To download as-needed application components from a codebase residing on an application server, WebClient, by default, creates a new connection to the application server, downloads the components, and terminates the connection.

Note: To download at-startup application components before the application starts, WebClient creates a new connection to the codebase server.

If necessary, the WebClient can keep the connection used for downloading as-needed application components open and reuse the connection to download additional components until no more remain to be downloaded. To enable this option, in the Application Assembler's Codebase Locator window, check the Keep Connection Open toggle box.

WebClient can also download as-needed application components over an application server connection that is already open. For example, if your business logic and the codebase reside on the same application server, you could use a connection that is already established to access the business logic. To enable this option, just after you connect to the application server, assign the connection's handle to the SERVER attribute of the CODEBASE-LOCATOR handle.

If you do so:

  • The application has full responsibility for managing the connection.
  • The application configuration file's information regarding the codebase server is not used.
  • If the connection breaks, the download fails.
  • If there is an outstanding ASYNC request on the handle of the existing connection at the moment WebClient needs it for the download, WebClient raises an error on the RUN statement.
Note: Progress recommends that an application server connection used for ASYNC requests not be used for downloading application components.