronous I/O ports through event notification.
• Receive bean-style events describing state changes on the port.

1.1 FixPaks

The following considerations apply:

For information about downloading a particular FixPak, visit the IBM FixPak Web site at:

      http://ps.software.ibm.com/pbin-usa-ps/getobj.pl?/pdocs-usa/otherservices.html

2.0 INSTALLING JAVA COMMUNICATIONS API FOR OS/2

Complete the following steps to install Java Communications API for OS/2:

1. Place the Java Communications API for OS/2 ZIP file (ibm-javacomm-os2-x86.zip) in the [x:\JAVA13] directory. (where [x:\JAVA13] is the drive and directory where you installed the Developer Kit. By default, JAVA13 is the name of the directory.)
2. Unzip the ZIP file by typing the file name at a command prompt (from within the [x:\JAVA13] directory). The following list shows the files and the subdirectories that the files are unzipped into.

   comm.jar in JAVA13\jre\lib\ext\ javacomm.prp in JAVA13\jre\lib ibmcomm.dll in JAVA13\jre\bin syslevel.jcm in JAVA13\jre\bin

3. Restart the computer.

3.0 UNINSTALLING JAVA COMMUNICATIONS API FOR OS/2

To uninstall Java Communications API for OS/2, complete the following steps:

1. Go to the Developer Kit directory and delete the following files:

          [x:\JAVA13]\jre\lib\ext\comm.jar
          [x:\JAVA13]\jre\lib\javacomm.prp
          [x:\JAVA13]\jre\bin\ibmcomm.dll
          [x:\JAVA13]\jre\bin\syslevel.jcm

   [x:\JAVA13] is the drive and directory where you installed the Developer Kit. By default, JAVA13 is the name of the directory.
   
   
2. Restart the computer.

4.0 DOCUMENTATION

For a general overview of JAAS, see the following Web site:

http://java.sun.com

Click Products & APIs and scroll down to the Optional Packages section. The documents at this Web site contain links to many other Web-based information sources.

5.0 KNOWN LIMITATIONS

Parallel Port communications

• On the OS/2 platform, there is no output buffer. Java Communications API for OS/2 writes directly to the parallel port. Therefore the following method returns 0:
  
  ParallelPort.getOutBufferFree
  
  
• There is no NotifyOnBuffer event because this event gets triggered when the output buffer is empty.
• OS/2 does not support suspend() and restart().
• OS/2 does not support getMode() and setMode(). getMode() returns LPT_MODE_ANY. setMode() throws an exception.

Serial Port communications

• OS/2 does not support ReceiveFraming or ReceiveThresholds.
• OS/2 does not support opening the CommPort passing in a file descriptor.

6.0 TRADEMARKS

The following terms are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the U.S., or other countries, or both:

      IBM
      OS/2

Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. The Java technology is owned and exclusively licensed by Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS.

(c) Copyright IBM Corporation 2000, All rights reserved.