Proxy objects provide methods that allow you to manage proxy objects, create other proxy objects, and access application server procedures. ProxyGen generates proxy objects for Java and .NET. The actual proxies for a SOAP Web service typically are generated by Web service client tools that use the Web service WSDL file.

Proxy objects support four types of methods you can call from an Open Client application:

  • Connection methods — Establishes a connection to an application server.

    For more information about connecting to an application server, see Connect to an application server. For more information about establishing a connection for a specific type of Open Client, see Java Open Clients, .NET Open Clients, or Develop Web Services.

  • Common methods — Manages a proxy object and its application server connection. The common methods available depend on the client type. For details, see Java Open Clients, .NET Open Clients, or Develop Web Services.
  • Class factory methods — Allows you to create SubAppObjects and ProcObjects. Executing a SubAppObject class factory method does not access the application server. If a ProcObject encapsulates a persistent procedure, the class factory method executes the corresponding persistent procedure on the application server. If a ProcObject encapsulates a single-run or singleton procedure, the class factory method does not execute the corresponding procedure. The single-run or singleton procedure will only be instantiated on the application server when one of its internal procedures or user-defined functions is called.

    ProxyGen generates class factory methods using standard naming conventions for each type of Open Client. For more information, see Generate Proxies.

    For Java Open Clients, a built-in class factory method also allows you to create a predefined ProcObject, SDOResultSet, for a given SmartDataObject procedure file. For more information, see Java Open Clients.

  • Remote ABL methods — Invokes non-persistent procedures, internal procedures, and user-defined functions on the application server. For more information, see Remote ABL methods.

The following table shows which types of methods are available for each type of proxy object.

Table 1. Types of methods available for different proxy objects
Type of method AppObject SbAppObject ProcObject
Connection X – –
Common X X X

Class factory:

  • SubAppObject class factory

  • ProcObject class factory

  • SDOResultSet class factory

X

X

X

-

X

X

-

-

-
Remote ABL X X X